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AGRICULTURAL

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A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per An

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., JANUARY 1, 1890.

NO. I.

Entered at Post-office as second-class matter.

Sl)e (fbitor'0 ?I)epartm£nt.

A happy new year to all our subscribers.

How rlo you like the appearance of this copy of
the API ?

Blr. Doolittle has sent us a long reply to our
criticisms of his method of queen-rearing. It
will appear in a later issue.

The programme of the International Bee-asso-
ciation was sent us by R. F. Holterman, but too
late to be inserted in our December issue. Tliis
is why it did not appear.

We want about three thousand more names up-
on our subscription book than we now have. We
can have them if eacli reader of the API will send
in a new name with his own.

■Wide top-bar frames.

It is with a good deal of satisfaction that we
note the discussion now going on in Gleanings
concerning wide top-bars for brood frames. For
nearly thirty years we have urged beekeepers to
discard tlie narrow top-bars and adopt the wide
one. I am pleased to know that our time used in
this line has not been wasted. The person who
uses the narrow top-bar knows little of the value
of a wide top-bar, or of the comforts of beekeep-
ing.

The Paris Exhibition.
American beekeepers ought not to be censured
for not making a better exhibit at the Paris Fair.
It could not be done. In order to make a good
display of goods, it is necessary for the exhibitor
to attend in person or at least to have a compe-

tent and trusty person to take charge of and
place his goods in position, and, above all, to
have some one on the spot at all times during the
exhibition to show the goods; explain what they
are for, and how to use them.

There will be plenty of time in the year 1891 for
American beekeepers to make preparations for
the fair to be held here in 1892.

K"ew subscriptions and renewalsi^
Though renewals are pouring in by every mail,
there may be a lew old subscribers who will for-
get to send in their subscription, and for tliat rea-
son this issue of the API will be sent to all whose
names were upon our book in 188'J. We also want
our old friends to see the improved make-up of
the API. Now, friends, please don't forget that
the API will cost you lait 75 cents per year, and
that we give more than tlie money's worth in any
issue of our .Journal. One old subscriber says of
the December API, "Your suggestions regarding
feeding bees, on page 179, are worth five years
subscription to the Api."

It is our intention to make each number of our
paper better than the previous one.

The Canadian Honey Prochicer of which R. H.
Holterman was editor went out of existence with
the December (1889) issue. If many more of the
bee-papers go off, those remaining will begin to
feel lonesome. It is now nearly a year since any-
one 8tarte<l, or even have threatened to start a
bee journal.
The editor of the Honey Producer says :
"To the public generally we may say, that the
Canadian Honey Producer is self-sustaining; and
every prospect that iis subscriijtlon list will in-

(1)

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

crease. Yet. as before staled, there are difficulties
in the way which would not be easy to suimouut.
We trust no one will attein|it to publi.'^h a new
liee )iaper. There are enough jrood ones at the
present day, and but little room for more."

AVe think the parting words of tlie editor of the
C. H. P. should be about all tliat is required to
discouraare any one from starting anotlier bee-
paper. Tliough Brother Ilolterman does not ad-
vise any one not to do sucli a rasli act as to at-
tempt to start a bee publication, yet that is just
■what is meant.

One of the best authors upon bee culture, and
also one of tlie best linowii beekeepers writes
:thus :

"I don't know why the Apr. which first started
ithe query department should discontinue it."

If you look this issue of the API over you will

rsee that the Query Department is all riglit again.

,It will also be seen that those persons' names

usually found at the end of the replies to queries

in other bee publications are not found in our

• department. We tliink tliat the parties who are
■ now spending tlieir time replying to queries for

other papers are lieing worked full h.ird enough,
and. though nearly every one of tliem would be
: glad to send replies for the API, we concluded it
was best to get a new set of writers, considering
■the fact that competent persons can be found
willing to spend their time in our service.

The API never did engage novices as teachers.
"We want only experienced beekeepers to reply to
queries, and to furnish the leading articles for

• our columns.

■Winter care of bees.

Under the above head we find an article in the
American Agriculturist from which we take the
: following:

"The only resort, therefore, for feeding in cold
weather, is to make candy and use it. This is a
very good and healthful "food if properly made
.and administered. It is made from granulated
sugar by melting it. adiling a little water — no
■more than will thorou?jhly melt tlie sugar — when
it is boileil a few minutes and poured out into
cakes or slates of tliree or four pounds each.
When cool, this becomes very hard, almost like
rock candy."

Yes, when cool the candy is more like a rock
tthan anything else, and what is worse still, it is
ino better for bees than a rock. The above is a
ifair sample of the .advice beekeepers get who
iread agricultural papers for information con-
• cerning bee culture.

Why put water with sugar and then boil it out?
'Why not put the dry sugar in tlie hive in the first
tplace? Dry sugar is much the best if some way
be provided so that the bees have access to water
to aid in dissolving the hard grains of sugar.

We told you in the December API how to feed
bees. Adopt that method and no rock-candy, dry
sugar or water will be needed.

Comb foundations; patents on bee-fixtures.

Someone wrote the editor of "Gleanings" and
asked this question : "Why not take close, smooth
print cloth, or good cheesecloth, or even the veil-
ing or .strong unsized paper, or else line wire
cloth, or any such material which upon trial may
be fouml suitable and pass it through the melted
wa.x the same as the wire cloth is passed through
the inelti'd metal to coat it . . and then run
through the machine as the dipped sheets are?"
Here is Editor Root's reply: —

"Friend C, you are wasting your time and
brains in giving any further attention to cloth or
other material as foundation as a base for making
foundation. Everything you suggest has been
invented again and again. Cheese-cloth or any
other kind of clotli will eventually be torn out by
the bees. They seem to regard it as some indi-
cation that the motli worms are at work. Paper
has been use<l to somee.x'tent. but it is open to the
same oljjectlon. Very line light wire cloth will
do, but It spoils your rolls, and makes your foun-
dation unnecessarily heavy. You can not incor-
porate anything of die sort without using a great
deal more wax than you use with the ordinary
wired frames. Ni> doubt you could get a patent,
and verj' likely it would be worth fully as much
as the patents we have already on bee hives and
their fixtures— just nothing at all."

Chestnuts, Brother Root. What would the bee-
keepern of the present day be doing about this
time had it not been for a patented bee-hive? If
my memory serves me correctly, the best founda-
tion mill in use was patented. Wasn't it, Brother
Root ?

Charles Lake, an enterprising beekeeper of
Baltimore, Md., sent to us in 1888 several pounds
of foundation which had for a base some kind of
cloth or heavy paper. We cannot say just what
the material was. However, it came to hand
too late that year to be tested. In June last a set
of frames were filled with this foundation and a
colony of bees placed in the hive. At the proper
time the combs were examined and the bees had
worked out the foundation nicely and not a par-
ticle of it was removed.

One swallow does not make a summer, and this
one case which we tested may not be a good test.
While Brother Root is generally correct in his
statements, I do not feel like accepting them
when my experience in the same direction is ex-
actly opposite to that of Mr. Root's.

Speaking of Brother Root's opposition to pa-
tents; there is one thing to be said in his favor.
Brother Root does not, we think, object to using
and paying all that a patent having real merit is
worth. We believe he has done the fair thing in
all cases. But what is meant in these words,
'•Patents amount to nothing at all?" No doubt
Brother Root means that no one can get any, or
at least much money out of patents on bee sup-
plies. Ask Brother Heddon if he has not done
well on his patent hive. As a rule there is not
much money in patents. However, we have just
applied for a patent for one of the most valuable
articles yet introduced to the beekeeping public.
It is the long-sought-for article. Well, if we are
successful in obtaining a patent, we do not pro-
pose to bother the beekeeping public with patent
rights, any more than we did with the patent on
our droue-and-queen trap.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

3

Corr^sp^onti^nce.

Apicultural Notes and Comments.
Dr. Tinker.

The best section for comb honey, if
we ma}' judge by the first premiums
awarded at the Buffalo and Detroit
International Fairs, is the open side
section, Mr. M. J. Biindy of Angola,
N. Y., being the exhibitor. It seems
that bees will fill out no other style
of section so plump and perfect as the
open side.

Bees often attach the combs in sec-
tions to the adjoining separators. In
some seasons and often where the bees
get crowded for surplus room, a large
per cent of the combs will be so at-
tached causing no small loss to the
beekeeper, as broken and dripping
combs do not sell well. The cause
of the bees thus attaching the combs
is usually due to the use of a separa-
tor of less width than the section is
high. If the top and bottom bars of
the sections are made one-half inch
less in width than the sides and the
separators are made as wide as the
section is high, the bees never attach
the combs to either wood or metal
separators, if the starters are properly
fastened. Quite a number of noted
producers of honey are arranging to
profit by this fact the coming season.

Wood separators are preferred to
metal ones. They cost less and if
well sawed will last many years.
Comb honey obtained where wood
separators are used will be found
whiter than where metal separators
are used. In the one case, the bees
travel freel^'^ over the wood in passing
back and forth to the brood-comb; in
the other, they prefer to travel over
the combs rather than the smooth sur-
face of the metal.

in Gleanings for December 1, con-
cedes that it would be desirable, if it
could be safely done, but adds " that
no kind of cage can be made stout
enough and still light enougii, to make
it safe to risk by mail." Mr. Doo-
little, as the author of a book on queen
3'earing, can ill afford to endanger
the traffic in queen bees through tlie
mails by even broaching the subject
of mailing bees by the pound.

" A Hallamshire beekeeper " claims
that bees " will truly hybernate " if
properly prepared for winter. (See
C. B. J. for November 27.) That
bees under favorable conditions do
hibernate in winter, is quite univers-
ally held at this tims, notwithstanding
the objection of some of our scientists.
The Rev. W. S. Clark has left a Iieri-
tage of ideas on this subject that will
survive him.

Mailing bees by the pound is still
defended by Mr. Doolittle. See
A. B. J. for November 16. Mr. Root

The width and thickness of top-
bars of brood-frames and their rela-
tion as affecting the building or the
prevention of building burr-combs, is
one of the live toj)ics presented in
Gleanings at this time. Mr. Alley
has been advocating for some time
the use of thick top-bars to prevent
tlie building of burr-combs. One thing
is certain, top-bars should be made
lieav}' enough so they will not sag and
be not less than one inch wide. It
appears that top-bars |- inch wide or
one inch deep will hugely prevent
the building of combs in the bee-
spaces ; while lessening the width to |-
wide or the thickness |- inch is favor-
able to such building. It may be pre-
dicted that cheap brood-frames of the
latter description will go out of use.

The building of burr-combs may be
largely prevented by this management.
Placing a set of empty combs either
in brood-frames or sections over a
colony before the}- begin building new
comb is a preventive. So, too, the
hiving of two or more swarms together
in a brood-chamber of moderate ca-
pacity with a wood-zinc honey- board

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

having direct passage wa^^s and two
or more section cases in which the
bees have begun woric, is a prevent-
ive. Under these circumstances we
often find not a single burr-comb
anywhere, but care is required that
the bees do not get crowded for
room. Any large swarm capable of
occupying botli the brood-chamber
and surplus case at once will not
build burr-combs but if all the comb
building is confined to the brood-cham-
ber at first burr-combs are sure to be
built before the bees will enter the
super.

Those who winter bees inchaff hives
will find great benefit from taking oflf
the covers on clear days and letting
the packing dry out and get the air.
This may be done once a week where
the weather will permit. If the bees
are able to take a flight, the packing
over the brood-nest should be re-
moved. The effect of the sun shining
on the covering of the brood-nest is
highly invigorating to the bees.
New Philadelphia^ Ohio, Dec. 5, 1889.

■Wooden combs.

Dr. C. C. Miller.

I am not very sanguine about the
success of Mr. Aspinwall's wooden
combs, but I think Brother Pratt will
take it good-naturedly if I suggest
that he is a little hasty in his denun-
ciation. Whatever may be the final
outcome, I believe that Mr. Aspin-
wall has made an honest and a very
painstaking effort to get up what may
yet prove to be a good tiling. Wheth-
ter the cost may not be prohibitory if
it should prove otherwise successful,
remains to be seen. But there is at
least a small number of beekeepers
who would endure considerable ex-
pense for the sake of having a hive
in which a colony of bees would work
on continuously without ever swarm-
ing. Mr. Pratt sa3's " drones can be
reared in worker cells." Yes, I have

seen plenty of them raised in worker
cells, and I have also seen workers
raised in drone cells, but I do not
know that I have ever known drones
to be raised in worker cells with a
good prolific queen in the hive. Drone
eggs are usually laid in worker cells
b}' laying workers or by an unimpreg-
nated queen and in such cases a
swarm will hardly issue. A queen,
on first commencing to la}', may de-
posit a few drone eggs, and on be-
coming very old may become a drone
layer, but swarms are not likely to
issue in such cases. Brother Pratt
sa3's, " The reluctance on the queen's
part to lay profusely in wooden combs
might depopulate the colony." How
much reluctance is there?

Mr. Aspinwall frankly says that
bees prefer to use combs of their own
building for brood-rearing, and I sus-
pect that is all Brother Pratt knows
about the reluctance. But bees pre-
fer old black combs to new ones, and
yet that does not prevent the queeu
from laying profusely in new, white
combs if she cannot have the kind
she prefers.

Admitting, however, that Mr. Pratt
has offered no valid objection, the
important question yet remains, Will
no swarm ever issue from a droneless
colony? Can Brother Alley or any
other of the veterans tell us anything
about this? If we should find out
that drones are not necessary for
swarming, then I can hardly see any
great value in wooden combs for any
one.

Clipping queens' wings.

AVhile I have the ear of Brother
Pratt, will he allow me to ask why he
thinks " the clipping of queens' wings
a cruel and inhuman practice." I have
clipped hundreds of them and I never
thought of there being anything cruel
or inhuman about it any more than
there is in trimming one's finger nails.
If I understand the matter rightly,
there is no more feeling in a queen's
wings than in my finger nails, and I

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

always supposed that the operation of
clipping the wings was an utterly
painless one.

Low prices.

Brother Alley is opposed to the talk
about low-priced queens. I do not
think there's any great danger. I am a
queen buyer not a seller, and while I
like to get things for a small amount
of money, I cannot afford to buy
the cheaper of two queens, as a gen-
eral rule. If I have good queens
and yet by buying a new and better
queen I can raise the average ^ield of
each colony as much as one pound of
honey, I can afford to pay what might
seem to be an exorbitant price for
such a queen. No matter how low
prices may be, there will always be a
good market for the best at paying
prices.

Marengo, III.

The Progress of Queen-rearing.

E. L. Pratt.

Almost everj'^ beekeeper will rear a
few queens next season. In fact, the
number interested in this vital branch
of apiculture swells ever}^ year. Bee-
keepers are beginning to realize the
value of good queens as never before.

The first thing to be considered be-
fore going to work is what method
shall be used for rearing these queens.
We should bear in mind that this is a
progressive age, and methods that
were considered the best last season
are really the worst this — therefore
the need of constant study and the in-
terchanging of ideas.

Above all things don't use the old
methods of taking away the queen
from a full colony, and thus cruelize
the poor bees. A queenless colony
of bees is the most expensive piece of
property a beekeeper can have in his
yard.

Perforated zinc has opened our eyes
to interesting facts. This wonderful
metal has not been fully utilized in

connection with queen-rearing as yet.
By its use, even during the latter part
of the past season wonderful develop-
ments were brought to light. Several
months ago I made the remark in
print that the proper use of queen-ex-
cluding metal would revolutionize the
queen-rearing industry, and to-day it
is coming true.

I would no more think of going
back to the dequeening methods than
I would to the old, old, nucleus plans
way back in the lamented Quinby
time. Just think of a bit of zinc two
or more inches square, reducing the
expense of a batch of twelve to fifteen
queen cells, to almost nothing. Don't
use old fashioned methods ! Don't !

Marlboro, Mass.

JTordgn jM'otcs.

Conducted by L. Stachelhausen.

Artificial heat lor bees in winter.

Much attention is given at present
in Germany to some ex()eriments with
artificial heat for wintering and spring-
ing bees. Rev. C. Weygandt, a well
known beekeeper in Germany, used a
natron-carbon stove in his house-api-
ary with good results in the winter of
1888-89. He made fire on every day
during the winter, when the bees
could fly (heating to 25°-35° F.). Be-
ginning in the middle of March or
Ai)ril the bees are warmed 10° F. at
day time, 20° F. at night. It is nec-
essary to have the air always dry,
and warm, as wet air is death to the
bees. The results were very good,
and Rev. C. Weigandt hopes f^or a rev-
olution of beekeeping by his experi-
ments.

In "Deutsche illustrierte Bienen-
Zeitung" is an article from Prof. P. T.
CoUiander in Helsingfors (Finnland)
concerning the same matter. He
warmed his colonies separately by a
bottom-board of peculiar construction.
It is merely a box-trough, to which

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

is fastened a pipe of oval shape.
This is surrounded by sawdust, where
the heat is accumulated, and by fiue
gravel, wliere the heat will be quick-
ly given off. This pipe from time to
time is filled with hot water. The
Professor says the results were very
good ; his colonies got strong, while
snow covered the fields.

Ancient history of the bees.
In "Deutsche Fiuker aus Boehmen"
Mr. Tony Kellen publishes an article,
"The bee in the literature of the
world." He quotes from about two
hundred writers in about twenty dif-
ferent languages. The first part is
from ancient India, and we see that
in India the bee was well known and
valued 1500 or 1300 years before
Christ.

Why some bees are cross.
Mr. Warnken says, in "Bienenzeit-
ung," he had observed that bees, sud-
denly transferred to a quite different
climate and honey resources, are some-
times crosser. Bees of a foreign race,
raised in their own country, are more
gentle than imported ones. This may
in some degree explain why some bee-
Ivcepers do not find the Carniolan bees
as gentle as do others.

Selma, Texas.

(Hiuecn-brccbtr's ?Bepartment.

Conducted bt E. L. Pkatt.

Salutatory.

In taking charge of tliis department I shall en-
deavor to give to the readers of the Ameuican
Apicultukist my best thouglits on tlie special
branch assigned me.

To me queen-rearing is the most interesting
branch of apiculture, as it brings one so close to
the wonderful workings of nature.

Tiiere are thousands of interesting facts con-
nected vvitli queen-rearing that liave never been
made generally public. Among the things yet
unlearned there is a storehouse that is inexhaust-
ible. , ,

In order to make anything of this kmd a suc-
cess, interest must be taken ; and tlierefoie I ask
all the readers to "lend a hand," and together we

will ''duff in." and try to loarn something about
the veri/ foundation of the tvhole bee industry, her
majesty the queen.

Brief notes.

Guard against chance raatings of

j'oung queens.

Never misrepresent your goods for
the gain there is in it.

Treat all customers alike, as you
would be treated yourself.

To my mind cross-mating for
higher standard is a fizzle.

A careful breeder will always suc-
ceed. A careless man never will.

I think the black bee, or native, as
it is often called, is a deteriorated
race.

Testing in the near future will mean
for quality alone. Purity will be un-
derstood.

Black queens mated to Italian
drones are very gentle, but what
more can we say of them ?

Perforated zinc bids fair to be of
more value to the queen-breeder than
to the honey-producer.

If you find a colony that does not
succeed in earning a living, that is
where superseding should commence.

It requires eternal vigilance to keep
any race or strain of bees pure. Pur-
ity ranks next to honey-gathering
quality.

A convenient record book can be
bought for a nickel. If carried in
your pocket, it is alwa3's convenient
for reference.

Be ever on the watch for something
new. Try to trace cause and effect to
the very root. With bees this is an
arduous task.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Ill disposition in bees is needless
when gentle stock ca-n be had for the
same money. Stings do not gather
honey, by any means.

Always welcome visitors to yonr
yard. Give them the benefit of your
discoveries, for it may help to further
the interest of apiculture.

I believe that untested queens will
be among things of the past very
soon. Even now, many breeders are
guaranteeing purely mated queens.

I am now testing a new winter
feeder that will admit the use of liq-
uid food during midwinter ; shall re-
port later on the success of the imple-
ment.

What a wonderful hardy race of
bees the Carniolans are. Just think
of shipping them by mail in Novem-
ber and December as far north as
New Hampshire and New York.

Fill the orders promptly or offer to
return the money. If a proper ex-
planation of your difficulty is not
taken in good part put the man down
as a "•chronic kicker" with whom you
cannot afford to deal.

Unpleasant weather is the most dis-
couraging thing a queen-breeder has
to bear.

What folly to suppose that weather
can be " custom made." Purchasers
of queens should be reasonably pa-
tient during inclement weather.

I shall use my new electric attach-
ment to nuclei hives for the first time
during the season of 1890. This ap-
pliance will open any number of en-
trances automatically at any minute
of the day desired ; shall endeavor to
fully illustrate and explain this ap-
paratus to the readers of the Api.

If worker bees have the power to
change the common larva from an im-

perfect female to a perfect one, why
do they not to a certain extent influ-
ence all larva fed by them in their
good or bad traits, as the case may
be? After reading that excellent pro-
duction of Mr. R. A. Grimshaw, as
read at tiie British convention, I am
rather inclined to take a little stock
in the theory.

Marlboro, Mass.

liftings in Bee Culture.

CONDUCTED BY M. A. KELLEY.

Periodicals for review, excliaiiges and corre-
siiondenc.e intended tor tliis department sliould
be addressed to

M. A. Keli.ey,

Milton, \Y. Va.

Hutchinson's " baby" is the most
robust and sprightly youngster in all
bee-journaldom.

Mailing bees by the pound is one
of the latest " bones of contention."
Do not " monkey with the bu^z-saw."

Mr, Doolittle's remedy for stings:
groan and bear it. Mine: spit on it;
keep it wet with saliva for a little
while.

The standing frame seems to be
gaining in favor at the expense of
what some one has called the " rattle
box hive."

Barrel staves nailed on two short
pieces make good shade boards. I
have been using them for years and
find them neat, cheap and handy.

The value of apicultural facts sliould
be determined by their usefulness. A
fact may be useful even if "• known
years ago" or " found in our back
numbers."

A "section" out of a mower sickle is
a handy thing to have in the apiary.
It will answer at times as a scraper

8

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

and is real good to pry the frames
loose with. Try one.

Have honse-apiaries been a success
with any of our readers? If so, let
some who have liad experience tell in
some bee paper just how they should
be built and managed.

I would as soon be stung by a bee
as be " bored" ))y an individual who
wants to talk bees, and only knows
that they " make honey" and have a
terrible sting. — Mrs. L. Hamson, in
Prairie Farmer.

Dr. C. C. Miller, in Gleanings^
tells us how to make what he calls a
" robber-cloth." IL is simply a square
of cotton cloth with strips of wood
nailed on two sides. It is cheap,
simple and useful.

Mr. James Heddon, in the Re-
view^ says : " It would be much more
appropriate to call the apiarist a
manufacturer than to call him a pro-
ducer." Beware of the word " manu-
facturer," James, it is " loaded."

Mr. H. H. Knapp, in Gleanings.,
advocates frames 1^ inches from cen-
tre to centre. Mr. Z. T. Hawk is on
that side too, and the reasons usually
given for any greater width seem to
me to be inconclusive.

The American Bee Journal has
gone " gunning" after the Chicago
Herald., — a " wily sort of a paj^ei-, —
for a misstatement about comb honey.

Mr. Newman is ever alert to find
and fight the foes of the beekeeper.

No part of our pages will be given
to receipts for poisoning bees, nor to
agricultural pursuits. — Apicultukist.

Very good, Mr. Alley, very good.
A bee-paper should be devoted to bee-

keeping and not to agriculture, relig-
ion or politics.

I have never yet had a season that
I could fill all my orders. — C. H.
DiBBERN, in American Bee Journal.

There is some " business" in the
way Mr. Dibbern handles the honey
trade. You shiftless one, " go thou
and do likewise !"

We all know that Albino bees, as
sold in the market, are simply a light
variety of the Italian race. — Prof. A.
J. Cook, in Gleanings.

This, coming from such high au-
thority, is rough on the " boomers"
of the so-called Albinos.

Mr. John Craj'craft, in American
Bee Journal advocates sending colo-
nies of bees in cages from the north
to the south to be wintered and re-
turned north in time for white clover
bloom.

This may be done, but there are
some drawbacks. It is an idea that
should be remembered.

Judge H. H. Andrews sajs in
American Bee Journal: "Ninety-five
per cent of all the bees in North
America, kept by professionals and
their neighbors, are just mongrels."
What think you of this, ye queen-
breeder ? — Beehive.

Think? Why, that the Judge was
mistaken. " Only this and nothing
more."

Mr. H. R. Boardman tells, in
Gleanings., how he " skinned" the
ground by removing the sod in his
apiary and then calls it "a model bee
yard." Why he wants bare ground
to keep bees on is a query. The
splattering of the hives with dirt by
the rain, the mud and the result to
floors and carpets should be enough
to condemn this plan.

Milton, West Virginia.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

[COPYKIGHT.]

THIRTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES.

By Henry Alley,

QUEEN-REARING.

{^Continued from page 177, Vol. vii.]

Methods for rearing drones during
the warm months.

Keaxing drones in the spring.

The queen-breeder must have drones
in his apiary as early as the loth of
May. If a colony of bees is left to act
its pleasure in the matter of rearing
drones, the queen-breeder would often
find himself in a bad fix, as very few-
colonies would rear drones as early as
they are needed to mate the first queens
reared by artificial methods. Then
again the colony from which it is desira-
ble to rear the drones might not have any
drone brood-comb near the centre of the
brood-nest or may not be strong enough
in numbers to rear drones. In a case
like this, no drones would be reared un-
til quite late in the season, especially if
the drone-comb is on the outer frames.
I have sometimes found that at the be-
ginning of the honey season quite a small
colony would pass over a comb contain-
ing no brood and no drone-comb, in or-
der to reach some drone-cells for the
purpose of rearing drones. Many colo-
nies will not start drone-brood until
stimulated to do so by the early blossoms
and flowers. That will not do for the
queen-breeder. He must have drones at
the time the first flow of nectar comes.

A metliod for getting early drones.

The colonies from which the drones
are to be reared should be selected the
previous season. As there is more or
less loss of bees in winter, several col-
onies should be selected so that in case
one colony dies, there will be others in
the apiary to fall back upon for drones.

We always have had good success in

getting drones early in the season by
this method : One of the outside combs
is removed, and the other combs as far
as the centre of the brood-nest are re-
moved to the side of the hive, and then
a frame of nice, clean drone-comb is
placed directly in the centre of the brood-
nest. A syrup composed of at least one-
half honey, is then given the bees each
day until the drone-brood is capped.
Usually the supply of syrup is kept up
until the flowers yield some honey as it
is not safe to discontinue feeding until
the bees can gather natural forage.

Feeding bees to induce drone-rearing.

Some of the discouraging features

of beekeeping.

I have found it was not safe to dis-
continue feeding syrup for even one day.
How often have I been disappointed
and disgusted as well, on opening a hive
to find that a nice lot of drone-brood
had been destroyed I had spent my time
in feeding and nursing a colony in or-
der to encourage the bees to rear.
Those who keep bees, and more espec-
ially those who rear queens, are often
disappointed ; in fact, disappointment
with the latter class is in order all the
time. On some occasions I have been
so discouraged and disappointed I have
have declared I would never attempt
to rear another queen-bee. A few days
of unfavorable weather will often upset
the plans and labor of several weeks.

Many times during the first month of
queen-rearing, and about the time the
first queens should emerge from the cells,
a long, cold rain storm has set in, last-
ing from a week to ten days. The tem-
perature would be so low that every bee
that left the hive would chill and neve

10

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

return. What can be done under the
circumstances? Why, every hive in
which queen- cells are being built must
be removed to a warm room, as it is im-
possible to do any work in the open air
when it is cold. Though it may seem
to the inexperienced beekeeper that
nothing can go wrong in the apiary of
an old beekeeper, yet the case is just
the opposite. It is seldom that any-
thing goes to suit the breeder of queens
on a large scale. A litUe bad spell of
weather, when no queens can mate, will
bring hundreds of letters, and though
only a few customers will really com-
plain, yet it is annoying and vexatious
in the extreme to be obliged to reply
to those mild complaints and say that
the weather has been so unfavorable
for bees that we have no queens to send.
This is just what happens nearly every
year.

The first discouraging feature which
presents itself to the queen-rearer is
met at the start. If a watchful eye is
not kept upon the drone-rearing colony,
all the eady drone-brood will be de-
stroyed. Unless the season is a forward
one and the colonies very strong, it is
not a good plan to form a queenless nu-
cleus colony so early in the season as
the loth of May, to preserve the drone-
brood. I rather leave it in the kill col-
ony and feed liberally to encourage the
bees to nurse and preserve the drone-
brood.

Rearing and preserving drones in the
months of July, Aug., Sept. and Oct.

During the month of June, or at any
time when bees are gathering honey,
there is no special need of doing any-
thing to encourage a colony to rear
drones as the bees will take care of that
business themselves. However, just be-
fore the harvest closes, I have made it a
practice to get as many combs filled
with drone-brood as I had drone-comb
to use. In this way I secure thousands
of drones without much effort or trouble.
The empty drone-combs are inserted
in the drone-rearing colonies, and
as they are filled with unsealed brood,

the combs are removed to queenless
colonies.

Sometimes a queen may be found
that seems to take pleasure in depositing
all the drone eggs that she can find the
proper drone cells to drop the eggs into.
When I find a queen of this kind I
usually work her to her full capacity in
the line for which she seems to have
a special gift. As she fills a comb with
drone eggs it is removed to the queen-
less colony or to one rearing queens, and
another comb is inserted in its place.
Bearing drones from young queens.
It is said that young queens will not
deposit drone eggs the first year. This
is not true in any case unless the queen
was reared very late in the season ; even
then, I think by feeding, I could make
a queen deposit more or less drone eggs
before she is thirty days old.

Now in case any queen-breeder gets
hard pushed for drones, or pinched for a
suitable queen from which to rear drones,
he can by adopting the following meth-
od get a good supply of drones from a
young queen. I have practised the
plan successfiilly for nearly thirty years.
In order to be successful with this
method there must be in the apiary a
strong colony of queenless bees. The
next move is to take all the bees from
a colony having a fertile queen and
in good condition in all respects. Af-
ter the bees and queen have been dis-
posed of, the next thing to do is to place
the queenless bees on the combs of
brood, and at the same time introduce a
smart, young, fertile queen ; if you please,
one that has never laid looo eggs.

One of the combs should be removed
from the middle of the brood-nest and
a comb having more or less drone-
comb should be inserted in its place.
Three days later examine the drone-
comb and see if the cells do not con-
tain eggs. They certainly will; that
has been my experienced.

Do the bees or queen decide what eggs
shall be laid?

To me the above illustrates the fact
that the bees and not the queen, de-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

11

cides what eggs the queen shall deposit.
When the bees see the need of drones,
they at once clean up the drone cells,
the queen takes the hint and drops an
tgg in each cell. The queen seems
not to know the necessities of the colo-
ny, but does the bidding of her sub-
jects.

In proof of this theory, I will give an-
other fact illustrating and corroborating
my opinion. Years ago when there were
observatory hives in my apiary, I used
to study the habits of the bees a good
deal more than I do nowadays. I have
more than once seen the bees pass over
a frame of dry worker-comb in order to
reach a comb containing some drone-
cells, which was at the side of the brood-
chamber. This seldom happens except
at the last of May, or early in the month
of June, and usually on the first flow of
honey from the fruit bloom.

Queenless bees are in condition to
rear drones when eggs or brood is fur-
nished them. If a queen, young or old,
is introduced to such a colony the de-
sire for drones is not satisfied for several
days after a queen has been given to
them.

This is the reason why queenless bees
will so readily rear drones even when a
young queen is present in the hive.

Should an attempt be made to rear
drones from a young queen after she
had been installed in the colony a week
or more, it would most likely result in
failure.

The bees would say we do not now
need any drones ; we have a nice young
ruler and we need no males till another
year.

I have found that it requires as much
science to rear drones and have them
just when wanted, as it does to rear
first-class queens.

{To be continued.^

The Swarm-hiver.
We herewith give a description of
a new device for hiving bees, or rather,
a device that works automatically and
causes a swarm of bees when they is-
sue to hive themselves.

The swarmer, as here represented,
is in connection with two Bay State
bee-liivcs. By removing the upper
chamber from two of the drone traps
and placing them on two hives, con-
necting the two traps with a tube,
3'Ou have the arrangement nearly com-
plete. The cone-tube which is placed
in the upper chamber of the trap
should be placed at the end of the
swarmer and in the tube which con-
nects the two traps. This prevents the
queen when a swarm issues from re-
turning to the home hive. After the
queen once enters the tube she will
pass to the new hive ; when the bees
miss their queen they will readily re-
turn and have no trouble in finding her
located in the new home and all will at

once join her. Even should a majority
of the bees return to the home hive
before they discover that their queen
had taken up new quarters, they would
soon find her whereabouts, and join
her.

Set the swarmer on the hives and
go to town, or to meeting and in the
meantime should a swarm issue they
would be found in their new home and
at work putting their house in order.

This arrangement can be applied
equally as well to one hive as another.
As adrone-and-queen trap it will work
as satisfactorily as the drone-trap.

We will mail the swarmer, with di-
rections for use, on receipt of one
dollar.

We have applied for a patent and
believe one will be granted.

Packing bees for shipment.
We have read lately several articles
from the pens of expert beekeepers

12

TEE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

detailing the manner of packing bees
for shipment, and giving the number
of minutes required to pack a colony
in the hives these parties had in use.

"We are inclined to think we can
beat the record of the best of them
with tlie Bay State hive.

The Bay State hive has a standing
closed-end frame. Of course this
frame never needs any nailing to keep
it in place. Tlie bottom-board, of
which a good illustration is here given,
is so arranged that there is always a

good ventilation under tlie frames. A
rim FF, CC, f of an inch thick, is nailed
to the upper side of the ])ottom-board.
The frames rest upon these strips. It
will be noticed that the entrance EE,
to hive is sunk below the centre of the
bottom-board, and the bees in enter-
ing tlie hives pass under the strip C.
The strips nailed to the top side of
the bottom-board not only keep the
frames at a proper distance above the
bottom-board, but hold the outer case
of the hive in place. These strips
keep out the water, and as the entrance
is belovv the level of the bottom of the
hive no water can enter.

Now about packing a colony of bees
for shipment in one of these hives.
Nail one of the wire-cloth honey-
boards (described in the December
Api) over the frames, close the en-
trance with a screen and after nailing
some strips to the sides of the hive to
keep the bottom-board and the outer
case together, the job is done. Should
say that it would require about five
minutes time to pack the hive to go
safely one thousand miles.

Every mail brings letters request-

ing us to describe the Bay State hive
in the Api. A good description will
be given in the February number.
Several cuts will be shown describing
the hive.

Reversing brood-combs.

J. W. Tefft.

Friend Alley : In the last very in-
teresting Api, page 185, in j^our reply
to Henry Harker, you remark, "that
reversing the brood-combs for any
other reason than to get the combs
fastened to all sides of the frame, or
for the purpose of destroying queen-
cells at swarming time, is not of any
practical value to the beekeeper."
Pardon me if I bring to your notice
some things that I have practised for
the past ten years, and find them of
immense value.

By reversing the brood -combs con-
taining two-thirds of brood and one-
third or more of honey ; by uncapping
the honey during the honey harvest,
the honey is carried above and the
queen will utilize the cells for brood
as fast as the bees remove the honey.
The advantage is : First, more room
for brood without inserting another
frame; second, I get full frames of
solid brood without an ounce of honey
in them : third, I get full frames of
honey above without a cell of brood
in them ; fourth, it upsets the swarm-
ing fever during the honey season ;
fifth, it takes a less number by one-
half of beehives. Collamer, N. Y.

1. I do not think the bees would remove the
stores to the combs above should the honey in
the brood combs be uncapped during the honey
harvest. Should the colony wake up some fine
morning and And a lot of empty cells in the
brood chaml)er, the bees would fairly screech
for joy. How quickly tlie little fellows would fill
tliose empty cells with nice, new nectar, that had
secreted in the blossoms during tlie night.

2. Full frames of brood can be found in any
hanging-frame hive, provided the colony has a
prolific queen.

3. Tlie iVames will be filled solid with honey and
not a cell of brood in them if a queen-excluder is
used between the two hives.

4. Reversing the brood-combs will usually re-
tard swarming; nevertheless it is not the most
practical method (nor is it at all practical) to
break up the swarming fevei'.

While tliere is some advantage in reversing the
brood-combs, I cannot agree to all our friend
claims for the iuvertible system.

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

13

€iu£rii ?Dcpartincnt.

AHlwngh the names of the parties attached to the
replies to the questions below may not be familiar
to all our subscribers, pet they are well known to
the editor of the Apiculltirist, and we assure our
readers that each one of them is well posted in
practical bee culture, and thorotighly competent to
give instructions in beekeeping; as all of them have
had many years experience in the beeyard. — Ed.

Feeding bees in winter.
Question l. Soinctinies it Is necessary to feed
bees iu winter. 1. Is tliereany practical metlioii
of feeding ii coli)ny of bees after the we.'ither has
become so cold that it is not safe for the bees to
fly? '2. Has any one tested a method of feeding
and a feeder that has proved successful in a ma-
jority of cases > W.

1. Yes. Feed candy on top of frames.

2. I liave not. Tliose who have can tell you how
to do so. M. A. Kelley.

1, I lay a comb of sealed honey flatwise over
and on the frames and cluster. 2. Never used a
feeder in whiter. C. W. Costellow.

We have had no experience in this matter, as
we feed our colonies enough before cold weather
conies to last till spring. H. D. Davis.

1. I think there is. 2. I am now testing a feeder
that will permit feeding syrup any time during
the winter or summer. (In the queen-breeder's
department you will find more about this ques-
tion.) K. L. Pkatt.

If it is necessary, should give them a comb of
honey if I had it; if not, feed candy on the top of
the frames.

But " an ounce of prevention, etc."; feed your
bees in thefall. J. D. GOODRICH.

1. I feed honey in the fi-ame. Have fed cofl'ee
and sugar syrup, by pouring it in emi)ty combs.
Have also fed candy made of coffee and sugar in
thin cakes and placed immediately over the clus-
ter on the top of the frames, and then covered
with cloth.

2. Have never used a feeder and cannot speak
of its practicability. W. P. Henderson.

1. Yes, by giving combs of sealed honey. Come
out to the honey house and see the combs of
honev 1 have saved for just such cases.

2. I presume so. J. H. Larrabee.

I have fed very little in cold weather. If feed-
ing were necessary, I should remove the coverings
as gently as possible, and place, flatvvi^e, just
over the brooU-nest, a card of sealed honey, or
part of a card, or some sealed sections. If I had
no sealed honey I should purchase such. If ]
could not get sealed honey, I should use the candy
made from extracted honey and pulverized sugar ;
placing it just over the brood nest.

Mrs. H. HiLLa.

1. Yes.

2. Make a rim same dimensions as the hive
and two inches deep; place it top of hive; next
lay combs of capped honey flatwise on top of
brood-lranies (unsalalile section-honey may be
used il you have such); provide bee passage
above and below said combs; replace the cover-
ing, and the work is done ; il' you have given them
enough to last lliem through. This method has
always proved successful with me.

Joshua Bull.

1. Tliey may be safely fed in tlie cellar, or on
summer btanii in mild weather. Fill a pint glass
jar with warm sugar syrup, tie a stranier cloth
tecurely over it, and invert over the bees just at
night ; set it level ; give the bees room under it and
cover up warm.

It is well to have a coarse wire screen, so ar-
ranged that the feeder can rest on it. Then the
feeder can be removed without letting out.

2. The foregoing is the best way I have tested.

J. L. Hubbard.

1. I think it is practical to feed bees in winter.
If combs are empty, or nearly so, the bees will be
lound clustered in the upper part of the brood-
nest. Bees in a state of activity can endure a
great deal more cold than tliose which have not
got their blood warmed ; hence to put two or three
pounds of syrup or honey warmed to blood-heat
in a leeder that will cover an entrance over the
cluster, and the cusliion on top, would be a prac-
tical method of feeding. I have, liowever, always
done my winter feeding before winter so far, and
hence have not tried the pian. To pour a little
honey not warmed, say half a pound, over the
cluster occasionally, might be as good a way as
any. 2. 1 believe Mr. Heddon makes a winter
feeder, but I have not seen it. Geo. F. Kobbins.

1. I have had very little experience in cold
weather feeding; but tliis season a few light colo-
nies were brought to regulation weiglit by placing
cases of unfinished sections over the broodnest.
In several instances when the bees were too con-
trary to carry the honey down 1 placed the cases
under the broodnest. This method was success-
ful with all but one or two colonies and these
were given frames of honey from colonies that
could spare the stores. The best feeder in exist-
ence for cold weather is sealed honey in your
regular frames. If this is not at hand dash sugar
syrup into empty combs and hang them in the
hive. Some of the bee-books recommend molding
sugar candy into frames and placing these in the
brood-nest. I have no doubt this is a good plan
but I have never tried it. I would strongly rec-
ommend that you do not permit the "necessity"
mentioned in the question to occur very often in
your yard. Z. T. Hawk.

Mr. F. E. Merriman of Boston, Mass., has de-
vised and patented a feeder which we shall soou
describe iu the API.— Ed,

14

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

Giving bees a flight in winter.

Question 3. Will it do to let the bees take a
cleaiibiiig flight in winter in case tlie weiitlier is
waini enough so that no bees will Uiop to the
enow ? C.

Yes.

Mrs. H. Hills.

Yes, if the weather is dry.

Joshua Bull.

Let them fly; it will result in injury to confine
them wlien they desire to fly. C. W. CostelloW.

Yes, if on their summer stands. I never confine
them to their hives, or remove them from the cel-
lar to give them a flight. J. L. Hubbard.

I should thinli it would do very well but I doubt
if the benefit to be derived fiom it will ever pay
for the fun of moving the bees out and in.

G. F. ROBBINS.

We practise out-of door wintering exclusively
and arrange the hive entrance so the bees have
opportunity to fly at any time they feel inclined.
A good fliglit at any time is beneficial, if tliere is
no liglit snow for them to fall into. H. D. Davis.

The bees will drop on the snow, more or less
on tlie best of winter days, and, if allowed to fly,
the day should be with no wind, a bright sun,
shine and the snow hard enough to bear the-
weight of a bee. J. D. Goodrich.

If wintered in the cellar it "won't pay" unless
they show strong symptoms of disease and tlien
the fliglit may be o( doubtful utility.

If wintered on their summer stands a flight
cannot well be prevented. J. H. Lakkabee.

At any time during tlie winter when it will al-
low bees a cleansing flight. If tlie weather will
permit; if there is snow on the ground, it will not
do to allow tlieni to come out with a rush. The
snow will blind them.

Bees wintered in cellars should not need a
cleaning flight at all during the winter, unless diS'
eased. E. L. Pratt.

Yes. In this latitude, 38 north, bees are seldom
confined to the hives more tlian a week at a time.

My bees as well as all others in Middle Ten-
nessee remain in winter on the summer stands,
and have frequent flights during the winter.
Scarcely ever a spell of cold weather occurs con-
fining them to their hives twenty davs. I think
it would be beneficial to give them a cleansing
flight where they are housed for winter.

VV. P. Henderson.

I do not know that It would do any harm to let
them have a flight but I am quite sure it would do
no good unless they have the dysentery. If you
cannot rest contented until you have tried the ex-
periment be careful to set the hives some little
distance apart, for if the day is warm and pleas-
ant there will be such a roar in your yard as you
never heard before and you will probably have
such a "mix "on hand that you will wish you
■ had taken good advice and left them in the cellar.

My bees are in the cellar four months every year
and I never think of cairying them out for a
fliglit. I do not like to work well enougli for that.
I have lost one colony in four years, and Iha*
was a queenless stock that crawled in with its
next neighbor. Z. T. Hawk.

^piculturist illail-boit.

The Beekeepers' Directory.

Bismark, III.
Directory to hand. And I think it well worth
the money.

S. B. Stroder.

Fayette, Ohio, Nov. 27, 1889.
Ed. Am. API: Have received the beekeepers'
directory this date. I find it well arranged and
very nice.

N. E. Cartwell.

"Worth five years subscription.

Collamer, N. T.
Friend Alley— Your suggestions regarding
feeding bees, on page 179, aie worth five years
subscription to the API. J. W. Tefft.

A good word for the drone-and-queen trap.
Port Jervis, N. F.
Editor Am. Api: Please send me the price of
the P. metal for the drone-and-queen trap. I used
them the last season and had excellent success
with them.

John Schmidt.

The best bee-periodical.

LuHcuster, Pa.
AMERICAN Apiculturist: Please find seventy
five cents eiicloseil for which renew my subscrip-
tion to the API. I like the Apicultukist better
than any other bee-periodical that I have yet had.
You can count me a subscriber as long as I have
a colony of bees.

Joseph Eipel.

A very nice queen.

Worcester, Mass.

JiIr. Alley: The queen I bought of you was not
received in season to build up the colonj' in time
to gather the fall crop of honey, so I fed them
thirty-five pounds of syrup.

They are the igentlest bees I ever saw; can al-
most handle them without smoke, and have not
had a sting. They guard the entrance fiercely,
and "fire out" any intruders. If they pull through
the winter all right, I expect wonders from them
next spring, for they are hard to beat.

W. S. Yeaton.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

15

I tliink tlie above queen was one of a lot reared
from our $100 queen, of whioli mention has been
made in the API. We shall have to work our
hundred dollar queen pretty hard in the season of
1S!)0 to till all orders from her stock, at the rate
the orders come in.

Maumee, Lucas Co., Ohio, Noremher 10, 1889.

Dear Friend Alley:— Would you be kind
enough to describe tlie manner of tiering up the
sections and also tlie method of working for ex-
tracted honey (wlien using your Bay State Re-
versible Ilive), in the Deccniber number of the
Apr, for the benefit of your new subscribers (my-
self one of tlie nuuitief) ? As your hive is unlike
any other, I presume it requires a different man-
agement also. You say that queen-excluders are
not needed in producing comb honey. Do you
use them in producing e.xtracted lioncy ? If so,
how and what kind, zinc, or zinc and wood com-
bined ?

Can Dr. Tinker's 4J X *J X IJ. with open
sides sections and wooden separators, be used
in your ''reversible section case?"

Hoping to see an answer to the above questions
in the December Api, 1 remain.

Very truly yours,

Lewis Jaessing.

[We will reply to the above in the February is-
sue.— El).]

Honey crop of 1889— fine queen bees.

Angelica, New York.
Editor American Api :

My crop of honey of 1889 waS' better
than those for the two preceding seasons, but the
long-|iredicted good honey season has not yet
arrived. White clover blossomed heavily but
secreted little honey, as the weather was too wet
and cold.

Bees have started for winter with plenty of food,
although they gathered a good deal of dark honey
and honey dew. My crop of honey averaged
over thirty pounds per colony.

The two queens I ordered of you came to hand
safcdy and were successfully introduced. They
were the largest and finest queens I ever saw.
I can't see how any improvement can be made in
your stiippiiig-and-iiitroducing cage.

I cannot see what any one wants to ship a
pound of bees for by mail, as the few that come
With the queen are enough.

I am using both chaff and double-wall hives;
this winter; will see which is the best for win-
tering bees. My hives have the Simplicity frames
ten frames to the hive. Shall try eight frames
next season to see if I can get more box-honey.
J. H. Common.

"Warm weather.
All our bees had a good flight December 2.5. In
the allernoon the sky was cloudless, no wind, and
temperature 60° in the shade.

Shipping queens in cold weather.

Mr. E. L. Pratt bhipiied a queen saiely by mail in
November. In January, 18U-2, we mailed a queen
to the late Samuel Wagner, who wa.s then pub-
lishing the American Bee Journal in tlie city
of Washington, D. 0. This queen was mailed
in a shipping cage we devised and the bees were
in a good condition when received.

I found it was saler to ship queens in Novem-
ber,December or January, than it was during cold
spells ot weather in September, and the early
part of October. While the mail cars are warmed
in November, and later on, they are not warmed
in September and but little in Octoljer. For this
reason it does not require as much " science "
to ship bees after the middle of October, as it
does in September.

Bees by pound.

The present methods of shipping bees-by-pound
any distance are total failures. By tliem it is al-
most impossible to send a pound of bees over
two hundred miles without killing seventy^flve
per cent of them and more. I have had consid-
erable experience with bees-by-pound from many
dealers and for me there has been no money in
them. Southern expresses either handle them
roughly or else they are not properly packed.
Breeders will need to give this subject a little
more thought than they have in the past. Where
is tlie trouble?

Missing copies of the Api.

If our subscribers who do not get tlie Apicul-
TURIST before tlie tenth day of each month will
tify us promptly, they will do us a favor, and
save us considerable tiouble.

We have a person to look after our subscription
book and seldom look at it ourselves and not at
all unless some complaint is made. If the API is
not received on time, please do not wait from
three to six months before you notify us ol the
fact.

We usually mail the Api the first day of each
month or a few days before.

Club rates lor the Apiculturist.

Five copies of the Api will be sent for $3 00; or
ten copies for $.").00, all to one address, or : d-
dresseil to ten different offices.

Any one sending for three copies and $2.2.5 will
receive a copy of the Beekeeper's Directory,
bound in clotli, free by mail.

Any one wanting the Api and one or all the
other bee-papers, may send their subscription di-
rect to us, and we will order from the publishers.
We will allow a liiscountof 10 cents on each pa-
per, if one or more are ordered with the Api.

Beekeepers' Supplies.
We can furni.-h Bee Supplies ot all kinds. What
we do not kee]) in stock we will order from the
manufacturer and no article shall cost the pur-
chaser more than the manufacturer's i)rice. See
our price-list on second page of cover, Dec. issue.

16

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

Bee-escapes— ■when to get them.
Our readers who wish to use bee-esoapes can
obtain tlieiu at this office The bee-escape is the
same tliiiij? as we use in the drone-aiid-queen
trap. 1 know of no boe-arran;^ement so good as
thejtrap for a bee-escape for getting bees out of
sections, or one so efl'ectual in preventing any
bees from entering tlie sections wlien once out.
The trap can be used in tliis way: Lay the trap
backside down, letting tlie entrance to the trap
cover a small liole in the section case. Place any-
thing over tlie metal of the trap to prevent in-
gress or egress of any bees through tlie perfora-
tions.

in full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Dee Journal,

Special Notice.
Mrs. Preston, whose husband dieil in July, 1889
and left quite a large apiary, desires to dispose of
a lot of bee fixtures at a low price. Call and see
them, or address, Mrs. John Preston, George-
town, Essex Co., Mass.

Individual rights to manufacture the drone-
and-queen trap.

So many beekeepers desire to make the drone-
and-queen trap that we shall offer one trap by
mail, and the riglit to make and manufactui-e them
for one's own use, lor the small sum of $1.50.

If any one desires to make tlie bee-escapes, the
same as is used in the traps, and the same things
as are used for bee-escapes for getting the bees
out of sections, we can furnish the tools for $3.00.
They can be sent by mail for 2.5 cents extra.

Five of the tubes are made at one blow with a
heavy hammer. In one day a smart man can
make lOoO of the tubes.

The Bay State bee-hive.

Those who are thinking of adoiiting a different
st>le hive should not fail to examine the Bay
State before making up their mimls what hive is
best. The Bay State Hive is not perfect perhaps,
but then it is so much nearer perfection than a
large majority of hives in use that all who have
tested llie B. S. H. have adopted it. Something
may be found in the API Mail-Box concerning
this Hive.

We can ship these hives direct from the W. T.
Falconer Manufacturing Co., at Jamestown, N. Y.

We have a large part of our supplies sawed at
the above lactory, and better work and stock are
not furnished by any one in the business. We
have a quantity of the Bny State Hives made up
at the factory and ready to ship. Any one desir-
ing to examine the hive can obtain one ol them
by sending $i.7o direct to W. T. Falconer & Co.
The hive is complete in frames, sections and all.

The Bay State Hive has but eight frames, and
are of the closed-end style.

The Beekeeper's Directory.
A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classified list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays and hints regarding the
successful management of the apiary. It is "com-
piled by Henry Alley, Wenham, Mass." It con-
tains 140 pages, one-half of which are devoted to
names and addresses of beekeepers, aud the
other half to the practical hints mentioned above,
including Mr. Alley's " method forrearing queens

Special notice.

Our latest methods of queen-rearing
will be issued in pamphlet form. It
will make a book of over sixty pages.
Price, by mail, in paper, 50 cents.

The Beekeepers' Directory, just out ;
comprising sixty or more pages of the
most important matter relating to bee-
culture, bound in paper, one dollar;
and tlie Apicultukist one year, sev-
enty five cents. All will be mailed for
the small sum of two dollars.

A beekeeper possessing such a li-
brary of bee-literature is well fixed to
make bee culture a success under all
conditions.

How to remit.
All remittances to us sliould be
made payable to the order of The
American Apicultukist. Please bear
this in mind.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

V ESTWBLlSHEDrjeAS;,.,

Is the oldest and most popular scientific acd
mechanical paper published and has the larRest
circulation of any paper of its class in the world.
Fully illustrated. Best class of Wood Engrav-
ings. Published weekly. Send for specimen
copv. Price ?3 a year. Four months' trial, $1.
MU"NN & CO., PUBLISHERS, 361 Broadway, N.f.

A

RCHITECTS & BUILDERQ

Edition of Scientific American. O

A great success. Each issue contains colored
lithographic plates of country and city residen-
ces or public buildings. Numerous engravings
and full plans and specifications for the use of
such as contemplate building. Price $2.50 a year,
2o cts. a copy. MUNN & CO., Publishers.

A may be secur-
led by apply-
k ing to MuNN
I & Co., who
'have had over
40 years' experience and have made over
100,000 applications for American and For-
I eign patents. Send for Handbook. Corres-
pondence strictly confidential.

TRADE MARKS.

In case your mark is not registered in the Pat-
ent Office, apply to Munn & Co., and procure
Immediate protection. Send for Handbook.

COPYRIGHTS for books, charts, maps,
Qtc, quickly procured. Address

MUNN & CO., Patent Solicitors.
Genehal Office : 861 Broadway, N. Y

The American Apiculturist

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY. WENHAM, MASS.

SUPPEMENT, JANUARY, 1890

RRisiiig Qiiffi. Bees for the YiarUet-Hnbits ^j^g price ranges as liisfh as $io. Mr.

and l^eiijitli of Liite ot' the i^itlle I<isect8. ^

llt^ '4.4.\ u 11^ ^ ^«-:ii Pratt has one Ijreedinsf qlieen for

"Uon t thrash around. Keep still. ° ^

T *. 4-1 1-14. 1 4- J '4- 4. . which lie says he would not take

Let them light on you, but don t try

to brush them off. You won't be ^'^^- '^^^'^ difference in price is

stung it you keep still. Why, they ^^^"^'^^^ '^^ ^^^ development ot good

.1 4- ^1 1 4-1 -c points, the same as the prices of

are the most gentle bees there are ir r" ' ^

1 ,. , ,1 ,, horses differ for the same reason,

you don t aggravate them.

T 4. • • u 11 This particular queen will have its

Just imagine yourselt surrounded ^ ^

11 I ] r 1 "^ 1 1- 1 4-- life prolonged a year or more by

by hundreds 01 bees who are lighting k » j

r 1 J 1 1 1 r 4- keeping her with a small colony. vShe

on face, neck and hands, whose feet P t^ "^ _ _ J

r ^ • I . 4.- I 1- 1 1 4- I 1 is capable of depositing about ^000

reel mighty ticklish, and you are told ^ f .

4.1 4. ' , 4. 4.1 I u t • 4- eggs per day, but by scientific meth-

that you must not thrash, but just i^i:> f ji j

1 \■^^ ] I <- 4-1 1V4-1 • xi. 1 ods and by having her reign over but

keep still and let the little insects have j » t>

11 4.1 r ^1 , •.] a small colony she will lav about 300

all the run they want with you. -^ . o

The Globe man yesterday inspected ^SS^ P^'" '^'^"^•
the colonies of bees of Eugene L. A queen bee when shipped to a

Pratt, Marlboro, xMass., who is a customer by mail, is placed in a small

breeder of queen bees. He does not bo>^ -il^o^it an inch deep and wide and

keep bees for honey, but is a breeder four inches long. With her are

of fancy stock, to which he gives as placed from eight to ten "workers,"

much time and attention as if he was who feed her on her journey with

breeding blooded and thoroughbred the paste prepared, which is made of

stock of greater dimensions. He is powdered sugar and honey. If the

an enthusiastic disciple of apiculture, journey is made in cold weather the

and from him were gained many workers will huddle about the queen

points of interest concerning the to keep her warm. Mr. Pratt breeds

breeding of these little fellows. from a race of bees which is compar-

Mr. Pratt winters about 40 hives, atively new to this country and known

and in the summer increases to about as the Carniolan race, which comes

125, all for queen rearing. The av- from the province of Carniola, Aus-

erage price for a queen bee is $1 and tria. They come from a valley which

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

is surrounded by high mountains. It
is very cold there and there is but Ht-
tle vegetation. For centuries this
race of bees has been in existence
there and it is now considered the
most hardy, prolific and gentle bee
in the world.

For three different generations the
Pratts have raised bees, and Eugene
becomes naturally enough an enthu-
siast on the bee question. Of this
particular race of bees there are but
few breeders in this country, and he
is the largest in point of produ6l. He
is also importing all the time. The
average lite of ordinary bees during
the busy season is 40 days ; this race
being more hardy will live half as
long again. The bees that go into
winter quarters remain dormant all
through that season, and their life is
preserved until the working season
opens, when they take to the field,
but live only a very few days.

When a queen bee is about five
days old she emerges from the hive
for the first time. The first day she
flies back and forth just m front of
the entrance to her home, but each
succeeding day she flies farther and
farther away. The workers, which
are imperfe6l females, will not recog-
nize her as a queen until she has
mated, and when she starts forth it is
for the purpose of finding her mate
or affinity. The male bees or drones
are somewhere in a swarm about the
apiary. After she has mated with

the drone of her choice she returns to
the hive and is then recognized as the
queen of that hive. When this queen
is shipped away the same process is
gone through for yet another queen
for that hive.

A queen bee will live from three
to four years, and has the power to
lay thousands of eggs. It is optional
with the mother to bring forth work-
ers or drones, and the workers decide
whether an impregnated &^^ shall
produce a worker or a queen bee by
the food given.

A queen bee never will sting any-
thing but another queen when in
mortal combat to see which shall rule
the hive, and she never stings then
until she can do so effedlively and
without injury to herself. Two
queens at war will clinch like wrest
lers. Where there are two or more
queens in the same hive, only one
will live, and that must be the victor
in a series of battles with her rivals.
Often a queen will tear cells apart to
attack the young queens and sting them
to death, thus killing them in their
cradle, as it were. When this is done
the workers tear down the cell and
carry oft' the dead. When all the
queens in a hive are killed the colony
is gone if there is no young brood left
in the hive from which to rear an-
other.

The above article was taken from
"The Boston Daily Globe."— [Ed.

Tr^E * ^^eqe^ig;:?]] * ^^pienLTO^iST.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Suhsckiption Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., FEBRUARY 1, 1890.

NO. 2.

EJntered. at IPost-ofiice as second-class matter.

®l)c €Mtor'0 ^Department.

Our supplies at the west.

We have made arranjrements with A. F. Staufl'ev
& Co., Sterling, 111., to supply our drone-ami-
queen traps, also the Bay State Bee-hive. See his
advertisement on page 3.5.

Brotlier Newman, editor of the American Bee
JournaU has been confined to his home several
weeks on account of "la grippe."

"Thirty Tears Among the Bees" is crowded
out tills issue. We have not had "la grippe"
but about everybody hereabouts has.

The eilitor of Review and the editor of tlie
Amektcan Bee JourtNAL made kind editorial
notices of the January Apicultukist. Thanks,
brother editors.

Tliis is.sueof the API is late. All the type setters
have had '"la grippe." Tlie editor managed to
steer clear of tlie prevailing complaint, though
several members of his family have been afflicted
by it.

That Honey Almanac of Mr. Newman's.

How many of our readers ordered one hundred
or more of Brotlier Newman's almanacs ? If you
have not bought aqii.-intity of them and distrib-
uted them in your neighborhood you stand in
your own light. A cheaper and more effectual
way of advertising your honey about your home
caiinot be devised.

But little to say.

If we tell the truth, friends, we must say that we
have but little to tell you editorially this month.
We can say that the API has received a larger
number of subscribers since Dec. 1, 1889, than it
ever before received in the same time. The new
dress and general make-up of the January issue

seemed to jjlease our readers very much. We
are getting compliments from all quarters; some
of the letters will appear in the API by and by.

The S warmer.

We knew that a Swarmer was a thing that a
large majority of beekeepers wanted; but we had
no idea that so many would order so soon after
we advertiseil them.

The fact that the Siuarmer catches drones, as
well as the drone-trap and also hives the swarms,
is the feature that will make the Swarmer popu-
lar with nearly all beekeepers. Why, where the
Swarmer is used, the bees can be hived in a
standard hive, in a box, or in anything to which
the Swarmer is connected.

We have hundreds of customers who keep bees
and are away from home nearly all day, certainly
that part of the day when bees are likely to
swarm. Well, the Swarmer is just the thing such
beekeepers need. How pleasant it will be to the
beekeeper on arriving home at night to find
that the bees have swarmed and hived them-
selves.

How nice it will be for our readers who preach
on Sundays to go to church and give their whole
attention to tlie congregation and not think even
once about the liees swarming.

The Swarmer saves anxiety, bees, time, honey
and money. Bear in mind that we mail the
Swarmer to any part of the United States or Can-
ada for the small sum of $1. After you see the
sample and And you need more they can be had
by express at the low price of $3.50 per doz.

Our price list may be found on page 3G.
(17)

18

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

(lIoiTC0poni)cnrc.

Honey-boards.

Dr. G. L. Tinkkh.

The l)ieak-joint principle in lionoy
boards has had its day. Conceived
as a plausible theoiy, it has been ac-
cepted as a princi[)te of value by the
masses of beekeepeis without serious
question. It was held that if slats of
wood were placed bee-space above
the frames so as to cover over the
spaces between the brood combs, the
queen in attempting to pass above
into the supers would bump her head
against the slats and go l)ack to her
brood again in disgust. A nice the-
ory was that ! But it seemed plausi-
ble, and has proved a sort of knock
down argument to the advocates of
direct passage ways for the last ten
years. The slat was also held to be
a bar to the extension of burr combs.

Some two years since, the writer
began experimenting anew with' di-
rect or continuous passage ways ; al-
though the horizontal bee- space of
Langstroth was retained and honey-
boards for direct passage ways were
exhibited at a convention of the Ohio
State beekeepers at Columbus in Jan.,
1888. The season of 1888 being a
poor one for honey the trial was in-
conclusive, but the season of 1889
has demonstrated clearly that the
break-joint principle in honey-boards
is not onl}^ without advantages but a
positive obstruction to the working of
bees in supers. Moreover the break-
joint slats did not prove a bar to the
extension of burr combs in any case.
It was found that, if anything, there
were less burr combs built where the
passage ways were continuous than
where they were broken by the slats.
It was also found that the break-joint
slats interfered with the perception of
light at the entrance by the bees in the
upper parts of the hive, and if they
were tiered up more than twenty-four

inches high the bees in the upper stor-
ies were unable to find their way out
of the hives. They were practically
lost in their hives, ridiculous as it may
appeal-, and so became consumers
rather than producers. Did they find
tiieir way out finally? Oh, yes ! After
the lapse of several days some of the
last bees would get below the honey-
board and see the light at the entrance
and set up a hum and soon the whole
upper hive would be in a hum. This
continued until all the bees had
hummed their wa}' out, and taken
wing. My surprise may well be im-
agined at seeing so many bees com-
ing out of the hive humming. It fi-
nally occurred to rae that this was the
only way tiiey could get out. In the
hives where the passages were con-
tinuous no such i-esults were observed.

It follows, if we are to storifv hives
and supers very high we nnist have
continuous passage ways, so the bees
in the upper parts of the hive can get
occasional glimpses of the light at the
entrances and so find their way out
readily. Aside from the above facts
it must be seen that there can be no ad-
vantage in causing all the bees to
travel out of a direct line in passing
a honey-board when nothing is to be
gained thereby.

New Philadelphia^ Ohio.

Reply to Dr. C. C. Millkr.

Wood-combs— Clipping queens'
wings, etc.

E. L. Pratt.

Dr. Miller having drawn his sword,
there is nothing for rae to do but de-
fend myself, so I will sa}^ as did
Macbeth "Lay on McMiller," etc.
"Wooden combs.

First of all, I shall want to say that
I do not wish the "Doctor" or an}'-
body else to think that I shall ever
stand in the way of progress when I
know it. No, no ! I would rather
stand before a locomotive in motion
and suffer the results than be the

THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

19

means of handicappino; progress. I
am sorry to say that I do not believe
wooden combs are going to entirely
prevent swarming. About "the
queen's reluctance," allow me to sa}'
that I had not seen a word from Bro.
As[)inwall on "the bees preferring nat-
ural comb." It was my own concep-
tion of the matter. I do not Jcnoiv
about this, but the way I now look at
it, it would be with reluctance that
the queen would use such combs for
brood. I know it to be a fact, from
my own experience, that young queens
desperately in want of drone comb
will use worker size for drone brood.

I believe bees will swarm even if
they have no drone brood at all, pro-
viding there are drones anywhere in
the 3'ard.

I do not generally give away my
experimental failures, but I will do it
this time for the sake of explanation.
I tried keeping drone brood from off a
hive by cutting out the drone comb,
decapping, etc., for this very purpose.
They were contracted down to six
frames, solid with worker brood.
Every time I opened that hive I found
a few drones present that had come in
from other hives. Well, to make the
story brief, that colony swarmed nat-
urally. This is why I have no faith
in wooden combs as perfectly non-
swarming.

Our good Brother Aspinwall has
made a valuable implement for ex-
tracting honey producers. To him
belongs the credit of first making a
practical artificial comb for which his
reward will doubtless come later, as
with the perforated metal discovery.

Clipping queens' wings.

I could tell a long tale of woe on
this subject but I shall not bore you
with it now.

The act of clipping may be utterly
painless but the jmrt is forever after
useless. I dislike to see cripples of
any kind. If the wing would grow
again, like a finger nail, I would not
object to the practice. To my way of

flunking the act is cruel and inhuman
because you intentionally cripple the
insect. It is like throwing out sheep's
joints to keep them in the field. Is
not that ci'uel, although painless?

Low' prices.

My dear doctor man ! you must
understand that every l)eekeeper has
not the experience and judgment in
this matter 3'ou are blessed with, al-
though perhaps it is just as well now
that you have made the matter clear
to all!

Marlboro, Mass.

How to increase the product of the

hives, to secure the most

honey and regulate and

control the price.

A. C. Tyrrel.

How to increase the product of the
hives and secure the most honey there-
from, is a question that has been up-
permost in my mind at all times when
I have had leisure to ponder upon this
vital matter.

While it is true that heretofore all
crops have been disposed of by farm-
ers, and apiarists have sold what sur-
plus they may have had in store, yet
in the majority of instances at prices
which counting their labor and expen-
ditures has left little or nothing to be
placed to the credit side of the ledger.

It may be that there is an over-pro-
duction of cereals (occasional!}^), but
it cannot be said that there is now, or
has been for nianj'^ years an overplus
of honey, viewed in the light that the
visible supply of farm products is re-
garded in the great commercial cen-
tres of this country.

There are many who seem to think
that great danger menaces the far-
mers of the west and northwest, and
the country at large, which may also,
they think, prove disastrous to api-
culturists.

I refer to Major Powell's paper read
before the Chamber of Commerce in

20

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

New York, Dec. 5, upon the best
method of irrigating tlie arid lands of
the country.

He claims that about 120,000,000
acres can be rendered arable by his
method. In the wheat belt at the low
estimate of fifteen bushels of wheat
per acre this land would produce
1,800,000,000 bushels; in corn at 60
bushels per acre would yield
7,200,000,000 bushels ; or sown to oats
one-half that number of Inishels could
be easily raised. If planted exclu-
sively to potatoes, and the yield be
equal to districts where the system of
irrigation is in vogue, we can approx-
imate 12,000,000,000 bushels. What
do the eastern people think of this
output ?

What would he done with this enor-
mous surplus in addition to what is
raised annually in this country, and
what price would it bring in the mar-
ket? The visil)Ie supply would appall
them, the present storage room en-
tirely inadequate to store it.

Even now at nearly all the railroad
stations in Nebraska, corn is being
dumped in great piles on the ground
for want of shipping facilities and
room in which to store it.

Cereals and nearly everj'^ kind of
vegetables grown on irrigated land
are superior in quality, they yield
greater and command better prices as
lean testify from personal observation.
On sucli land the yield of alfalfa is
enormous and if it produces nectar in
quantities as claimed for it, what a
field for bee-men so fortunate as to be
located near the heretofore arid lands
of this continent, soon to be re-
claimed and made to blossom as the
rose.

A few more great honey-producing
districts like California, opened up for
settlement and rendered arable by
irrigation, will practically solve the
problem, how to increase the product.
But will not the small producers be
driven to the wall, and be forced to
quit the business?

California apiarists, paying no taxes

on laud over which millions upon
millions of bees roam at pleasure,
can better afford to sell honey at five
cents per pound than those in the
states burdened with heavy taxes, and
greater labor and expense attend the
production of liotii extracted and
comb-honey.

And if vast tracts of land in the
west and northwest are reclaimed, ac-
tual settlers will soon be found to take
up every quarter section, or at least
when it becomes generally known that
failure of crops from drougiit is an im-
j)ossibility.

The prophet ( ?), who based his pre-
dictions on retros[)ective views, pos-
sessed no great faculty. No great
stretch of imagination or mental acu-
men is necessary to fit a prophecy to
events long since passed into tradi-
tion or history ; but he who can dis-
cern the signs of the times in coming
events, to a certaint}', is a greater and
more reliable prophet than I claim to
be.

This brings to mind the second
proposition of my problem, which I
fear cannot be satisfactorily solved at
the present time ; for a retrospective
view upon which I largel}' base my
predictions for the future output (as
I have heretofore said that it is not
necessar}' to possess great mental acu-
men to judge the future by the past)
leads me to infer and believe that
"what has been will be, ' and that no
more lioney will be consuuied next
year than during the year last [)ast.

As to increased production : we
all know that the seasons, or climatic
conditions of the atmosphere regu-
late the flow of nectar.

It has been said that every season
farmers raise a good crop of corn, the
honey-producing plants yield rich
stores of honey in abundance ; which
is a grave mistake, for the ground may
be too wet or too dry during the life
of those flowers, or too cold for bees
to fly, and afterwards the season be
sufficiently warm and long enough to
mature the corn crop.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURI8T.

21

We cannot regulate the rainfall,
neither can we supply the deficiency
until we are prepared to irrigate our
land, which in most of the eastern
states is impracticable and not to be
considered.

Much paper has been wasted and
valuable time squandered in trying to
educate "the dear people" to '•'•eat'"
honey.

Total abstinence has been agitated
for many years, and sumptuary laws
enacted in at least thi-ee states, but
still whislcey is consumed in every
state in the Union, the traffic in the
vile stuff made legitimate by legisla-
tive enactment, and the venders
lliereof by requirement are considered
and held to be '■'•resj^ectable" men in
the community.

Tlie difference in the two articles of
commodity is just this : After a man
has once acquired the habit of drink-
ing intoxicating liquors, he must have
(or thinks he must have) it every day.
A man may buy a pound of honey to-
day, and i)ronounce it "very good ;"
but he does not thereby acquire an in-
ordinate appetite for it, and say he
cannot do without it to-morrow. A
confirmed drunkard will spend his
last nickel for a glass of beer, but the
most attractive display of honey will
not lure him into the corner grocery
where it is kept for sale. He spends
his money freely for tobacco and ci-
gars, but his family who dearly "love"
honey go without. Let Brotlier Root
send out a few more car loads of
smokers. Neither is honey a staple
article, or one of the necessaries of
life like whiskey (?), corn, flour and
potatoes ; consequently its consump-
tion depends upon the ability of the
masses to purchase the same. NO
ONE will undertake to sell at a less
price than the cost of production, no
matter whether he be saint or sinner,
preacher or layman ; and so far as ed-
ucating the masses is concerned, no
one has suggested to my mind a prac-
tical solution of the enigma.

If a man has not the money and

cannot get trusted for luxuries, it is
very plain he must be content to go
without.

Then, honey as it is now regarded
an article of luxury may be likened to
horses and carriages, sealskin hats
and cloak, etc., the rich will buy them,
the poor go without, as the Irishman
once said : "The rich can ride in
chaises, but the poor can walk if he
plazes."

In view of the above facts I am
fully persuaded that a beginner who
is seeking to make the production of
honey his sole and only means of live-
liliood has made a serious mistake ; for
disastrous results will surely follow
an over-production in that line of bus-
iness, and liable to plunge both him
and the specialist into bitter disap-
pointment if not abject poverty.

The darkey who was detected steal-
ing a saddle, excused himself by say-
ing that there were a "certain number
of stole saddles to be stole, and a cer-
tain number of darkies to steal the
stole saddles," and this remark fits
pat to what I have been saying about
the production and consumption of
honey : that there will be a certain
amount of honey produced, if the sea-
sons are favorable, and a certain num-
ber to buy it.

Madison, Neh., Dec. 21, 1889.

Fixed Frames.
Z. T. Hawk.

How wide shall combs be spaced?— Fertile
workers.
Within the last year a widespread
interest has been awakened in the
question of out apiaries and the trans-
portation of large numbers of colo-
nies of bees from one locality to an-
other in order to take advantage of
the varying periods of honey-flow. It
is evident that to be successful in
either of these comparatively new lines
of beekeeping the hive must be of such
construction that it can be prepared
for transportation with the least out-
lay of time and labor. The ordinary

22

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

suspended fnunes if not fastened in
some way are very ftal)le to give con-
siderable trouble by slipping and
swinging when the hives are hauled
over roads that are not quite the best.
This defect has recently given rise to
quite an extended investigation into
the merits of the various frames now
in use among beekeepers. The chief
features desired are that the frames
remain in their proper places, no dif-
ference what the position of the hive
may be, and that the}' be easily manip-
ulated without killing bees. A third
requisite demanded by a large num-
ber of beekeepers, myself included, is
that the frame be reversible. For
several years the closed-end Quinby
and its modifications seemed to be the
only frames that would answer all
these conditions ; but quite recently
the Van Deusen metal-cornered re-
versible frame has taken place as a
prominent candidate for favor among
those apiarists who desire a fixed
frame. It is described in my article
in the January Apicultukist, 1889,
and another season of use in ni}' yanl
only serves to strengtlien my good
opinion of it. Heretofore I have had
one very serious objection to it and
that was that it spaced the combs H
inches from centre to centre ; but Mr.
O. J. Hetherington of East Saginaw,
Mich., has lately removed that ol)jec-
tion by having the castings ma(le so
as to space the frames a scant If
inches from centre to centre. With
frames the size of the L., or larger,
the wides[)acing may be all right but
with such small frames as I use (7 X
16| inches) is not to be tolerated.

How wide shall combs be spaced?
This is an old question and I pre-
sume the veterans who see the caption
of this paragraph will elevate their
noses. That is all right and they may
skip what 1 have to say about it if the}'
like ; but they must remember that
not all the readers of the Apicultu-
kist are veterans and that many of
the veterans themselves are modify-

ing their opinions on this matter since
the introduction of the shallow and
the contracted brood-chambers. A
comb having cells of the proper depth
for brood-rearing may also serve as a
receptacle for honey ; but a comb hav-
ing deeper cells is fit to be used for
storage only. A brood-comb is just
about I of an inch thick, and it is ev-
ident that when combs are spaced 1^
inches from centre to centre there is
a space of | of an inch between the
combs when they contain brood. I
believe it was our level-headed friend,
Mr. J. E. Pond, who several years
ago called this space a loafing place
for bees that would better be in the
supers or the field. He advanced the
idea that crowding the combs close
together forced the bees into the sec-
tions and gave a greater area of brood
to the frame. Some experiments that
I made at that time led me to doubt
the correctness of his conclusion but I
am now very certain that he is right.
The character of the season undoubt-
edly makes a great difference in the
area of comb surface that, by the bees
elongating the cells, is rendered un-
fit for brood-rearing. When honey
comes in rapidly and the bees go to
work in the sections with a rush very
little comb in the brood-nest will be
drawn out for storage ; but if the flow
is only a little greater than is required
for the daily needs of the colony the
cells in the upper part of every comb
will be deepened by the bees as fast
as the brood hatches. As the season
uears its close the entire area of the
outside combs is drawn out for the
reception of honey and the brood-area
of the hive is materially reduced. In
the season of '89 I was unfortunate
enough to still further reduce the
brood space in a number of my hives
by inverting the frames and neglect-
ing to turn them back at the proper
time. The bees promptly deepened
cells for a space of two or three inches
from the top-bar and filled them with
honey. As the result these combs
are thick all around the edges, and

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

23

out of the one luindiecl sijuare inches of
comb in each fi-auie perha[)s not more
than one-third is available for brood.
From the time' the main lioney-flovv
begins until frost comes 1 use a brood-
chamber containing eight hundred
inches of coml) and it is evident to the
most superficial observer that I can-
not afford to peruiit the bees to use
very much of that space as store-comb.
With the fixed frame I have been us-
ing, I could not prevent the evil, but
happiiyjrelief is at baud and hereafter
my frames will be spaced 1^^ inches
from centre to centre. One of my cor-
respondents says he' spaces his frames
1^ inches and prefers that distance to
any other, though it makes it hard to
handle combs containing (h'one brood.
In a private letter, Mr. M. M. Bald-
ridge, that veteran apiarist of St.
Charles, 111., who began keepiug bees
early in the fifties, and who has for
many years nuuibered his colonies by
the hundred — now upward of four
hundred — says : "■! want all my brood-
combs only I of an inch thiclc, and a
space between them of | of an inch is
ample. ... I cannot see why any-
one should use H inches from centre
to centre. That might do in top-
story for extracted honey — and I use
theui thus." Who could ask for more
conclusive evidence? 1 will add by
way of postscript, that since '72 Mr.
Baldridge has used a frame 7f X 17^
inches outside measure, nine to a
hive — pretty good testimony for the
contracted brood-chamber.

Fertile- workers .
For some years 1 have been anxious
to meet that dreadful thing so n)uch
talked of and written about — the fer-
tile worker. Well, she was so ac-
commodating as to come along the
past season — evidently several of her,
for the first thing I knew her eggs
were scattered through all the couibs
in the hive, and many of the larvae
were capped over. Did I carry the
bees and combs away a hundred yards,
shake the bees ofi" and let tUem come

home leaving the would-be queen (or
queens in the grass), ''then give them
a ripe queen cell," etc? Not if I re-
member correctly. Time is too prec-
ious for fooling that way. 1 picked
the colony- up and placed it ou top of
its next neighbor. The latter was a
powerful colony working at a good
rate in the sections. I removed the
section-case and honey-bOard and
placed the queenless colony directly
on the brood-chamber of tlie colony
that had a queen. I then placed the
section case above this double brood-
chamber and work went on as though
nothing had happened. In two or
three days I gave the double colony
another case of sections ; and when the
work was well begun in this second
case I se|)arated the brood-chambers
in the evening "^nd gave one case of
sections to each. At the tiuie of di-
viding I examined only so far as to
see that the queen had occupied all
the available cells in the brood- cham-
ber that had before been queenless.
I did not care which hive she was ih
for I knew that the other was in con-
dition to raise its own queen. I do
not think that the bees lost five min
utesof time from their harvest ; in fact
I think there was a gain of energy
resulting from the great number of
bees in the double colony. The queen-
less bees were encouraged to oo to
work and the result was more honey
from the two than I would have got
had they remained separate. When
an intelligent and well-read beginner
will get on his horse and ride four
miles to ask me what Itio with fertile
workers " because the bee-books and
papers make such a fuss about 'em,"
I am led to believe that some of us
have made much ado about nothing.
Audubon, loioa.

The Apiculturist and some of its

correspondents indorsed.

W. F. Kanzlek.

Friend Alley : A thousand thanks
to you for sending me Vol. VI, of the

24

THE AMERICAN APICVLTURIST.

valuable Ajoicnlturist, for I found in it
many a new idea and a great many ar-
ticles on apiculture written by master-
ly hands and brains, and the one topic
on the "New Races and In-breeding"
(Api, 1888, page 80) is worth three
times the mone^' of the yearly paper.
All the contributions of Mr. Stachel-
hausen are an honor to your AjJicuUu-
rist, for their plain, clear and correct
language, free of all conjectures and
only based on facts and experiments,
and also free of all personal reflections
as any article in a good paper ought to
be. I found the writings of Mr. S.
years ago in some German bee-papers,
and his name has there a very good
sound, and I was exceedingl}'^ pleased
to find him here in America one of the
ablest writers on bee-topics.

B}' the way, friend Alley, you told
us in the December number, page 184,
that you had the intention to. pay a
visit to Mr. H. D. Davis of Vermont,
and tell us afterwards what 3'ou saw
and heard. Now, I wish you could find
time to undertake the journey and con-
vert the gentleman from his pollen-
theory, and no doubt 3'on could do it
ver}' easily, if you only show Mr. Davis
the Api ofl888, page 214, 2d column, ^
where he can see, that the same theor}^
was started in an old countr}-, about
1778, but was soon abandoned, and
that in the j^ears 1876 and until 1879,
the same question Avas deliberated and
discussed in the Bienenfreund in Ger-
many with the same result : — That the
whole pollen-theory is therefore a very
old question, nothing new, just as you
would dig out the old theory of raising
young bees by butchering a steer. But
the fun of the thing is, that the inven-
tors of the pollen theory in our days
grew ver}' jealous and envious against
one another about the priorit}^ and the
patent of the said theory : t\\Qy would
sell the hide, before they had the bear.

I wish you great success for your
A2ncuUurist for the next 3'ear.

Fulda, Indiana.

[iThe article referred to was by Mr. Stachel-
bauseu.]

Bees by the pound by mail.
W. p. Henderson.

Yes, the}' can be sent without dan-
ger to postmasters, or carriers — even
three or four pounds could be carried,
in a tin-box, made something like the
fresh oyster cans, with round tin sup-
ports soldered, or even small blocks
of wood tacked on the inside at con-
venient distances, to avoid being
smashed. A box capal)le of carrying
two pounds of bees could be made
that would withstand a pressure of
two or more hundred pounds, and
even if it did get bent or smashed,
the bees could not escape. But we
do not need at present, and I think
queen breeders generally are opposed
to using, the mails for this purpose.
Start it, and some botch of a beekeep-
er, would avail himself of the privi-
lege and such a fuss and muss would
come from the postmasters, as hasn't
been heard since Crop was stung at
the camp-meeting.

Bee-papers.

You are right, don't mix up your
paper with poultry, pigs, pet stock or
preaching ; and another thing 3'ou no-
ticed sometime since which struck me,
viz. : writing one or two columns, with
not a single new idea in the article ;
the whole matter could be boiled down
and stated in a dozen lines. Putting a
new top on some old fact and string-
ing out a page or two about it, re-
minds me of a cup of coffee, an old
Virginian and myself got at a restau-
rant. He said, "that was very fine cof-
fee, and I would have taken the second
cup, but did not like to drink so much
water for so little coffee." These
communications are general!}^ well
written, and sometimes readable, but
they have nothing in them to think
about.

Handling queens by the wings.
I am satisfied, tliat I caused the
death of one of my finest queens by
taking hold of her wings in removing

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

25

her from a frame she was occupying,
as I wished the frame to place in an-
other hive for tlie purpose of rearing
queen cells. She became excited up-
on touching her and resisted my re-
moving her and clinging with the
hooks of her feet to tlie top of the
cells, she was not easily removed, and
the resistance was so great I think
the base of the wings was slightly
detached from the body, which re-
sulted in a permanent injur}^ She
was scarcely one year old and up
to this time very prolific. She laid
but few eggs afterwards, and the bees
recognizing the situation began the
construction of queen cells before she
died, which was in three or four days.
Since this accident I have quit catch-
ing hold of the wings for removal.
Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Apiculturist notes and comments.

Dr. Tinker.

The cellar so far this winter up to
Jan 13 has proved a mighty poor place
for bees.

The new Dibbern bee-escape for
quickly getting bees out of sections
and extracting supers is believed to
be a success.

President R. L. Taylor is on rec-
ord as saying that queen-traps "were
a great help to him." This is valua-
ble testimony in favor of Mr. Alley's
queen-trap.

At the Michigan Convention Mr.
A. I. Root said that "the open side
sections were a good thing, and the
samples on exhibition filled with hon-
ey carried great weight." They were
the four-piece white poplar.

At the late International Conven-
tion, the current of opinion was large-
ly in favor of cellar wintering and
single-walled hives, but it was not
shown to be safer than in well con-
structed double-walled hives.

It is pleasing to note that the Mich-
igan Convention decided by a large
majority in favor of spring protection
for bees. The writer is on record as
saying that ten pounds of stores are
saved to every colony by protection
in spring brooding ; besides, we are
able to secure one-third more brood
and bees to the colony by June 1,
than in single-walled hives.

This is good reasoning, we have long contended
that winter packing- of bees was of no account,
and that in the spring was the proper time to
paoli, bees. Those beekeepers so far behind the
times will catch up one of these days.— Eu.]

Mr. H. D. Cutting in an essay read
at the convention said "I am opposed
to the use of basswood for sections,
for several reasons. It is like killing
the goose that lays the golden egg."
So say Messrs. H. R. Boardman,
A. E. Manum and many other lead-
ing beekeepers. Every word of that
able essay against destruction of bass-
wood timber should meet with ap-
proval.

New Philadelphia^ Ohio.

^\\m\-\ixttbtx Q Eicpartmcnt.

Conducted by E. L. Pratt.

Queen-breeding is 'fast becoming an
enormous pursuit in itself.

The Carniolans are not stingless
but they are pretty near non-stinging
when pure.

Correct.— Ed.]

Can Brother Robinson produce that
letter from Rev. L. L. Langstroth, on
" first sending queens by mail."

We do not believe he can as Mr. L. was not the
first person who shipped bees by mail -Ed.]

Having just a few drones present in
nuclei hives containing virgin queens
helps along an early wedding tour.

Why do we not guarantee safe ar-
rival to the Pacific States. I believe I
shall do so to every state in the union.

We liave always guaranteed safe arrival to all
places in the United States and Canada.— Ed.]

26

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

If artificial heat for bee-hives is go-
ing to be successful, breeders will be
enabled to get at work earlier in the
norihern parts.

Dr. Miller clips his queens' wings,
and considers it all right. In another
column you will find my review on the
matter of clipping.

A neat queen cage neatly wrapped
has much to do with the reception the
inmates will have by their purchaser
and post-office officials.

Wh}^ fuss and putter over candy for
queen cages when we know that sim-
ple powdered sugar and honey well
kneaded together is as good a feed as
can be had.

We think the Apr was " bang up "
last month, and judging from the sev-
eral private letters of approval we have
received from different parties, we are
not alone in the verdict.

All hands are giving it to *' us " on
account of sending bees by one-half
pound by mail. My hair has turned
gray from the effect of it.

J. J. Martin did not give us proper
credit in " Rays of Light" for January.

Jan. 6th : — Dandelions in bloom;
wild geese flying north. How's that
for New Enjrland weather?

The trapping of undesirable drones
in combination with keeping down the
number of their cells, makes a clean
sweep of that matter. Drones are
immense consumers and if they are
going to live they will live in luxury
" you bet."

The caging and confining of bees to
make up nuclei are botliersome. A
colony made queenless for two days'
time can be broken into any number
of parts without any of this bother.
Caging is unnatural. I dislike to put
innocent bees behind bars.

An improvement in nursery cages
would be acceptable. Tliose " trap-
door " and " slide " arrangements are
very unhandy if used extensively.
Trimming and shaving queen cells is
no fun and we don't like to do it.
Give us something new and better.

Let's see you improve the queen-nursery we
have used in the Bay State Apiary the past twenty
years.— Ed.]

Have you ever noticed how clear of
bees the entrance of a good working
stock is kept, while about that of a
poor stock are always anxiety and sus-
picion of approaching evils. The nov-
ice would pick the latter as stronger,
while an examination would prove to
the coiitrary.

The verdict seems to be " with the
proper width of top bars, burr combs
will be kept down." Without doubt
the depth of those bars has much to
do with keeping the queen out of su-
pers. All my honey boards are up on
the loft where they will remain until
I need fire wood.

Cutting queen cells open to see how
near they are to hatching is like pull-
ing up the vines to see how large the
potatoes are. For myself I had rather
look at the record, as I might get her
back in upside down and then wonder
why the queen did not hatch.

HenryAlley will work his fertilizing
hives in a separate yard from the full
stock and transport the drones there
too. This does away with all anxiety
of robbing and secures properly pure
mating of young queens. Good idea ;
but running such an out apiary will
not be play by any means.

The new " Alley Swarm Hiver " is
going to develop into something won-
derful for both queen breeder and
honey producer. Wooden combs will
have to take a back seat always with
this implement. To thwart swarming
by stratagem can never pay. Use the
wooden combs for extracting above

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

27

clean wax ones and then get rid of ex-
cluders, which belong to queen rear-
ing not to producing.

In a recent number of Glecmings
there were nine correspondents who
preferred hybrid bees in their apiaries
against twelve who preferred pure
stocks. Will wager with either of the
nine men who now prefer hybrids that
the pure stock party will swell in num-
ber while the hybrid party will go
down, down. In the same issue there
was a vote on color, with eight in
favor of the light and thirteen in favor
of the dark races and strain. -None
were in favor of the very light in-bred
Italians.

Proper preparation of nuclei colonies
for shipment is a point that needs pol-
ishing" up considerable. Is it ever nec-
essary to cage the queen inside a nu-
cleus hive? Is she not safer on the
comb? I am inclined to think too
much ventilation is often given as with
queen cages. The most practical me-
thods of introducing to full colonies
have the following points worth re-
membering : a few hours to attain the
scent ; perfect quiet on the issue of
queen. In these two points, I believe,
is the secret of successful introduction.
The conditions under which virgins
are accepted are not present until af-
ter tlie desire to construct cells has
been satisfied.

Too much ventilation during the warm months
cannot be given queen cages or boxes in whioh
a nucleus colony is being shipped.— No experi-
enced beekeeper will cage the queen sent iu a
nucleus colony.— Ed.]

Siftings in Bee (Eulturc.

CONDUCTED BY M. A. KELLEY.

Periodicals for review, exchanges and corre-
spondence intended for this department should
be addressed to

M. A. Kelley,

Milton, \V. Va.

Wood-zinc queen-excluding honey-
board. What a name ! What a waste
of time, of space and words ! The
simple name excluder is enough un-

less it be in a description of the dif-
ferent forms of the said much named
thing.

The last two numbers of the Revieio
have been devoted mainly to discuss-
ing " Specialty versus mixed beekeep-
ing." The result is yet somewhat
" mixed," but many important facts
have been set forth. The Review is
full of real, solid horse sense.

Mr. J. S. Rease and Mr. C. H. Dib-
bern are giving much time and thought
to bee-escapes. They deserve the
gratitude of the fraternity. The im-
proved horizontal escape seems to be
well nigh perfect. It is made with flat,
saucer-like pieces of wire cloth insert-
ed in spaces cut in boards to fit them,
said boards being of the proper size to
fit the hive in use.

Mr. H. R. Boardman, in Gleanings,
deplores the destruction of basswood
timber in supplying one-piece sections.
He says it should be stopped and that
lie will buy no more supplies that are
made of basswood. Mr. Root says
that more of it is used for other pur-
poses and that the proper remedy is
not to stop using it but to plant the
trees and protect them in their growth.

Mr. E. France, in Gleanings^ after
telling us how to kill skunks, puts in
an able plea for their lives. Thanks,
Brother F., for those kind words in be-
half of our poor dumb neighbors.
Skunks do undoubtedly eat bees and
have eaten bushels of mine, yet I try
to give them as little pain in death as
I possibl}^ can. Men have no right to
give pain, save in self-defence, and
even then only enough for self protec-
tion.

A smoking-board
is described by Mr. J. W. Bayard in
American Bee Journal. It is a board
as wide as the super in use and two
inches longer, with |- X b strips on
the sides and one end to hold the

28

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

case up. The end that had no strips
on projects and helps to guide the
smoke which is forced up between the
sections. This little invention will
be useful to those who remove honey
by the single super. Mr. Bayard has
our thanks.

Mr. G. W. Demaree says, in Amer-
ican Bee Journal, " I have found by
experimenting with sheets of founda-
tion that they can be made strong
enough to bear large swarms by sim-
ply cutting them into two pieces and
lapping the edges together about one-
fourth of an inch and welding them
together by pressing a putty knife on
either side, thus forming a rib in the
centre of the sheet of sufficient strength
to prevent it from sagging.

" A piece of fiue wire may be in-
serted between the lapping edges
which will add greatly to the strength
of the sheet."

This is less expensive than wiring
the frames.

Mr. G. M. Doolittle has a notable
article in Gleanings about drones.
Lack of space forbids reprinting the
entire letter, but the following con-
tains the main points :

That much is lost by rearing drones.
That each colonj^ should have one or
two inches of drone comb (for the}' will
have some anyway) and this all in one
frame which should be placed outside
the brood-nest so that the queen will
not fill it easily and so it can be re-
moved every twenty-three days and
the young drones destroyed. That
drone cells in worker combs should be
replaced by patches of worker cells.
That old fruit cans, without top or
bottom, with one edge filed sharp, is
the thing to cut out the patches and
the places to fit them. That the
patching may be done by giving the
combs to nuclei after removing the
drone cells. And this last plan gives
the best results. These are valuable
hints.

(HClucru department.

Uniting swarms.

Questions. I am thinking of uniting two or
more swarms wlien they issue and hiving them in
a small brood-chamber, say eight frames, and at
once place not less than forty sections on the hive.
It is my opinion that I can get double the section
honey that I can by hiving each swarm separately.
Would like the opinion of those who answer ques-
tions for tlie API. Header.

It would depend somewhat upon the duration
of the honey flow. If short, you would get more.
J. D. Goodrich.

I have had a little experience somewhat in this

line, and it has not been as satisfactory as it

might. If, however, tlie swarms are not very

strong, I think it would be a decided gain to unite.

C. 0. Miller.

It is my opinion you will not get as much honey
as by hiving them separately. In my locality
doubled prime swarms are very apt to swarm
again at just the wrong time. If you manage bad-
ly enough to have a lot of small after swarms it
is best to unite several into one hive.

Z. T. Hawk.

The plan will Work well if you use a queen ex-
cluder to keep the queen out of the sections.
Brood and pollen are much more likely to be car-
ried into the sections by a very strong colony,
than by a weak one. I have hived two swarms
together in a few instances with excellent results.
Joshua Bull.

These large swarms will prove unsatisfactory.
Sometimes tliey quarrel to begin with. Sometimes
they refuse to commence work with so small a
brood-chamber, and desert. Sometimes they
swarm about four weeks after being hived. They
need lots of ventilation. There are better ways
of preventing increase and getting a good crop of
section honey. J. L. Hubbard.

We have experimented for several seasons in
this line and find it is not advisable as a rule. It
might work, to unite second swarms if you are
sure of getting all bat one queen ; but if two sets
of queens are left in the hive they make too much
work, especially in large apiaries, by swarming
out. Also if two large swarms are united they
are very apt to swarm out and make too much
work. Hilas D. Davis.

I have quite habitually practised hiving two
prime swarms together, with excellent results,
as to honey gatliering, up to a certain point. But
the colony must not be made too large, or, with
me, they will either abscond, or soon begin prep-
arations for swarming again. Haifa dozen after-
swarms, thus hived together, have often proved
the best honey-gathering colonies of the season.
Mrs. H. Hills.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

29

You certainly can increase the amount of your
section honey by uniting two or more swarms,
especially in a poor locality for honey, or in a lo-
cality overstocked, or in a poor season. But if
you are located in a good honey region, and the
territory not all occupied, you would probably
get more section honey by hiving first sioarms,
separately, in full frames of comb or foundation,
occupying small brood-chambers.

W. I'. Henderson.

As you well know, friend Alley, just sucli a
performance as ''Reader" proposes has been prac-
tised over and over again, both from practical
necessity and for experiment. It will ])robably
work Avitli "Reader" just as he thinks it will.
He will get a nice lot of section honey, but he
will only haveone good colony in the fall ; wliereas
if he had hivc<l the swarms in separate hives, he
would have liad two good colonies. He can gov-
ern liis action according to hisdesi;e for increase.
James Heddon.

Hived separately, with a short honey harvest
following, each swarm might do no more tlian
fill its brood apartment; whereas, if united, they
could'nt well help making "double" tlie section
honey. But hived separately, with anything of
an extended yield to follow, more surplus would
be obtained, and surely the extra colony would
be woi'th something. Even to extract tlie honey
and convert tlie combs into wax would bring sev-
eral dollars with "the right man in the right
place." J. A. Buchanan.

If your locality is one where the honey harvest
comes in a sliower of from one to three weeks it
may do pretty well providing you remove one ot
the queens. Two swarms that go together will
sometimes sulk until one queen is balled and
killed. But if your principal source of honey is
clover, the season lasting four to eight weeks, do
not do it, because (1) You will get no more honey
in the long run. (2) If your bees are like mine
they will be much more apt to abscond as to
swarm again in from one to three weeks.

George F. Robbins.

Have tested the plan of uniting swarms for
comb honej' many times, and always with excel-
lent results. I tise a small brood-clftimber, of a
capacity tor only 830 square inches of comb, iind
find it large enough for two and even three
swarms, but I have not succeeded without the
wood-zinc honey-board on the brood-chamber.
I put on from forty-eiglit to seventy-two sections
at once, and if any of the cases be taken from an-
other hive with bees and new combs in it, there
will be no burr-comlis built in any part of the hive.
In uniting be sure to take away all queens but one
or a part of the bees may swarm out.

G. L. Tinker.

I don't believe you can get double the honey by
the above method, but I know you will secure

more. I managed that very way two seasons ago,
and procured from one hive over seventy-five
pounds of nice white honey in one-pound boxes.
By that metnod, however, the parent colonies are
doing nothing but getting strong in bees, and,
with the large numbers of field bees that could
be brought into play, they remain consumers on-
ly. If I did not care for increase, I believe I
would r.itlier follow the method of hiving each
swarm separately and placing the brood left in
the parent hives above the new swarm on the old
stand, as then they will be placed so that all can
add to the beekeeper's income and amount to
about the same.

If two swarms should cluster togetlier I would
hive tliem as you say, and divide later if increase
were desired. E. L. Pratt.

Giving bees a winter flight, and feeding
bees in winter.

By C. \V. Smith, Wellesley Hills, Mass.
My bees are wintered on their summer stands,
tliat they may have a chance for a flight, when
the weather ofl'ers the opportunity. Last Sunday,
Dec. S, 18S9, bees were out in full force. To-day,
Dec. 15, 1889, the entrances to the hives are all
covered with snow, and if they should remain
covered eight or ten weeks and after that a warm
day comes, would clear out the entrances and let
them come out. No nuitter how many bees
dropped on the snow— the flight is worth all the
bees it would cost.

Feeding bees in winter.

I am in the fruit business and in the spring deal
in maple sugar, and have so far been able to buy
inferior made maple sugar at a low price, say be-
low the jjrice of granulated sugar. One season
got it at four cents per pound. Whenever the
opportunity ofl'ers I buy sufl[icient for my tviiiter
and spring feeding, and 1 have never used any-
thing else, and as long as I can get maple sugar,
— want nothing else.

I raise the winter toj) packing and cover the
tops of the brood frames with the moist cakes of
maple sugar (if in judgment the cakes are not
moist enough I dip them in a pail of hot water
and they very soon will be) leaving just space
between the cakes for a bee to pass, tlien put
on the enamel cloth over the sugar and the pack-
ing on top of the enamel cloth. The natural heat
from a good colony will generate moisture enough
to soften the sugar so they may take care of them-
selves. I feed all my colonies in this manner as
soon alter Feb. 1 as I can get a warm day to lift
the toi) packing so not to Ireeze them, and con-
tinue to feed a few cakes every ten days
or so until fruit blossoms, and by that time strong
colonies are ready to swarm and weak ones have
got themselves into fine coud itiou,

30

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

By F. P. Stiles, Haverhill, Mass..

I should remain absolutely passive, especially
if the bees were in the cellar. If only one or two
colonics became uneasy the quiet of the others
might be preserved by ridding the cellar of the
riotous few, hut I have never felt the need.

Feeding bees in winter.

1. Set one of tlie feeders mentioned below over
such, having the contents thoroughly warmed and
you will be happily surprised. Perfectly practi-
cal at any time and in any weather.

2. The feeder I use proves successful in all
cases. 1 use the Heddon hive. At the close of
the wliite honey harvest I replace the case or
cases of sections with a single brood case of
empty combs whicli the bees fill witli fall honey.
That makes an absolutely perfect feeder and I
use them as such. " Successful " doesn't half
express it. Fuddling with candy and syrup be-
longs to tlie dusty past. There never was any-
thing either practical or profitable in it and there
never will be.

^^juulturiet illaU-bojr.

A compliment to Brother Pratt.

Dark Ridge, X. C.
Manager API :— Please renew my 8ubscrii>tion
to the API. 1 do not know how 1 could get along
without it. The articles of E. L. Pratt are worth
more than the subscription price.

G. W. MCGUIRE.

Speaks highly of our queens.

Malone, la.
Mr. ALLEY:— Please send me one of your
queens. I am acquainted with Mi-. Coverdale of
Welton, la., who received some queens from you
last fall. He spoke very highly of tliem.

D. D. Hammond.

Best crop of the season.

Limerick, III.
Friend Alley: The 75 cent queen you sent
me witl) the Ai-i in 1888, gave me this year (1889)
100 pounds of lioney, besides one good swarm.
The bees are beauties, not cross, good workers
and not given too much to swarming.

E. PICKUP.

"Who can beat this record?

North Clarendon, Vt.
Mr. Alley:— Herewith find 75 cents for my
subscription to tlie API. 1 liave had something
to do with bees for more than sixty years, being
nearly seventy-six years old. I bought the right
to use the Langstroth hive in the j'ear 1858.

E. L. Holden.

A valuable paper.

Forest City, Iowa.
Friend Alley: 1 send seventy-five cents for
your most valuable pai)er for another year; could
hardly do without it. Had in spring forty-three
stands; increaseil to sixty-five, and had 1.800
pounds surplus. Very dry in this locality.

\V. W. Wright.

Bees doing well.

Hartford, Pa.
The bees had a flight yesterday and I also
picked dandelions in liloom. The prospect is
that iny bees have used up tlie large amount of
honey dew which they gathereil in the fall and
now stand a good chance to come out all right iu
the spring.

H. M. Seeley.

The best of all.

Mount Carmel, III.
Editor am. Api: Herewith find 75 cents for
renewal of your paper winch to my mind is best
of all.

How any one can get along without the drone-
trap is a mystery to me. We have six in constant
use and the neighbors would like to borrow if we
could lend them.

Lizzie Hurley*.

Bee escapes.

Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Apropos of bee escapes, 1 made a j-iuch auger
hole in the flat cover of an S. Langstroth hive;
placed the case of finished sections, full of bees,
over this cover on the hive; covered the case with
an upper story or cap and left it thus over night,
in the morning not a bee was left in the sections
to tell the tale.

Mrs. II. Hills.

Three good queens.

Nashville, lenn.

JlR. Alley: I bought three queens of you in
18S8. They were not well marked, but for workers
they " took the cake." Neither of these queens
cast swarms. They stored in pound sections,
eighty-one, eighty-two and ninetj'-two pounds
ot honey respectively, from white clover as any I
ever saw.

Our bees are breeding rapidly ; they carried in
pollen all through December.

A. H. Noble.

How an old beekeeper appreciates a
sample copy of the Api.

West Cormvall, Vt.
Mr. Alley:— The Apiculturist is just the
book I want. I have learned a great deal about
bees from the sample copy you sent me. I think
it a big book for a small one. I have got a good
many bee books, but none like the API. I would
like one to read every night.

I have kept bees over thirty years and can still
learn someihing about them.

Joseph R. Jones.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

31

Ventilation of hives.— Cleaning combs from
which the honey has been extracted.
Amana, la.
Mu. Allev :— Please answer the following ques-
tions tluough the Apicultuuist:

1. By what niethoils can a strong colony be ven-
tilated in hot weather and at the same time so ar-
ranged that the ventilator can be closed handily
on cool days and nights?

I use the 10 Irame L. hive and sometimes tier
them two and three stories high, and only leave
the entrance at the bottom open, which is % inches
by \i\ inches long.

2. Which is the best way to have combs cleaned
by the bees horn whicih the iioney has been ex-
tracted? Last fall I put such combs on my hives
to have the bees clean them, but instead of clean-
ing the honey out the bees put more in.

Jacob Wagner.

1. Whore hives are tiered two and
three stories high, there should be a
small entrance, say three inches long,
at the bottom of the top hive. The
bees would not have so far to travel,
and the liive would be much better
ventilated. There would be no dan-
ger from robbing if the colonies are
strong. No such entrance should be
made in case a colony is weak in
numbers.

2. The best way to get the ex-
tracted combs cleaned of honey is to
place such combs under the brood-
nest ; that is, remove the bottom of a
hive containing a strong colony and
place the bees over the combs. Bees
usually remove all loose honey to the
combs at the top of the brood-chamber.

Bees dying in the cellar.

North Greenwich, N. Y.
Mr. Alley : — One question I would like to ask
you.

1 winter my bees in the cellar. I set them on
shelves and have something over 100 colonies ni
one small room with the entrance to the hives
open. They come out of the hive, one at a time,
and fly so that the cellar bottom is nearly cov-
ered. Shall I close tlie entrance or what shall I
do?

Seth \V. Green.

Do not close the entrance to any
of the hives. All the bees would die
in that case.

I should sa}' that your cellar was
imperfectly ventilated, or that you
have too many colonies in one small
room. The food may be unsuitable.
I find that poor stores is usually the
cause of bees leaving the hives in the
way yours do.

Jt is so late in the season and as the
bees are in the cellar, I must say that
we can give no advice that will help
yon in the matter. 1 think, however,
that it would have been a good plan
to have given the bees a cleansing
flight by removing them from the cel-
lar during the warm weather in De-
cember.

Powdered sugar and honey.— How to
mix.

Voluntown, Conn.
Mr. Alley : — How can I mix powdered sugar
and honey so it will not separate and run? 1 have
tried it a number of times, and it will sep^irate
and the hone.v run out.

F. S. BiTGOOD.

Add one pound of good, thick honey
to four pounds of powdered sugar
and knead like dough for half an
hour. If it sticks to the hands add
sugar till it does not.

We find the following in the Canadian lieeJour-
nal :

Take absolutely pure granulated sugar and pul-
verize it. Put It in a granite dish and pour over
it enough pure honey (lirst having heated the
honey to a little belo'w boiling point), to thor-
oughly saturate it and stir the mass until the su-
gar and honey are well mixed. Then place the
vessel in hot water, in which it should be allowed
to stand (keeping the water about l)oiling point)
until the sugar and honey become thoroughly in-
cori)Oi-ated, When coof, it will be found quite
waxy. It will not melt and run easily, and the
bees take to it very kindly.

Still another way.

Mr. Alley:— I notice in sample copy of Api-
CULTURIST sent for April, you wish to know of a
good "sugar cake" recipe "for feedmg bees. Will
give you one I have tried ami proves good.
Perhaps you have used it before.

Take one part extracted honey and four parts
pulverized sugar and stir them together. It will
not run and makes a nice feed.

W. L. Warner.

Late Drones.

Lebanon, O., Nov. J2, 1889.

BunOR APICULTURIST:

Did you ever know a colony of bees to keep
their drones as late as this without they were
queenless.

Wm. M. Adams.

No, we never did ; should say the
colony is queenless.

Beekeepers' Supplies.

We can furnish Bee Supjilies of all kinds. What
we do not keep in stock we will order from the
manufacturer and no aiticle shall cost the pur-
chaser more than the manufacturer's price.

32

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Prevention of Swarming.

Bellefonte. Pa.
Mk. Alley:— How can I prevent swiirmhig so
as to get less swarms and more honey ?

James L IIote.

The best reply to the alcove may be
round in llie query departuient. Let
the bees swarui and hive two or more
swarms in one liive.

Chapman honey plant.

Murfreeshoro, Tenn.

Through the Department of Agriculture, Wash-
ington, D. C. 1 recei/ed a small package of seed
of the above plant in February, 1888; planted the
same in March following anil re-set the plants ni
Ai)ril last.

The first bloom appeared on the Fourth of July
and it continued in bloom about forty days. 1
had twenty-six plants.

The bees visited tliem continually, but the nec-
tar obtained seemed to stupefy and intoxicate
them. In gathermg from clover, blackberry and
other bloom, their movements from one blossom
to another are generally quick and rapid until a
load is obtained when the flight was taken at
once homeward. Not so when alighting on the
blossom of the Uhapman phint.

I have seen them su(;k ihe juices from partly
decayed peach, apple and plum and after filling
themselves remain upon the fruit stupefied, and
you could move them about with a stick on your
finger, without seeming to frighten or making
them take wing, and thev would remain there for
hours and often all night, and 1 doubt if all or
verv many ever found their way back home.

When filled with the nectar of the Chapman
plant, the same coiulilions were obseive<l as it
feeding upon the juices of the fruit named. Has
any one else noticed a similar condition .■' ihe
same thing I noticed of the bees visiting a yellow
flower crown as the milk or silk weeil in our old
fields.

W. P. Hendkkson.

Artificial honey.

Artificial honey, which is more comnnni in llie
market than coiTsumers know, is made of potato
starch and oil of vitriol. Some rash optimists
flunk that they are sure of getting the genuine
pnxluct of bees and flowers by purchasing honey
in the comb. They do not know that the exquis-
ite white comb that pleases them is often made of
paratliu wax.— Herald of Health.

The fellow who can get such a [)iece
of news as the above through his
brain has a big head. — Ed. Api.]

Bee Convention.

The twenty-lirst annual convention
of the New York State Beekeepers'
Association will he held at the County
Court House, Rochester, N. Y., Feb-
ruary 5, 6 and 7, 1890.

Description of a honey-producing plant
found in Utah.

W. B. P.ENNKTX.

I noticed in the November issue of the API an
article from the pen of Mr. W. P. Henderson, on
the "Chapinan jioney plant." I know nothing
about that plant, Ijui have thought for a long time
of sending you a description of a splendid honey-
producing plant lound here in Utah. 1 consider "it
superior to ;ill others for the toUowing reasons:
1. It produces a profusion of flowers that keep on
blooming Ibra long time. '2. It commences about
the last of June to blossom and continues until
frost kills the plant, i. The bees work upon it
from early in the morning till late in the evening.
Some jteople call the plant "'wild lucern ;" but
I call It ''Ualifornia sweet clover." When cut
early it makes excellent fodder for cattle and
produces an extra qiialitv of milk. I know the
honey gathered from it is splendid. We can say
that two staple articles of I'ood :ire produced Irom
the ••California sweet clover — fine honey and
butter."

On good soil it will grow to a strong, vigoroui?
plant from eight to ten i'eet in height from the seed
the first season. To keep it from spreading over
the land where it is not wanted, it should be cut
down before it seeds. It is one of the best ferti-
lizers of the soil I know of.

Sample of the seed sent to anyone who will re-
mit enough to pay for postage and jiacking of a
small package. " West Jordan, Utah

Clover.

The finiiiently practical and sensible Father
Clarkson of the ''Iowa State Register" commends
clover for the national flower by reason of its
utility, as well as beauty. He says :

'probably a greater number of the city papers
favor the golden rod. To the denizens of the
city, in tlie fall of the year, when enraptured over
everything they see in their rural districts, the
golden red m.iy be a beauty. But to the practi-
cal tanner it is'simply a useless, nasty weeil of no
benefit as food for stock, no valuable medicinal
properties; has no sweet scent, and only of mod-
erate beauty just before frost. But the red
clover is always sweet, beautiful, and in liloom
nearly all summer. There is no flower more val-
uable to man. It produces the richest pasture, the
most nutritious hay, and its blossoms produce the
choicest honey, and it is claimed they have supe-
rior medical qualities. Its blossoms contain two
of our National colors, while the golden rod has
neither. Clover is never a weed, or a nuisance in
any place, or under any circumstances, it has
only virtues and no drawbacks. It is of utility
wherever fonud, and in the world's material
wealth it has no superior. Let us have something
sensible when ado|)ting a national flower."

Colonel Ingersol extols its excellences and
beauties iiitlie following rhapsody on the clover:
"A wonderful thing is clover. It means honey
and cream; that is to say, industry and content-
ment, that is to say, the happy liees in perfumed
fields, and at the cottage gate old boss, the beau-
tiful, chewing satisiaction's cucl, in that blessed
twilight pause tl'at like a benediction falls be-
tween ah toil and sleep. This clover makes me
dream of happy hours, of childhood's rosy
cheeks, of dimpled babes, of wholesome, loving
wives, of honest men, of springs and brooks and
violets, and all there is of painless joy and peace-
ful human life. A wonderful word is clover.
Drop the 'c' and you have the happiest of mankind.
Take away the 'c' ami 'r' and you have the only
thing that makes a heaven of this dull and barren
earth. Cut off the •!■' alone and there remains
a warm deceitful bud that sweetens breath and
keeps the peace in countless homes whose mas-
ters frequent clubs. After all, Bottom was right;
'Good hay, sweet hay, hath no fellow.' "—Ex-
change.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

33

The Bay State bee-hive.

In response to a large nnuiber of inquiries ra-
ce! veil from llie reaileis of the API for a descrip-
tion of the Bay State beehive, we herewith give a
brief outline o"f tlie hive. Tlie frame (clOiieiV-end)
wliicli is used in tliis hive is the simplest in con-
struction of any brood-frame; yet, when jH-operly
nailed, that is, wli n long brads are used to nail
the ends of the frame to the bottom and top bars,
it is one of the niost substantial brood-frames in
use. A nailing-block should always be used to
put such frames together, as then each frame will
be the exact duplicate of another.

The frame is a standing, or closed-end, frame,
and is also a reversilile frame, either singly, or
the entire eight frames which foims the brood-
chamber may be reversed in a body.

The bottom-board, fig. 1, is very substantial and
one of the best and most convenient baseboards
used about any bee-hive. The fnimes rest, or
stand, on strips G G. E E is the entrance, and tlie
bees pass to the hive under the strip G, located be-
tween E and E. The entire brood-chamber rests
upon strips G G and E E. There is a space un

c,i;i|!.-

Fig. 1.

der the frames of 9-l(i of an inch being .sufBcient
room for perfect ventilation in winter or summer
and for dead bees and dirt in winter.

Fig. 2 represents the bottom-board, brood-cham-
ber and one section-case IVom which the side-
boards have been removed, thus exposing the
interior of the brood-nest and also the four outside
sections in ihe case. C C C 0 are four sections,
and also represent one of the separators, which
are used between each row of sections. The
frames are held firmly in place by the two iron

case are held together by an iron rod which runs
througli the centre of the case as sh^wn in the
illustration. All the twenty -four sections may
be jnit on or removed from the hive in a body
at one time or, if desirable, the rod can be re-
moved and anyone of the broad-frames taken out
singly. The case is also reversible which is an
important feature in any hive. I know of no way
by wiiich the sections can be filled without pop-
holes, and fastened so nicely on all sides the sec-
ti(ni as by reversing the sections at the proper
time. Now this can be done so quickly and qui-
etly with this section case that there is "little or no
disturbance to the bees. There is just a bee-
space (three-sixteenths of an inch) between the
section-case and the t()))-bar of the brood-frames;
and the bees build no brace combs between nor
between the top-bars of the fraiues. Another
point which can be claimed for no oilier hive is
the tact that the queen has never been known to en-
ter and deposit any eggs in any sections used on the
liay State Hive, and no qneen-excluder is used.
Call the same be said of any other hive ? The sec-
tion cases can be tiered as high as is practical.
We have tiered them successfully as high as four
cases , at one lime. When a new set of sections
is added, the one put on lirst is reversed and the
new case placed directly on the frames, thus
bringing the empty sections the nearest to the
brood-nest. There is no hive in use whereby
the sections can be placed so near the brood
as can be done in the Bay State Hive. The ex-
perienced beekeeper will appreciate this last men-
tioned advantage.

As a winter-hive, the Bay State has no equal;
as a hive to bring bees to the swarming point
earlj- in the season (and this means profit to the
beekeeper, as no colony of bees is ready for bus-
iness that is not in a condition to swarm so far as
point of number is coiiceriie<l) the Bay State
stanils first among the hundreds of different
styles of hives now in use.

Fig. 3, in which is represented the Swarm liiver
and two Bay State hives, shows the hive ready
for winter with the outside case on. There is a
space of nearly two inches between the winter
(•ase and the brood-chamber. This siiac^e in the
fall may be filled with chafl", or other heat-re-

FiG. '2.
rods B D which pass through tlie side-boards of
the brood-chamber, thus clamping the frames
solidly together when the thumb nuts are set up.
When necessary to move a colony of bees in one
ol the Bay State hives there are no frames to nail
nor can the frames get out. of place while a colony
of bees is being transported. The section-case is
composed of six broatl-lrames; each holding four
one-pound sections, or twenty-four sections to
the case. A wooden separator is used between
each two frames or to each eight sections. Like
the brood-uest, the six broad-frames of the section

Fig 3.
tainiiig material. We never pack in the fall. .Just
as the bees commence to carry pollen in in the
spring is the proper time, in our opinion, to jiack
a colony to secure the best results. A heavy
duck mat and a cushion si.K inches thick, filled
with chair, or hay cut to length of about two
inches, is all the winter-packing a colony needs to
be wintered well in the Bay State Hive.

The B.iy State Hive weighs, all complete, but
thirty-five pounds. Anyone can lift them about
bees, stores and all, with ease.

We claim for this hive all the following desir-
able features:

Simplicity in construction.

When necessary to remove or ship a colony of
bees, the frames need no nailing, and no hivecjin
be more perfectly ventilated when packed for
shipment.

Contraction is equally easy for any number of
frames. Bees can be confined to "one comb if
desirable.

34

THE AMERICAN APICULTUEIST.

A division-boaiil. one-eighth of an inch thick
may be iiseil and cannot get out of place.

For tiering, this liive has no equal, as any
number of sections may be used and piled up as
liigh as i)racticable.

Brood-frames ai-e easily taken out or replaced
without danger of killing bees, and it is not nec-
essary to remove any frames laterally in order
to get out any of the combs, and the frame re-
moved is tlie only tiling that need be disturbed.

The bees cannot buiM comb between the end-
bars of frames, and in case of bulged combs,
frames can be taken out with little trouble and
thf> comb straightened.

So simple in construction are these hives that
any one c;in '-put them up" in fine shape, includ-
ing everv part from bottom-board to section, in
less than half an liour. Thev are sawed so accu-
rately that there is not a shaving to come off.

Closed-end frames are use ; in this hive, and
for that reason we claim a colony of bees will
build up stronger in the sining in less than half
the time a colony will in a hive having open-end
frames. This is a point that should be consid-
ered by every fair-minded and experienced bee-
keeper. We make this claim from aiitual test.
It is no theory. No lieat can e.scape from the brood-
chamber when the hive is packed for tlie spec-
ial purpose of retaining w^armth and animal heat
generated by the bees. For this reason we <'laim
that two quarts of bees will care for double the
brood in one of our hives than they can in a hive
having hanging frames.

Not only can this hive be made as hot as an
oven, but it also can be so ventilated as to be one
of the coolest hives in use. When painted white,
and the outside case is used during the hottest
days the strongest colonies will not -'lay out,"
even though the hive is not shaded from tlie hot
sun. Some hives are so imperfectly ventilated
during the honey harvest, that the bees cannot
work in the sections, but will cluster outside. It
is not so with the Bay State hive.

We also claim that when properly packed, this
hive will winter bees equal to any bee cellar, and
if no packing is used between the outside and in-
side hives (and we believe none should be used)
the combs will be as bright and cl an in spring
as at any time during the summer.

The hive has a low and dark entrance. The
same arrangemeni used to exclude light also ex-
cludes snow and rain, and while the entrance is
open the entire length no light nor snow can enter.

Please bear in mind that the largest and most
successful beekeepers in the world use the closed-
end broad-frame. Wc refer to Capt. J. E. Hetli-
erington, Cherry Valley, N. Y.; P. H. Elwood anil
other large beekeepers. Our brood-frame is tlie
same size, or nearly the same, as Capt. Hether-
ington uses.

Directions for using the swarmer.

Place one of the swanner-traps at the entrance
of the hive from which a swarm is exiiected: the
otlier trap at the entrance of an empty hive. Con-
nect the two traps with the metal tube as shown
in fig. 3, page 3-2.

If the traps do not quite cover the entrance to
the hives, the uncovered iiait should be closed by
other means. The bees must be compelled to pass
through the metal.

When a swarm issues, the queen will pass from
the home hive through the metal tube to the
empty hive. The bees take wing and missing
their queen soon return, when finding their queen
in the new hive at once join her and settle down
to work. When the swarm is quiet, tlie hive may
be moved to any location of the apiary.

The swarm may be hived in a box ; say one simi-
larly arranged as in the swarm-box, such as we
have used in the Bay State Apiary so many
years. Connect the metal tube with tlie .--wai ni-
box instead of a hive.

The swarm-box has a cover which (as well as

the bottom of the box) is covered with wire cloth
to admit air. It will be noticed that the cover of
the box is moved back, thus exposing the perfor-
ated metal .nailed across the top of the box to
prevent the queen from escaping. If the swarm-
box is utilized to catch the swarm, it should be
used as here illustrated.

Whatever is used to hive the swarm in should
be placed as near as possible to the hive from
which the swarm is exiiected to issue.

Some style Langstroth hives have porticos. To
a)iply the swarmer to such, it will be necessary to
make a hole through the portico at the side of the
hive large enongh to admit tlie metal tube so. as
to connect the two swarm-traps.

When placing the swarmer on a hive having a
low entrance, the dirt on the alighting-board
should be cleaned off, or the bottom of the trap

-^;^23iliiii9

might obstruct the entrance to the hive and thus
destroy the bees. Any one possessed of a little
ingenuity can adapt the swarmer to any style of
hive.

We cannot undertake to make but one size of
the swarmer. Those we send out are large
enough for the strongest colonies. The swarmer
is not large enough to cover an entrance fourteen
inches long.

One of the tubes sent with the swarmer is not
nailed on account of packing. To nail it in its
proper place it should be pushed through the
aperture and the nails driven in on the inside of
the trap so that the metal tube will enter the
wood.

Special notice.
Our latest methods of queen-rearing
will be issued in pamphlet form. It
will make a book of over sixty pages.
Price, by mail, in paper, 50 cents.
The Beekeepers' Directory, just out ;
comprising sixty or more pages of the
most iini)ortant matter relating to bee-
culture, bound in paper, one dollar ;
and the A'piculturist one year, sev-
enty-five cents. All will be mailed for
the small sum of two dollars.

How to remit.
All remittances to us should be
made payable to the order of The
American Apiculturist. Please bear
this in mind.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

35

Individual rights to manufacture the drone-
and-queen trap.

So many beekeepers desire to make the drone-
aiiil-qiieen tra)) that wo shall offer one trap by
mail, and tlie right to make and manufacture them
for one's own use, lor the small sum of $1.50.

If any one desires to make the bee-escapes, the
same as is used in the traits, and tlie same things
as are used for bee-escapes for getting the bees
out of sections, we can liirnish tlie tools for $3.00.
They can be sent by mail for 25 cents extra.

Five of the tubes are made at one blow with a
lieavv lianinier. In one day a smart man can
ni;dve 1000 of the tubes.

The Bay State bee-hive

Those who are tliinking of adopting a different
style hive should not fail to examiTie the Bay
State before making up their minds what hive is
best. The Bay State Hive is not perfect perhaps,
but then it is so much nearer perfection than a
large vuajority of hives in use that all who have
tested the B.S. H. have adopted it. Something
may be found in the API Mail-Box concerning
this Hive.

We can ship these hives direct from the W. T.
Falconer Manufacturing Co., at Jamestown, N. Y.

We have a large part of our supplies sawed at
the above factory, and better work and stock are
not furnished by any one in the business. We
liave a quantity of the Bay State Hives made up
at the factory and ready to ship. Any one desir-
ing to examine the hive can obtain one of them
by sending $3.00 direct to W. T. Falconer & Co.
The hive is complete in frames, sections and all.

Tlie Bay State Hive has but eight frames, and
are of the closed-end style.

This is first-class.

Collamer, N. Y.

Henry Alley: Accept my most sincere thanks
for the June and July numbers of the Apicul-
TUKIST. I assure you it is refreshing to take up
a bee-paper of science, in which the publisher
does not go out of his way to sneer at inventors
and tlie experimental bee men, and such a pajier
is the API. Few bee-papers contain so much
good advice in such agreeable shape, and I find
there are profit and pleasure to lie had out of an
hour devoted to tlie Ameuican Apiculturist.

If beekeepers must know how to rear queens we
commend them to the American Apiculturist.

If the Beekeepers'' Directory is anything near so
good as the Handy Book, it will be a model of
clear statements, intelligible detinition, excellent
reasoning and full of common sense. The logic
and rhetoiic of Mr. Alley have achieved for him
an'enviable reputation as a master in the field of
mental science and queen-rearing. He is tlie au-
tlior of many known works in the apicultural de-
partment and they are interesting, scholarly,
sound and devoid of all nonsense.

This, his last work (Beekeepers' Directorj'). will
perhaps be regarded as his mngnum opus. No
honey producer can afford to go without it.

James W. Tefft.

BEEKEEPERS' SUPPLIES.

We are prepared to furnish Beekeepers with Supplies promptly and at greatly reduced rates.
Estim.'ites gladly furnished and correspondence solicited. Our goods are unexcelled in quality and
workmanship,

Italian Queens and Bees at a very Low Price.

' Send for Largs lUustratsd Frice-List, Free. Sli
-We also keep in stock,

ALLEY'S I3RO]SrE-A.NE)-QUEEN TRAP.

K. L. Taylor, President of the International American Beekeepers'
Association, has this to say of the Trap :

"The Dronc-and- Queen Trap I find an indispensable convettience. I should feel like a

duck on dry land tvithout it. It saves labor and

prevents anxiety.

Address,

J^. F. STA-UFKER & CO.,

Sterling, 111.

PRICES OF SUPPLIES

BAY STATE APIARY,

Bee-Hives.

We offer only tlie Bay State hive for sale.

One hive in the flat, $ 3.00

Six hives" " " 15.00

Twelve" '• " " 27.00

All parts of the Hive are included in tlie above,
frames, fccctioiis and all but i)aintand nails.

Sections.

One-piece sections per 1,000 4.50
" " •• 500 2.50

" '• " " 100 .60

Laiigstroth Frames.
INlaterial lor (hanging) frames for Standard L.

H 1 ve per 100 $:i.00

The frames we use are so constructed that llie
bees will not build comb between or over them
at the top, nor fasten tlie section case and frames
together, as is the case when the common top
bai is used.

availing Bloclc for Frames.
No one can do good work at nailing frames
without a proper board to nail tliem on. We can
send one, by express, that will do the work nicely

price, 50

Coml> Foundation.
We can supply tlie best brands at mannfactiir-
ers' prices, and ship direct to our customers from
the nearest factory. We also keep a quantity in
stock to (ill small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames 45 cts. per lb.

1 •' '• " " sections 50 " " "

We keep in stock but one diineusion of brood-
founilation IT^ x 7 inches. This is large enough
for any L. frame and is just right for the IJay
State frame.

Perforated. Zinc
This we can supply in any quantities, shipped

with other gootls, per foot, 12 cts.

If sent by mail, add 10 cents per foot fur po.-tage.
Honey Exitractors.
The E. T. Lewi.s & Co. Kxtkactor.
No. 32. 28 inches in diameter, 2.i inches
high, 2-frame for any size up to
12^ X U); room for 25 lbs., honey
below reel, and the best extractor

ever made for $10.00

We sell this size only as it is the most conven-
ient to use of any founil in use. This extractor is
adapted to any fiame in use.

XToney Itnives.

Boot's knife, by express 70

" by mail, 75

JBee Veils.

The veil has a rubber band which draws the top
together; it is then placed over any hat and
drawn until the elastic is over the hat band.

Uominou net, by mail, 35

Smolters.

Bingham & Iletherington's only.

By mail, $1.75; by express, 1.50

Queens and Full Colonies.
Queens.

Prices.

Untested queens, eacli $1.00

Selected " " 1.25

Te.-ted " " 2.00

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,
each, 3.00

Our untested queens are sent out before any of
their l)rood hatches. 95 per cent will prove to be
purely mated. Safe arrival and purity guaranteed
in all cases.

Carniolan queens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bees cannot be ex-
celled.

Full Colonies.

We consider eight frames well filled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. Prices of
such in B. S. hive, including one set of sections,
$12.00. Purchasers to pay express charges. Safe
arrival guaranteed.

Fourth Edition of tlie

Beekeepers' Handy Book, or Thirty Years
among tlie bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Queen-x-earing A.ppai'atus.

Beekeepers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by any other, should have the
.-ipiiaratus here described. The Swakm-box and
QUEBN-NURSEKY are articles that no person who
rears queens ought to dispense with.

By using the swarm-box a large colony of bees
can be confined a long time or transported safely
hnndreils of miles. It is a very useful aiticle
about the apiary at all times during the season.

Sent only by express, price, $1.25.

When a colony swarms and it is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are at
liand, the Queen-nursery in such cases will be
ibuiKl invaluable; the cells can be placed in them
and they need no further care for a week or more.
Virgin or fertile queens can be kept in the nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
number of queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are also useol in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be found
111 our work upon queen-rearing.

Expre.ss. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.00

Swarin-bo.x 1.25

Fertilizing-hive (complete) 50

Kumigator for using tobacco 25 .,S0

Cone-feeder 15 .20

To make the lot complete, we put in each pack-
age one drone-and-queen-trap, one copy of
Thirty Years among the Bees, and send all
by express for $4.50

All these articles can be packed in the swarm-
bo.x and sent safely by express or freight.

ISi'ooms for Brushing Bees
from Combs.

We find a small "corn-broom" best for this
jjurpose as it does not injure or Irritate the bees,
and will do the work better and quicker than
anything else used for the purpose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 " byexin-ess 20

HOW TO KEMIT MONEY.

Kemit by registered letters, cashier's check or
express orders. If sent by money orders or
postal notes, have tliem made payable at the
Salem, Mass., P. O. Make all remittances pay-
able to the order of the American Apicultu-

RIST.

Address,
AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

Wenham, Essex Co., Mass,

Tr^E * jiwwi^'^ * jmmmwm.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., MARCH 1,1890.

NO. 3.

Entered. a.t IPost-office a,s second- class matter.

®l)£ €(Jltor's department.

Special notioe.

We have made arrangements with
A. F. Stautfer & Co., Sterling, 111., to
supply o\u' clroiie-and-queen trap,
Swarm-hiver, Bay State reversible
hive and other supplies in which we
deal except queens and bees. Their
advertisement will be found in this
issue.

One-pieoe sections.

We have 2000 number one one-
piece sections at the factory of J. M.
Kinzie, Rochester, Mich. We will
ship them F. O. B. to any address on
receipt of six dollars. Address Amer-
ican Apiculturist, Wenham, Mass.
Bees by mail in winter.

On January 7, we received about a
dozen bees by mail from Thos. S. Wal-
lace, Clayton, 111. We requested Mr.
W. to mail the bees in the same kind
of a cage the queens were mailed in
which were sent Maj. Shallerd of New
South Wales. Th ose sent Maj . S. were
received in good condition and so
wtu-e the bees sent us this winter. The
cage had been in our office more than
a week before any of the bees died.
With the exception of being larger
than the one we use the cage and
food are the same.

Individual rights to manufacture the drone-
and-queen trap.

So many beekeepers desire to make the drone-
and-queea trap that we shall oflfer one trap by
mail, anil the right to make and manufacture them
for one's own use, for the small sum of $1.50.

If any one desires to make the bee-escapes, the
same as is used in the traps, auft the same tilings
as are used for bee-escapes for getting bees
out of sections, we can furnish tlie tools for $3.00.
They can be sent by mail for '2.5 cents extra.

Five of the tubes are made at one blow with a
heavy liammer. In one day a smart mau cau
make lOUO of the tubes.

The Bay State bee-hive.

Those who are tliinking of adopting a different
style hive should not fail to examine the Bay
State before making up their minds what liive is
. best. The Bay State Hive is not perfect perhaps,
but then it is so much nearer perfection tlian a
large majority of hives in use that all who have
tested tliem liave adopted it. Something may be
fouinl in the .January API concerning this Hive.

VVe can ship these liives direct from the W. T,
Falconer .Manufacturing Co., at Jame.-town, N. Y.

We have a large part of our supplies sawed at
the above factory, and better work and stock are
not furnished by any one in the business. We
have a quantity of tlie Bay State Hives made up
at the factory and ready to ship. Any one desir-
ing to examine the liivecan obtain one of them
by sending $M.OO direct to W. T. Falconer & Co.
The hive !s complete in frames, seciums and all.

The Bay State Hive has but eight frames, aud
are of the closedeud style.

Kotiee.
Will each of our subscribers kindly send us on
a postal card the addiess of a few intelliKent, re-
liatile beekeepers. A copy of the " APi" will be
mailed to each one. Tlie names of the •' know-it-
all" beekeepers are not wanted.

Our price-list may be found on page 56,
(37)

38

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

[Copyright.]

THIRTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES.

Bt Henry Alley.

QUEEN-REARING.

\_Continned from page 11, Vol. vii.]

Advice to beginners in queen-
rearing.

The selection of the mother-bee, etc.

The inexperienced beekeeper who
tries his hand at queen-rearing has but
a faint idea of the importance of mak-
ing a proper selection of the queen to
be used as a mother of the drones, and
the young queens. In the selection of
the mother bee lies the secret of suc-
cess ; and in this respect the person
who rears queens cannot exercise too
much care. The progeny of a beau-
tiful Italian queen may bear all the
markings of purity ; yet the most essen-
tial, most important and desirable qual-
ities may be lacking, namely, hardiness,
prolificness and good honey-gathering
points. Queens not possess'ng these
qualities, or drones and queens incapa-
ble of transmitting such good points to
their offspring, are unfit to propagate
from and should not be tolerated in the
apiary.

How can the beekeeper who has had
no experience in queen-rearing decide
which are the proper queens to select
as suitable mothers from which to rear
queens except by actual test? This
question not having been fully answered
on any previous page, I will try to make
it plain, and I am sure it Avill not be amiss
if repeated more than once.

It really seems to me that the novice
in bee culture, say one who has kept
bees one or two years, should have no
trouble in selecting and deciding which
are the best honey-gathering colonies in
his apiary. The best are known by the
great activity about the hive, the large
number of bees in any particular col-
ony, and by the largest number of sec-
tions filled by any given colony. Colo-

nies having inferior queens, though the
hive be crowded with bees, do not al-
ways have good queens. Such a queen
has the good point of being prolific, yet
if her progeny are poor honey-gatherers,
she should be rejected as a breeding-
queen.

It seems to me that it would be a
waste of time, and money, for any one
to rear queens from a mother whose
colony gave no surplus honey in a
good season, while all the other colo-
nies in the same apiary had stored and
filled a large number of sections. The
best treatment of a non-working colony
is to change the queen for a good one
as soon as possible.

By always selecting from the best col-
onies for breeding purposes, there can-
not be any inferior stocks in the apiary
at any season of the year.

Effect of rearing queens from an inferior
mother.
Now let us see how it works if an in-
ferior queen is used, either for a queen
or as a drone mother. We will start with
a poor queen, say a queen whose col-
ony has never proved to be first-class
honey-gatherers and perhaps has never
cast a swarm. The offspring from such
a mother, either her drones or queens,
will be inferior to the original. This is
the natural result in all cases in breed-
ing bees, where honey-gathering and
other desirable qualities are sacrificed
to color. Each succeeding generation
will be inferior to the previous one, un-
til the third or fourth is reached, when
a majority of the young queens, though
promptly fertilized, will produce dwarfed
drones reared in worker-bee cells. The
vitality of the queens will have been

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

39

completely exhausted by the improper
selection of the mother bee and by in-
breeding.

In-and-in breeding, if persisted in
to preserve the beauty of the Italians,
which is now being practised by some
queen breeders, will produce the same
results as improper selection of the
breeding queens.

No intelligent person would ever
think of raising a colt from an old bro-
ken-down mother, or in raising any kind
of an animal from any but the hardiest
and best blood and stock in all respects.
Why should not the same rules and
principles apply in propagating queen
bees? One may cross to any extent
the different races and strains of bees,
yet the coming bee will never be brought
out if the laws of reproduction are dis-
regarded. The helter-skelter breeding
of queens, as now practised by so many
dealers in queens, will, sooner or later,
ruin an apiary.

How to produce best results in rearing
queens.

A constant watch should ever be kept
by the bee master to determine which
of the colonies are the best ; that is,
which colonies are doing the best in
gathering and storing honey. If there
are one hundred colonies in the apiary
and twenty-five of the number are do-
ing better than the other seventy-five,
just mark those colonies and watch for
results. The next move should be to
select the best from those selected as
the best. In this way the best results
would surely follow, provided all the
queens are reared from selected mothers
and fertilized by the drones reared in
the selected colonies. This method
should be practised continually year
after year, until perfection has been
reached.

It is an easy matter to destroy the
drones reared in any colony by using a
drone- trap and only those drones most
desirable should be tolerated in the api-
ary at any time. The colony that has a
poor queen is usually the one that has
the most drones. The importance of

destroying such drones will be better
appreciated when the fact is considered
that while there is but one queen to a
colony there may be drones enough in
the inferior colony to fertilize every
young queen in the apiary. By destroy-
ing such drones before any have had a
chance to fly will certainly prevent all
danger of their transmitting any bad
blood to young queens.

All inferior queens should be super-
seded and replaced by those reared in
the best and most prosperous colonies
and from the best queens. If a colony
that wintered fairly well is not ready
early in the season to work, or ready to
do so within a few days after the other
colonies have commenced to carry pol-
len and honey, there is usually some-
thuig wrong with the queen, and she
should receive prompt attention soon
after the fact of her condition is known.
Supersede all such queens as soon as-
possible.

Nature's ways of rearing queens.— Artifi-
cial methods, etc.

Every beekeeper who has read a work
upon modern bee culture, and especially
one of the treaties upon queen-rearing,
must be familiar with nature's method'
of rearing queens. All have been taught
the way nature has provided for the
propagation of the honey bee ; and all!
have been taught that not as good>
queens can be reared by artificial meth-
ods as can be reared under the swarm-
ing impulse. Very few people believe
or are willing to admit that better queens
can be reared by what are called artifi-
cial means than are reared in nature's
way ; that is, queens reared at swarm-
ing time.

Is the reader aware of the fact that
there is but one way to rear queens, and
that is nature's way at all times? I
know that bees are not expected to
drive their queens out of the hive for
the purpose of amusing themselves in
rearing other queens ; yet it is a well-
known fact that bees do supersede their
queens and that queens often die after
the queen-rearing season is over, and

40

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

that other queens are reared to fill their
places. Are not those queens reared
according to nature's ways? Why
should not those queens reared under
such circumstances be equal to those
reared when the bees are gathering
honey? It matters not what method
is used in rearing queens, it is nature's
way every time ; there is no other way.
So long as there is a large colony of
young bees and plenty of honey and
pollen present, nature's way is followed
in every case.

I am free to admit that, as a rule, it is
-rather difficult to improve upon nature ;
yet the intelligent and skilful man has
•beaten nature in many instances. I
think I can show that better queen bees
can be reared by what is called the arti-
cial method than is usually reared un-
der the swarming impulse. Let us see
about it.

I once had several colonies of Albino
bees. Each colony had a queen reared
at swarming-time. These colonies were
as strong as any colonies I ever saw.
The hives were crowded with bees and
some immense swarms came from them.
These bees did not have sufficient am-
bition to get a living while other colo-
nies in the same apiary were storing
honey in sections. Well, these bees
built cells and swarmed even more than
those colonies that were storing honey
in the sections and those that had all
the desirable points of excellence bees
should possess.

I state the above merely to illustrate
'the fact that when bees are left to work
in accordance with their natural instincts
that there is little or no improvement
made in their condition. Jt will be
seen that an inferior race or strain of
bees will construct queen cells, swarm
and pursue the same course as the most
■vigorous hive of bees. Now, what course
;must the bee master pursue to improve
his apiary, when his bees are no better
than the Albinos here spoken of? He
should simply supersede the worthless
queens and replace them by those reared
in the best colonies in the apiary.

The practical and thoughtful bee-

keeper does not rear queens from the
inferior mothers or colonies in his api-
ary. p]y adopting the proper methods
and following well-known and thorough-
ly tested methods for rearing queens,
there is no doubt that much better
queens can be reared by the forced
methods than are produced generally
under the swarming impulse.

To those persons who assert that no
improvement can be made upon na-
ture, let me call attention to what the
intelligence and perseverance of man
has accomplished in the great produc-
tion of the innumerable varieties of fruit
we have ; and I might mention thousands
of other things which the skill of man
has improved. W'here can any natural
fruit be found that will equal that pro-
duced by cultivation?

Old methods of queen rearing. The people
who practised them.

Notwithstanding the great advance-
ment made in the methods of rearing
queens, there may be found a few bee-
keepers who still practise the old ways.
Such people find it hard to get out of
the old ruts. This same class of bee-
keepers will be found using two-pound
boxes for surplus honey, narrow top-
bar brood-frames and ten frames to the
brood nest, etc. These are the fellows
who know it all. Such people never
admit that other beekeepers can be
found who know as much about bee cul-
ture as themselves. I need not say, they
are not the people to whom to apply for
information about bees ; they know too
much. They will tell you that these new-
fangled ways amount to nothing. The
good old way is good enough for them ;
in that opinion they are correct. If
asked if they read the bee-papers, the
answer will be, " No." What do the
bee-papers amount to ? When I come
across one of those fellows I drop him
about as suddenly as I would drop a
piece of red-hot iron. There are plenty
of people in the world who can see no
good in the inventions and advancement
made by their neighbors. Let them
alone.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

41

Something about the new methods of rear-
ing queens.

Mr. G. M. Doolittle has given one of
the latest methods for rearing queens.
With the exception of one thing he rec-
ommends in his work, I must say that
tlie Doohttle plan of queen-rearing is an
excellent one. The plan of starting
cell-cups as advised by Mr. D. is too
difficult and too fussy for the inexpe-
rienced to practise. I cannot recom-
mend that part of his method as there
are other ways for starting cell-cups
which are more in accordance " with na-
ture's ways." With this exception I do
not see tliat the Doolittle method of
queen-rearing differs materially from
those which have been practised for
years by several other well-known api-
arists. However, if any one is intend-
hig to rear queens, he should by all
means have a copy of Mr. Doolittle's
book, as it contains a large amount of
valuable information upon the subject of
which it treats.

I do not think any great advancement
can be or has been made in the methods
of queen -rearing by transplanting an egg
or larva from a natural cell to an artificial
cell-cup. The work of starting cell-cups
is so much better and nicely done by the
bees, than it can be done by even the
most skilful beekeeper, I had rather they
would do such work for me. In this re-
spect I think no one can claim that
there is any improvement upon nature's
way of rearing queens.

The artificial cell-cup ; method of cell-
building.

It requires no little amount of inge-
nuity and tact, as well as experience, to
make the cell-cups and to transfer the
larva or eggs to them so that the bees
will not destroy all. While the artificial
cell-cup method is not original with Mr.
D., there is no good reason why Mr.
Doolittle should not have tlie credit of
putting such a method to the best prac-
tical use. Nevertheless, Mr. Doolittle's
method is not the method of rearing
queens that comes the nearest to na-
ture's way. On tlie contrary, it is the
farthest from nature's way of any plan yet

made public. It is claimed that bees do
sometimes transfer an egg from one cell to
another and then rear a queen from that
particular egg. I have never yet seen
anything that would tend to convince me
that such is the fact, as I have seen
nothing of the kind in my experience.

Some old experiments.

Some twenty years ago I practised cut-
ting comb into single cells for the less
to build queen cells from. After prac-
tising that plan for a while, I thought the
queens reared from those cells were not
as good as those queens produced in
rows upon one long strip of comb, as illus-
trated in Fig. 7. The last three seasons
I have renewed those experiments with
far better results. The cells built by the
first experiments were by queenless bees ;
those built the last two years were by
bees that had a fertile queen in the hive
all the time cell-building was going on.
That may have made the difference,
though I will not say that it had any-
thing to do with the quality of the
queens.

After cutting the comb into single-
cells, each one was dipped in hot bees-
wax and rosin and fastened to the
bottom of a comb in a full frame. About
two inches of the comb in the frame
was cut out to make room for the queen
cells. By this plan I never had any trou-
ble in getting a queen cell made to each
egg placed in the hive whose bees had no
queen. After the cells are started they
should be given to full colonies having
fertile queens as advised on another page.

After the first day's work upon the cell-
cups, the little larva could be seen im-
bedded in quite a quantity of jelly food.
No royal jelly was used except what was
placed in the cells by the- bees.

This is, as is well-known, the only food
upon which the queen subsists from the
egg to the mature queen. After the queen
emerges from the cell she is fed upon
honey the same as any of the bees.

Mr. Doolittle uses a larva for starting
each queen cell. This method has al-
ways been condemned by all, or nearly
all experienced beekeepers. By the arti-

42

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

ficial cup method it is actually necessary
to us^a larva for a queen-cell, as an egg
would not stay in a cell if placed there ;
and, again, the bees would be pretty sure
to remove it, when under the same cir-
cumstances they would not molest a lar-
va, but at once nurse it as they would
had they started the cell themselves. I
never have used a larva over a few hours
old for starting cell-cups. This is nearer
nature's way.

The diflferent methods for starting
cell-cups.

The intelligent beekeep r it seems
to me will not be long in deciding which
of the methods here described is the
best, most practical, and more in ac-
cordance with nature's way for rearing
queens. Why fuss and bother to make
artificial cell-cups, transfer jelly and
worker larva, when the bees can be so
easily induced to do all such work and
so much better, neater and exactly in ac-
cordance with nature?

In my experience the last thirty years
I have found that the less there is of
artificial about any of the operations
connected with beekeeping, the more
successful I have been. To follow na-
ture's ways as closely as possible has
been my aim.

Comb foundation has been called ar-
tificial comb, but there is nothing arti-
ficial about it when made of pure bees-
wax.

I think I have shown that there is
not the least advantage in starting queens
by first forming artificial cell-cups. As
long as there is not the least difficulty
in getting bees to start all the cell-cups
needed in the natural way, I see no
good reason why one should resort to
artificial methods to get them. Yet if
anyone prefers to rear queens in that
way, there can be no serious objection
to it. We advise all to adopt the best
methods for managing the apiary under
all conditions. The methods that have
stood the test of years, and have proved
to be the most practical, are the ones
for the beginner to follow.

I have given two plans for having
queen-cells built in full colonies while

a fertile queen still has the full freedom
of the combs in the brood-chamber.
The method for the novice to adopt is
the one where a queen-excluder is used
between the upper and under hive. The
advantages derived from this plan are
two fold. First, the queen is kept where
she is constantly depositing eggs, while
the bees are hatching rapidly in the
upper-story and at the rate of neaqy fif-
teen hundred per day, thus continually
adding fresh nurse bees to the colony.
When it is known that it is the young
bees (those from six days to three weeks
old that do all the labor inside the
hive) the advantages of this method of
queen-rearing can be appreciated by
experienced beekeepei^s.

To •whom belongs the crpdit of this
■method of rearing queens.
It is not an easy matter to decide
who was first to give the public the
method of rearing queens above a queen-
excluder while a fertile queen still held
possession of the combs in the main, or
proper brood chamber. Several parties
claim the credit of this discovery ; yet
as nearly all who think they were the
originators of that best of all methods
gave it to the public on or about the
same time, no particular person can
rightfully claim the credit of it. Dr. G.
L. Tinker, G. M. Doolittle and another
man whose name I have forgotten, and
myself, all unknown to each other were
experimenting upon this method, and
all gave it to the public in the spring
of 1889. None of the above parties,
however, claim any credit for rearing
queens in the brood-chamber and having
queen cells built upon the same combs
while a fertile queen still had the free-
dom of the entire brood- chamber. Until
some one comes forvvai-d to dis]>ute my
claim, I shall continue to claim the
credit of being the originator of this
method.

Something about those who make
advancement in bee culture.

There are so few of those people who
keep bees that have ever made any ad-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

43

vancement in the way of bee fixtures
that it is only a simple act of justice to
give all the credit possible to those en-
terprising and progressive beekeepers
who have spent their time and money
in trying to invent something that might
prove of value to the beekeeping pub-
lic and make bee-culture more profita-
ble and successful to all engaged in this
most interesting branch of industry.

Patents on bee fixtures.

No one has ever advanced any good
reason why those who have spent much
of their time in making improvements
in bee furniture should not have their
labors rewarded by a patent claim.
Merely saying "I do not believe in pa-
tents" amounts to nothing so far as an
argument against patents is concerned.
When any one can show that a person
has no right to control the product of
his brain and labor, then it may be
worth while to argue the question.

Some claim that patented articles are
not needed in the apiary. Well, we can
get along without them. Let us begin
to cast them out and see how well it
works.

As the Langstroth movable-comb
hive was the first patented hive, let that
go first. Then comes the bellows-
smokers, foundation mills and presses,
etc. Where are we now? Got back
to the old, box-hive system with sur-
plus honey-boxes that hold ten pounds,
and so on. Now we will make fire wood
of drone-and-queen traps and swarm-hiv-
ers. We will climb into high trees and
continue to run the risk of breaking
our necks or see the loss of bees when
a swarm issues ; and stand the loss of
a thousand other things not worth men-
tioning here. Well, who cares to slide
back from the condition of beekeeping
of the present day to what beekeeping
was thirty-five years ago? The old
fogy, of course, and I might include all
those who do not read the bee-papers,
or when they do read them throw them
down anei say "there is nothing new in
them."

Did the reader ever entertain the

idea that in thirty years from this time
there is likely to be as great an im-
provement in beekeeping as there has
been in the past thirty years ? Let the
younger beekeepers mark the predic-
tion. It will surely be verified.

[ To he continued.]

Correspondence.

Races of Bees.

W. p. Henderson.

The Italian bee, since its introduc-
tion into the United States, is fre-
quently called the yellow race to dis-
tinguish it from our black or brown
variety.

Of the yellow race, as you are a-
ware, we have several varieties im-
ported since the Italians, viz. : Cypri-
an, Syrian or Holy Land and Egyptian,
each having its peculiar nuirkings,
which to a practised eye are easily
distinguished from the others. They
are not yellow all over the body as
are some butterflies, but only partly
colored ; the first three rings of the ab-
domen next the thorax being yellow :
a deep yellow in the Italians, and a
pale or orange yellow in the Syrians,
the bodies of the Italians covered
with yellow, and those of the Syrians
with white hairs — the last three rings
being dark in both varieties and cov-
ered with yellow and white hairs re-
spectively. The white hairs at the in-
tersection of each segment in the
Syrians are so thick as to have the
appearance of a white band.

The characteristics of each are as
different as their markings.

Dzierzon, who first introduced the
Italian bee into Germany, in his "Ra-
tional Beekeeping," says of the work-
ers of that variety ; "the first two
rings, or rather two and a half are of
an orange color, looking like a j^el-
low band."

Queens, whose worker progen}' show
only two or two and a half yellow

44

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

bands, would with us at this day be
regarded as suspicious of having a
dasli of bhick blood in them.

By careful selection in breeding,
worker bees have been produced in
the United States having four and
even five yellow bands ; and those not
showing three bands and of a uniforui
shade being regarded as hybrids.

Aristotle mentions several varie-
ties of bees and frequently alludes to
the yelloio race — not partly colored,
but yellow.

Varro, citing Mevocrates, tells us
of three kinds of bees : "■one black, a
second red, and a third parti-colored,
which he recommends as the best."

When he says red, may he not be
understood as meaning yellow. And
when he sa3-s parti-colored (party he
Las il) is it not the Egyptiau, Syrian
or Italian, or perhaps the Cyprian?

The Italians in gaining one or two
yellow bands, as stated above, may
they not be descendants of a perfect-
ly yellow race, that had an existence
at some period in the world's history
and by coupling with the blacks, lost
part of their coloring?

In Purchase's work, "A Heater of
Political Flying Insects," he gives us
a fable taken from Nat. Coui. Mythol-
ogy, ''that all bees were at first of an
iron color, but a swarm for feeding
of Jvpiter, had this reward bestowed
upon them, to be changed into a gold-
en color.

Murjreeshoro, Tenn., Dec 20, 1889.

Encouragements. Honey market
improving.

Geo. F. Uobbins.

Friend Alley : lu the May number,
I think it was, of the Apicultukist of
188G, I had an aiticle upon the im-
provement of the honey market. In
that essay I ex[)ressed the view that
the low prices that had tlien prevailed
for some months might liot be an un-
mixed evil tliat the increased con-
sumption of honey made possible by

the cheapness would create a future
demand for it. My prediction has
come true in this region. In 1886 I
had only one considerable competitor
in the Si)ringfield market ; this year

I have half a dozen. Yet three years
ago I sold honey by the hundred at
10 cents per lb. This year I have
been getting 13 cts. In that year
less than half the grocers in the city
would handle honey. Now a grocer's
stock is not complete without it. I
am confident that the seemingly ru-
inous prices induced many to use it
that otherwise would not have done
so, and thus created a want for hon-
ey that, with a much greater supply,
yet takes it at a higher price. I am
not sure but the very errors as I sup-
posed of some of my competitors has
had a share in bringing about the
phenomenal growth of the honey mar-
ket. Some of them went to running,
hone}' early in the summer at 10 cents
per section which as they explained
in our local convention was in fact

II cents, as the sections all under-
weighed. These sections the mer-
chants sold at from 12i to 15 cts. per
lb. or box. But by the last of Sep-
tember this ten-cent honey was all
gone and those who were holding
their hone}' for higher prices have had
no difficulty in getting 12^ cts. It
begins to look now as though the sup-
ply would be exhausted before the
winter is over.

But another item has contributed
to help prices. That is by keeping
honey off of the city markets. In the
article to which 1 have referred, I urged
the importance of developing the honey
niai'ket. That is one of my hobbies.
Begin at home and cultivate your ter-
ritory outward — sell to consumers as
nuich as you can, is my rule. I aim
to keep enough to supply my home
trade. Otheis in the vicinity of our
central market, Springfield, are doing
likewise to some extent. The conse-
quence is that while building up a
trade at home, we are keeping that
much off of our Springfield market.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

45

That cannot but help liave an uplift-
ing etf'ect upon prices there. How
much better this is than to ship to
Chicago, pay transportation charges,
throw in the shipping cases and get
13 to 15 cts. per lb. I believe we
have not reached the end yet. The
production and consumption alike of
honey are going to increase and prices
rule steadier than they have in the
past.

Judging by the I'eports I get, the
prices we receive here vvill be thought
low in some places; but from the
market reports should say that not
many who ship their honey otf to com-
mission merchants ever realize that
much even though the consumer has
to pay more. I get a little better
price, by the wajs for the considera-
ble quantity which I retail myself.

"Where to keep honey fumigating.

The Dec. Api is a splendid issue,
but among its good things I was sur-
prised to see one advised (p. 180)
to keep his honey in a cool place,
joined with the statement that the
fumes of sulphur will not kill moth
worms. If I do not liabitually de-
stroy moth worms by brimstoning. it
is very strange what does it. I have
my honey packed in boxes in the hon-
ey house. I do not fill them so full
but what I can put a block or two
on top the sections and set a ftying
pan or similar vessel with a layer of
ashes and some coals of fire on them,
and far enough below the lid not to
burn the wood. I put small brim-
stone lumps on the coals, and shut
down the lid. I have sometimes de-
layed until worms three-foui'ths of an
inch long had made their appearance
before fumigating, and on examination
afterwards found them blackened and
shrivelled. I do not generally wait
that long however. Moths usuall}' be-
gin to hatch in from ten to fourteen
days after honey is taken off. To
fumigate them and repeat the opera-
tion about ten days later always tixed
them for me. I keep my honey house

fairly roasting in hot weather and I
attribute the popularity of lU}^ honey
near home to that fact. Honey ripens
better in such a room than anywhere
else.

Mechcmicsville, III., Jan. 1, 1890.

Bees locating on a tree— the honey
season— a good qvieen, etc., etc.

D. n. Scott.

I have just been reading your ex-
perience in transferring a swarm of
bees from a tree with combs attached.
It reminds me of some years ago my
father found a swarm on a cherry tree
that had been there long enough to
])uild combs ; the centre one was about
a foot long. There was brood in all
stages, some honey and lots of bees.
I transferred them to a frame-hive and
they worked finely for two or three
weeks, and by that ti me there were more
worms than bees. The miller had a
fair chance to fill the combs with eggs
during the cool nights as the bees
contracted to keep themselves warm.
A neighbor of mine found a large lot
of combs on the corner of a fence in
the woods in cold weather, but the
bees were gone.

The honey season was very ()oor
with us, making four poor seasons in
succession, but our bees are in splen-
did condition for winter.

A good queen.

The queen you sent me is a dandy,
and I take pride in showing her to all
beekeepers that come here as I can
handle them without smoke or veil.
I have raised several queens from her
and all but two have become purely
mated and it is hard to tell which is
the old one.

Your shipping-and-introducing cage
works like a charm as I have used it
in several instances without a failure.

Ovid Centre, N. Y,

46

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

An experiment.

J. G. Alexander.

I take this opportunity of relating
what I consider a rather curious ex-
jDerience. You will remember perhaps
that I got a queeii from you last June,
for a colony which had dwindled
down to almost nothing; in fact when
the queen arrived I do not believe
there were over two hundred bees
left; well, I put a couple of frames
well filled with brood into the hives;
together with the adhering young
bees (which I had Ijeen informed
would not leave the brood) hoping that
tlie}^ would soon hatch out; but to
my surprise and disappointment, when
I peeped into the hive the next even-
ing I found that the young bees on
the combs which I had put in, had
not only absconded themselves but
had apparently taken the remnant of
the old colony along with them. The
new queen remained, however, and
I determined to try an experiment;
I remembered that Mr. Alley hatched
queens artificially, and I said to my-
self "why can I not hatch workers in
a similar manner?'' I tried it, and
the result proved that my reasoning
was correct.

The weather at the time was very
warm, so I increased the heat of the
hive, at random of course; by putting
in, on top of the frames, some hair
felt I happened to have, and on top
of that, so as to completely fill the
Qfx\) of the hive, a number of layers of
woolen carpet: I let it rest here, as I
had done all I could, in my ignorance
of the science which governed the
matter. I had little hope of success,
as I thought it hardly probable that
the heat would be just right; I was
afraid it would be too intense, so im-
agine my surprise a week after, when
I came home one day and my wife
told me that the hive was full of bees,
she had that forenoon uncovered it
and seen them; I hastened out to sat-
isfy myself and found that it was so
indeed; by this time too, the queen

was working, and not a great while
after I found lots of yellow bees
mixed Avith the black ones; the colony
"grew apace" and last fall was of
quite a respectable size, but without
any stores to speak of, so I had to
feed them for winter and hojDe they
will pull through.

The queen is a fine one, and reflects
great credit on your skill in queen
raising. _

Worcester, Mass., Jan. 20, 1890.

Our fiiend is wroiip: in supposing we •'hatch"
queens in the way he did the worker bees. When
we use tlie queen nursery, we place it in the centre
of a brood-nest of a powerful colony of bees.
Thus the queen cells have the benefit of the same
temperature as the sealed brood. -Ed.

Success in introducing virgin
queens.

The fertile queen sent me from the
Bay State Apiary and received July
31, 1889, is in fine condition and has a
sti'ong colony and plenty of supplies
for winter, besides giving me a sur-
plus fioni fall crop of asler honey,
fifty-four pounds extracted, having
strengthened her with brood from
other colonies. The bees seem some-
what mixed in varieties of colors, but
those that are not hard to select of
her own bees are a beautiful bright
color.

The early part of the season, 1889,
here, as reported by beekeepers at
many other points, was almost a total
failure, owing to the cold, rainy and
damp weather accompanied with fre-
quent high winds ; but the fall harvest
of wild aster, l^eginning about the 9th
of Septembei' (my bees about starved
out and I vvas preparing to feed for
winter supplies) was copious and con-
tinued up to Oct. 12, when we had
heavy frosts which closed the lioney
flow for the season of 1889, giving me
a surplus of nine hundred pounds of
comb and extracted honey from eight-
een colonies.

Wliy is it that I have seen no re-
ports of the wild aster as a honey
plant? I know of no other plant that
exceeds it in bountiful supply of se-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

47

cretion. Tell us of it and oblige your
readers.

Another report regarding virgin queens.

Tlie virgin queen presented me by
Dr. MoUyneaux was placed August
2, 1889, in a nucleus made by taking
four frames of bees and honey from
an extracting top, hence there was no
brood of any kind in the combs. The
cage containing queen placed at once
in a frame and the bees permitted to
cut her out. August 5th gave her a
frame of brood. August 7tli found the
queen released and O. K. From that
time on she was given a frame of
brood occasionally, till Aug. 24 I put
a small hybrid swarm in, and put on
extracting top of ten frames, combs
fully di-awn out. September 12th ex-
tracted from this colony forty pounds,
five ounces, and will extract about ten
pounds more from her. She has proven
to be purely fertilized, and her bees
are docile and fine looking.

Prof. G. W. Felton.

Mr. H. Allet: — The above is a
statement handed me by Prof. George
W. Felton, to v^hom I presented one
of the three virgin queens sent me
from the "Bay State Apiary," in July
last and was reared on the 30th of
July, 1889. Professor Felton is a near
neighbor of mine. I have seen his
bees and handled them ; they are just
what he states them to be, all O. K.,
and the queen is beautiful and large,
bees fine and he is delighted. I
handed him the October (1889) Api
and he says he wants a daughter from
that one-hundred-dollar queen. Send
one of those queens to your humble
servant.

R. A. MOLLYNEAUX,

Neio Richmond^ Ohio.

We may have to acknowledge that virgin queens
may be bought by beelceepers and introduced
successfully. The above will interest those bee-
keepers who desire to test the matter.— Ed.]

"Wide and thick top- bars for brood-frames.

Mr. Allev : Do you tliink the thickness of top-
bars of brood frames have something to do in pre-
venting brace combs, or is it the width of the top-
bar or botli features ? Mrs. J. J. MORY.

We are glad to see tliis subject brought up for
discussion. Our readers wlio receive Gleanings
in Bee Culture, have probably read a good deal
of late in tliat |)ublioation upon tliis same subject.
The readers of the Api and those who have been
acquainted with our writings the past quarter of
a century, must be familiar witli our opinion of
the proper width of top-bars of brood-frames.
For more than tweniy-flve years we have urged
beekeepers to discard tlie narrow top-bar and use
a wide one. We now view with pride and satis-
faction the fact tliat tlie time is not far distant
when the narrow top-bar must go. I need not
tell tlie reader the disadvantages of the narrow
bar. All who have used tbem one good honey
season know well what a nuisance tliey are in the
apiary. As there are hundreds of beekeepers
who know nothing about the good points of a
wide top-bar, I will mention some of tliem. The
first Langstroth hive 1 ever saw or used had top-
bars one inch and an eighth wide. Ten of these
frames filled a brood-cliamber 14J inclies wide.
Tliat would allow just a bee-space between the
top-bars. As is well known, all Langstroth hives
at that early date had lioney-boardsand the space
between the top of frames and honey-board was
not over 1 of an inch. Bees in hives thus arranged
would build no brace combs above the top-bar,
but more or less such combs would be built be-
tween the frames just below the top-bar and this
was about as big a nuisance as brace combs
above the top-bar. However, I was not long in
discovering a remedy for that thing. The old
style top-bar L. frame had a V- shaped piece of
wood nailed to the underside as a guide for the
bees to build the combs directly within tlie frames.
We had no comb foundation in those days, you
know. Instead of foundation which all beekeep-
ers now use in brood- frames we used old comb
cut ill strips, which was fastened to the under-
side of the top-bar with hot beeswax and rosin.
When well fastened the comb was cut down to
V-shape with a sharp and quite warm knife.
With this arrangement we did not need the V-
shaped top-bar, as the old comb could not be
fastened to the wood properly. To overcome the
difficulty, we had some frames made with a thick
top-bar. The frame was made as wide on the un-
der side as on the top side. This had the efi'ect
to prevent brace combs not only over the top
of the frames, but between them as well. The
Langstroth frame with this improvement is per-
fection. We have hundreds of them in use in the
Bay State Apiary.

Anyone wanting a sample will receive one by
mail by sending twelve cents in stamps to this
office.— Ed. Api.]

48

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

A new bee-feeder.
F. E. Mei'i'iman of Boston has taken
out a patent on a bee-feeder which
seems to hit the case exactly. It con-
sists of a can capable of hoUiing some
two quarts of honey or syrup, the flow
of which to the bees is entirely con-
trolled by the bees ; that is, as they
consume the food the supply is main-
tained, but if for any reason none is
used by the bees, the flow ceases.
The can may be placed on the honey-

contact therewitli. The feed-cup will
accommodate two or three hundred
bees at a time, whereby great activity
may be induced in a swarm. There
is no liability of the honey or syrup
running down into the hive and
among the bees, and when required
for use, as the supply in the can is
kept up without its being removed,
the bees are in no way disturbed or
annoyed. The feeder is placed di-
rectly over the cluster, and in the

Merriman's Bee-feeder.

board, through which a hole has been
made for the ingress of the bees, and
allowed to constantly remain on
there, or at the option of the apia-
rist, the food being supplied through
an opening on the lop of the "feeder."
The bottom of the feeder is placed
some one and one-half of an inch from
the end of the can, to which is fas-
tened a shallow feed-cup, covered with
coarse wire netting, through which the
bees take up the feed, and which pre-
vents them from being destroyed by

coldest weather, that section which-
the bees occupy while obtaining the
food, is equally as warm as the
warmest part of the hive.

For sale at the office of the Api.

Dr. G. Zi. Tinker's opinion of the See-
keepers' Directory.

The New Directory is not only valuable for the
large list of beekeepers and their post office ad-
dress, but for the many valuable hints and the
general management of the apiary.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

49

Honey-boards.

James Heddon.

Friend Alley: — I see the Apictiltu-
EiST still continues to be a good pa-
per. Some way or other it is a live
l^aper; things in it that are wide awake
and directly relating to success. Of
all the articles m your issue of Feb.
1st, which seem to me to need con-
troverting, that is, something pre-
sented on the other side of the ques-
tion, is the one on honey-boards by
our old friend Dr. Tinker. I do not
care to write at any great length, but
I believe it would be well to get our-
selves squarely on record, and then
when the near future determines the
right from the wrong, it will be of
value to beekeepers to know who is
right and who is not. Will you allow
me to emphasize, as I understand it,
just what brother Tinker does claim.

Fii-st, he says the break- joint prin-
ciple in honey-boards, has had its
day. I say that it is not fairly intro-
duced; that its wonderful advantages
are only just beginning to be learned
by practical honey j^roducers. I
contend as heretofore that the break-
joint princii^le has a tendency io keep
the queen below; nothing • certain a-
bout it, however, but so far as the pre-
vention of burr-combs is concerned,
it is just about an absolute prevent-
ive of their being built above the
honey-board and next the surplus re-
ceptacles. A year will soon roll
around, and I would ask your intel-
ligent readers to test it by pushing
the honey-board sidewise as far as it
can be made to go and not slip down
farther than the edge of the hive on
one side. The passage-ways will then
be continuous, that is the spaces be-
tween the slats of the honey- board
"Holl be made to come directjy over
the spaces between the brood-frames
below. Now, you will have a contin-
uous jjassage-way, not continuous
passage ways such as the doctor used
to strongly advocate and in this ar-
ticle seems to have returned to his

first love, but a direct vertical i:)as-
sage way, one opening directly over
the other; nothing between but spaces
and plenty of burr-combs, for who-
ever makes this experiment, as we
have done one hundred times, will find
that there will be quite a number of
annoying burr-combs built between
the top surface of the honey-board
and the sections above.

The Doctor's second statement is
that in his experience the break-joint
principle in honey-boards proves no
bar to the extension of biuT-combs
in any case. I wish you would put
this and the former declaration of the
Doctor's in italics. I want these
statements remembered. I think it
is well that beekeejjers should know
and remember from time to time what
kind of exi^eriments and statements
leading beekeepers are making. Re-
member that the Doctor says that
there are less burr-combs built (and I
suppose he means next to the sur-
plus receptacles for we care but lit-
tle about brace combs between the
bottom of the honey-board and the
top of the brood frames; it is to keep
them away from the supers, whether
for comb or extracted honey, that is
of vital importance as 3'ou and yoiu'
readers well know) where the passage
ways are continuous than where they
are broken by the break-joint princi-
ple.

Isn't it strange that none of us
should ever have discovered this in-
terference with the perception of
light at the entronce of the hive by
the bees in the ujiper pai't of the hive?
When will the Doctor cease to spring-
new and unheard theories upon us?

Why, bless his soul, there are very
many kinds of hives with entrances
in such a shape that the light hardly
enters the brood-chamber at all, and
I supposed that if any difference,
there was an advantage in keeping
everything dark. Bees want no light
to work by. It has been asserted by
the greatest experimenters of old, and
I supposed it was an admitted fact

50

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

that bees work luucli better where
the Hght is completely shut off, and
the Doctor's new theory that the bees
could not find theii- way readily from
the upper stories will certainly meet
the reason of most honey j^roducers
as something- extremely new and
strange. Must we have windows in
each story of our bee-hives"? Oh!
Doctor, Doctor, what will you sirring
on us next"? Bees lost in darkness
of the upper stones of theii- hives;
light all shut off by break- joint hon-
ey-boards; poor fellows bumping their
heads, running wildly in every du-ec-
tion like the inhabitants of Pompeii
and Herculaneum at the time of the
eruj)tion of Mount Vesuvius so fa-
mous in history. Poor little fellows
haven't got light enough to find theii'
way out around the wicked break-
joint honey-board, not on cloudy days,
anyway. This is a death blow to the
Manum liive, whose entrance allows
scarcely any light to get in. How-
ever, friend Manum seems to know
just how to get a good big yield of
honey even if lack of light in his to-
tally darkened hive keeps most of his
w^orkers dodging around, bum2:)iug
then" heads for several days before
they can find the entrance, consum-
ing large quantities of honey all this
time. I am sorry to note that Dr.
Tinker has again given up the bee-
space. Now I suppose he will not
offer to the public any more of my
break-joint, bee-sj^ace honey-boards.
Hereafter he will use no break- joint
principle nor bee- spaces, setting his
siu-plus arrangement flatly and
smoothly upon the brood frames, se-
curing continuous passages for the
bees. Honestly, Ave believe this to
be a very bad arrangement, but we
may be mistaken. We \xo-pe bee-
keepers will make the tests as above
referred to and rej^ort, and if the Doc-
tor is found to be right and I am
wrong, I shall be pleased to admit it.
Am not sorry that in the February
and March numbers of the Apicultu-
EiST we both went on record. I cer-

tainly shall not be sorry if it turns
out that the Doctor is radically wrong
and I am right, as I believe it will.
Domiglac, Mich., Feb. 13, 1890.

Dr. Tinker, as well as Mr. fleddon, is
wrong in using any lioney-lioaid at all betweea
the sections and to)) of brood frames. Honey-
boards when thus used areas big a nuisance in
tlic apiary as burr-coniljs. Karrow top-bars and
bee-spaces over one-fourtli incli(I believe Mr. Hed-
donusesa bee-space of tliree-elghths inch) have
been the (iause of a good deal of profanity in years
past and stdl will be the cause of more as long as
such nuisances are allowed to exist in the apiary.

Make kindling-wood of all hives in which bees
can build burr-combs and those that cannot be
used without a honey-board between the brood-
nest and sections.

Try the Bay State Hive, brother Heddon; it has
none of the imperfection than anyone can rea-
sonably quarrel over.

Once was the time when honey-boards seemed
to be a necessity, but they have had their day the
same as box hives and many other things that
were used iu the apiary.

Swarm-hivers.

Not since the invention of the
Laugstroth hive has there been such
a flurry of excitement, or so much in-
terest shown in an invention as the
advent of the Swarm-hiver which we
claim the invention of and were the
first to describe in public print. I
kuow of no recent invention of a
bee-fixture that has caused so much
lying, or one that caused so many
jealous and envious people to make
such an unfortunate exhibition of
theii" ill dispositions. No sooner
had I described the Swarmer when up
jump several parties not only to claim
the invention, but who declared I
should not succeed in getting the de-
vice patented. Each one who claims
the invention stated that they had not
made their swanner a success and had
laid them one side for future experi-
ment; and each one also stated that
'where I use perforated metal to con-
nect the two hives they used screen
vnre. Yet these people claim the in-
vention of my Swarm-hiver. No doubt
these kind-hearted friends have an
idea that I am one of those fellows

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

51

willing to lie down and die wlien
kindly requested to do so.

However, I would be ungrateful
if I did not publicly thank ail those
parties for putting themselves on rec-
ord as to the time they invented, or
claim to have invented, theu- Swarm-
ers that did not v;ork. By hanging
them up in out-of-the-way places
where no human eye could see them
is sufficient evidence of then* worth-
lessness. I shall not claim that I
have had the Swarmer in use over
twenty-nine years, yet I think no one
is likely to antedate my claim.

There is one thing that no one
will dispute, and that is the fact
that I first described and brought to
the public notice the only practical
Swarm-hiver, and I do not believe
there are many people who believe I
am not the original inventor of the
same.

To show how bad some people feel
about the invention of the Swarmer,
I clip the following qiiotation from
the Canadian Bie Journal.

" Well, I've seen Henry Alley's pa-
tent 'catch-ein-all-alive,' 'never-lost-
a-swarm ' hive. That is, I've seen an
engraving of it. It's just about what
I expected, and I just shouldn't won-
der if he gets upset in getting his pa-
tent. That scheme (the principle of it
I mean) is as old as the hills. A lead-
ing Canadian beekeeper, when looking
at it a few days ago, remarked that
he had tried the plan almost twenty
years ago. It looks j)retty on paper
but don't work out just that smoothly.
I wish it would with all my heart.
— Observer.''''

There! dear reader, do you blame
the fellow who wi'ote the above for
not placmg his name to such an ef-
fusion of misrepresentation? The
idea that any one ever used the same
thing twenty years ago! There are
not half a dozen beekeepers in Amer-
ica who do not knoT\- that it was not
over ten years ago that the first per-
forated metal was introduced into
America by D. A. Jones. I cannot

find just the words to express my
opinion and contempt of a i^erson who
wilfully lies about a small matter.

"Observer" is one of those know-
it-all beemen; he writes for j)ublica-
tion and of com'se he considers him-
self one of the big "uns," and yet he is
one of those fellows who can see at-
no-sight-at-all right though any in-
vention, and is able to give an intel-
ligent {I) opinion of how it will work,
more especially whether it can be pa-
tented or not. AVonderful man he.
Those fellows who have had no expe-
rience in patents better keep in the
backgi-ound and not expose theu- ig-
norance upon such matters. I am able
to handle the patent pai't much better
than those pai'ties who are trying to
frighten me. I don't frighten worth a
cent. So, gents, be ready to put out
yoLU- money when the proper time
comes as we are sure to obtain a pa-
tent on the Swarmer.

"Observer" has told us what he
knows about Swai-mers. Now let me
show what a practical and a well-
known beekeeper has to say about it.

In the January notes I mentioned a device to
be bi-.)u,i,'lu out in the Apicultukist to cause
bees whan ttiev sw;irm. to hive themselves. Well,
it has appeared, and it i-^ perfectly practicable,
too. In fact, after Mr. Alley had mentioned it in
connection with his drone-trap. I commenced to
study the matter, and had thought out, and de-
scrilled to my family, ihe identical device now in-
tiodu-ed by Mr. Alley. From what I have learned
about bees at swarming time, I know it will work,
and there is no chance foi- the bees to abscond
unless otiier swarms are in the air. Of course, if
all the hives in an apiary have the swarm-hiver
on them, they could or would not leave witliout
a queen. It will require some after manipulation
su'-h as removimr the swai-mers at the right time,
cuttinirout queen cells, etc. It will be a grand
thing for the small beekeeper or laboring men,
wlio keep a few colonies to help along, as they
M'ill no longer need to be constantly watching
them.

The author of the above is C. H.
Dibbern of MUan, 111., and ]Mi-. D. is
not ashamed to i:)lace his name to any
article of which he is the author. ]\Ir.
D. has written volumes upon bee mat-
ters and probably has moi-e solid
knowledge on bee culture to the
square inch, than some other person
(whose name I cannot call because I
don't know it) has to an acre lot.

The Swarmer wOl live and thiive

52

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

in spite of tlie croakers. All faii--
miuded people acknowledge its util-
ity, practicability and timely introduc-
tion.— Heney Alley.

Alters ?I)cpartnunt.

■Ventilating the brood-chamber during the
honey harvest.

Question 4. How would it lio to ninke a venti-
lating hole at the top of the brooii-clinmber be-
tween top of IVames and sections for ventilation
while the bees are gatherinff honey? WouM not
such an arrangement greatly aid tlie bees in ex-
pelling the water from the newly gathered honey,
and also make the interior of the hive more com-
fortable for the bees?

Would not a colony thus treated store more
honey than a colony in a hive not ventilated.?

SCIKNTIFIC.

Such a ventilator would be of very little use
and a most prodigious nuisance.

George F. Robbins.

Such an arrangement with me would stop
work in the super. I find that other things being
equal, the work goes ahead laster when the su-
per is kept warm, almost hot, night as well as
day.

J am not sure I know just what you mean. I

have for a number of years followed Adam

Grimm, by having the super pushed far enough

forward to leave a 8i)ace of a quarter of an inch

at the back end of the hive, over the brood frames.

1 suspect it is an advantage except in a cool

night.

C. C. Mir.LER.

Such ventilation amounts to but little, as such
openings are soon packed witli clustering bees-
Better give abundant openings at bottom of hives
together with some shade from the noonday sun
then your bees will not suffer from heat, n'lr need
you trouble about aetting i-id of thee>ceess of wa-
ter in the freshly gathered nectar.

J. A. Buchanan.

(a). I have never tried it, therefore cannot an-
swer from experience. (&). Unless the weatlier
should be extremely warm, do not think it would
be any advantage, (c). If the weather is cool,
day or niglit, I think it would be a hindrance,
rather tlian a help. Give plenty of downward
ventilation and the bees will regulate the other
matters. Joshua Bull.

If more than a bee-space is left between the top
of frames and the sections the bees fill it with
brace combs. We always ventilate at the top of
the sections but one must use judgment in the
amount of ventilation .given, it depending on the
size of. the colony. Of course, bees work better
in a hive of the right temperature than in one in
Which the atmosphere is perfectly stifling.

H. D. DAVIS.

a. I have not tried justsuoh a ventilator but see
no objection if regulated by the heat of the season,
the size of the colony and amount of nectar gath-
ered.

b. I prefer to give most of my ventilation at the
bottom of the hive, unless it be an opening in the
front of the hive one-third of the way up the
brood chamber.

c. I think not, if the opening at the bottom is
enough.

J. L. Hubbard.
Heavy swarms, hived in hot weather, must,
with me, have abundance of ventilation for the
first few days. Alter those few days, in this lat-
itude. I fear much ventilation. I have not seen a
half <lozen nights, in as many years, during
which I should want comb honey ventilated,
though fluring some days, it might seem neces-
sary. I li ve invariably got the most comb
honey from colonies kept warm and tight with
quilts and blankets, sometimes removed for a
little while at noon, if the weather was hot.

Mrs. H. Hills.

I always ventilate all strong colonies working
in sections, at the top, to kee)) the bees from lay-
ing out as well as from swarming; lor it will do
both, though in some cases it will only delay
swarming. I use a thin board {\ inch thick) cover
for the brood-chambers in my winter cases and at
the first signs of laying out, I raise the cover at
each of the four corners by means of thin wedges,
but not high enough to let the bees out. This plan
gives all the ventilation desirable at the top, and
I think a colony so ventilated will make more
honey. Dr. G. L. Tinker.

Bees are not so apt to hang in masses on the
outside of the hive in hot weatlier if the hive is
proj^erly ventilated. It will do to make a ven-
tilator in the place you suggest but I think you
will find it inconvenient. A better way is to block
the hive up an inch from the bottom-board and
place a thin chip under one end of the hive
cover in very hot weather.

A colony thus treated will probably store a lit-
tle more honey than one not ventilated because
the bees work better and not because evapora-
tion is hastened. Any lowering of temperature
retards evaporation, especially at night.

Z. T. Hawk.

I presume many beekeepers would answer the
above question in the affirniiitive, but I cannot.
My expeiieiice says -'no" and I find that most old
time honey producers who have trieil just such
things have given them up, ami do not use any
such ventilating holes now. The metliod employed
by bees to ventilate a hive may perhaps prop-
erly be <lesciibed by the term, "a circuitous cur-
rent." The cool air passes in one side of the en-
trance and out at the other, making a circuit
Avithin the hive, and any upward holes, while
they may not injure the successful working of
this current, usually amount to nothing. The

THE AMElilCAN APICVLTURIST.

53

bees clustev in them, nnd virttiiilly plug them tip
so far as air i)assage is concerned. I would ad-
vise >'8cientiflo" not to arrange hives in niy such
manner, believing that he will abandon it if he

does.

James Heddon.

Ventilating holes are a nni«ance to me. I do
not want but one grand entrance that can be en-
hirged by blocks ofAvood as warm weather conies
on. If you put ventilators into your hives as you
suggest, it would give the bees a belter chance to
ripen their honey during the day; but that is not
the time such work is generally done. Most of
the ripening is done at night and unless you have
such ventilators closed on chilly nights your
bees would leave the sections "quick step." A
sort of double sweat blanket ot Avoollen, laid
loosely over the sections, with ventilation holes
above works much better in aiding the bees
to ryjcji their honey. Should say; No, a colony
treated as you mention would not store more
honey. Hot weather is what the bees like and if
there is nectar in the bloom, as large a force would
go to the field as from ventilated hives. I am
through with ventilating holes in botli summer
aud winter management.

E. L. Pratt.

On what part of the globe is CanadaP
D. A. Jones, or whoever runs the
editorial department of the Canadian
Bee Journal, says:

"The American bee papers are full of discus-
sions as to whetlier thick top-bars are not going to
reduce brace-combs and do away with honey-
boards."

Mr. Editor of the C. B. J., you are
mistaken about all the American bee-
papers being full of discussions re-
garding thick top-bars. The Apicul-
TURiST is published in America, that
part known as the United States, and
as we have something to do with the
Api, can say that no discussion on the
subject you mention has been carried
on in our paper. ♦

Brother Jones' paper has the follow-
ing editorial remarks, same issue, the
above quotation was taken from: " Our
American friends are learning some-
thing all the time. I wish we could
say the same of some of our Canadian
friends. By the way, we were not long
in " learning " that the thick, wide top-
bar was the j^ractical one to use. We
learned it many years before D. A.
Jones knew how many legs a bee has.
Please do not reckon us among the
Americans who are still learning about

the proper width and thickness of the
top-bar of a brood-frame. Something
on this point may be found in this
issue.

Now, Brother Jones, we were con-
siderate enough to say that some of
our, etc., etc. When you again have
occasion to speak sarcastically di your
American friends, please do not take
them by the lump.

One more point, Brother Jones,
mention of which cornea in right here.
Speaking editorially of the Swarmer,
Bro. Jones says: —

Our foreman used a similar arrangement in
18S7, made of perforated met:d, but dn) not have
an oi>]>oitunity of carrying his experiments far
enough to warrant us in putting ilie matter be-
fore readers of the C. B. J.

Bosh! Brother Jones, how is it that
you always carry your experiments to
a failure ? In October, 1888, we gave
notice that we would give the public a
method for rearing queens in full col-
onies without dequeening the colony,
or in any way restricting the queen the
entire freedom of the combs. Abovit
a month or more later, Brother Jones
told the readers of his paper that he
had been conducting experiments to
accomplish the same results, but as he
had not jierfected the method he
would not give it to the public. We
believe it has never been given the
public up to this date. It didn't pan
out just as expected. Well, we per-
fected the iSwar7)ier before it was given
the public and so was our method for
rearing queens in full colonies perfect-
ed before the public knew about it.
We don't go off on the half cock,
Brother Jones.

Brother Jones means well, but for
some reason never carries his wonder-
ful experiments to success.

However, I must say that in view of
his ill success to invent new devices
for the benefit of his fellow beekeep-
ers, I do not think any more of him
on account of the disagreeable insum-
ations he makes regarding the inven-
tions of other people who have made
the same experiments a success that he
(Jones) failed in.

One question Brother Jones: Why

54

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

didn't your foreman have an oj)i)or-
tunity to caiTy out liis experiments
with the Swarmer? Certainly there
must have been plenty of bees in your
apiary in the years 1887-88 and in
1889. _

«
Kelation of the queen breeder to
the honey producer.

E. L. Pkatt.

The queen-breeder of to-day stands
to the honey-producer as the power-
furnishing concern stands to the man-
ufacturer. In older times when every-
thing w^as made by hand there were
no machine shops needed nor was
there any need of the queen breeder.
But now everything is toward central-
ization of all industries. With labor-
saving machinery comes sharp com-
petition on all sides. This calls for
improved power.

The honey-producer of to-day does
not receive the price for his product
that he did in olden times on account
of sharp competition in his line of
trade. Thus the call for improved
power in the engine of the hive (the
queen).

On the queen depends the number of
working force and on the worldng force
depends the j)roduction of honey.

With our present knowledge of
queen-rearing we have improved the
mother bee to a marked extent and we
are not coming to a standstill yet
awhile.

We often hear large honey produ-
cers say " started with such a number
but only such a number were ready
for supers." Why this difference in
colonies"? Ninety-nine cases out of
one hundred the difference can be
traced to the queens. We often hear
of extraordinary yields from particular
colonies. Why ? On account of a pro-
lific queen with hard-working progeny.

Thousands of reports come in every
year of success and failure, all of
which are traceable to good or poor
stock, barring dearths of nectar in
poor seasons. Then we hear of loss

in winter, spring dwindling and the
like discouraging mishaps that can
without doubt be remedied by the
queen to a great extent. The supply
market has gone down to hard pan.
Nothing can be hojDed for there.

The queen-breeder should receive
all the encoui-agement possible from
the honey-producer for who knows but
what a better queen is the honey pro-
ducer's only salvation from this ava-
lanche of sharp competition encoun-
tered on every side. The price of honey
will never go up again. We must in-
crease the yield per hive to counteract
this fall in price. Come, producers,
give us a lift. You need us badly.

Queen cages again.

I have sent away several cages as
exj^lained in November Api. Those
who have reported have joronounced it
O. K., giving what suggestions they
had to offer, many of which are de-
tailed below. Thanks.

The advantages claimed for this
cage are: It is a perfect shipper and
introducer, and contains food enough
in bulk to last twenty or more days,
and remain soft and moist; it can be
mailed for one cent; it can be sent
with or without wrapping or tying.
For my own use I am having a neat
little manilla wrapper, with directions
for introducing, lines on which to write
an address, and my card i^iiuted
thereon. This cage is so constructed
that the bees can at all times make
themselves comfortable and so much
so that they will often build comb in
the cage home during their confine-
ment. If the weather is chilly the con-
fined bees will huddle together in the
closed middle apartments where their
feed is always accessible and thus
stand a much lower temperature than
with any other cage. In hot weather,
they spread out through the whole
cage. You can often hear them fan-
ning fresh au' into the apartment
through the screen cloth that covers
the fresh air hole.

Being closely sealed with a thin

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

55

board fastened with wire nails the cage
is made perfectly safe in the mails. All
this taken together, with its simplicity
in both construction and use, has
brought forth many words of approval.

If, on pulling- the cork prejDai'atory
to introducing a queen, the food is
found to be nearly consumed a wad of
common newspaper can be plugged
into the hole with safety, I hope any
persons interested ui the cage will not
hesitate to send for a sample if they
wish it. We have gained valuable sug-
gestions before now from novices as
well as exj^erts.

Marlboro, Mass.

Best queen in the apiary.

Frank enmuth, Mich.
Mr. Alley : Find 75 cents for An another year.
I like your paper better than any bee-paper I have
seen. Tlie queen I bought ol' you is the best in
my apiary. John M. Steiin.

Untiring workers.

Attlehoro', Mass.
Mr. Alley: I shall want some more of your
queens. The three 1 got of you last summer did
splendidly; far exeeediua; my most sanguine ex-
pectations. They produced the handsomest,
quietest and mo.-t untiring workers I ever saw.
II tliere is a better strain or race of bees, 1 would
like to know aboutthem.

L. G. Dunham.

A good queen.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Mr. Alley: Please send me prices of your
queens. One of the best I ever had came from
your apiary. H. O. McElhany.

Just as long as we keep bees.

Bannerston, Aew Jeraey.
Am. API : .Just as long as we keep bees please
consider us a subscriber. The Api is the best
yet. Long may it live.

Harker Brothers.

Prospect that bees will winter well.
Bees are having a fine flight, to day, Dec. 15.
Tliis seems almost an assurance tliat tiiey will
winter safely. Mine are all packed on summer
stands, and every colony extremely heavy, in
both bees and stores. I hope my Carniolan
queen is safe. Introduced, Ijy placing hur on
cards of hatching brood, for some days, then
gradually allowing more bees to enter, by
slightly moving the wire-clotli, which separated
them. Weather was too cool to look for her af-
terwards.

BIRS. H. Hills.

WESTEKN HEAD-QUARTEES FOR APIARIAN SUPPLIES.

Having greatly enlarged our factory and increased our manufacturing facilities, we are prepared

to fill orders promptly with goods unsurpassed in quality

and workmanship.

ALL OUR HIVES TAKE THE SIMPLICITY FRAME.

IT^LIA.N QUEENS A.ND BEES

At astonishingly low prices.

Situated, as we are, on the "Creat Burlington Route" (C. B. & Q.) and the C. & N. W.
we can ship goods cheaply to all parts of the United States and Canada.

Estimates gladly furnished and correspondence solicited. We will send free our new
illustrated price-list and know you can save money by examining it before purchasing your
supplies.

A. F. STAUFFER & CO.,

Mention API,

STERLING, ILL.

I^RICES OF SUPPLIES

— AT THE ■

BAY STATE APIARY,

Bee-fTives.

We offer only tlie Bay State hive for sale.

One hive \a tlie flat $ :^-00

Six hives" " " 15-<J0

Twelve-' - " " 27.00

All parts of the Hive are incliKleil in tlie above,
frames, bectioiis and all but paint and nails.
Sections.
One-piece sections per l.OOO 4.50
u '^ •. » .' 500 2.o0

« <• " <« 100 .60

Laiigstrotli Fi'anies.
Material lor (lianging) frames for Standard L.

Hi vfe per lOo • • • • ■ $■; "0

The fi anies we use are so constructed lliat me
bees will not build comb between or over them
at the lop, noi- fasten the section case and frames
together, as is the ca=e when the common top
bar is used.

IValling Bloclc for Frames.
Ko one can do good work at nailing Irames
■without a proper board to nail tliem on. ■« ecau
send one, by express, tliat will do the work mcely

price, ^^

Comb Foundation.
We can supply tlie best brands at manufactur-
ers' prices, and ship direct to our customers trom
the nearest factory. We also keep a quantity in
stock to lill small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood Irames 45 cts. per lb.

1 »< '• " " sections ...50 "

We keep in stock but one dimension of brood-
foundation ITi X 7 inches. This is large enough
for any L. frame and is just right for the Bay
State frame.

Perforated Zinc.
This we can supply in any quantities, shipped

■with other goods, per foot ••^ '-ts-

If sent by mail, add 10 cents per toot 1 -r postage.
Honey Exti'actox's.
The B. t. Lewis & Co. KXTiiACroR,
No 22. 28 incites m diameter, 25 inches
hidh, 2-fiame for anv size up to
l>k X 19; room for 25 lbs., honey
below reel, and tlie best extractor

ever made for $10 00

We sell iliis size only as it is the most conven-
ient ta use olany found in use. Thisextractor is
adapted to any fiame in use.

TToney Itnives.

Root's knife, by express, JO

" " b^ mail, <3

Bee "Veils.

The veil has a rubber band which draws the top

together; it is then placed over any Hat and

dwiwn until the elastic is over the hat o.ma.

Common net, by mail •*"

Smolders.
Bingham & Hetherington's only.

By mail, $ 1.75 ; by express, l»o

Queens and. FviU Colonies.
C^ueens.
Prices.

Untested queens, each ^j-^O

Selected " '' „'nrt

Te-^ted "

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,

each '*•""

Our untested queens are sent out before any of
their brood hatches. Ho iier cent will prove to be
purely mated. Safe arrival and purity guaranteed
in all cases.

Carniolan queens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bees cannot be ex-
celled.

Full Colonies.

We consider eight frames well filled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. Prices of
such in B. S. hive, including one set of s- ctions,
$12.00. Purchasers to pay express charges. Safe
arrival guaranteed.

Fourth Edition of tlie
Beekeepers' Handy Book, or Thirty Years
among the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Queen-rearing Appai-atus.

Beekeepers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by anv other, should have the
ai.paratus here described. The Swarmbox and
QUEEN-NUKSKKY are articles that no person who
rears queens ought to dispense with.

By usiTig the swarmbox a large colony of bees
can be conflned a long time or transported safely
huiidie.ls of miles. It is a very nselul aiticle
about tlie apiary at all times during the season.

Sent onlv by express, price. $1.25. , . ,, ,

When a' C(dony swarms and it is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are at
hand, the Queen-nursery in such cases will be
found invaluable; the cells can be placed in them
and they need no further care for a week or more.
Virgin or lei tile queens can be kept in the nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
number ot queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are also used in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be tound
in our work upon queen-rearing.

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25_ $1.60

Swarm-box l-'^f

Feriilizing-hive (complete) , »"

Fnmigator lor using tobacco -23 -w

Cone-feeder -.-• -{y •.''"

To make the lot comi)lete, we put in each pack-
age one (ironeand-queen-trap, one copy ot
THiKTV Years among the Bees, and send all
by express for •,•••,•■".'. * ?,

All these articles can be packed m the swarm-
box and sent safely by express or Ireight.

Brooms for Brusliing Bees
fronx Comtos.

We find a small "corn-broom" best for this
purpose as it does not injuie or irritate the bees,
and will do the work better and quicker than
anything else used for the purpo.se.

IbVoom, by mail J^

1 " byexiiress -"

HOW TO REMIT MONEY.

Remit by registered letters, cashier's check or
express orders. If sent by money orders or
Dostal notes, have them made i)ayable at the
S-ilem Mass . P. O. Make all remittances pay-
able to the order of the Amekican Aficultu-

KIST.

Address,

AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

Wenham, Essex Co,, Mass.

Tr2E * jiwwM * ^^pieniiTUJ^iST.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., APRIL 1,1890.

NO. 4-

Entered ut 3?ost-office as second-class inatter.

^l)e ^Iritor's JPepartment.

Spreading brood.

Mr. Doolittle has never sliown tliat there is the
least ailvantage in fijjre.Kling brond. There is
not. On the other haml, if an inexperienced
person attempts it he will temporarily, if not per-
manently, injure his a|)iary. While spreading
brood may be practised during the warmest
weather, tliere is nothing gained il pra(;tised early
in the season. Where ;i conib of brood is removed
from the centre of tlie brood-nest and jin empty
one inserted in its place, tlie queen will at once
deposit eggs in the cells; yet nothing is gained
thereby. Jt seems to me that every beekeeper
should know that colonies having prolilic queens
deposit all the eggs the bees can pi-otect when
the weather is cool. When the brood is sjire-nl,
the bees cannot protect it, and on cool nights the
cluster draws in, and all eggs and larva on the
outer edges are lelt to perish. If any one desires
a practical test of the matter, just spread the
brood in a hive, ami if the weather the next morn-
ing is cool, open the hive and see if the bees have
not deserted and lelt much of the brood on the
outer edges to perish.

How our bees have wintered. The Italians
ahead.

Last fall we purchased a number of black col-
onies of bees to use in qneen-rearing the com-
ing season. These colonies were all strong and
in fine condition and the combs well filled with
natural stores. We also have in the apiary sev-
eral siilendid colonies of Carniolan bees. The
others are Italians.

All the bees have wintered well; the Italians
coming out ahead of all. The black colonies
show more dead bees about the hives than the
other races. There are fiw if any dead bees
about any of our Italian colonies.

Canadian Bee Journal.

Brother Jones has made an important change
in the Canadian Bep Journal and Poultry Weekly.
They will be issued semimonthly lierealter.
This is a pretty good arrangement. The two
papers are sent for $1 per year. Subsciibe for
them. You will get more than you pay for.

The drone-and-queen trap.

Special attention is called to what is said of
the drone-and queen trap in this issue. The trap
is now one of the staple articles of the apiary.
To save express charges the traps may be or-
dered of one of the following named parties.

Thos. G. Newman & .Son, 34(i Kast Madison St.,
Chicago, III.; A.I Root, Medina. Ohio; G. L.
Tinker. New I'hiladclphia, Ohio; A. K. Stauffer,
& Co.. Sterling. 111., or the W.T. Falconer Manf'g
Co.. (lamestown, N. Y.

We need agents in every state in the Union.
Those who wish to sell the" traps will have their
names added to this list ifthev purchase onehun-
drctl or more traps of us. Those who desire to
take an agency will be furnished with a price-
list by applying at this office. Tlie traps can be
had of lis in any quantity.

The Bay State Bee-hive.

Some of our customers say that certain parties
are offering to furnish the liay State IJeeliive at
a less price than that given in our list. No hon-
orable dealer wi'l make or sell another person's
goods without the consent ol' the inventor; cer-
tainlv no hone.'^t man will offer to do so at a re-
duced price.

When a dealer "cuts under" in price, just make
up your mind that the work and stock will be in
proportion and of an inferior quality in all re-
spects. We sell the hives as low as we can aff a'd
to considering the wurk and quality of lumber
used. Hear in mind the fact that, as a rule, cheap
goods are the dearest in the end.

What is a bee hive good for that is not sawed
accurately ? I would not give a nickel for a thou-
sand.

The query department.
We believe our readers will not complain if
the query department is crowded out of this is-
sue. Look the API through and see if we have
not done well by our subscribers.

Our price list may be found on page 76.

(57)

58

THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

What shall the remedy be?

J. A. Buchanan.

On the subject, " How to increase
the product of the hives to secure tlie
most iioney and regulate and control
the price, our friend A. C. Tyrrel at-
tempts to give us a bird's-eye view
of the cahimities about to befall tlie
agricultural and apicultural pursuits
of this country. My nature is such
that I never look into the dim vista of
the future with evil forebodings. Met-
aphorically si)eaking, we need not
cross the stream before we get in
sight of it.

There has been and always will be
a way out of the wilderness.

Speaking of the arid lands of the
West which may soon be converted in-
to vast alfalfa fields and made to
blossom as the rose — and yield honey
by the huncb-eds of tons — is already
causing, in INIr. Tyrrel's mind, vis-
ions of " bitter disappointment and
abject poverty" to those who have
unluckily drifted into beekeeping as
specialists.

In view of this greatly increased
quantity of honey coming from the
alfalfa fields, we are persuaded that
tliere will be no possibility of holding
prices of honey where tliey will jus-
tify its production.

First, I will not take alarm before
T see this great output of honey on
the market; and if it does come, the
price will be low, and I shall be glad
of that as it will be so cheap we east-
ern people can better afford to buy
honey than to pi'oduce it. If bees
will gather two to four hunch'ed
pounds of honey per colony in those
alfalfa fields, the specialists there can
do well at raising honey at Irom
three to five cents per pound, and at
such prices it will not pay us small
fry of the eastern states to attem|)t
competition b}^ keeping bees ; it would
not [iay.

AVe can spend our summers in the
hammock in the shade awaiting our
shipments of choice alfalfa honey at

three cents per pound or two pounds
for a nickel.

No, sir, we will not mind being
driven to the wall when the drive
brings to us such a " soft snap."
Why, if any one will guarantee to
furnish me iioney, even choice ex-
tracted, at five cents per i)ound, I
will keep no more bees, and if any
country will produce such alarming
quantities as has been represented,
tliere is plenty of money in produc-
ing it at this price.

Our fraternity has taken alarm at
the rapidly disappearing basswood
forests, claiming that soon we shall
have none of these great honey-pro-
ducing trees.

I do not care how soon this source
of honey may be cut off.

My reasons are because of the ten-
dency of basswood honey to injure
my trade. I never sold a dollar's
worth of this kind of honey to a cus-
tomer who did not claim that the
honey had a peculiar taste that they
did not like, and this injures any deal-
er's trade. Not so with white clover,
orange blossom. Mangrove or the fin-
est grades of California honey ; these
give perfect satisfaction to all and
more is wanted.

Now, if alfalfa honey is as good as
white clover, and the sup[)ly of bass-
wood is cut oflf by the destruction of
that timber, we shall welcome the
change and promise no glut in the
market for the larger yields of alfalfa.

Mr. T. says, '' What has been will
be, and that no more honey will be
consumed next year than during the
past year." If so, this is the fault of
the honey-producers, in that tiiey do
not make an effort to create a better
market.

Now, do not tell me it cannot be
done. I know more than this.

Honey, it is true, is something of a
luxury ; people are not persistent in
hunting it up to make purchases ; the
producer must push the sales by going
direct to the people and taking or-
ders.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

59

Some ten years ago I lived on a
farm large enough to occupy most of
my time. I kept fifty to seventy-five
colonies. Some poor seasons I only
got a few hundred pounds of honey
to sell ; other seasons the surplus lan
up into the thousands of pounds, and
it mattered hut little whether nnich or
little was sold and at about the same
price. When a poor crop in our lo-
cality, the crop was good in oilier
places, and the deficit supplied by
dealers. \V^hen we had an extra large
crop, how did we get rid of it? wliy,
bj' pushing the sales more vigorously.
Now, 1 handle from tiiirty to fifty
thousand pounds every fall ; how is
this? 1 answer by a greater effort.

If every beekeeper would do this,
five times the amount of honey would
be sold each year, or at least might be
sold. It is not that the rich buy
more freely than other classes. The
laboring classes buy of us twice
tlie amount that the vvealthy do. If
the way I have suggested is not fea-
sible and not in line with a correct
solution of the problem of how to
disi)ose of a large crop of surplus
honey, I want the man who has a bet-
ter plan to take the floor and tell what
he knows. We do not care whether
we can educate people to eat honey
or not habitually. Just so they do
buy of us when we extend oiu' press-
ing invitation, is all that is needed,
all we desire.

Mr. Tyrrel gives utterance to words
of wisdom when he cautions begin-
ners against an attempt at making the
production of honey his only means
of livelihood.

The veteran who can handle large
numbers of colonies to the best ad-
vantage, having secured a good field,
may successfully engage as a special-
ist, occupying his time in the summer
procuring the crop, and agnin his time
in the fall and winter in disposing of
his surplus, as far as possible, direct
to consumers, therel)}' obtaining the
most mone}^ for his product.
Hollidays Cove, W. Va,

iToreign ^otes.

CONDUCTED BV I>. STACHELH AUSEN.

Beekeeping in Germany has not ad-
vanced since 1873. The census of
tliat year gives 1,453,764 colonies in
tlie kingdom of Prussia. In 1883 she
had 1,237,991 only, consequently lost
215,773 colonies. The census of 1893
will very probably show another re-
duction. This is the more strikii
as many swarms and full colonies were
imj^orted from Italy and Carniola.

One of the great differences in bee-
keeping between the United States
and Germany is, that the most of the
German beekeepers keep a few only
and beekeeping there is rather a hobby
than a busmess. A large per cent of
German beekeepers are gentlemen or
teachers. Of course they wish to get a
cash income f rom beekeej^ing, but they
do not depend upon it. Some farmers
keep bees, but generally the wealthier
l^eople. As a consequence of this,
hives and appliances are complicated
and costly and less adapted for quick
management. The poorer people, s uch
as they call cottagers in England, are
very indili'erent in regard to the mov-
able frame hive and modern bee-keep-
ing.

Mr. Tony Kellen wrote a report of
the Paris exhibition for the /Sc/i/Peizer
JiienenfreiDid. He says, " The Eng-
lish and Americans have noticeably
surpassed the German beekeepers
(not to speak of others) in many re-
spects. They may at first have learned
many things of Germans, I admit, but
they have learned how to apply science
and do not remain stationary. To-
day can the German and Frenchman
go to the Englishman and American
for instruction. Already what be-
longs to beekeepers, the EarojDeans
can no longer measure with the Amer-
icans.

Many judicious and thinking men
across the water see this truth ve3y
well, while some other one expects to
take the lead by severely criticising

60

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

our Lives and managements, keeping
back by doing so every stej) to pro-
gress.

As a contrast to the words of Mr.
Kellen, I give here the words of Mr.
Muendel in " Bienenzeitung," page
173, he says, "It is ridiculous and
thoughtless to say, America had sur-
passed Germany, because the United
States alone are larger than Europe."
True, they are, but this is no reason.
The United States were just as large
tliirty ago as they are now, but at that
time Germany was ahead. Who of
these two men is ridiculous and
thoughtless?

Bee conventions and associations in Ger-
many.

In some respects we may still learn
from Germany. For instance, in or-
ganization of associations. We find
there beekeepers' associations in
nearly every town and they meet eveiy
month at least, discussing news of
beepapers and giving their own ex-
perience. A number of these asso-
ciations belong to a state or main as-
sociation. The business transactions
of these associations are done by dele-
gates, and about every year hold an as-
ssembly with exhibition of bees, hives,
appliances and apiary products. A
number of essays are read and dis-
cussed. These state associations are
united to a central association and this
again held an assembly with exhibition
and essays from time to time. It was
assembled this year (1889) at Stettin.
The central association further uses its
influence to get laws in the interest of
beekeeping, but without success as
yet; defending beekeej^ers in lawsuits,
etc. Every member of the sub-asso-
ciations contribute to the expenses of
the state and central association and
so the cash income is more regular
than in any other way, and the mem-
bers have a du-ect advantage by visit-
ing the monthly assemblies near their
home. In some localities a wandering
teacher reads an essay before the sub-
associations and advice is given in

practical beekeejDing. This gives a new
impulse.

Besides this association is the wan-
dering union of German and Austrian
beekeepers. It meets every year al-
ternating in a city of Germany or
Austria. It has no permanent oi"gan-
izatiou except two vice-presidents,
and every beekeeper or friend of bee-
keeping can get a member for the re-
spective assembly.

The above named assembly of the
German Central Association was held
at Stettin, Sept. 6-9, 1889. Many
essays were read before the associa-
tion, and the exhibition of hives, im-
plements and products of bee-culture
was worth seeing. We mention only
au electric telegraph to indicate the
casting of a swarm in the apiary.

The honey show was better than
any one ever before seen in Germany.

jSelma, Texas.

Honey-boards.

Dk. G. L. Tinker.

Yes, Brother Heddon, I am glad
yon have phiced yourself on record
in llie March No. of tlie Api, in tlie
matter of honey-hoards as against my
views. The only fear was, that you
would not; especiall}' in view of the
facts now l)eing brought forward by
friends Alley and Root, backed up
by the testimony of hundreds of re-
liable men who are not given to theo- j
retical vaporizings. There were so
many, you know, who thought you
knew all about the cause and pre-
vention of burr-coml)s, but imagine
their chagrin to learn from your late
writings, that, though your alleged
experience in the matter was immense
and conclusive, you did not in reality
understand any one of the principles
involved in preventing burr-combs.

Either that, or you are waking up to
the fact that your new hive and sys-
tem are ahead}' doomed and we find
you hopelessly trying to stem the
popular current of ideas against your

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

61

break-joint lioney-boai-fl system. But
you are not alone in perceiving what
is to be tlie inevitable result.

Yes, sir, I repeat lliat your slatted
honey-board has liad its day and will
pass out of sight. And tliere are two
reasons for it. First, its utiiit}' in
keeping tiie queen below it is unreli-
able. Second, it does not overcome
the evils fiom burr-combs, except on
its upper side ; but burr-combs below
the honey boai'd are tiie cause of all
the hue and cry for thick and wide
top-bars, which, with proper spacing,
loill prevent theae evils effectiudly.

As to the break-jcnut slats cutting
off" the light, I 8imi)ly stated tiie facts as
observed. There was no theory about
it. There is plenty of light at the
entrance of Friend Manuin's hives, as
I have used them and know ; and
again, I think he rarely storifies liis
liives and supers moie than 24 inches
high. See my exception. But the
break-joint slats on the first story of
a hive com|)letely excludes all light
from the upper stories, and the trouble
was only n<jted where the liives and
supers were storified more than 24
inches high.

But Mr. IIed<lon is anxious to goon
record against me that less l)urr-couibs
are built whei'e the break-joint prin-
ciple exists than where theie are di-
rect or continuous passage wa3's. Now
here is Dr. Miller, an acute and cau-
tious observer, who says he can see
no difference. So says Ernest R.
Root. So also says a noted Michigan
beekeeper and personal friend of Mr.
Heddon. See Gleanings for Mar. 1.
These men confirm my statements to
the extent that there is no difference.
Here then are four against one ; that
is about th(^ size of the probability
that Mr. Ileddon's views on this point
are to a large extent theoretical.

This leaves me with the statement
there are even more burr-combs Iniilt
where the slats are break-joint. Here
let me say, that I never made or used
a Heddon slatted honey-board. I
liave used only Dr. Tinker's wood-
zinc honey- board, which I have often

made break-joint. But the fact that
I use perforated zinc between the slats
of ni}' honey-board may make some
diff'erence. With the wood-zinc hon-
ey-boaid we have less burr-combs
with continuous passage ways than
where they are not. Hence I favor
direct passage ways and regard the
break-joint feature of Mr. Heddon's
slatted honey-board as of no value.
But he believes it of value and has
the credit of inventing the break-
joint feature. How about the bee-
space? Oh! that was invented by
our venei'ated Father Langstroth be-
fore brother Heddon ever thought of
bees. And before I would take from
his honored laurels without credit, I
should want to hide my face in shame !
But let us have charity. Let us tliink
that brother Heddon had seen the
bee-space of Langstroth and then for-
got all about it, as he did when he
saw my wood-zinc honey-board at the
Michigan State Fair in 1885, and for-
got all al)Out it, then afterwards in-
vented it and claimed it as his own
invention !

Do I need here to give the proof, —
to mention the names of men whose
veracity and honor Mr. Heddon dare
not question? No, they are already
well known and I would warn him
that that old chestnut of his is about
played out. He may continue to us
iny invention on his new hive.

Yes, I use the Langstroth bee-space
in my wood-zinc honey-board (it is no
use to misrepresent me, see my arti-
cle in Feb. Api) and I use it in the
top of my brood-chambers, and I use
the Langstroth movable brood-frame
that I believe the most practical brood-
frame ever invented ; and I have used
brother Hedtlon's new brood- frames,
that by some hook or crook, Father
Langstroth, in the feebleness of his
old age, was persuaded to endorse as
a superior invention !

New Phil a., O.

In justice to our readers, we will let this con-
troversy end here. I believe the break-joint,
burr-prool" slatted lioiie3'board is a perleca liiiui-
bug, uud a useless, worthless device auyway.

62

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

With a proper top-bar and right space between
them and the correct si)ace between lop-bar and
sections above, there will be no bnrr-combs built.
At aiiyrnte, tliere never lias been any trouble of
tlie kiiul in Ilie IJay State apiary.

La^t Call we purchased twelve colonies of bees
in 10 frame I. hives, all of which have the narrow-
top-bars. The tops of the frames are so thickly
covered with brace-combs that the wood cannot
be seen. On one of the hives there is one ol' tliose
famous break-joint, bun-proof slatted honey-
boards. Tliert-, is not so much comb about the
top of those fr;imes as there is at>o«t the other
eleven hives. But the colony in this hive is the
poorest one of tlie lot, and neverhnd a large niun-
ber of bees. Nevertheless, theie is more brace
or burr-combs about the top ol the frames than
there should be, or there would be, it' the hive
and frames had been constructed on a correct
principle.

There is another thing about these break-joint
honey-boards that I do not like. By actual meas-
urement the distance between the brood-combs
and the se(!tion8 above in the hive mentioned is
two and three-fourths inches. There ought not
to be over an inch of space.

Throw away your old clap traps in the shape
of hives that require honey-bouds of any kind.
AdoiH the better system of management and bet-
ter hives.

Clipping queens' wings.

Oh, fudge and fiddlesticks! brother
E. L. Pratt (if you beemen will allow
a woman to " brother " you). Fudge
and fiddlesticks! on the '' cruel and
inhuman way " of clipping queens'
wings. You admit that it is painless ;
then, as the queen is never to use her
wing again except to call her buzzing
brood up into some tall treetop, or
off " over the pnrple hills," exactly
where the beekeeper does not want
them, I fan to see where the cruelty
is. To my notion, the " cruelty is all
on the other side, when a fly-away
queen settles on the top of one of my
oaks, and I go crawling up a ladder,
bread pan in one hand, cover in an-
other, and more fudge and fiddlesticks
on my tongue than would set up
a whole dictionary if translated into
good round swear words.

Sujjpose "Brother" Pratt, nature
had given you an extra sharp toe-nail
for the express purpose of scratch-
uig your left ear, just once, before
you began life work, and suppose, af-
ter that ear had been attended to,
some enterprising beekee — ah, no, I
mean enteri^rising party shofild then
cut it off, do you think, — remembering
the operation was " utterly painless,"

and the toe-nail worse than useless —
do you really think it would be just
as bad for you as is "throwing out
sheep's joints " for the sheep"?

Not being a sheep, and never hav-
ing had any of my joints mislaid, I've
no idea how painfiil the operation is,
but if sheep's joints are any like peo-
ple's, I should suppose the sheep had
better be thrown out and the joints
kept in the field, or, in fact, the field
thrown out and the sheep kept in the
joint. And I'm not an almond-eyed
celestial either.

Now I could teU a tale of woe, of
wailful woe, because of queens' wings
that were not clipped. I bought a
Carniolau queen of " brother J. B.
Mason, and a beauty she was, too,
and I — I — - um ! ah ! I suppose I
was afraid to open the hive again,
as I failed to search for her until the
day after fruit bloom, and found the
hive choked full of bees, and robbers
in the air, and didn't find the queen.
Then out she came a few days later,
and,— well, if she isn't fi'ozen to death,
she is out in the woods now. Here-
after my queens have a clipped wing,
or a self-hiver to decide theu course
for them.

And just here is the question I
started out to ask. Sujipose your
old queen has a clipped wing, and she
swarms, and you gather her gently out
of the grass, and get her and her swarm
into a new hive, then what of the swarm
that will issue in about eight days
more? How soon will the young queen
hatch, and how soon will she lay"?
This is what bothers me. How shall
I know that she is ready to lay, be-
fore I find her making for the tree-
tops? This is just where my trouble
comes in, as I stand considering the
Alley self-hiver. I want some self-
hivers; this is precisely what I do
want. Beekeeping has lost its terrors
for women, the moment bees can be
made to hive themselves, or to clus-
ter low down; but how shall I know
just when the young queen is layuig?
I suj)pose you will tell me to look for
the eggs, but, my goodness! who is

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

63

going to have time to squint through
all the hives? A dozen swarms might
" elojDe " while one was deciding
whether or not another dozen were
ready for the trap. Is there any date
governing these things'? If so, just
wait till I get out my order for self-
hivers.

Yours in a quandary, as ever,

Kit Clovek.
Dubuque., lotoa.

We never made it a practice to clip tlie wings of
queens, nor do we approve of doing so. Wliere
one queen wliose wings are not clipped ma}" fly
to parts unknown witli her swarm, tliere will be
half a dozen clipped queens lost in the grass, or
in some way destroyed on account of not being
able to fly. The loss of queens and swarms is
entirely prevented by tne use of the drone-and-
queen trap, or the Svvarm-hiver. Try them, you
Who have so much trouble at swarming time.

A word about young queens: when they hatch,
the time they should be fertilized, commence to
lay, etc.

If a second swarm issues it is usually on the
eighth day after the first swarm comes off, that iSi
the second swarm is due OLi tliat da3'. Seven days
later the young queen should be laying, provideil
the weather is sucli tiiat she could take a fligh'
when five days okl. It is understood, of course,
that queens do not as a rule fly to mate unless the
weather is as fine as it should be when the bees
gather honey. Now, my good woman, do not
trouble yourself about a swarm issuing from a
second swarm until the following year, as bees
seldom swarm until they have a queen one year
old.

It is not an unusual thing for the first swarm
that issues to cast a swarm late in the season, as
the first swarm has an old queen. As lo the time
the young queens commence to lay that is not of
the least consequence. Certainly no one need
open a hive and examine the cells to ascertain
the fact. If the bees hcem to be doing well, rhat
is sufficient assurance that all is right with the
colony.

Our swarm-hiver is mentioned. If this arrange-
ment is used and a swarm is captured, the swarm
should be given a new location in the apiary the
same as they should had the bees been hived
in the usual way. If a second swarm is expected
the hiver should be set again. But why permit
a second swarm to issue ? After the first swarm
has been cared for, why not open the hive and re"
move all the queen cells but one? Or, why not
remove all the cells and three days later intro-
duce a fertile queen? It strikes us that ''Kit Clo-
ver" has been reading some bee-paper not up with
the times, or she would understand some thingg
concerning bees she now seems to know but little

about. Had she read the leading bee journals
published in the United States she would long
ago have discovered that there is an arrangement
which when applied to hives obviates the neces-
sity of clipping tlie wings of any queen, climbing
into (oak) trees for a swarm of bees and the loss
of any swarms when they issue.

Take our advice and cast away those two-cent
bee-papers whose editors have not discovered the
fact that improvements in bee culture are contin-
ually being made. Head the Am. Bee Journal,
Gleanings in Bee Culture, the Review, and above
all, the Arn.'ULTUKisi'. These publications keep
their readers posted on all matters relating to new
and valuable devices that will help tlie novice to
solve the iiroblem, •' How to make bee culture a
success." — Ed.]

Siftings in Btt Culture.

CONDUCTED BV M. A. KELLEY.

Periodicals for review, exchanges and corre-
spondence intended for this department should
be addressed to

M. A. Kelley,
Mtlton, W. Va.

Honey with lemon juice is said to
be a good remedy for la grippe.

It is said by high authority that
drones will die if they are not fed by
the workers.

Several beekeepers in the South re-
port surplus honey-dew, honey stored
in mid- winter.

Cheese cloth and all other foreign
materials are not suitable for making
the sejDtum in foundation.

Well, well, so it turns out that sev-
ei^al parties have invented Alley's
"Swarmer" before he published his
invention!!

That's all in their minds.— Ed.]

Heating the place with the smoker,
a lamp or by any other means is the
very latest remedy for stings.

Bee stings as a cure for rheuma-
tism seems to be gaining advocates.
Try it, ye rheumatic ones, and report
the result in the Api.

64

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Mrs. Kit Clover is editor of the
poultry department in The Beekeep-
ers' Advance. Sorry to lose her racy
letters iii the bee department.

A good way to paint hives is said to
be to use two-thuxls beesvi'ax, one-
thu-d rosin and a " little mite " of tal-
low melted together and aj)piied warm
with a cloth.

The symptoms and cure of foul
brood is the special topic of the Feb-
ruary Reviev). The matter is ably
handled, but nothmg is said as to the
conditions that favor its develojoment
in isolated localities.

The honey bee is a regular mer-
chant. It "cells" combs for a living.
— American Ree Journal.

Yes, and it sometimes "cells" the
man that bothers its combs. /Siftinr/s
was "sold" that way one ujDon a time.

Hives should be painted white, if
painted at all, so as to avoid melting
down the combs. Some beekeepers,
Mr. Doolittle amongst them, say they
13refer unpainted hives, but the great
mass of the fraternity think otherwise.

All men err. Even editors make
mistakes. The Canadian Ree Journal
tells a correspondent that "a bee is
not an animal." Well, what is it,
pray? Is it a mineral or a vegetable?
It must, of covirse, be one of the
three.

Persons that are troubled with lay-
ing workers should notice the aiiicle
of Mr. Hawk in the February Api.
His plan seems to be a stej) in the right
direction. It is plain, simjjle and
easily aj)plied. Everlasting fussing
with the bees has had its day.

In this part of the country the bees
are gathering pollen and are getting
some honey. Peach trees have been
blooming since January, and the wil-
lows and maples are now fui'nishing

work for the bees. There will be a
rather heavy loss of bees to report
this sj^ring.

The amount of ignorance with re-
gard to honey is really astounding.

People that, in other matters, have
a fan- share of knowledge know al-
most nothmg about honey. Some
think that it is all adulterated and
that granulation proves it so. As I
heard remarked the other day, "the
human man is a curious critter."

That cloths over the frames have
had theu- day is jDlainly evinced by the
tenor of the replies to a question in
Gleanings. There are eighteen an-
swers and fourteen of them are
against the use of cloths. Several
leading wiiters are very decided in
their views. The cloths must go,
and Mr. Koot himself says the large
honey-producers have pretty much
all discarded them.

Mr. K. L. Taylor, tells how those
who use excluders may easily find
their queens. It is to rap on the
back of the hive and smoke into the
entrance until the bees become
alai-med, then turn over the excluder
and the queen will be found trying to
get through. Mr. Root sometime
since advised us to put a gummed la-
bel on the back of the queen to en-
able us to find her.

The dry bones are being stu-red up
as to spacing frames. It is an old
subject but one that needs a rehears-
ing. Now, so far as I am concerned,
I never could see the use of having
the frames 1^- in. from centre to cen-
tre. For years I have used hives
with frames | of an inch apart. To
have the combs more than this dis-
tance from each other will cause a loss
of box honey.

Thick top-bars get a great deal of
attention lately. It would be a good
thing for some one to settle the mat-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

65

ter once for all. There are too many
points in bee-culture that need to be
decided. It keeps the ordinary bee-
man in hot water, so as to speak, try-
ing to be on the rigiit track. Most
■of those who use the thick and wide
top-bars agree that they reduce, if
not entu-ely obviate, brace combs.

Mr. P. H. Dilworth, in American
Bee Journal protests against the use
of the word "colony" as applied to
"bees. He says that colony means a
settlement but that the bees are only
one family. The editor retorts that
"colony'' is better than "hive" or
•'swarm," and that we should use it
thus or invent a better term.

Siftl)if/s thinks they should be
called a "family." What say ye,
Bros. Dilworth and Newman.'

Mr. C. A. Bunch, in the American
JBe6 'Tournal says that the portico
hive, the wide frame, the open side
section and tight bottom-boards as
well as hives that do not take a stand-
ard brood-frame will all be laid on
the shelf. Yes, and a great many
other things that are now lauded
highly will be in the same "bunch."
But will Mr. Bunch give us the exact
size of "a standard (?) brood-frame"?
What is a standard frame anyway?

Mr. Geo. Wood, in the Canadian
J3ee f/owr;^a^ advocates killing sui'plus
bees rather than trying to winter
them. The editor calls it a new idea,
but it is not, for it has been published
Ijefore. The best way is to destroy
the old bees in all "families" in the
fall and save and unite the young
"bees to save over winter. The old
bees may be separated from the young
ones by movmg the hive when the
bees are flying.

We do uot approve anything of the kind. Let
the bees manage this matter themselves and all
will be well.— Ed.

that of wiring brood frames."— Z*;-'
Gr. Jj. Tinker in American Journal-
Always thought so. Dr., only I did
not think it in quite such strong lan-
guage. In a few years the progres-
sive beeman will smile at the idea of
fussing with wired frames. Some
peojile seem to want combs strong-
enough to be handled like paving
stones.

So say we, and so liave we said since we first
saw and nse<l wired foundation. Wived founda-
tion is one of ilMse nuisances tliat have crept
into bee culture almost unnoticed.— Ed.

Mr. A. I. Root is sometimes rather
severe on "odd sizes," as he puts it in
bee fixtures. Being a supply dealer
it is to his interest to have things uni-
form. He says in <Tleanin</s for
Jan.: "Nobody wants to buy bees in
a frame that is almost but not quite
an L." I would like to ask Mr. Root
if this phrase of his "almost but not
quite an L."does not exactly describe
his own pet so-called "Simplicity"
frame?

€lu€en-brt'cber0' ^Department.

Conducted by e. l. pratt.

Now let's have a rest. " La Grippe ''
we liave all had it, and the worst is
passed.

I wish to emphasize most emphatic-
ally that pwre Carniolan bees should
shoiv no yelloiu bands.

Mr. E. A. Lomaster informs me
that he has also had bees swarm with-
out drones or drone brood.

The March number of the Revieio
was given up to the discussion of the
rearing and shipping of queens.

"If there is one folly greater than
.another in modern beekeejoing, it is

The size of a queen can easily be de-
termined while she is a virgin by the
development of the head and cliest.

66

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Bee circulars and printed matter are
coming in by the hatfuls. An early
season is expected by alljndging from
the " hustle."

I claim that you can give small nu-
cleus colonies too much ventilation in
shipping, but with full colonies it is
different.

A stitf camel's hair brush will be
found the most suitable for transfer-
ring larvffi, as it is not so liable to in-
jure them.

Breeders of the Caiiiiolan race are
coming to the front with tlieir cards.
Many are discarding all others for the
Carniolans. AVhy ?

There is no end to the developments
that the excluding metal is going to
l)ring forth. The half is not yet told
of this wonderful metal.

We are constantly receiving encour-
aging reports from Carniolan bee-
keepers. This race of bees will be a
wonder when fully developed.

The French Bee Society Journal
gives a complete review of the exhibits
at the World's fair at Paris in '89.
Several American appliances are
illustrated.

I cannot reconcile myself to a closed-
end frame, but I would like a hive
that I could move about without hav-
ing to nail each hanging frame to the
rabbets.

By the use of so much foundation
in both surplus and brood departments
shall we not in time, to a certain ex-
tent, train out of our bees the power
to secrete wax ?

Of all the things about the yard that
are hard to keep run of, the dissecting
knife is tiie hardest. I never know
where mine is, and I have consider-
able order at times.

Mr. H. D. Davis informs us through
his circular that heconsiders excluding
zinc practicall}^ valueless as a queen-
excluder. I would ask Brother Davis-
what brands of zinc he has tiled?

About April 1, I shall feed my bees
a little warm syrup out of doors as
often as the weather will allow. I
have selected a warm nook for so doing,
several rods from the vard.

Brother Doolittle's plan of a self-
hiver suggested by his queries will
undoubtedl}' work first-i'ate. But
some means of accomplishing this end
all in one job would be better, the-
Alley swarmer for instance.

To my mind the past open winters-
have been caused b}^ so much rain.
The ground has been thoroughly sat-
urated for months and a warmth arises-
whicli meets the frost and snow before
it can get a foothold.

Many think the}' have a pure breed-
ing queen if the workers are all alike ;
but a season's test often discloses the
fact that " all is not gold that glit-
ters." A pure breeding queen is worth
considerable money.

Oh ! if we could have about thirty
or forty days to get a start at queen-
rearing before everybody " wants a
queen by return mail," would we not
feel good natured and couldn't we fix
the " kickers " up at short notice ?

Alley's swarmer will make the-
crowding-out plan of securing queen-
cells more agreeable to the general run
of breeders. As an actor, I believe I
am a monumental failure. And as for
repeating the swarming " act " again
and again, I'd rather be excused.

A printed fact of great value is often
passed unnoticed again and again.
Thus, the need of a second reading of
articles interesting to us. I generally

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

67

check several pieces in the different pa-
pers coming to my deslv for a second
and very often a tliird reading or re-
view.

A gentleman lias ordered of me one
dozen swarmers, saying, •■' If the
s warmers aid me one-half as much as
Alley's traps have they will do all 1
ask." More will be tempted to start
ont apiaries now that we have a de-
vice tliat will relieve onr minds of the
" pesky " swarming bnsiness.

Very often one man's hatred for an-
other will cause him to'' run down " a
device or method, or implements of
real practical merit. We slunild re-
member that from the enemy we learn
tactics. " Patience is a virtue." One
must possess a generous amount of
that commodity in a queen-rearing
yard at times.

Come to think of it, my bees were
sipping snow water from off the caps
some three weeks ago, undoubtedly
for the purpose of brood-rearing, as I
had not fed them anything before that
time. By the way, Bro. Alley, your
rebuke about "rock candy feed" is
refreshing. If beekeei^ers want to
starve their bees in that wa^^ let them
do it.

This life is a constant warfare. If
it isn't over swarmers, it is over some-
thing else. Why can I not put in a
claim also for your swarmer, Brother
Alley. If you remember, I sent you
a swarming device sometime ago. But
for goodness' sake don't rake it out.
It would make me shudder to behold
its skeleton-like form.

Few breeders seem to realize that
we have mating ever under con-
trol by manipulating the entrances.
There should be no drones in the air
while young queens are flying, but
those selected from the best stocks,
either distributed through the nuclei
or all in one hive. Of these there

should be great numbers, both strong
and healthy.

I shall practise feeding flour inside
the hive this spring after the Russian
plan, viz. : sift flour into the cells until
about one-fourth full, till up one-fourth
more with powdered sugar and run
syrui) of sugar and hone}' into the bal-
ance. After the flour and sugar are
well saturated, place the comb close
up to the brood-nest. Renew the
operation in a few daj's.

'■'•Queen Restrictor" is the inven-
tion receiving attention by Mr. Chas.
W. Dayton of Bradford, Iowa. By
the use of strips of excluding metal
attached to end, top and bottom bars,
the queen is confined to as many
combs as desired without the use of
regular divisions or honey-boards.
Two or more frames being attached,
reversing can be easily done. It is
contraction in itself.

Perhaps we could suggest a few im-
provements in your nursery cage,
Brother Alley. Send us one and see
if we can. I have in mind an entirely
new device for nursing. After an-
other season I shall publish it, if of
enough note. Can't you remember
how 3'ou used to sit up nights waiting
for queens to hatch by the old meth-
ods? There is yet chance for ira- '
provements.

We doiil)t it. Have exi)eviniented in the queen-
nnrseiy line lor twenty-five years. So far as we
need a nursery, ours is a perfect one.— Ed.]

Wide top-bars and drone-traps.

Jjancaster, Mar.
Mr. Alley:

10, 1890.

I am now using the Langs-
troth hive with portico. I wish to try
your Langstroth frames. I am using
the common narrow top-bar frames
and I do not hke them. You will find
enclosed twelve cents in postage for
which please mail me a sample of
your Langstroth frames.

68

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

I shall also want some of jowv queen
and drone traps. I tried a sample
trap last season and it worked to per-
fection. I cannot be watching my bees
at swarming- time and without your
trap I am running the risk of losing
my swarms. I lost a nice swarm of
Carniolans two seasons ago by not
being present when they swarmed and
came very near losing a strong swarm
of Italians last summer. I was two
miles from home at work when they
s^varmed. When I got home they had
taken the second flight and ckistered
in the top of a tall tree; there was no
ladder to be had that was near long
enough to reach the bees, so I had to
scale the trees and with the aid of a
second party I cut the limb and let
it down with a rope. Such a job I
mean to i^revent in the future. Your
trap will be a valuable device for me.
I feel grateful to the Messrs. Bar-
ker Brothers of Hornerstown, N. J.,
who recommended the An to me. I
should have been left in the dark
in a great many matters pertaining
to bee culture without the Api.

Joseph EiBEL.

That's it. The trap saves bees, time and labor.
and in a good many cases no donbt prevent a
bi'oiien neck.

Those who do not read a flrst-chiss bee-paper
will get left. Subscribe for all the leading bee-
journals and keep up with the advancement in
apiculture.— Eu.]

Absconding swarms— how prevented.
Last season was the most remarkable for swarm-
ing ever known here. Bees absconded to the
•woods in great numbers. A great many trees
were lound and cut. Some were found in logs
and liollow roots. I liave tliree swarms taken
from as many trees, all at one time.— S. J. Young-
man in Avi. Bee Journal.

Such things are prevented wliere
the drone-and-queen trap, or our au-
tomatic Svvarm-hiver is used. The
S warmer not only prevents the loss
of swarms, but saves tlie beekeeper
the ti'ouble of hiving the swarms and
also the trouble of going into a tall
tree for the bees. We will mail a
sample of Svvarm-hiver to the address
of any subscriber for 75 cents. You
all will admire the simplicity of the
latest and most useful apiarian labor-
saving device.

A liard hit at some paper.
Georgeville, Pa., Feb. 21, 1890.
Mr. Alley: I received your Journal
and think it the best I received among
five others ; there is so much informa-
tion about bees and not mixed with a
lot of other affairs like poultry, etc.
When 1 subscribe for a bee journal
I mean that; if I want a poultry
grower I will send for that, or a farm
journal. I don't expect to see in any
of the others how to care for and
manage bees: or if I do see a few
words about bees I have no confidence
in what I see in other journals as in
the regular bee-journal. I am just
commencing the bee business and
need all the information I can get.
Mrs. Hettie E. Lydic.

Bees and hens do not seem to go well together;
that is, so far as i)u1)lishing a paper. Several
parties have tried it and have discovered their
mistake. I'he Canadian Bee Journal vvliich has
been published as a poultry and bee journal for
a year or two, has now been changed to a ''pure"
bee paper again.

The Apr has continued fi-om the start to be a
paper i)ublislied in the interest of beekeepers and
will so continue as long as the present editor has
charge ofit.

It is for the interest of every reader of tlie
API to send iis one or more new subscribers for
tlie API. Just give us a large subscription list
and we will give you in return double tlie amount
of matter we now do.— Ed.]

The swarmer.— .Catching drones.
Wells Pohit, Texas.

I have one swarm of Italians, and
as they are the only Italians in the
neighborhood, I shall want them to
raise drones. With your "Swarmer "'
on the hive, will not the drones get
out the same way the queen will and
be unable to return to the hive '? What
course shall I have to pursue in order
to get the advantage of the Italian
drones and at the same time not lose
my swarms?

W. H. WiNGO.

Swarms usually issue before noon and drones
seldom lly before 12 o'clock. In your case the
Swarmer can be pushed about half an inch away
from the entrance to give the drones a chance to
fly. Do this about noon and replace early the
next morning.

Twelve days after the first swarm issues the
Swarmer should be removed I'rom the hive that
cast a swarm to give the young queen a ohauce
to fly and become fertilized.— Ed. J

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

69

[Copyright.]

THIRTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES.

By IIkmjy' Alley.

QUEEN-REARING.

IContiuuecl from page 43, Vol. viii.]

The observatory hive for studying the
habits of hives.

I know of no better way for the novice

to study the habits of the honey-bee

than can be done by an observation

hive, such as is illustrated in fig. 21.

This hive has but one comb which is in-

^' ' I__F^' _: ">>-,.

1 1

%

Fig. 21. Observatory hive.

serted between two plates of glass. Any-
one can make such a hive at small ex-
pense. Get out a frame, groove for a
glass to slide in, leaving an inch and a
half between grooves for the comb.
Wooden covers, H, are used to keep out
the light. I arrange it so that the bees
pass to and from the hive under the bot-
tom sash of a window, and in such a way
that no bees can enter the room.

When thus arranged there is no dan-
ger of anyone being stung while observ-
ing the bees work. Here every move-
ment of the bees and queen can be seen,
and all work from the laying of the egg
to the sealed brood may be seen at any
lime j how the bees remove pollen from

their legs ; how they behave when de-
prived of their queen, and how they start
and build a queen-cell, store honey in
the cells, etc.

If the observation hive contains a
small colony of bees and an unfertile
queen, it will be seen that the bees do
not take the least notice of her. Ap-
parently she is of no more consequence
before becoming fertile than other bees
in the hive ; yet should she be removed
from the colony, the bees would soon
miss her, and make as much fuss over
her loss as they would had she been a
fertile queen. The fact that bees pay no
attention to a virgin queen, is the best
^idence that she is not fertile.

Indications of loss of a queen.
When a virgin queen leaves the hive
on the mating trip, there is not much
excitement or disturbance over her de-
parture, and should she not return for
an hour or more her absence would not
be noticed by the bees. Should she be
lost by some accident which the queen
bee is likely to encounter and is always
subject to whenever she leaves the hive,
and not return by sunset, the bees would
be greatly excited ; hundreds of them
would come outside the hive and run
about ; others would take wing and fly
a short distance from the entrance and
return ; in fact the entire colony seems
to be in search of the queen. This state
of things will continue for about an hour,
when the bees will become reconciled
to their loss, quiet down and commence
to construct several queen- cells, and by
the next morning there would be nothing
outside the hive to indicate that the col-
ony within had so recently lost its queen.

70

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

and no one would suspect it without ex-
amining the combs.

How to know a nucleus colony has lost its
queen without opening the hive.

To save the trouble of opening hives
in order to satisfy myself that no colony
is queenless from loss of queen at mat-
ing time, I usually take a stroll through
the apiary about dusk on the day that the
queens are likely to take a flight. Some-
times I find that several queens have
been lost. If any are found showing loss
of queen, I then change the position of
the indicator (which will be described
further on), we use to denote the condi-
tion of each colony ; and soon thereaf-
ter each colony is supplied with a queen.
If a queen-cell is given the bees under
such circumstances they will readily ac-
cept it. When there are no virgin queens
at hand to introduce to such colonies, a
cell is best to insert at once, but a virgin
queen over two hours old, should not be
used until the colony has Ijeen queenless
seventy two hours. I really think the in-
experienced beekeeper had better intro-
duce a queen, either fertile or unfertile,
by the cage system.

Fertile and unfertile queens.

It requires considerable experience in
beekeeping before the beginner is able
to decide whether a queen is fertile or

Fig. 23.

Unfertile queen.

Otherwise. Hence it will be seen at the
start that it is no easy thing for me to
make this matter perfectly clear to all.
However, perhaps I can so explain the
methods by which the experienced bee-
keeper is governed in such cases, that

the novice and inexperienced beekeeper
will be more or less benefited when un-
decided regarding the fertility of a queen.

It is known that a queen emerging
from the cell is not near as large as she
will be in the course of a week or so
after becoming fertile. As a rule unfertile
queens are not more than two-thirds as
large as a fertile queen.

Figs. 2 2 and 23 very well illustrate the
difference in the size of fertile and un-
fertile queen.

"Ways of knowing a fertile queen.

The experienced beekeeper is some-
times puzzled to decide at a glance
whether a queen is fertile or unfertile,
lake an old queen at swarming time as
an illustration. Unless her wings are
ragged, which is an indication that a
queen is an old one, there are but few
beekeepers who can say positively that
such a queen is fertile.

A few days before a swarm issues, the
bees, and especially the queen, make
preparations to emigrate. Her egg-
producing capacity is curtailed, and her
abdomen so contracted that, though an
old queen, she is so small that her ap-
pearance and size seem about the same
as a virgin queen. There is a sure way
of deciding the matter of the fertility of
any queen. Place the queen in a cage
and then put the cage on the alighting
board of a hive which has no queen.
The bees will at once cover the cage.
Nearly the same thing would occur
should a virgin queen be placed near a
hive under the same circumstances. The
difference would be that while the bees
would offer food to the laying queen,
they would do their best to get at and kill
the virgin queen. The bees would cling
to the cage about the same as they would
toa queen when she is balled. The bees
can always be depended on to feed a
fertile queen, but bees having a fertile
queen will not feed an unfertile queen.

Studying the habits of the bees through
glass.
If a fertile queen is placed in an ob-
servation-bive and under the same con-

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

71

ditions every way as the unfertilized
queen described above, the workers will
continually offerthe queen food. As long
as there is any brood in the hive, and the
queen continues to lay, the workers will
pay every attention to her ladyship.
Usually the bees form a circle about the
queen, while many of those about her
head are offering food ; the other bees
in the circle seem to be tenderly caress-
ing her by placing their antennse or
feelers, on the body of the queen and
quickly withdrawing and repeating the
same thing over and over again. The
nseof theantennse is hardly understood.
Professor Cook in his excellent treatise
on the bee says: "The antennae are
very delicate touch-organs or feelers,
and are so important in their functions
and connections that removal produces
a severe shock, but further we know
litde about their function, if they have
other, and from the very nature of the
problem we shall find it very difficult of
solution."

Watch a bee when on a flower gather-
ing honey or pollen, and it will be seen
that the feelers are in constant use. The
bee seems to have the same use for the
antennae when on a flower as when near
a queen. I think bees seldom, if ever,
touch an unfertile queen with their an-
tenuce or form a circle about one as they
do a fertile queen. In fact the bees do
not seem to care at all about anunfertile
queen.

Respect bees show for the queen.

When a fertile queen moves about the
combs her subjects always open a way
for her to pass, and the bees seem to vie
with each other in their respect for their
ruler.

The virgin queen never has so much
respect shown her. The workers do not
even trouble themselves to get out of
her way when she moves about the
combs. She must run over the bees and
get about the best she can.

When a hive is opened and combs re-
moved, a virgin queen is pretty sure to
take wing, especially if the operation of
removing the combs is not performed

quietly, or late in the day. However,
there is no danger of the queen being
lost as she will fly but a short distance
from the hive and immediately return.

Difllculty experienced in fiading virgin
queen.

On account of the great timidity of a
virgin queen it is hard to find one in a
large colony. I much rather look over
half a dozen full colonies for as many
fertile queens as to try to find one un-
fertile queen even in a small colony.
The fertile queen unless quite young
and has been introduced but a few days
will not attempt to fly or leave the
combs when the hive is opened. The
fertile queen does not sulk in the corners
of the frames, or under the bees. She
is usually found on the combs. All her
movements are opposite those of the
virgin queen. The fertile queen seldom
gets excited and it is but litde trouble to
find one even in the largest colony of
bees.

How to find a fertile queen.

A great many beekeepers have writ-
ten us stating that they would like to in-
troduce an Italian queen if they could
only find the one in the colony to which
they wished to introduce the new queen.
There are several ways to find the
queen of any colony. A black queen
in a colony of black bees is the hardest
to find (except a virgin queen) ; and
an Italian queen, even in a colony of
golden Italian bees, is the easiest to
find. The heavy, rich golden color of
a large, yellow queen is easily distin-
guished from the small, striped bees
that compose the colony.

The following is the easiest way I
know of for tlie novice to proceed :
Take a hive, as near as possible like the
one the bees are in, place it on the
ground or on a large cloth (a horse
blanket will do), then place a drone-
and-queen trap at the entrance of it and
close any other places the queen might
pass through. Now, all is ready ; smoke
the bees, take out the frames one at a
time and examine carefully for the queen ;
if not found; shake the bees from the

72

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

comb upon the blanket about a foot from
the trap and after examining the combs
place them in the empty hive. Con-
tinue to do so until all the combs have
been looked over. If the queen is not
found, cover the hive and with the use
of the smoker drive the bees in through
the trap and at the same time look sharp
for the queen. She will, most likely,
be found in a very few moments try-
ing to pass through the metal of the
trap.

I believe the above is the surest,
quickest and easiest way for the novice
to find a queen.

This work must not be done in the
middle of the day, unless the bees are
gathering honey, or robbing may be in-
duced. Do it late in the day. If too
late to find the queen, she will be found
on the trap the next morning if she was
shaken from the combs.

One other method for finding a queen
is to remove the honey-board, place the
cap on the hive and drive the bees up
into it by gradually blowing smoke in at
the entrance and drumming on the hive
five or more minutes. Turn the cap
over and look for the queen. If not
found, place another cap on and repeat
the operation.

An old queen is rather slow about
leaving the brood-nest, even when the
bees are well-smoked, and sometimes it
is necessary to drive nearly all the bees
out of the hive and then afterwards re-
move the combs to get her.

The expert is not obliged to use the
above method to find a queen. He
merely blows smoke in at the entrance
of the hive to alarm the bees and in a
few moments uncovers the frames, takes
the combs out and examines each one
until the queen is found. It usually
requires about as much time for an
expert to find a queen as it does for one
to read these few lines descriptive of the
method.

The beekeeper who is bound to suc-
ceed will soon find plenty of methods
to do all the required work about the
apiary. If one method fails, he tries
another.

Another way to find a queen and one
which I think is a good idea is given by
R. L. Taylor of Lapeer, Mich. This
plan is somewhat similar to the one given
above, though it may be an easier
method when a large colony is to be
looked over for a virgin queen. Mr.
Taylor's method is as follows :

"If the colony to be operated on is not
already provided with a queen-exclud-
ing honey-board, or a cap of some kind,
provide it Avith one, and in every case
see that they fit loosely, so that they may
be quickly removed. Now, with the
smoker in one hand, and a small stone
in the other, thump on the rear end of
the brood chamber, for about two or
three minutes, puffing occasionally six or
eight strong blasts of smoke directly into
the entrance of the hive ; then quickly
remove the super or the honey-board,
turning the latter bottom side up on the
ground in front of the hive, when you
will most likely find the queen among
the bees.

If you are not successful in finding
the queen the first time, be assured that
either your eyes are not trained to rec-
ognize the queen readily, or that you
have not carefully followed the direc-
tions."

Years ago and a long time before the
plan of Mr. Taylor's appeared in the
bee-papers, I gave nearly the same
method for finding a queen as now rec-
ommended by Mr. T. We had no
metallic honey-boards in those days.
Wood-caps were used on all Lang-
stroth hives. Our plan was to use smoke
at the entrance and drum on the hives
to alarm the bees. Then the honey-
board was removed and the queen was
found on it ; if not, the cap of the
hive was placed on and the bees driven
from the combs into it. The cap is
then removed and examined for the
queen which is usually found therein ;
if not, another cap is used and the bees
drummed again, and so on till the queen
is found. After the queen is found the
bees are left to return to the hive at their
pleasure.

The best way to find a queen is to go

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

73

at it with a determination to find her
before giving up the job.

All should remember that an opera-
tion of this kind ought not to be per-
formed in the apiary in the middle of the
day when the bees are inclined to rob.
It is usually safe to open a hive just be-
fore sunset, provided there has been no
robbing in the apiary for a week or longer.
If it is actually necessary to find a queen
in the middle of the day, remove the
hive to a room, darken all the windows
but one and then proceed. When the
queen has been found, return the hive
to the stand and open the window and
door and let the bees return.

The bee-room— how arranged.

A room in which to handle bees is an
actual necessity with me. I could not
get along without it any more than the
bees could without a hive. The queen
dealer must have a convenient place
for doing most of the work required in
his cell-building operations. I have
found that even the small beekeeper
has a little workshop and honey-room
attached, and a convenient place in
which to keep his bee-fixtures. A room
for handling bees should be kept sepa-
rate from the workshop or honey-room.

The bee room should not be too large.
One window is sufficient to furnish all
the light needed. If the room or build-
ing has several windows, all but one
should be darkened while a colony is
being operated upon. This one window
should be protected from robber bees
from the outside by screen wire fast-
ened to a frame and the frame hung the
same as if used as a door, so that it can
be opened and shut as convenience and
occasion require.

When a large colony is taken to the
bee-room and opened, nearly a quart of
bees will fly to the window. As no
robber bees can enter the room, and as
no trouble will be experienced from the
bees that take wing, there will be little
need of hurrying the work. When the
object for which the bees were removed
to the room has been accomplished, the
hive should be placed on the stand

and these bees on the window allowed
lowed to go home. ^

How to warm the bee-room.
In cool weather, I find that the bee-
room must be warmed in order to do the
work properly and prevent the bees that
take wing and the brood from chilling.
In a small room a large stove would fur-
nish too much heat and would be in the
way. In order to get as much room as
possible, a small kerosene stove, one
having two wicks, is used. P^ven this
stove is sometimes too large and gives
off more heat than is required.

Another thing in my bee-room and
one which I have found an indispens-
able article in years past, is a honey-
bench. This is made of matched
boards and is secured firmly to the side
of the room. All small pieces of honey-
comb are placed on the table, the back
end of which is elevated three inches,
so that all loose honey will run down and
find its way into a conductor at the front
end, thence into a receptacle under the
bench. To keep the bench clean and
sweet, beeswax and rosin are melted to-
gether, and while hot is turned upon the
bench, then a hot sad-iron is used to
burn the mixture into the grain of the
wood. All the work of transferring,
cutting combs, etc., is done on this
table.

Transferring is another thing I use
this table for. I suppose that within the
past thirty years I have purchased near-
ly one thousand colonies of bees in box-
hives, and all had to go through the bee-
house. There is not a day between
May I and September i that I do not
take from one to six colonies of bees in
the bee-house to manipulate in some
way.

in winter the bee-room is utilized for
the storage of the surplus combs, and
for all things used in the apiary in the
summer.

What the queea-dealer and practical bee-
keeper need in the apiary.

It would be folly for any one to un-
dertake beekeeping without a good bel-
lows smoker. With one of the l^esi

74

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

smokers in use, there is no trouble in
handling the most vicious colony of bees
in the apiary. Those who attempt to
open a hive of bees and remove the
combs without a proper smoker will, in
most cases, have reason to regret it as
more or less stings will be the result.

Fuel for smokers.

Various kinds of fuel are recom-
mended to burn in the smoker. Most
any dry, rotten wood will burn and
make a good smoke ; but rotten elm
wood is the best material I have used
in the bellows smoker. It is prepared
in this way : when in a hurry and you
cannot wait for it to dry in the sun, put a
quantity of the "spunk" in a baking-pan
and dry it in the stove oven when there
is not too much fire in the stove. The
wood easily ignites when dry and none
should come in contact with the stove
oven, as it is not an easy matter to pre-
serve the wood if it gets on fire.

One word of caution. Never take
the smoker into a building unless
obliged to do so. Should a coal get
out the pipe and not noticed, the build-
ing would be likely to go up in smoke.
The smoker is a very dangerous thing
to have about anything of a combustible
nature.

The honey-extraetor.

Those in a good location for honey,
that is, tiiose who keep bees where
there is plenty of forage throughout the
summer, or in localities where basswood
and clover abound in an unlimited
quantity should use a honey extractor.
Sometimes it will be found necessary to
remove the bees to the bee-room in or-
der to use the extractor. When bees
are gathering honey it is perfectly safe
to use the machine in the open field.
Bees are pretty apt to commence rob-
bing just about the time the flow of
nectar begins to grow scarce. Therefore
if you are a little cautious at this time it
will save much trouble. When bees once
get well under way in robbing, it is a
difhcult thing to stop it.

Brusli for removing bees from the combs.

It is often necessary to remove bees
from combs and to do this some sort of
a brush or broom must be used. Of the
many things recommended for brushing
bees from the combs there is nothing
I have used so effectual as a small corn-
broom, similar in shape to such a broom
as is used for brushing clothes ; but one
that is used for that purpose is rather
too heavy for brushing bees from combs.
When a proper broom cannot be had,
I cut off near the binding abont half of
the straws. This will slip over the bees
without killing any, but will be found
effectual in removing all the bees after
awhile.

During the summer when the grass is
five or more inches long, it will be found
first-rate for brushing bees from combs;
but for work in the bee-room the broom
is the best and more convenient.

\_To he continued.]

The Svrarm-Hiver.

We knew that a Swnrmer was a tliinj? that a
la>ge iiiajonty of beekee|it'is waiiteii ; but we liad
no idea that t^o many woiiM ordLT so soun after
we adverii-ed them.

Tlie t'aci that the Sionrmer catches drones, as
does also the drone trn|i. and hives the swarms,
is the leulure that will make the Sioarmer i)0|)ii-
lar with iiSarly all beckeeiiers. Wny, where tlie
Swaimer is used, the bees can be hived in a
standard hive, in a box. or in anything to wliich
the Swarmer is connei'ted.

We have liuiidieds of customers who keep bees
and are awav fioui home nearly all day. certainly
that |iart of the dav when bees are likely to
sw.irm. Well, the Swarmer is just the thing snch
beekeepers iieeil. Mow pleasant it will be lo the
beekeepi'r on arriving home at night to find
that the bees have swarmed and liived them-
selves.

ilow nice it will be for our readers who preach
on Sunclay.s t'> go to church and give their whole
atteiuiiiu to the congregation and not tliink even
once about the bees .•« warming.

The Swiirinur saves anxiety, liees, time, honey
and money. Bear in minil that we mail the
Sioarmer to any part of tlie United States or Can-
ada for the small sum of $1. After yon see the
sample anil limi you neeil more, they can be had
by ex[>ress at tlie low price of $3.;,0 per doz.

Missing copies of the A pi.

If our subscribers who do not get the Apicul-
TUIUST before the tenth day of each month will
notify us promptly, they will do us a favor, and
save us considerable trouble.

We usually mail the API the first day of each
month or a few days before.

TSSTIZD GAR]\riOLiAI^ QUKBNS,

We huve just purchased all the Tested Carniolaii Queens that Jolin Andrews,
of the late Hrm of Andrews & Loclcport, has now wintering in liis 100 colonies,
except what was ordered prior to January 7, 1890. These queens are to pro-
duce no bees showing yellow bands, and are to be shipped in May. Anyone
in need of a fine breeding queen early in the season should correspond with
me, or anyone interested in the Carniolan bees should read our catalogue de-
scribing these bees.

Address,

THE J^^ID'V.A.I^OE],

MECHANIC FALLS, MAINE.

1882 CARNIOLANS. 1890

Before yon bnv imiioi ted or home bred Carnio-
lan Queens, !<end for my circulars. 1 have been
breedms tlie Carniol.m bees longer than any
other man in tlx; United States. They are the
best race of bees known.

L. A. LOWMASTER,

Belle Vernon, Ohio.

A NEW^ DISCOVERY.

Thk Commdn-sensk IJonky Kxtkactok is
strictly s<-,ieHti(i(;. powerful, (lural)le, handy, (!lean
and rapid, and diflf.-i-s from all otbei's, and is
cheaper tlian tlie cheapest at slaughter prices.

Circulars Free.

KE3V. A. R. SEAMAN,

New CUiMHElilyAND,

Hancock Co., W.Ya.

The Beekeeper's Directory.
A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classified list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays ami hints regarding the
successful management of the apiary. It is "com-
piled by Henry Alley, Wenhani, Mass." It con-
tains UO pages, one-half of wliich are devoted to
names and addresses of beekeepers, and the
other half to the practical hints mentioned above,
including Mr. Alley's " method forrearing queens
in full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Bee Journal.

WESTERN HEAD-QUARTERS FOR APIARIAN SUPPLIES.

Having greatly enlarged our factory and increased our manufacturing facilities, we are prepared

to fill orders promptly with goods unsurpassed in quality

and workmanship.

ALL OUR HIVES TAKE THE SIMPLICITY FRAME.

ITA.LIA.lSr QUEENS AND BEES

At astonishingly low prices.

Situated, as we are, on the "(ireat Burlington Route" (C. B. & Q ) and the C. & N. W.,
we can ship goods cheaply to all parts of the United States and Canada.

Estimates gladly furnished and correspondence solicited. We will send free our new
illustrated price-list and know you can save money by examining it before purchasing your
supplies.

A. F. STAUFFER & CO.,

Mention API.

STERLING, ILL.

I^KICES OF SUr»]PI.IES

— AT THE •

BAY STATE APIARY,

Uee-tlives.

We offer only tlie Bav State hive for sale.

One hive in tlie flat, $ 8.00

Six hives" " " Ifi.OO

Twelve" '• " " 27.00

All parts of the Hive are included in tlie above,
ft-ames, bcctions and all but paint and nails.
Srtectlons.
One-piece sections per 1,000 4.30
500 2.50

" " " " ]00 .60

Langstrotli Fi-ames.

]\[aterial for (lianging) frames for Standard L.
Hive per 100 $.5.00

The frames we nse are so constructed iliat ilic
bees will not build comb between or over tliein
at the top, nor fasten llie section case and frames
together, as is the case when the common top
bar is used.

nVa-iling Block; for Frames.

No one can do good work at nailing frames
■without a proper board to nail tliem on. We can
send one, by express, tliat will do the work nicely

price,. 60

Coml> Foundation.
We can supply the bei*t br.-mds at manufactur-
ers' prices, and ship direct to our customers fiom
the nearest factory. We also keep a quantity in
stock to lill (small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames 4.5 cts. per lb.

1 •' " " " sections 50 " " "

We keep in stock but one dimension of brood-
foundation 174 5^ ^ inches. This is large eiioiigli
for any L. frame and is just right for the IJay
State frame.

Ferlorated. Zinc.
This we c;in sujiply in anj' quantities, ship)ied

With other goods, per toot 12 cts.

If sent by mail, add 10 cents per foot f.ir postage.
Honey Extractors.
The E. ']'. Lkwis & Co. kxtracior.
No. 22. 28 inches in iliameter, 25 inches
high, 2-franie for any size up to
lij X 19; room for 25 lbs., honey
below reel, and the bestextiaclor

ever made tbi' $10 00

We sell this size only as it is the most conven-
ient to Use of any fouml in use. This extractor is
adapted to any fiame in use.

Honey Itnives.

Root's knife, by express, 70

" " b) mail, 75

Bee Veils.

The veil has a rublter band which draws the top

together; it is then placed over any hat and

drawn until the elastic is over the hat band.

Cominou net, by mail 35

Smokers.

Bingham & Hetlierington's only.

By mail, $1.75 ; by express, 1 50

Queens and Full Colonies.
C^ueens.

I'rices.

Untested queens, each $1.00

Selected " " 1.25

Tested " " 2.00

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,
each, 3.00

Our imtested queens are sent out before any of
their brood liatches. 95 per cent will prove to be
ptiiely mated. Sale arrival and purity guaranteed
in all cases.

Carniolan queens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bees cannot be ex-
celled.

Fvill Colonies.

We consider eight frames well filled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. Vrices of
such in B. S. Iiive. including one set of sections,
$12.00. Furc.liasers to pay express charses. Safe
arrival guaranteed. " •

Fourtli Edition of tlie

Beekeepers' Handy Book, or Thirty Years
among the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Queen-rearing Apx>aratus.

Beekeepers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by any other, should have the
apparatus here described. The Swarm box and
QUEKN-NUKSKKY are articles that no person who
rears queens oiiglit to dispense with.

By Using the swarm-box a large colony of bees
can be confineil a long time or transported safely
huiMlieds ot miles. It is a very useful aiticle
about the apiary at all times during the season.
■Sent only by ex|)ress, price, $1.25.
When a colony swarms and it is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are at
hand, the Queen-mn sery in such ca'-es will be
found invaluable; the cells can be placed in them
and they need no fuither care for a week or more.
Virgin or fei tile queens can be kept in the nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
number ot queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are also used in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be found
ill our work upon queen-rearing.

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.00

Swarm-box 1.25

Fertilizingliive (complete) 50

Kiimigator for using tobacco 25 .30

Cone-feeder 15 .20

To make tlie lot complete, we put in each pack-
age one (irone;ind-queeii-trap, one copy of
Thirty Veaks amo.ng the Bees, and send all

by express for $4.50

All these articles (;an be i)acked in the swarm-
box and sent safely by express or freight.

Bi'ooms for Brusliing Bees
from Combs.

We find a small "corn-broom" best for this
]iuriJO!-e as it does not injiiie or irritate the bees,
ami will do tlie work better ami quicker than
anything else used lor the purpose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 " by ex press 20

HOW TO REMIT MONEY.
Remit by registered letters, cashier's check or
express orders. If sent by money orders or
l)ostal notes, have them made iia/able at the
Salem, Mass., P. O. Make all rtmittances pay-
able to the order of the American Apicultu-
rist.

Address,

AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

Wenham, Essex Go., Mass.

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Wenham, Mass., April, 1890.

That hundred-dollar queen.

In the October (1889) issue of the
Apiculturist, we gave a brief de-
scription of one of the valuable Ital-
ian queens we have in the Bay State
Apiary. We have but a few copies
of that issue left, and as the demand
still continues for that particular num-
ber by beekeepers interested to know
the history of what we consider the
most valuable Italian queen bee in
the w^orld, we find it necessary to de-
vote a little more space in the Api in
order to acquaint our hundreds of new
subscribers with the history of this
wonderful colony of bees.

This queen was reared in the Bay
State Apiary in the season of 1889.
As soon as the young bees had com-
menced to work in the fields we saw
that this colony possessed real merit
and were superior in many respects
to any other bees in our apiary. A
brief description of the good points
of this colony can but help to interest
our readers, new and old, as we now
can add another good feature (that of
wintering) this colony possesses in
addition those good points mentioned
last fall.

Of the fiftj^-eight colonies of bees
in the Bay State Apiary including
German, Carniolan and Italians, there
is not one colony that has wintered
quite as well as this one. There have
been no dead bees about the hive,
mould nor moisture. The bees have

remained perfectly quiet all winter.
The hive is now crowded with bees.
This colony was the lirst one in the
apiary to carry in pollen, a thing they
did on March 14, three da3^s earlier
than we ever before knew bees to
gather pollen here in New England.

When working on golden rod last
September this colony commenced
work an hour earlier and worked an
hour later than any other bees we
had ; consequently they stored enough
honey to carry them through the win-
ter. This, in our opinion, is one of
the best features a colony of bees can
possess.

The queen is one of the most pro-
lific we ever saw and the disposition of
the workers is all that the most timid
person could desire. I can remove the
honey-board or top-board at any time
and not even one bee will fly from the
combs. Have never used any smoke
when opening this hive and removing
the combs, and have not been stung
by these bees.

I am free to state this colony of
bees is the only perfect one we have
seen in our thirty years' experience
in beekeeping. Every good point that
bees should possess is combined in
this one colony. There is not a bad or
undesirable feature about them.

We shall rear 3,000 young queens
from this queen the coming season,
and all will be fertilized by drones
not at all related to the mother. No

(1)

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

in-and-in breeding is allowed in our
apiary in order to produce that hand-
some yellow color, which some de-
sire. The queens we shall send out
will be beautifully and purely marked.
The purity, extra quality and safe ar-
rival of all queens sent out from our
apiary is guaranteed. Don't fail to
try one of these queens if you desire
to see perfection in bees.

The Api for one year and one select
queen of above strain will be sent for
$1.50.

A good thing if, it works well.

Batavia, Jan. 11, 1890.
Dear Sie: — I saw in the Americcm
Bee Journal that you have a self-
hiving arrangement so that a bee-
keeper can go away from home and in .
case his bees swarm they will hive
themselves. I would like to get one
if they do not cost too much.

I have talked wdth a good many
beekeepers here and they thought by
the looks of the illustration m the Bee
Journal that it would be a good thing
if it works well and the jDrice is not
too high.

There are a good many about here
who keep bees and they lost a good
many sw^arms last season. I think
the S warmer will take well here. I lost
several swarms last summer; they
skipped out while I was away from
home. Wish you w^ould answer the
following questions.

1. Can't a queen get out of the
same place a worker bee can?

2. Will the swarm-hiver interfere
wdth the bees during the workino- sea-
son? .

3. Does the swarmer prevent the
drones from flying ?

1. A queen is larger than a worker bee and
cannot pass tlirough the perforated metal while
the worker bees can easily do so.

wf;., ,T!l^. "'^'"-^ 'iocs not very much interfere
with the bees; in fact it seems to make no ditfei-
ence whether the swarmer is on or off alter the
first hour or so.

3. No drones can pass the metal, as the drone
IS larger than either queens or worker bees —Ed J

JVotice.

om-T^A'Tfi'"'''**"^^" *'*'P I «"•' hundreds of
ventiou! " °°'^ '■*'«*''''^ *^ '^» invaluable in!

Who will reply?

I wish to ask a question in your Api.

hundred pounds or less is made.' °

P. L. S.

The swarmer a good thing,
nin^hfr^filte^-^'- Jf thei;^rer^rrks

eiycfaii;\^o'a'^w^,foK^i;'t!:fpi^[,e^r'^-^«"'

Marion Miller.

cihi,^;,, i"^ Alley: Is it too late for you to*
,,.!' 'Y "'I® ?'■ ^"■'^ ™ore queens ? I am well
pleased with the one sent me. They are the most
gentle bees I ever handled. A DuNci^

Like the trap very much.

oniil' ^^^^^.'- I have fifty of your drone-and-
wlt-pn-iH^Pfl '.° "'^ '^'"^ l*e them very much.
Heieuitl find amount for individual right to
mauuhicture them for my own use.

W. W. Heath.

A good Carniolan queen.

MR. HENRT AlS!!'"'"'' ""■' ^"'•'"^ ^' '^^^'

..o^f.t^.^^^i,,.,^'?''^*' change the address on my
paper Horn Wilmington. O., to Martinsville, O

without It. The Carniolan queen I got of you last
Septemljer has three frames of brood in a five-
frame stand at present. Her workers are beauties.
Yours truly,
J. E. Thrusher.

The drone-trap and swarmer.
H. alley:- Flint, Mich.

Last spring I purchased some of your drone-
and-queen traps of Thomas G. Newman & Son
Chicago. '

I like them very much and they seem to take
well with my customers.

The new self-hiving arrangement is, in myonin-
lon, going to be a good thing. '

M. S. West.

Chaff packing under hives.

„ . West Nicholson, Pa.

Manager am. Api :

,j ,-. ^ "™ ^ novice in beekeeping and
would like to see the following queries answered
in the API. £ l. Travis

1. Wliat is the proi)er distance from tlie ground
to set hives to winter on summer stand-' Two

2. Is chaff packing under the hives an advan-
tage lu winter ? No.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

Notice. Some of our western friends have an
idea th.it the American ApicuUurist is published
for the sole benefit of New England beekeei)ers.
This IS a mistake. We liave more than double
the number of subscribers in any one of the west-
ern states than we have in all the six New Eng-
land states combined. Nearlj' all of our contrib-
utors are outside of New England. We never
could think of publishing a bee-paper for the few
beekeepers residing east of the Hudson river.

Individual rights to'manufacture the drone-
• and-queen trap.

So many beekeepers desire to make the drone-
and-queen trap tliat we sliall ofler one tra|) by
mail, and the right to make and manufar-tnre them
for one's own use. for the small sum of $1.50.

II any one desires to make the bee-escapes, the
same as is used in the traps, and the same things
as are used for bee-escapes for getting bees
out ol sections, we can (urnish the tools for $3.00.
They can be sent by mail for 25 cents extra.

Five of the tubes are made at one blow with a
heavy hammer. In one day a smart man can
make 1000 of the tubes.

The Beekeepers' Directory.

Bismark, 111
Directory at hand and I think it well worth
the money.

S. B. Strodek.

The best of all.

Mount Carmel, III.
Editor Am. Api: Herewitli find 75 cents for
renewal of your paper which to my mind is best
of all.

How any one can get along without tlie drone-
trap IS a mystery to me. We have six in con.stant
use and the neighbors would like to borrow if we
could lend them.

Lizzie Hurley.

Finest bees he ever saw.

Sedalia, Mo., Mar. JO. 1890.
Mr. Alley. I got two Italian queens from you
last lall, and I put one with an old colony of bees
that had been queenlcss over ten days and the
bees killed her; the otlier 1 put with a young col-
ony and she is doing finely. The queen did not
look quite so yellow as some Italians, but I must
say that tlie young bees from her are the finest
and largest Italians I ever saw, and for working
qualities and gentleness, they cannot be excelled.
Yours truly.

Fkeidrich Schach.

They take the cake.

Mr. Alley: I bought three queens of you in
1888. They were not well marked, but for workers
they "took the cake." Neither of these queens
cast swarms. Tliey stored in pound sections,
eighty-one, eighty-two and ninety-two pounds
of lioney respectively, from white clover.

Our bees are breeding rapidly; they carried in
pollen all through December.

A. H. Noble.

SUBSOKIBE AT ONOE

FOR THE

Only 75 Cents Per Year.

Best colony of bees yet.

Gaylordsville, Conn.
Mr. Alley: I have eigliteen colonies of bees
The best one is from the queen you sent me in
Jnly, 1888. I took from this colony ninety pounds
of honey and got two good swarms. All good
and solid for winter.

Thos. D. Flynn.

A good word for the drone-and-queen trap
Port Jervis, N. Y.
Editor Am. Api: Please send me the price of
the P. metal for the drone-and-queen trap. I used
them the last season and had excellent success
with them.

John Schmidt.

Alley's Drone-and-Queen Trap.

SIXTY THOUSAND IN USE.

Prevents swarms from decamping and destroys
all useless drones.

R. L. Taylor of Lapeer, Mich., President of the
International American Beekeepers' Association
has this to say of the trap :

"The drone-and-queen trap I find an in-
dispensable convenience. I should feel Wee
a dueJc on dry land u-ithout if. It saves me
IiABOR and prevents ANXIETY."

PRICES.

One trap, by mail, ^o.^o

bix, in flat, (one made seven in all) 2 05

Twelve " " " " thirteen " '• ;^ 50

APICULTURIST one year and sample trap, l.io
Addiess,

AMEHICAN APICULTURIST,
Wenham, Mass.

4 THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

Thirty Years Among the Bees.

BY HENRY ALLEY, WENHAM, MASS.

EIGHTY PAGES. BOUND IN PAPER, Bl^ MAIL, 50 CENTS.

This work gives the author's thikty years' experience with bees, and, also, a full
description of the best and latest methods for rearing queens in full colonies, while a
fertile queen still has possession of the combs. A practical method for I'earing queens
above a queen-excluder and by queenless colonies is also given.

Three thousand copies of The Bkekhepeks' Handy Book, giving our methods
for rearing queens were sold. The work has been rewritten and is now entitled
"Thirty Years among the Bees."

Every part of the business of rearing queens is minutely described, and in such a
clear and practical way that even the novice can make queen-rearing a success.

THE BEEKEEPERS' DIRECTORY.

This is another work that should be in every beekeeper's library. It gives you all
the practical, part of bekkeeping. Mr. Doolittle gives his method of "preparing
BEES FOR the HARVEST;" Dr. G. L. Tinker, "how to winticr bees." In fact, the
directory contains all the practical information that one need possess in order to
make beekeeping a success.

Price by mail, cloth, 75 cents; paper bound, 50 cents. The above books, paper
bound, will be sent by mail for $1.

Address,

THE ^MEHIOi^lSr APICULTURIST,

WHY NOT SUBSCRIBE FOR THE

AMERICAN APICULTURIST

and secure a daughter from our
HUNDRED-DOLL AI^ QUEENP

One clollar-and-fifty-cents pays for the American Apicdlturist one year
and one of these queens.

A FULL DESCRIPTION

of this wonderful queen and her colony is given on first page of this Supple-
ment.

Sample copies of the Api and our price-list mailed free to any address.
To anyone sending us four (4) new subscribers with the cash ($3), we
will mail one of the above queens free.

Bear in mind that we warrant the purity of all our queens and guarantee
safe arrival to all parts of the Union and Canada.

Address,

THE A.MERIOi^]Sr APICULTURIST,

T^E * JiWi^mM * ^PICniiTHJ^IST.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., MAY 1,1890.

NO. 5.

Entered, at I*ost-ofH.ce a,s second-class matter.

®l)e (£^itor'0 IDcparhtunt.

Kditorial points.

Don't fail to take a peep at Brother Pratt's
bee larni. You caa liuU it in this issue.

Be sure to look over the advertisements in this
issue. Tliere are lots of things you all need to
make beekeeping a success.

We wish to say to our readers that the price of
Wax has advanceii and dealeis have raised the
price of foundation accordingly.

Prices of supplies at the Bay State Apiary.
We will .<ay to those who call for cnr price-
list that we have none except wliat is fo\ind in
each issue of ihe Api. l^lease look it over. If
you do not And all you want you can send the
order just the same and we will get tlie floods we
do not keep in slock of those wlio have them.

After May 10 the price of the Swarm-hiver will
be $-2.50 per lialf dozen and $f.00 per dozen. Af-
ter manufacturing several thousands we found
the profits not what they should be. Wlien tlie
price was lixed it did not occur to us that so
many dealers would care to liandle them. Now
supply dealers from all quarters are calling for
them.

Bees in the Bay State Apiary have been doing
well all the spring. No dwindling in any colony,
though it seems to us that the weather has beea
much colder than usual for Aprd.

We are getting circulars from nearly every
dealer in the world which we cannot notice lor
W'ant of space. Then, again, we would not be
doing justice to our regular advertisers by giving
free acts, to those who tend us only their circulai s.

Some people will 'tell you that no one wants
Self-nivers. Some men never have made any
advancement in bee culture, and seem unwilling
that others should, the advice of such parties
is worth but little to any one.

Although each issue of the API gives instruc-
tions lor remitting money, our friends persist in
sending money-orders on all the post-oiBces iu
this county. Before you purchase a money or-
der look and see where it should be made paya-
ble.

Tlie supply trade is booming. If there is delay
in filling your orders you must understand that
the other lellows got in ahead of you. Don't wait
until you want to use hUiiplies before ordering.
Oiive the dealer two weeks time after ordering
to ship the goods. This will not be necessary in
all cases; yet there is no reason why all dealers
should not have ample time to fill their orilers.

We are getting inquiries by every mail from all
parts ot the country from beekeepers wishing to
know if we have queens ready to ship. We have
not aiul shall not have any qui-ens to ship till af-
ter May 20. Commencing with the first week in
June we exi)ect to ship one hundred <iueens each
week. All will be reared Jrom our famous $100
queen.

Jf the readers of the API oould come to our api-
ary on any warm day and see these beis at work
we should be pretty sure to get their order lor one
or moiequeens. On ApriiaO this queen withabout
one quart of her bees will be taken from her col-
ony and transferred to a small 5-comb hive Irom
which we shall draw one thousand eggs each day
until Sept. -20.

You will find our price-list in the Supplement
sent with this number.

(75)

76

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

HOW TO INTRODUCE QUEENS

WRITTEN FOR THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

By C. C. miller,

EUGENE SECOR,

E. L. PRATT,

GEO. F. ROBBINS,

M. A. KELLEY,

DR. G. L. TINKER,

H. D. CUTTING,

MRS. H. HILLS.

Number One.

Dr. C. C. Miller.

How to introduce queens — tJie Simtnins' plan

— Caging — Introducing queens to sealed

brood.

I can onl}' answer this in a rather
one-sided vva}'. Tliat is I can give
my own experience, and that has not
been veiy mucli in the nsnal line of
■caging the queen so long a time and
then freeing her. Years ago I put
a queen in a hive which had no queen,
with no preparation or introduction
whatever — ^just put her in. She was
accepted all right and I followed up
the same plan for a long time before
I met iKwy loss, and I'm not sure but
I would follow the same plan now in
preference to caging. I am free to
confess, however, that I never tried
the caging plan more than perhaps
three or four times if as many as that.
Perhaps I hardly ought to say I in-
troduce the queen with no preparation,
•for the colony must be in a certain
■ condition. I'll give you the minu-
tiae. After the colony has been so
long queenless that they have started
queen-cells, I take out one of the
combs containing brood, place the
queen directly on the brood, put back
the comb and shut up the hive and
that's all. Tliis I generally'' did when
bees were gathering honey, and it is
possible it would be unsafe in the
fall. Later on I fell upon another
plan which has been published as the

Simmins plan, although it was origi-
nal with me as well. Where a queen
has been raised in a nucleus in my
own yard, the plan is veiy simple,
and even surer than the one given. I
doubt if it is necessary to wait till
the bees have started queen-cells. I
simply go to the nucleus and lift out
the frame on which the queen is found,
and put it in the queenless colony,
comb, bees, queen and all. I don't
need any other plan than one of these
two for a queen of ordinary value.

A queen of extra value, as an im-
ported queen, deserves and receives
extra care in introducing. I generally
know beforehand when I am to have
an imported queen, and I manage to
have some frames of brood with no
unsealed larvse. I am careful to brush
off every single bee, and put these
frames in a hive, then put in the
queen and shut up the hive bee-tight.
This hive must be put in the house
where it will be warm enough to keep
the brood from chilling, or else it
must be put over a strong colony
with an opening through which the
heat can ascend from the lower to
the upper hive, but this opening must
be protected bj' two pieces of wire
cloth at least one-fourth inch apart
so that there can be no communica-
tion between the bees in the two hives.
I should have said that there must be
brood just hatching out in the new
hive and this will soon make force
enough to start housekeeping. In

THE AMEBIC AN APIGULTURIST.

two or three days this hive may be
placed where it is to stand, and the
entrance kept very small till enough
bees have hatched out to protect
themselves against any assault. You
will see tiiat by this plan tiiere is
no more possibility of a queen's be-
ing lost than there is any time
among her own bees.

The last imported queen I intro-
duc* d with less care, but I sui)pose
a Utile more risk. I took some
frames of brood with their adhering
bees, being sure no queen was with
them, put them in an empty hive
and put the hive on a new stand. In
other words I made a strong nucleus
without using au}^ means to make the
bees stay where they were put. This
was done a day or two before I ex-
pected the imported queen. Of course
all the old bees returned to their old
stand leaving nothing but a lot of
queen less young l)ees ready to take
up with any queen offered, and all I
had to do was to put my queen on the
top of the frames and let her run down.

Marengo, III.

Number Two.

EUGENE SECOK.

Introducinff queens nti important suhjeet —

JCntroducinf/ queens at siviirming titne —

Advice to the novice.

That is really an important ques-
tion for the beginner wlio wishes to
start right by getting the best bees.
Very few are so situated that they
can go to a reliable breeder and buy a
good queen already introduced and
laying, and take the whole thing
under his arm and go home happy.
Most people are obliged to get their
stock of workers from their neighbors,
or if not compelled to they ought
and then send off and get a queen by
mail. That's the sensible way to
begin. It's very nice to read how
the veterans introduce queens into
full colonies and not lose one per
cent., but woe to the novice wlK)se
hand trembles when he attempts to

"go and do likewise." P>en if queens
don't cost but a dollar apiece, he is
apt to be nervous when he thinks of
the i)ossibility of never seeing her
majesty again. Perhaps he don't
care more for the dollar than for the
chagrin of a failure, especially when
he wants to show his beliind-the-times
neighbor ''how to keep bees." In
such event the safe way for him to
proceed is to form a nucleus with two
or three frames well filled with hatch-
ing brood from the old colony, con-
tract the hive they are put in with
division-board ov boards, and the en-
trance with blocks or otherwise, so
that only a bee or two can get out at a
time and to do this a day or two before
his queen arrives, so that the old bees
will have returned to tiieir old home.
None but young bees being left, there
is little danger of losing tlie queen if
done at swarming time or when bees
are prosperous. It is not safe to
swap caj)tains in a battle. Bees are
jealous of a stranger when a battle
for existence is imminent. Having
so often learned by experience "how
not to do it" by some other method,
the above is about the only plan I
would recommend to the novice.

"Lnrger crafts may veiture more,

But little boats should keep neiir shore."

Forest City, loiva.

Number Three.

E. L. PKATT.

Introduclnr/ by the catfc system and the

seventy-two hour plan — J/'inding an

old queen, etc.

It is not much of a job to introduce
laying queens successfully with the
cages and knowledge we have on the
sul)ject. The conditions under which
new queens are accepted can be
summed up in the following few words :
Bees must be aware of their queen-
less conciit.ion before a fertile queen is
given in their presence. They should
be allowed to satisfy their cell-build-
ing desire before a virgin queen is pre-
sented them.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

I'erfect quiet on tJie iastilng of tJie queen.

The best ineLliod for introducing a
fertile queen is to place her in a cage
that will allow a large ping of candy
for the bees to eat avvay before they
can get at her. The improved ship-
ping cages are provided with this so
the purchaser of a queen is not com-
pelled to putter over special introduc-
ing cages. With ordinary untested
queens, we would recommend taking
away the old queen and at once plac-
ing the new one, as received, directly
over the cluster, wire cloth down, or
inserting the cage in a frame having
brood in it in such a manner that the
hive bees can get at the pbig of candy,
or hanging the cage between twocombs
containing brood, and leaving them
strictly alone for one week.

With valuable queens we generally
leave the colony queeidess for seventy-
two hours before placing the cage in
the hive. Then we do it just before
dark.

To make a dead sure thing with vir-
gin queens we follow the seventy-two
hour plan and plug of candy.

To introduce a queen with the Pratt
cage : remove one-third of the thin lid
with a pocket knife, so as to expose the
wire cloth, draw the cloth at the sealed
end and insert the cage between two
combs of brood, directly over the clus-
ter, wire down ; or, better, slip it into
the corner of one of the frames contain-
ing brood. Do not remove any of the
candy ; let the bees do that.

You will find when you examine the
colony a week after the cage was put
in, that your new queen is safel}' and
soundly installed in her new home.

Do not remove the thin boai'd from
over the candy. If you should hap-
pen to split it off it should be tacked
on again before putting into the
strange hive. If there is not enough
candy left in the cage, sturt" in a wad
of common newspaper before giving
the cage to the queenless colony.

When I am asked how to find the old
queen without taking out the frames,
I answer : drum them out in the old

wa}' and hive them back again after ad-
justing a piece of perforated zinc or a
trap before the entrance to exclude the
queen. New queens can be introduced
to offensive neighboring box- hives in
this way.

3farlboro, 3fass.

Number Four.

GEORGE F. KOBBINS.

Good itlens on introducing qtieenx — The <<e-

cret of introdueint/ queens successfully —

Several iyfactieiii methods given for

introducing.

I have no new methods to offer
for introducing queens. 1 think it
would be diflicult to produce any-
thing new in that line. Methods
enough have been tried, with success
or failure, to stock a volume with
their recital. I can do little more
than give those which I have tried
with most and least success, point
out that which I regard as safest, and
the reasons therefor.

The first plan I ever tried, and tried
while in my novitiate, was the least
successful. That was to cage the queen
for from one to three days in the
hive and then release her. Some col-
onies I could never get to accept a
queen in that way. I regard it as
the poorest method I know. Suc-
cess by that plan is not impossible
nor infrequent, but it is neither the
safe way, judging by experience, nor
the correct vva^' on general principles.
I think it is safe to say that, all
things considered, the less the natu-
ral order of things in the economy
of the bee-hive can be disturbed, the
better. We should not interfere
with its internal condition unless we
are certain its interests demand it.
This is es[)ecially true where the re-
lations of the queen to her family are
involved. Bees are more sensitive on
that point than upon any other. One
certain queen and one only, is the
family law. Bees are perhaps not
less disposed to allow a strange
worker than a strange queen in

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

79

their hive, but tliey are keener to
scent any such change. Hence to
introduce a queen successfully, we
must study hard to do it in such a
way that the bees will not detect it.
Derange the affairs of the colony as
little, and keep the bees as much in
ignorance of whatever derangement
is made as possible. Anything out of
the ordinary course, where the queen
is concerned, arouses suspicion in their
little minds and the recognition of
outside agency especially awakens
distrust. Reports have been pub-
lished of queens being superseded
whose wings had been clipped. I
believe such a thing is very possible.
But the most essential item is for the
queen to feel thoroughly at home. A
queen in a strange hive cannot do
this. Everything is foreign to her.
She feels tliat she does not belong
there and can but show that she feels
it. In the mind of the bee there can
be no stronger evidence of an inter-
loper. This outside agency I have
mentioned, is the next l)est evidence ;
and this is the very state of things we
are apt to have when we turn a queen
loose on a comb.

How then shall we get the right
conditions to introduce a queen?
Allow the bees to do the introduc-
ing themselves. Let them release
the imprisoned queen. There you
have, in my opinion, the great seciet
of successful introduction. If your
queen comes in a Peet cage, drive the
tin points through the comb, press
the side on which is the tin slide
against it, and gently remove the
slide. The bees will work their way
through the comb into the cage. If
in a cage with only one open side
covered with wire cloth, fold' back the
cloth covering the apartments con-
taining the candy, and insert the cage
between two combs with the open
side toward the centre of the brood
nest. If you want to, cut out a piece
of comb and insert the cage in the
frame. In an}' case shut up the hive
and let it severely alone. The bees

proceed to eat the candy or gnaw
the comb as the case ma^' be. As to
how the cage and its occupants got
there is forgotten in the operation.
Wliile the process goes ou, the bees
in and out of the cage are becoming-
acquainted. A little orifice is made,
they touch noses, the orifice grows
larger, a bee passes in, another comes
out. Soon they are moving back
and forth, in and out. Very likely
there ma}' be a lingering suspicion
that all is not right, that thaf woinan
does not belong there; but if left
undisturbed it will pass off. There
may be something in the i)revailing
notion that the queen and attendants
acquire the scent of the colony, but I
more than doubt it. Be that as it
may, to open the hive at this juncture
would probably frighten the queen,
heighten any hu'king doubt or dis-
trust on the part of the bees, and
spoil it all. I prefer not to look into
the hive for at least four or five days
after putting in the queen. I believe
that the balling of queens one or
more days after being released is
always due to some such distiu'bance.
I have never failed to get a queen ac-
cepted by this method, and I believe
it to be the best and safest way for a
novice to introduce. I lost a queen
last summer soon after she got to
laying, after I had examined and
founcl her all right. Another time I
found the bees pursnina; and clinsino;
to a queen, with evident intents to
ball her, about twenty minutes after
I had first found her. I smoked the
bees, caught the queen, uncapped a
little honey and placed her majesty
upon the dauby spot and left her to
wade out if slie could. She is alive
and laying now. I have introduced
a queen from my own apiary to a
colony that had come out of winter
queenless. I have also removed the
queen at different lengths of time
before introducing. But I advise
the novice not to take out the old
queen until he is ready to put in the
new one.

80

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

A safe but slow and wasteful
method, is to take two or three frames
of hatching brood, and 3'our queen,
put them in a hive together, close the
hive and set it in the shade if the
weather is very hot, or in a warm
room if very cold. In a few da^-s
open the entrance and your queen is
intioduced, I do not recommend
tliat plan.

Queens reared in my own apiary
I introduce, so to speak, largely by
uniting. I let the cell hatch in a nu-
cleus which I set down beside a hive
I want to requeen. After the queen
gets to laying, I destroy the old
queen and unite; but, strange to say.
I have lost several queens in that
way, whereas I have never had a fail-
nre b}^ the use of the self-introducing
cage, as I have said.

Mechaiiicsburg ^ 111.

Number Five.

M. A. KELLEY.

Introducing fertile nnd ^infertile queens —

2'he novice, should not experiment in

introducing queens.

This Important yet simple operation
may be performed in several ways.
Several conditions may modify any
ordinary plans, but they are alike as
to resul's. A fertile queen may be
given to a queenless colony at any
time when honey is coming in by sim-
ply caging heron a comb and allowing
the bees to release her by eating out
the feed that all good cages are pro-
vided with. A virgin queen may be
given to a nucleus of young bees bv
taking all brood and eggs out of their
hive before the queen is put in. It is,
my opinion, however, that the novice
should let others experiment with vir-
gin queens.

If any one has an extra valuable
queen and wishes to run no risks let
him take a queenless nucleus of young
bees and after removing all the coml)s
keep them shut up a day, and then he
can give them the queen by hiving her

with them into a hive that contains
combs that have in them no eggs or
larva. There is another important
thing that should not be neglected and
that is to subscribe for and read the bee
journals. Do not depend on a single
article for information but read all the
papers and books you can.
Milton, W. ¥(1."^

Number Six.

DR. G. L. TINKER.

Seat method for the novice to adojtt to intro-
duce queens.

There are many ways to introduce
queens that are usually safe in the
hand of the expert apiarist yet nearly
all of the |)lans heretofore advised are
not entirely safe in the hands of the
inexperienced. Il^ven during a good
flow of honey when the bees are least
inclined toattack strange queens, there
is an occasional failure. And these
failures are due almost invariably to
the fact that a colony of bees do not
appear to regard themselves queenless
as long as they possess brood from
which a queen may be reared. Hence,
with all of the direct plans recommend-
ed, which provides ibr liberating the
new queen within three days from the
time of removing tiie old one, there will
ever exist an uncertainty whether the
bees decide to raise a queen from their
brood or accept the one given to them.

When we remember what the natu-
ral mode of requeen ing is, the wonder
is that a stranger queen can be intro-
duced at all until the bees have con-
structed queen cells and ca[)ped them
over. From that moment they live in
expectation of a queen. If all of their
queen cells are now destroyed and the
new queen be introduced in a cage
plugged up with a little bee candy, she
will be joyfully received and from that
moment there will be the utmost har-
mony between queen and workers. By
all of the direct methods of introduc-
ing there seem to be a few dissatisfied
bees that regard the new queen as an
intruder, so there is not the perfect

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

81

liannony that should exist in a success-
ful method of introducing.

Hence, I now advise the following
metiiod to the novice. Order your
queen ; and, when received, remove the
queen to be su[)erseded and la}' the
cage with the wire cloth side down bee-
space from tlie top of the brood frames.
It is only necessary to take off the thin
cover of the cage exposing the wire
cloth so the bees of the hive can dis-
cover the new queen and her accom-
panying bees. If there is not enough
bee candy in the cage to last five days
it should be put in. With my shipping
cage there is a wooden plug on one side
that may easily be removed and more
candy be put in. If the hive is so ar-
ranged that the cage cannot be laid on
the frames without coming in contact
with the cover, make a shallow rim to
fit on the hive ; then put in the caged
queen an<l bees and put on the cover.
The hive is then left for five days.
Then go to the hive and take out the
cage and smoke the bees of the hive.
Take out one comb at a time and
shake oflT the bees so every queen cull
can be seen and destroyed. It is best
to take time in looking over the comb
so as to be sure, as the only danger lies
in overlooking a queen cell, which is,
however, not great. Then remove the
plug in the cage, and if the bee candy
is eaten out put in enough to close the
hole, put back the cage and close the
hive. To make the matter a little more
safe, the worker bees may be let out of
the cage before returning the cage, but
either way seems to be an inlallible
method.

It is a little more trouble to intro-
duce a queen by the above method, but
how many times has the novice regret-
ted that he did not take a little more
trouble! He sends for a queen, she
is received and is so beautiful and full
of promise tliat money would hardly
buy her. He fcjUows some of the di-
rect methods of introducing, and in the
course of three or four days finds his
queen near ilie entrance of the hive
on her back, having been balled to

death. His hopes are blasted and then
he feels that if a little more trouble
on his part would have saved the
queen, he would not have minded it.
Neiv Philadelphia, Ohio.

Number Seven.

BY H. U. CUTTING.

binding queens in full coloniea — Uoiv to
handle a queen — Immediate introduc-
tion, etc.

The raising and introduction of
queens always possess a great amount
of fascination, especially with the nov-
ice.

There are so many different meth-
ods of introduction that after the
novice has read them all, he is "all at
sea" which to adopt.

I presume every beekeeper has his
own peculiar method of introducing
queens, but is it as good as the meth-
od of some one else? I have always
advocated that where you are suc-
cessful with your method " stick to
it."

The first thing to do when you are
ready to introduce a queen is to find
the queen in the hive that you wish to
replace.

Several years ago T. F. Bingham,
of Abronia, Mich., gave a pointer on
finding queens as follows :

"Blow plenty of smoke in at the
entrance and as quickly as possible
remove the cover, and you will find
the queen on top of the frames."

Later, R. L Taylor, Lapeer, Mich.,
advocated the use of the " honey-
board ;" "use the smoke as before,
when you will find the queen on the
under side of honey-board trying to
get through. In the first case you
must be lively antl secure the (jueen
before she goes belovv.

In the latter case simply remove
the honey -board, and you have the
queen, provided she does not fly
away."

Now, for the introduction. I have
tried many diffej'ent methods, but the
most successful one with me is as fol-
lows :

82

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Willi my knife I cut into a frtinie
of lionej, get plenty on the thumb
and first finger ; open the cage and as
the queen comes out grasp her with the
hand containing the honey and with
the Jcnife put more of the same honey
on the wings, legs and head ; do not
be afraid of it hut get all yon can
on the wings, legs and head, then she
cannot fly or run ; drop her between
the centre frames, close the hive at
once ; 3'ou can look again in twenty-
four hours. J have introduced many
queens in this way and cannot recall
a case of losing a queen.

Now, do not handle a queen with
the bare fingers, but have them well
covered with honey from the same
hive into which you put the queen.

To test this matter, 1 have taken
queens in my hand and held them
about ten minutes, then put them in
the hive and lost them every time. If
the queen is contaminated with any
foreign scent the bees aie sure to no-
tice it and know it is not their queen,
but if she is covered with honey fi-om
the same hive introduced at once be-
fore they are aware that their queen
is gone, by the time they get her all
clean she is quiet and they suppose
she is the old queen.

I have been veiy successful with
virgin queens in this vvay. I got my
first idea of this method from II. A.
Burch.

Now, I do not say this is the only
and best way to do, but you will save
at least twenty-four hours' time, and
it has been successful with me for
about ten or twelve years.

Clinton, Mich.

Number Eight.

MRS. H. HILLS.

The weather.

March went out yesterday, quite
" like a lion," the glass indicating, in
the morning, 12° above zero. Though
the winter has been exceptionally
mild, with A'ery little snow, bees have

had but few i)erfect flights ; hardly
one each month, during which more or
less of the little adventurers were not
chilled.

On March twenty -fourth of last year
bees brought pollen, as in June ; thus
far, no load of pollen has come in this
season.

To-day, there is a huge snowbank
at the east door, the result of last
week's " blizzard," while the apiary
is entirely bare.

Condition of colonies.

What a pleasure it is to have every
colony in such absolutely good condi-
tion that not the slightest anxiety is
felt for their safet}'. Mine have been
thus this winter : not a hive has been
opened for nearly five months, they
being all on summer stands, so com-
fortably packed and with so abundant
and excellent stores that they could
not fail to do well. Their appear-
ance, at times of flight, indicates al-
most entire uniformity in strength of
colonies. It is indeed a pleasure to
find, at the opening of si)ring, not a
single weak colony in the apiary. In
the matter of stores, they will liardly
need examination before new honey
from the clover arrives.

Conditions of snccess.

1 would certainly say to novices in
beekeeping, do not tolerate weak col-
onies. You cannot afford the time and
strength necessary to doctor them ;
and it also appears to me, that there
is no necessity for having weak colo-
nies at any time. Most certainly, my
time of disaster may come, but 1 have
never yet found it necessary to lose a
single colony. However, for this
measure of success, the very closest
attention to every possible detail has
been necessary ; and certainly, "eter-
nal vigilance has been the price of
freedom." I do not believe that one
pel son in a thousand would be willing
to bestow the care upon the apiary
which I give merely as a labor of
love.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

83

Pjusihle queenless colonies.

Now, I run vvoiideriiio; wlietlier any
of the veteiuns could, by noticing the
appearance of the bees, at the en-
trances, tell me whether I have any
queenless colonies?

Certain]}', bees are plentiful enough
at every entrance and active enough
at every entrance. I am conscious of a
feeling of envy towards Mr. Demaree
and others who can thus determine
also when colonies are short of stores.

Introducing queens.

Speaking of queenless colonies,
some one has asked me to give, for the
benefit of novices, a method of inti'o-
ducing queens. The first requisite to
the following plan is a tight-fitting,
wire-clotli " honey- board."

After removing the old queen to-
gether with all uncapped brood — ev-
ery egg — from the brood-chamber, the
wire-cloth " iioney-board" is fitted
tightly above it, and on this is placed
an ui)per story containing the new
queen and several frames of hatching
brood. After several days, the bees
are allowed a small opening in the
wire-cloth, through which they, by de-
grees, make their way into the U|)per
story. Of course, if the weather is
cold, the upper story, containing
queen and hatching brood, is first kept
in the house, for a few da^s, closed
tightly.

Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

Number Nine.

Z. T. HAWK.

A^n old hut snfp. ivaif to introduce (/itpenit —

Introdurinf/ a new queen at the time the

old one is removed. — Htnv to make

an introduction cage.

My first experience in introducing
queens was with the Peet cage and
with what is usually called the Peet
process. I used tiiis method several
years, but by degrees abandoned it
for others simpler and more conve-
nient. The cage I use is a cylinder
of wire cloth about four inches long
and three-fourths of an inch in diame-

ter, closed at one end by folding the
wire cloth, at the other by a wooden
plug having a five-sixteenths inch
hole through it. After placing the
queen in tliis cage, the hole is pushed
full of Good's candy and the queen is
ready for introduction. I usually re-
move the old queen and introduce the
new at one operation. The cage is
laid on top of the frames and receives
no further attention until the third
or fourth day when I look to see if
the queen has been released. This
examination is made vvith as little
disturbance to the bees as possible.
No frames are removed and barely
smoke enough is used to keep the
bees from becoming angry. If the
cage is found empty, as it ought to
be at the end of the third day, it is re-
moved and the hive closed. The
ground near the entrance of the hive
is given a glance and if no dead queen
is seen it is taken for granted tliat
all is well. In the course of two or
three days the hive is quietly opened
and the combs examined for the
queen, or for eggs.

This method is old but none the
less practical. It is not claimed to
be infallible, but it is next thing to
it. For eight years I have used it
constantly, not introducing hundreds
of queens, as is done at the Bay
State Ai)iaries, but doing all the
necessary work of this character in
an apiary of from twenty to forty col-
onies, and iiave never lost a queen.

If bees are busy and a colony is
found to be queenless, the shortest
way, and one that is comparatively
safe, is to lift a comb containing a
laying queen and plenty of bees from
a nucleus and place it at once into
the hive containing the queenless
colon3^ Bees and queen will usually
be received without hostile demon-
stration, but if the queen is valuable
and 3'ou want to run no risks, confine
her on the comb with a cage made by
tin-ning down a little more than half
an inch on each edge of a piece of
wire cloth four inches square. Press

84

THE AMERICAN APIGULTUEIST.

the edges of this cage into the corab
and release the queen when you are
certain she is safe.

I last 3'ear introduced a valuable
queen just received from a prominent
breeder, by placing three combs of
hatching brood in a hive and turning
the queen and her attendants loose
upon them. In half a day she had
quite a respectable nucleus of .young
bees. The weather was cold and
stormy but sufficient heat was se-
cured by placing the conil)s on top of
a strong colony with a slat honey-
board covere<l on both sides with
wire cloth between. In using this
plan, great care must be taken to
close every crevice about the hive
where a queen could escape or she
will be sure to fly away.

Audubon, Iowa.

Doolittle answers the Editor of the
Api.

Me. Editor: —

I see by the December Apicultueist
you have a question or two for an-
swer. As I never do anything in-
tentionally to injui'e any one, or in a
" dark corner," although hke the most
of mortals liable to err, I am very giad
indeed to answer the questions. In
the first place, friend Alley is laboring
under a wrong impression in thinking
that I wi'ote a " small book giving my
methods of rearing queens, sometime
within two years." I did no such
thing. What I did do was this. Some-
time during the latter part of the year
1886 or the first of 1887, at the re-
quest of the publisher of the " Bee-
hive," I wi'ote him quite a lengthy
article on " rearing queens," he paying
me well for writing the article. This
article was published in sections, or as
a " continued story " in the " Bee-hive "
dui-mg 1887. Some time afterward, I
think the early part of 1888, Mr. Cook
informed me that he proposed put-
ting out this article in book or jDamph-
let form, together with selections from
different articles which I had written
in the various bee papers, which was

done, as I supposed not only to give
the thing greater cu-culation, but to
get some of the money back which he
paid me for wi'iting the article. I
wrote him not to print too many copies
of the pamjihlet as I intended soon
to write a book on queen-rearing and
I did not wish him to sustain a loss on
them, this being the first intimation I
ever gave anyone that I was to write a
book, except as a year or more pre-
vious I had told Mr. Betsinger and
Mrs. D. that I exj)ected to do so. This
I think sufficient exp)lanation about the
Cook publication. — In the preface to
my book these words are found: " Fi-
nally, the urgent requests of my friends
for a book became so numerous, that
I decided to hold back from the public
a part of my experiments and research
in queen-rearing, and when they were
completed, give all which I had dug
out regarding queen-rearing to the
public in book form." This I think is
sufficient to answer the question,
" Why I did not say a word about rear-
ing qvieens above a queen-excluding
honey-board in the Cook article." —
Now as to the question " Hovv^ many
queens I ever reared above a q^^een-
excluder before the appearance of my
book." I answei', tliousands of them,
as I reared my first queens in that way
duL-ing 1881, as pages fifty-nine to
sixty-one in my book tells about, and
I have continued so to rear till the
present time. If I do not mistake, it
was June, 1887, that Mr. N. N. Betsin-
ger (Marcellus, N. Y.) was here, and
I showed him all my plans; the mak-
ing of the queen-cups, how the bees
built them out, etc., etc., requesting
him not to say anything about it till
the thing came out in book form. Let
the doubting ones write Mr. B., if they
are not willing to take my word for it.
Again I find that Mr. Alley is laboring
under a wrong impression in thinking
that my methods imply the rearing of
queens " up stairs " with only old bees
and " dry brood-combs." If he or any-
one else will turn to pages sixty-two
and sixty-fom- of my book, this im-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

85

pressiou will vaiiisli at once, when they
read these lines found there: " I raised
two frames of brood (mostly of larval
form) above, so as to get as large a
force of nurse bees about the prepared
cells as possible, to properly feed the
queen-larva. The jirepared frame was
placed between the two having brood
in them." Page sixty- four shows that
this brood is always present when
queens are being reared accoi'ding to
these words, " The cells are better
supplied with queen-food, where un-
sealed brood is placed in the upper
story every ten days — enough better
in my opinion, to pay for the extra
work." Elsewhere in the book I ex-
plain how feeding is always resorted
to when honey is not coming in plenti-
fully from the fields so that there is
never any " dry combs " in the upper
story, for the bees are always crowded
for room where I rear queens, so they
are only on combs containing honey
or brood. Having now explained the
matter, I think even Mr. Alley will
not be so greatly " puzzled " as he has
been because scores of people have
written me and others that they con-
sidered my book very " scientific."
Borodino^ N. Y.

Fi-oin the above it appears that the articles on
queen-rearing' were written for the "Bee Hive"
in the latter part of 18SG, but Mr. Doolittle had
uot perfected Ills method of making; queen-cups
and getting them built out hy the bees, and till
June, 18S7, at which time he told his friend Bet-
singer of his new phins. We find notliing in the
al)ove article, or in Mr. Doolittle's book No. 2, to
warrant the belief tliat he ha<l developed a piac-
tical system of rearing queens above queen ex-
cluding honey-boards until the season of 1888,
and even this may be doubted, for his own exper-
iments carried out according to the directions in
his own book in the season of 1889 were dismal
failures. Now the question arises, if Mr. Doolit-
tle liiid reared "thous;inds" of queens above queen
excluders before his book was written, how did it
come about he had not developed a practical sys-
tem ? We all know he perfected a plan of rear-
ing queens after the book was written and tliat
additional pages, making connections and
giving new advice, were made to the second edi-
tion of the book. And it is just because of these
farts that the suspicion has arisen that Mr. Doo-
little had conceived ceitaiu plans that he de-
scribed in his book which had not been put to

the test of trial. These plans were his method
of rearing queens above excluders and his meth-
od of getting queens fertilized in colonies where
there was a laying queen in the brood-chamber.
It must be iememl)ered that several writers had
written stiongly suggestive articles on the new
plans of rearing qneens during tlie fall of 18S8
and the early p.irt of the wintei-. Before this
time, if Mr. Doolittle had any new plan he wrote
not a word to indicate it, and is deserving of
none of the credit claimed in his book. The only
thing that may be said to be original in his book
is tlie way of preparing the artificial cell-cups
for the larvae. His plan of transplanting larvje
for queens is certainly not new. To Dr. Tinker
btlongs the honor of first jjractising this system
in queen-rearing. As he has now abandoned it
for the system given in "Thirty Years among the
Bees" very nearly the same, we presume he found
the system objectionable. If the system is such
a very "scientific" one we wonder why a man o*
the long experience of Dr. Tinker should aban -
don it. Perhaps the Doctor will tell us in the
I'API." It will i)robably turn out, as we suspect,
that first-class queens cannot be reared by the
plans recommended in Mr. Doolittle's book. — Ed.]

"When to put the swarraer on the hive.

Woodstoch, Vt.
Mr. Alley:

1. At what time should the Swarmer be put on
the hive? and can the bees work just as well
with them on ?

2. Will a c'olony of bees send out more than one
swarm ?

I. H, FORMAN.

1. The Swarmer should be put on
the hive just before a swarm is ex-
pected. A svvai'm need not be looked
for till the hive is full of bees, honey
and flowers abundant in the fields and
the weather hot.

2. Yes, Sometimes as many as
five swarms will issue fioni one hive.
A man to whom I once sold an Italian
queen said the Italians beat all the
bees for swarming he ever saw. He
said his colony swarmed five swarms
one season ; tliree of them came off
in one hour, and he hived the lot.
Well, this is an unusual thing for
bees to do ; yet they often cast three
swarms in one season. Sometimes a
swarm will issue early in the season,
and I have known two others to come
from this one besides three colonies
from the parent stock. The first
swarm gets a good start and having
an old queen will send off another
swarm, and sometimes a second swarm.

86

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

This often occurs. It is nothing vin-
iisual for two or three swarms to issue
from tlie same iiive some seasons.

Where the Swarmer is used, it will
be necessary to remove the first swarm
that comes out to a new stand and set
the Swarmer again for asecond swarm.
Ten days after the first swarm issues,
the Swarmer should be removed from
the hive to give the young queen a
chance to take the mating flight.

I should have said that if a second
swarm issues, it is usually on the
eightii day after the first swarm comes
off. The second and third swarms will
follow riglit along and none will issue
twelve days after the first one came
off.— Ed.].

The Swarmer— Feeding bees in the Bay
State hives.

Easst Maine. N. Y.
Mr. Alt-ey :— I would like to ask you a couple
of questions :

1. In resiird to tlie way tlie Swaimer works.
Would not half a dozen swarms, all coniin;; out
the same time, be as apt to cluster with one queen
as they would to go back to their respective
hives ?

2. Do you not have to do a Kood deal of feeding
with a hive as small as the Bay State ?

T. K. Twining.

1. No, the bees would not at all
cluster on one Swarmer or all go to
one hive. I have seen no less than
three swarms in the air at one time.
One of the traps which had a queen
in it was placed in a tree and the
bees all clustered there. In a short
time the trap was removed and after
the bees found they had no queen
each swarm returned to its own re-
spective hive.

2. We do not feed colonies in the
Bay State hive when there is plenty of
forage for the bees to collect. The
Bay State hive is larger than many
beekeepers use. — Ed.].

Questions by an unknown party.

INiR. Alley:—!. Is your Swarmer a portion of
your drone-trap ? Do" you not connect two traps
to make the Swarmer?"

2. Are Italians pure when some of the bees
show two bands and others three ? I would like
to have the opinion of some experienced person.

KKADKK of API.

The Swarmer is constructed on the
same principle as the drone-and-queen

trap. When used as the latter the
trap to catch the drones and queens
is above the entrance to the hive ;
when used as a self hiver tiie chamber
to catch the queen is at the end.

We have applied for a pateat on the
Swarmer. Now, while I felt well pro-
tected in my rights with the patent I
have on the trap, I had an idea that
my claims might not quite cover all
the features of the Swarmer. There
are several parties who claim the in-
vention of the Swarmer ; yet they have
only made sligiit changes in tiie con-
struction of the drone-trap and not in
the least changed the principle.

2. If you have bees that show two
and three yellow bands they are pure
Italians ; certainly good enough so far
as purity is concerned. We never
have claimed that pure Italian bees
do, or should, show three yellow
bands. Two broad bands, not count-
ing the narrow one that is on the bend
of the body is all 1 will ask to sat-
isfy me that bees are pare Italians.
The-best type of purity in Italians are
found in uniformity in the width of
the two yellow bands. People have
visited our apiaiy and have declared
that our bees have three and four
bands. This we have never claimed
and do not think any one can see more
than two distinct bands.

Prevention of robbing among bees.
Newport, Giles Co., Va.
Mr. Henry Alley:

Do you know of any trap or contrivance to i)re-
vent bees from roljl)uig ? Has an\ thinK of this
kind been invented? Is there a patent on any-
thing of tliis kind that is a success?

I have invented a trap or contriv.ince tliat will
prevent bees robbing. In my opinion it is a suc-
cess. I will try it one more season. If it woiks
as well as it has I shall apply for a jiatent. It id
simple and cheap; will cost twenty-five to thirty-
five cents each to manulacture them; made of
wood, tin and glass.

M. W. Mcpherson.

We cannot say that the above ar-
rangement is not entirely new. We
are of the opinion, however, that K.
P. Kidder of Burlington, Vt., in-
vented some device to prevent rob-
bing in the apiary. It is unlike the
above, as I believe there was no tin,
w^ood or glass about it. — Ed.].

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

87

Frames tliat will prevent burr combs.

Solon. Me., April 4, J880.
American Apiculturist:—

Please {five lis in your next issue what you
think should be the dimensions of th;^ several
parts of a IVame that will prevent burr or brace
combs. Give (1) the exact dimensions of all the
parts ofa standing frame like that standuig tiauie
of the "Bay State hive;" (-2) the exaiJt dimensions
of a hanging framt" like the hanging frame used
iu the "liay State."

Turner Buswell.

We will first spenk of llie Langs-
troth frame. The first L. frames we
ever saw were f of an inch wide. That
is, all the pieces for top and bottom-
bars were that width. We were not
long in discovering what a nuisance
they were in our apiary.

We also found that Mr. Langstroth
recommended a wider to|)-bar. These
we soon had in use and they gave sat-
isfaction. The bees will build no
burr-combs above the top-bar when
just the riglit bee- space is allo.wed be-
tween the top of frames and honey-
board. The latter was thought to be
indis[)ens^ble in those days. But we
found that as the top-bar was but one
and a quarter inches wide, while the
bar to which the comb was attached
was but I of an inch wide, the l)ees
would build burr combs between the
frames but not above them. We then
made some frames that were 1| inches
wide, and J inch thick. We found the
first season that this was just the thing
and all we desired, as since that time
we never have had any burr-combs be-
tween or above the frames.

The principle cause of burr-combs
is too mucli bee-space. Another
cause is the want of room for storing
surplus honey. If a strong cohjny is
not given abundance of room during
a good fiow of honey tliey are likel}^
to build burr-combs in almost any part
of the hive. I have even seen capped
honey on the bottom-board of a hive.
Give the bees plenty of storage room
and less burr-combs will be l)uilt.

Now about the Bay State frame.
The top and bottom- bars of the Bay
State frames are the same in dimen-
sion. The bars are l^'g inches wide,
and J. inch thick. The bee-space
above the frames and between the

inch ; while a little burr-comb may be
found between the (rames, there is
never any above them. We use eiglit
frames to a hive, the end i)ieces of
which are 1^ inches wide. I tliink,
liowever, should 1 begin beekeeping
again I sliould use frames tliat would
be but If inches from centre to cen-
ter. Yet 1 find that 1^ inciies from
centre to centre has worlied well ; still
it seems to me that there is an advan-
tage in a less space from centre to cen-
tre.— Ed.]

Self-liivers; a new use for the droneand-
queen trap.

Herewith we present our renders anoth-
er illustration of a device for catching a
swarm of bees wlien they issue. "Have
yon ever tried ii ?" will be the question
hundreds of beekeepers will ask. Yes,

Fio. 1.

we have been usin:*- it the past twenty-
nine years. Up to date it lias caught ev-
ery swarm, save one, tliat has issued from
a hive where the trap was set.

Fig. 1 shows the trap attached to a
Bay Slate Hive You will see tliat it pro-
jects considerably beyond the front of the
hive. The bees to gain access to their
hive must pasS under the trap and enter
throuiih the metal, A.

Fig". 2 shows the interior of the hiver.
It is the same as the drone-trap. In fact,
it is nothing but the drone-and-queen trap
on a larger scale. Instead of being as now

88

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

made, just large enoiish to liolcl a pint of
bees, the trap will hold tiie hirjiest swarm
likely to issue from any hive.

The trap has a portaljle cover (c), so
that when a swarm has been hived in the
box the bees can be quickly removed.
This device m:iy be attached to the liive in
a dozen different wnys to suit the fancy
of the apiarist. It will be seen that there
is a stake driver in the j^round under the
front end of the trap for the box to rest
on.

B, as .shown in fig. 2, is a box, open
on one side so the bees can enter, while
the opposite side is covered with perfo-

Fio 2. Our New Self-Mver.

rated metal. This represents the bottom
chamber of the drone-;ind-queen trap.
Two cone tubes are used for the bees to
pass into the trap from the hive.

We stake our reputation as a beekeeper
on the statement that this trap will catch
and hive ninety-nine out of every one
hundred swarms that issue. The queen
will enter the trap, and when the bees
return in search of her they will readily
find her ladyship in the box and ready to
receive them.

You will notice in trap (Fig. 2) and
just ahead of the tubes a strip of per-
forated metal. This is so arranged that
it is exactly over the entrance to the hive.
When the bees return after having missed
their queen, they will pa^^s into the trap
through the metal and join their queen.
Here the bees will l)e found on the return
home of the apiarist, when they can be
disposed of to suit his pleasure. If no
hive is ready, the box can be placed on
the stand the bees are to occupy and hived
When most convenitMit. If the bees are
to be returned to the hive they issued
from, this can be done after the combs
have been examined and the queen cells
removed.

On account of its large size we cannot
mail the Self-iiiver. They must go by ex-
press, whole wi'iy:ht of Swarmer is but 4^
pounds. Therefore the charges by express
will l)e very little.

This device is patented. Our claim on
the drone-trap fully covers all parts of it.
Ill order to place these Self-hivers with-
in the reach of all l>eekeepers. I have de-
cided to sell one Hiver complete and an
individual right to maimfacture them for
one's own use for the small sum of $i.
They will not cost the beekeeper more
than 25 cf^nts each to manufacture them.
We have our traps saw«"d at the factory of
The W. T. Fnlcouer Manufacturing Co.,
Jamestown, N. Y. Any one purchasing
an individual riglit to manufacture and use
the tr;ip can send direct to the ai)ove firm
and get their goods. No model or pattern
need l)e sent. Just say when ordering that
you h.tve purchased an individnal right to
use Alley's drone-and-queen trap and the
goods will be sent.

To those who purchase the right to use
the trap will be given the right to make and
use any of our other Self-luA^ers, We
ex|)ect to hear by every mail tiiat a patent
lias been granted us on another device.
The purchaser of a right cai have his
choice of the Self-hiver that suits him
best. We guarantee that either one of
tliem will give perfect satisfaction. We
shall include a deed for an individual or
farm right, one drone-trnp and both
Swarm-liivers. The purchaser of an in-
dividual right will be entitled to all im-
provements in the above without further
charge. Township rights f 5 00. County
rights §20.00.

iK^The APICULTURIST for April is on our desk.
It is, as usumI. filled witli spicy reading for bee-
keepers. Tlie APiCUi.TUuiST is fully up with the
times, and It is ;i pleasure to read every copy as
it comes to hand. It richly deserves its success.
— Am, Bee Journal, April 26.

A Are destroyed the factory of G. B. Lewis
&Co., at Watertown, Wis., on Saturday, April 19.
The origin of tlie Are is unknown. Loss. $15,000,
with an insurance of $4,500. This is a heavy blow
fortiie enteiprising firm, for their stock of liives
and sections was all destroyed; but their well-
known enterprise and vim will soon find new
quarters and adequate machinery to resume bus-
iness in the shortest possible time.— ^w. Bee
Journnl, April 26.

THE AMERICAN APICVLTURIST.

TKSTKD GARMIOLiAI\r QUKKI^TS.

We luive jnst purchased all the Tested Caniiolau Queens that John Andrews,
of the late lirm of Andrews & Lockport, has now wintering in his 100 colonies,
except what was ordered prior to January 7, 1890. These queens are to pro-
duce no bees showing yellow bands, and are to be shipped in May. Anyone
in need of a fine breeding queen early in the season should correspond with
me, or anyone interested in the Carniolan bees should read our catalogue de-
scribing these bees.

Address,

MECHANIC FALLS, MAINE.

1882 GARNIOLANS. 1890

Before you buy imported or honiebrefl Cavnio-
Ian QiieoDs, neiid for my circulMis. 1 hiive been
bi-eedms the Caniiol.-m bees longer than any
other man in tlie United Staiea. They are the
best race of bees known.

L. A. LOWMASTER,

Belle Vernon, Ohio.

A ]SrE\^^ DISCOVERY.

Thr Common-sense Honey Extiiactor is
strictly scientific, iiowerful, durable, liandy, clean
and ra|)id, and diffi-rs from all otliers, and is
cheaper than the cheapest at slaugliter prices.

ClKClILARS FkEE.

KEV. A. R. SEAMAN",

New CUMIiEKLAND,

Hancock Co.. W.Va.

Tb,e Beekeeper's Directory.
A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classifled Hat of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays and hints regarding the
successful management of the apiarj'. It is "com-
piled by Henry Alley, \Venham, Mass." It con-
tains 140 pages, one-half of which are devoted to
names and addresses of beekeepers, and the
other half to tlie practical hints mentioned above,
including Mr. Alley's " method forrearing queens
in full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Bee Journal.

WESTEEN HEAD-QUARTEES FOE APIAEIAN SUPPLIES.

Having greatly enlarged our factory and increased our manufacturing facilities, we are prepared

to fill orders promptly with goods unsurpassed in quality

and workmanship.

ALL OUR HIVES TAKE THE SIMPLICITY FRAME.

IT^VlLIA-N queens A.NI:) BEES

At astonishingly low prices.

Situated, as we are, on the "(ireat Burlington Route" (C. B. & Q.) and the C. & N. W.,
we can ship goods cheaply to all parts of the United States and Canada.

Estimates gladly furnished and correspondence solicited. We will send free our nev/
illustrated price-list and know you can save money by examining it before purchasing your
supplies.

A. F. STAUFFER & CO.,

Mention API. STERLING, ILL.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

CARNIOLAN QUEENS AND BEES IN
THEIR HIGHEST PURITY.

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INCLUDING

All the Improved Devices Used ly Successful Beekeepers.

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Wenham, Mass., Mat, 1890.

ALLEY'S

SELF-HIVER.

Notice.

Will each of our subscribers kindly send us on
a postal card the address of a few intelligent, re-
liable beekeei)ers. A coiiy of the " Api " will be
mailed to each one. Tlic iiames of the " know-it-
all '' beekeepers are not wanted.

CATCHES AND HIVES EVEEY
SWARM THAT ISSUES.

PRICES OF THE 8ELF-H1VER-
In the flat, by express, per half
dozen, $2.50 ; per dozen, $4.00 ; in
lots of 50, $15 ; in lots of 100 or more,
$25. The metal in the Swarmer to
stop the queen has three more rows of
perforations than is used in the drone-
trap. This, of course, gives nearly
double the room for the bees to pass
out and in that the drone-trap does.
The Swarmer is adapted to anj^ hive.

What Dr. G. L. Tinker says of the trap.
Friend Alley :3

Your drone-andqueen trpp 1 and hundreds of
our best bee men now regard as an invaluable in-
vention.

The swarmer a good thing.

Le Clair, loica.
Mu. Henry Alley*:— If the swainier vrorks
all right it will be a great thing for beekeepers,
especially those who have out-apiarits.

Marion Miller.

Likes the trap very much.

Cazenovia, N. Y.
Mr. Alley : I have tifty of your drone and-
queen traps in use and like them very much.
Herewith find amount for individual right to
manufacture them for my own use.

W. W. Heath.

A good Carniolan queen.

Martinsville, O., March 4, 1890.
Mr. Henry Alley:—

Dear Sir: Please change the address on my
paper from Wilmington, O., to Martinsville, O.
Am well pleased with the Api, and could not do
without it. The Carniolan queen I got of you last
September has three frames of brood in a five-
frame stand at present. Hei- workers are beau-
ties. Yours truly,

J. E. Thrushek.

The drone-trap and swarmer,

Flint, Mich.
H. Alley:—

Last spring I purchased some of your drone-
and-queen traps of Thomas G. Newman & Son,
Chicago.

I like them very much and they seem to take
well with my customers.

The new self-hiving arrangement is, in my opin-
ion, going to be a good thing.

M. S. West.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

PRICES OF SUF»PLIES

— AT THE —

BAY STATE APIARY,

Bee-Hiives.

We offer only tlie Bav State hive for sale.

One hive in tlie flat, $ 3.00

Six hives " '• - 15.00

Twelve ' " 27.00

All parts of the Hive are included in tlie above,
frames, j-ections anrl all but i)aintand nails.
Weotions.
One-piece sections per 1,000 $i.50
" '• " •• 500 2..50

" " " " 100 .60

Laiigstrotli Frames.
Material lor (hanging) frames for Standard L.

Hive per 100 $3.00

The tranies we use aie so constructed that the
bees will not build comb between or over them
at the top, nor fasten the section case and frames
together, as is the 'jase when the common top
bar is used.

IVailliig: Block foi' Frames.

No one can do good work at nailing frames
without a proper board t" nail them on. Wecan
send one, by express, that will do ihe work nicely
price, 50

Coml> Foimdatlori.

We can supidy the best brands at manufactur-
ers' prices, and ship direct to our customers from
the nearest factory. S\e also keep a quantity in
stock to till small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames 45 cts. per lb.

1 " '■ " '• sections 50 " " "

We keep in slock but one dimension of brood-
foundation 17J X 7 inches. This is large enough
for any L. frame and is just right for the Bay
State frame.

I'ex'foratecl Zinc

This we can sujiply in any quantities, shipped

with other goods, per foot 12 cts.

If sent by mail, add 10 cents per foot for postage.
Honey Extx'aetors.
The E. T. Lewis & Co. i^xtractor,
No. 2-2. 28 inches in diameter, 2.5 inches
high, 2-fi'aine lor any size up to
12^ .X 19; room for 25 lbs., honey
below reel, and the best extractor

ever made for $10.00

We sell this size only as it is the most conven-
ient to use of any found in use. This extractor is
adapted to any fianie in use.

Honey Itnlves.

Root's knife, by express, 70

" " by mail, .75

Bee Veils.

The veil has a rubber band which draws the top
together; it is then placed over anv hat and
drawn until the elastic is over the hat band.
Common net, by mail 35

Smolters.

Bingham & Hetherington's only.
By mail, $1.75; by e.xjjress, $1.50

Queens and. Full Colonies.
Queens.

Prices.

Untested queens, each, $1.00

Selected " •• 1.25

Tested " " 2.00

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,

each 3.00

Our untested queens are sent out before any of
their brood hatches. 95 per cent will prove to be
}nirely inated. Safe arrival and purity guaranteed

Carniolan queens and bees at the above prices,
uur strain ol this new race of bees cannot be ex-
celled.

Fxill Colonies.

^e consider eight frames well filled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. Prices of
IV> L'" 5' *■ '''^'^- '"cl>"lin,t'' one set of sections,
isi-f.uu. Purchasers to pay express charges. Safe
arrival guaranteed.

Fourth Edition of tlie

Beekeeiiers' Handy Book, or Thirty Years
among the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Qvieen-rearing Apparatus.

Beekeepers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by any other, should have the
apparatus here described. The Swarjibox and
QUEEX-NURSERY are articles that no peison who
rears queens ought to dispense with.

By using the sw.irmbox a large colony of bees
can be conlined a long time or transported safely
hundreds of miles. It is a very useful aiticle
about the apiary at all times during the season.

feent only by express, price, $1.25.

When a colony swarms and it is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are at
hand, the Queen-nurserv in such cases will be
found invaluable; the cells can be placeil in them
and thev need no further care for a week or more.
Virgin or fei tile queens can be kept in tlie nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
number of queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are also used in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be found
in our work upon queen-rearing.

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.60

.Swarm-box 1.25

Fertilizing-hive (complete) .50

Fumigator for using tobacco .25 .30

Cone-feeder ^5 ^0

To make the lot complete, we put in each
pjickage one ilrone-aml-queen-trap, one copy of
Thirty Years among the Bees, and send all
by express for $4.50

All these articles can be packed in the swarm-
box and sent safely by express or freight.

Bx'ooms tor Brusliing Bees
from Combs.

We find a small " corn-broom" best for this
purpose as it does not injure or irritate the bees,
and will do the work better and quicker than
anything else used for the purpose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 " byexpress 20

HO^TV TO KEMIT MONEY.

Remit by registered letters, cashier's check or
express orders. If sent by money orders or
l)0stal notes, have them made payable at the
Salem, Mass., P. O. Make all remittances pay-
able to the order of the American Aficultu-

RIST.

Address,

AMERICAN APICULTURIST, '

Wenliam, Essex Co., Mass.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

Our Agents.

W. H. Conibear, M.D., of Morton,
111., will supply the Swunn-hiver, also
the drone-and queen trap, the address
of other agents will be announced
later on.

"Companion and Prize-Weekly."

E. L. Piatt of Marlboro, Mass., has sent out an
edition ot several tlioiisand of the above paper.
There are eight pages, 16 by 24 Inches well filled
with matter that will interest any beel<eeper.
Mailed to any address at five cents per copy.

We have also received from Brotlier Pratt, a
coi)y of '• Pr:itt's New System of Nuclei Manage-
ment.'' Illustrated. Price 10 c. per copy.

Bees all poisoned.

Simla Place, Passage West, Cork, Ireland.

Deak Sir:

Just received the January number
of the American apiculturist for ls90 wliich
completes my year. Having lost all my bees
last spring as they were poisoned, I will discon-
tinue my subscription for the present.
Yours truly,

J. S. Murphy.

"Well, they are.

Farmer's VuUey, Neb.

Mr. Alley:

Herewith find $1.50 for which please
send me the Apiculturist one year and one
queen. It your queens are as good as your pa-
per they must be dandies.

Charles White.

The Beekeepers' Directory.

Bismark, 111
Directory at hand and I think it well worth
the money.

S. B. Stroder.

The best of all.

Mount Carmel, III.
Editor Am. Api : Hei-ewith find 75 cents for
renewal of your paper wliich to my mind is best
of all.

How any one can get along without the drone-
trap is a mystery to me. We have six in constant
use and the neighbors would like to borrow if we
could lei.d tliein.

Lizzie Hurley.

Finest bees he ever saw.

Sedalia, Mo., Mar. 10, 1890.
Mr. Alley. I got two Italian queens from you
last fall, an<l I put one with an ol<l colony of bees
that liad been queenless over ten days and the
bees killed her; the other 1 put with a young col-
ony and she is doing finely. The queen did not
look quite so yellow as some Italians, but I must
say that the young bees from her are tlie finest
and largest Italians 1 ever saw, and for working
qualities and gentleness, they cannot be excelled.
Yours truly.

Freiurich Schach.

They take the cake.

Mr. Alley: 1 bought tliree (jueens of you in
1888. They were not well marked, but for workers
they " took the ciike." Neither of these queens
cast swarms. They stored in pound sections,
eighty-one, eighty-two anil ninety-two pounds
of honey respectively, from white clover.

Our bees are breeding rapidly; they carried in
pollen all through December.

A. H. Noble.

Best colony of bees yet.

Gaylordsvllle, Conn

Mr. Alley: I have eighteen colonies of bees.
The best one is from the queen you sent me in
July, 1888. I took from this colony ninety pounds
of honey and got two good swarms. All good
and solid for winter.

Thos. D. Plynn.

A good word for the drone-and-queen trap

Port Jervis, N. Y.

Editor Am. Api: Please send me the price of

the P. metal for the drone and-qiieen tnip. 1 used

them the last season and liad excellent success

with them.

John Schmidt.

SUBSCRIBE AT ONCE

KOll THE

a.piouj:.turist

Only 75 Cents Per Year.

Alley's Drone-and-Queen Trap.

SIXTY THOUSAND IN USE.

Prevents swarms from decamping and destroys
all useless drones.

K. L. Taylor of Lapeer, Mich., President of the
Inteniatiimal American Beekeepers' Association
has this to say of the trap :

"The drone-nnd-queen trap I find an in-
dlsjM'tisftble convenience. I shotUd feel like
a duck OH dry land tvithout it. It naves me
LABOR and prevents ANXIETY."

PRICES.
One trap, by mail, $0.65

Six, in flat, (one made seven in all) "2.00

Twelve '• " " " thirteen " '■ ;-i.50

Apiculturist one year and sample trap, 1.10
Address,
AMERICAN APICULTURIST,
Wenliam, Mass.

4 THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

Thirty Years Among the Bees

BY HENRY ALLEY, -WENHAM, MASS.

EIGHTY pages. BOUND IN PAPER, Bl" MAIL, 50 CENTS.

This work gives the author's thirty ykaks' experience with bees, and, also, a full
description of the best and hitest metliods for rearing queens in full colonies, while a
fertile queen still has possession of the combs. A practical method for rearing queens
above a queen-excluder and by queenless colonies is also given.

Three thousand copies of The Bkekekpeus' Haxl>y Book, giving our methods
for rearing queens were sold. Tlie work has been rewritten and is now entitled
" Thihty Yeaks among the Bees."

Every part of the business of rearing queens is minutely described, and in such a
clear and practical way that even the novice can make queen-rearing a success.

THE BEEKEEPERS' DIRECTORY.

This is another work that should be in every beekeeper's library. It gives you all
the practical part of bekkekping. Mr. Dooiittle gives his method of "preparing
BEES FOR the HARVEST;" Dr. G. L. Tinker, "how to wintkr bees." In fact, the
directory contains all tlie practical information that one need possess in ordei' to
make beekeeping a success.

Price by mail, cloth, 75 cents; paper beund, 50 cents. The above books, paper
bound, will be sent by mail for f 1.

Address,

THE A.MEIlICA.Isr i^PICULTURIST,

WHY" NOT SUBSCRIBE FOR THE

AMERICAN APICIILTURIST

and secure a daughter from our

HUNDRED-DOLLAR GtUEENP

One dollar-and-fiftj'-cents pays for the American Apiculturist one year
and one of these queens.

A FULL DESCRIPTION

of this wonderful queen and her colony is given on first page of the Supple-
ment to April No.

Sample copies of the Api and our price-list mailed free to any address.

To anyone sending us four (4) new subscribers with the cash (S3), we
will mail one of the above queens free. oX'if

Bear in mind that we warrant the purity of all our queens and guarantee
safe arrival to all parts of the Union and Canada.

Address,

THE ^MERIC^N ^P^ICULTURIST,

Tr2E * "jiw^^mjri * jnmmmi$%

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., JUNE 1,1890.

NO. 6.

Entered a,t Fost-ofRce a,s second-class matter.

®l)e (£i)itor's llltpartmmt.

Editorial points.

Our prices for queens by the single one or by
the dozen can be lound in any issue of the API.

Self-hivers haveandarenowliavingan immense
sale. Tliey are working satistactorily in all cases
reported. All who have examined the selMiiver,
pronounced it the best tiling out.

Every reader of the Apiculturist should order
and introduce a young queen reared from our
hundred-dollar queen, 'i'liis is the linesc strain
of Italian bees we have ever had in our apiary.
We wish to remind those who send lor sample
copies of the AI'ICUI.tukist that tliey can get our
paper one year, and a selected daughter of the
above queen, for $1.50. Now is a good tune to
subftCrioe. We can mail the queen in a few days
after tlie order reaches us.

If any reader or other friemls of the API desire
to visit our apiary anil see how we carry on queen
rearing, all are vvekome to do i=o. By June 1.5th
we expect to have 300 nucleus colonies In full op-
eration. Two hundred are now in running order.
We shall lake great pleasure in showing all who
favor us with a call how we rear queens by the
methods given in '• Thirty years among the bees."
We shall sliow you how bees leaving a fertile
queen rear queens above a queen-excluder; and
it any visitor happens here at about tlie proper
time, we shall sliow how bees make cell-cups by
the only natural method.

j8®-The APiCULTUUiSTfor April is on our desk.
It is, as usual, fliled with spicy reading for bee-
keepers. The APICULTUHIST IS fully up with the
times, and it is a pleasure to read every copy as
it comes to hand. It richly deserves its success.
—Am, Bee Journal, April 26.

Prices of supplies at the Bay State Apiary.
We will say to those who call for cur price-
list that we have none except what is found in
each issue of the Api. Please look it over. If
you do not find all you want you can send the
order just the same and we will get the goods we-
do not keep in stock of those who have them.

After May 10 the price of the Swarmhiver will
be S2.50 per half dozen and $1.00 (ler dozen. Af-
ter maiuifactnring several thousands we found
the profits not what they should be. When the
price was fixed it did not occur to us that, so
many dealers would care to handle them. Now
supiilj' dealers fi-om all quarters are calling for
tliem.

Although each issue of the Api gives instruc-
tions lor remitting money, our friends persist in
sending money-orders on all the post-offices in
this count}'. Before you purchase a money, or-
der look and see where it should be made paya-
ble, tialem, Mass. P. O., is the place.

We are getting inquiries by every mail from all
liarts 01 the country from beekeepers wishing to
know if we liave queens reatly to ship. We have
not and shall not have any queens to ship till af-
ter May 20. Commencing with the first week in
June we expect to ship one liundred (jueens ea(di
week. All will be reared from our famous $100
queen.

If the readers of the API could come to our api-
ary on any warm day and see these bees at work
we sliouhl be pretty sure to get their oi'der for one
or morequeens. On ApiilSO this queen with about
one quart of her bees was taken from lier colony
and transferred to a small.'i-Gomb hive from whicdi
we shall draw one thousand eggs each day until
Sept. -20.

How to remit.
All remittances to us should be
made payable to the order of The
Amkrican Apiculturist. Please bear
this in mind.

(89)

90

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

[Copyright.]

THIRTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES.

Bt Henry Alley.

QUEEN-REARING.

\_Continued from page li, Vol. viii.]

Knife for cutting comb foundation and re-
moving queen cells.

A knife of the right kind is not the
least of the convenient and important
things to have in the bee-room and in
the apiary generally. I have several
old, well-worn table knives that I use
about the apiary, mostly in our queen-
rearing operations. A suitable knife
should not have a blade too thick, and
I may say that it is impossible to get one
with a blade that will be too thin.

Keep at hand a lighted lamp for
heating the knife, as it does much better
•work when quite warm than when cold.
Always heat the knife when it is used
about queen cells, or in any queen-rear-
ing operations. It is often necessary to
separate queen cells when they are built
in clusters. If a cold knife is used to do
such work, there is great danger of in-
juring one or more of the cells, and of
destroying the queens in them. Heat
the knife just hot enough to have it cut
smoothly-
Screening drones from worker bees.

It is often necessary in rearing queens
to separate the drones from worker
bees. During my queen-rearing oper-
ations, I have practised such work a
great deal. This, of course, was neces-
sary before the introduction of the
drone-and-queen trap. Before the in-
vention of this useful device for ridding
the apiary of useless and undesirable
drones, other means had to be de-
vised for destroying them, as black
drones were not to be tolerated in the
same apiary with young Italian queens.
In those days of our early queen-rearing
experience, we were obliged to run an

out-apiary of nucleus colonies on ac-
count of the liability of the races mix-
ing. With the drone-and-queen trap,
several races can be kept in the same
yard and none will hybridize.

I believe every reader of this under-
stands that queens and drones mate in
the air and twt in the hive. When a
queen is five days old she will, , if the
weather is pleasant, take her first flight
to meet a drone. If not successful the
first day, she will fly each succeeding
pleasant day until she is fertilized. Al-
though I have been rearing queens by
the thousands the past thirty years, I
never yet knew a queen to make the
mating flight when under five days of
age. I have read accounts where it is
claimed that queens were fertilized when
less than four days old. I have tried
every means to induce queens to take a
flight when under five days old, but was
unsuccessful in each case.

Queen-cell protsctors.

The queen-cell protector is a thing
of which I know but little. I be-
lieve Mr. Doolittle claims the invention
of this novel device for preventing
queens from destroying queen-cells.
Rather than use an arrangement of this
kind, it seems to me that it would be a
much better plan to remove the queen-
cells from the combs and place them
in nursery-cages. If queens are allowed
to hatch in nursery- cages, they can re-
main in them until introduced.

I do not advise the use of the queen
nursery, or the use of the nursery-cage
when the cell can be placed in a queen-
less colony.

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

91

This brings us directly to another
important matter. In an article under
the head of "apiary," in the American
Stockman, I find the following remark-
able statement :

A correspondent of y^e American Rural
Borne says : Picking up a paper lately which
had an article in it on queen rearing, I came
across this sentence in the article: "'Queen-
cells, or a newly hatched queen, should be
given every colony or nucleus, as soon as a
queen is taken out." In reading this I won-
dered whether the writer had ever had much
experience in rearing queens, or whether he
meant just what he said. If he meant just
what he said, it would seem a little strange
that nearly every writer on this subject should
say wait twenty-four hours. I have often
given queen-cells at the time I took a queen
from a colony, or in some cases waited from
six to ten hours later, and have always had
nineteen out of twenty such cells destroyed
unless they were protected with a queen pro-
tector. I have had better success in letting a
very young queen run upon the combs as soon
as I had taken out the laying queen, than I
have in giving them cells; yet as far as my ex-
perience goes, not more than one out of ten
of these will be accepted if let go on the
combs at this time. Some years the bees are
very slow in starting queen-cells after a queen
is taken away, wiien I have had over one-half
of the cells destroyed which were put in after
twenty-four hours had elapsed from the time
the queen was taken away.

That I am not alone in this matter is shown
by the following from one of our most expe-
rienced queen breeders: "In my early days
of beekeeping, I used to read that when form-
ing a nucleus by taking two combs of bees
and brood and placing them in an empty hive
where I wished the nucleus to stand, I should
give them a sealed queen-cell at once. After
trying it very many times they have been
invariably destroyed, the bees building queen-
cells to suit themselves from the eggs and
larva which they had. If the nucleus has
been formed long enough for them to have
queen-cells of their own, and a cell ready to
hatch is given them, it will not be destroyed,
or if their cells are cut out and another in-
serted in their place, it will be respected."
This corresponds exactly with all of my ex-
perience. If I attempt to give a queen-cell
to a colony from which I have taken a queen,
before they start cells from their own brood,
the cell is invariably destroyed. Hence if, at
twenty-four hours after the removal of a queen,
no cells are started, with me, it is not safe to
give a cell just ready to hatch, unless the same
is protected. As looking over the combs to
see just when cells are started is extra work, I
now wait forty-eight hours, and usually all

works well. Where I think I do not want to
wait this length of time I use the queen-cell
protectors, when I get a queen hatched in a
colony within from six to eighteen hours from
the time the old one was taken out.

These cell protectors are made by rolling a
piece of wire cloth around a tapering stick, so
as to form a cage having an opening in one
end about as large as a lead pencil, while the
other end is large enough to admit the cell
at its iiase. The queen-cell is now slipped
into the protector and the large end secured
so the bees cannot get at it, when the whole
is put down into the center of the cluster of
bees, between two combs, where it is left to
hatch. As the bees always destroy a cell by
biting into the side of it, this protects the
cell so they cannot do this, yet allows the
queen to come out at the lead-pencil hole.

While the above does not agree with
my experience, nevertheless it is quite
an important piece of information. A
good method for introducing queens and
queen cells is given in the above, as
well as the way to make and use the
cell protector.

Now, my experience in introducing
very young queens and in giving queen-
cells to either full or nucleus colonies
has been this : when a fertile queen has
been taken fi-om a colony, I have for
years made it a practice to immediately
place in the hive a 70"// matured queen-
cell. 1 do this not only because I have
found it perfectly safe to do so, but be-
cause it saves so much time and trouble
later on.

It does not seem to be generally un-
derstood by beekeepers that it is «(?/
the worker bees that destroy the un-
hatched queen. While the bees will
not open a queen cell and sting the em-
bryo queen, they permit a queen to do
so. When the unhatched queen has
received a fatal wound, then the bees
remove her and at once tear down the
cell.

Let me say again that bees having a
queen will not destroy a queen- cell un-
til after a queen has opened the cell
and stung the unhatclied queen. Until
the queen has done her work the bees
will continue to nurse and care for the
cell the same as they do when the col-
ony is queenless.

Should a queen emerge from a cell

92

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

as soon as placed in a colony having a
fertile queen, she would not be molested
until the reigning queen happens to meet
the young queen on the combs ; then
the former would be despatched.

Should the queens not meet until the
young one was several hours old, it
would most likely be the old queen
that would be dethroned. The longer
the mortal combat is delayed, the more
advantageous it is to the young queen.

1 have seen two queens emerge from
cells at the same time and in less than
a minute they were closed in a death
struggle for control of the colony. When
a queen has received a mortal wound
from the sting of a rival queen, she does
not die immediately. The sting usu-
ally causes paralysis of the side injured
and the wounded bee will creep around
on the combs dragging one leg and
wing for some time. Should she be
met again by the queen that gave the
death wound, they would pass by with-
out taking the least notice of each other.

Best way to get knowledge of the habits of
bees.

I do not guess at or suppose these
things may be as stated. I know them
to be correct from long experience and
actual experiment. No one can know
these things without spending consider-
able time in studying the bees and their
habits.

A queen, fertile or unfertile, as well as
bees will surely follow her nature in ev-
ery instance. She will at sight destroy
another queen, or rather make the at-
tempt to do so. If a queen-cell is given
a colony containing a queen, instinct
teaches the queen that it is her duty to
destroy the cell unless previous prepara-
tions have been made by the colony to
swarm. The same instinct teaches the
bees that a queen cell under all circum-
stances should be respected and re-
ceive proper care until the queen comes
forth to take charge of the colony.

It seems to me that it ought not to
require a great amount of argument to
convince the average beekeeper that
these statements are correct. I have

found that a colony of bees is always
ready to receive a young queen or a
queen-cell at any time and it did not
matter whether or not they had a queen.

A person who gives an opinion or an
experience differing from the above has
not had much experience in the mat-
ter, or jumps at conclusions without
properly investigating the subject.

Having devoted more space to this
subject than I intended, I will conclude
by advising those who desire to test the
matter of introducing young queens, or
queen- cells at the time a fertile queen
is removed from a colony, to follow the
directions given on another page of
this work. I venture to say that when
a cell containing a well developed queen
is placed in a full queenless colony, the
queen will be allowed to emerge and
will be well taken care of, and that not
one cell in one htmdred will be de-
stroyed, and not even one queen killed
that hatches from such shells.

How to obtain some valuable information
about bees.

I know of no better way for any bee-
keeper to get so much profitable amuse-
ment and valuable information regard-
ing bees and queens, as can be had by
experimenting in the line of introducing
just- hatched queens and inserting queen-
cells in colonies at the proper season of
the year. Most any beekeeper has
plenty of queen-cells at swarming time
and no special effort need be made to
procure a supply by artificial methods.

Proper time to remove queen-cells from a
colony that has swarmed.

It is not expected that the inexperi-
enced beekeeper will do everything
right in the apiary. All must live and
learn. Many old beekeepers make mis-
takes in the management of their bees.

There is a time to do certain things
and a time when some things should
not be done. There is a right time to
remove queen-cells from a colony that
has cast a swarm. Usually a swarm
issues on the first pleasant day after
one of the queen-cells is sealed. If a

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

93

swarm comes off the day the queen-
cells are sealed nearly every cell would
be destroyed if meddled with on that or
on any succeeding day before the cells
had been sealed at least six or seven
days. This has been my experience.

A frame on which there are a number
of queen-cells may be removed from
one hive to another if carefully done,
and no injury will result. But if an
attempt be made to cut the cells from
the comb before the expiration of seven
days after the cells are sealed most
likely a majority of the queens would
be destroyed. When the cells are first
made the walls are very thin and soft.
The nymph has not spun the thin silken
lining (cocoon) that protects it in the
cell while the nymph is maturing. Im-
mediately after the cell is sealed the
cocoon is formed and the bees each
day add wax to the outer walls, and
by the time the queen is ready to
emerge the walls of the cell at the base
are sometimes nearly or quite an eighth
of an inch thick. This heavy wax coat-
ing protects the unhatclied queen from
injury before she leaves the cell. I
can give no other explanation than this
of the reasons why it is that the walls of
a queen-cell are made so heavy. Yet I
do not see the wisdom of this nor why
it shouki be so, since the bees do not
and cannot know that the cells are likely
to be handled or are in anyway subject
to injury except from the queen. Of
course the thicker the walls of the cells,
the longer it will take a queen to gnaw
through them in order to sting the im-
mature queen.

Exposure of queen-cells to heat and cold.
When handling queen-cells in a warm
room or even in the open air, none of
them should be exposed to the sun, or
a very high temperature for a moment.
Remember that the unhatched queen is
in an almost air-tight case, and if the
temperature is raised above eighty de-
grees only for a few minutes, it is almost
sure death to the queen. Under no
consijderation should the cells be exposed
unnecessarily. If the temperature of the

bee-room is between seventy and eighty
degrees, it is full warm for such operations
as transferring-cells, starting queens, etc.

On the other hand, no unhatched
queen will be injured if the cells are ex-
posed for a long time to a temperature
below fifty degrees. By a long time I
do not wish any one to understand that
the cells would not be injured if ex-
posed an unreasonable time. No harm
will be done if the cells are left for
several hours in a room where the tem-
perature is as low as fifty degrees.

I once accidentally left a cell on the
ground over night ; the temperature
the next morning was about forty de-
grees above zero. Prompted by curi-
osity, and as an experiment, I placed
the cell in a colony to see what the re-
sult would be, and to see whether the
queen would be of any value. The
queen came out all right, was promptly
fertilized and proved to be a good one.

When the eggs of hens are placed in
an incubator, the temperature is not
permitted to go above 103 degrees. If
it goes above 105 degrees or up to 106
degrees and is maintained for a short
time only, many of the embryo chicks
will perish. I have had no experience
in the hen business, but from what I
know about bees I am quite sure that
many poultry breeders have often had
their hopes blasted by a too high tem-
perature in the incubator.

Surplus queens, how to preserve and care
for them.

At the season of swarming many bee-
keepers have more or less queen-cells
and sometimes young queens they
would like to preserve if it were conve-
nient and the proper fixtures were at
hand to aid them in carrying out their
desires. At just that time several
cages, such as are described on a
previous page and are used in the
queen nursery, would be the right thing
to have. Remove the cells from the
hive at the proper time, place them in
the nursery-cages and after supplying
each cage with food sufficient for a
week, or longer, place the nursery in

94

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

some full colony, according to direc-
tions given on another page in connec-
tion with the description of the nursery.
A much better way for the novice to
dispose of queen-cells would be to super-
sede old queens and at once insert the
queen-cells. If this seems too risky, the
method of inserting queen-cells taken
from the American Stockman can be
used to good advantage. That is, de-
queen the hive a few days before the
cells are inserted. This method of
dequeening would do away with the
necessity of nucleus colonies in which
one would be obliged to preserve young
queens until fertilized.

Position of nucleus colonies in the apiary.
Occasionally a visitor to the Bay
State apiary will look around awhile and
then remark "Why don't you place those
little hives in rows so they will look bet-
ter? I shouldn't think a queen could
ever find her way back to the hive where
she belongs, etc." Well, my friend, the
bees have no trouble in finding their
home, is the only reply I need make. I
usually go some farther and explain the
reason why I place the nucleus hives
in such seemingly careless positions. If
the hives are set on a line and all face
the same direction, few, if any of the
queens would find their home on return-
ing from the mating trip. For this rea-
son we purposely place the fertilizing
hives in a zigzag position.

Position of full colonies in the apiary. How
bees mark the location of their homes.

With full colonies there is less dan-
ger of the loss of queens when the
hives are placed near each other and
are all painted one color. While there
are several queens to be fertilized in a
nucleus colony each year, there is but
one to be mated from the full colony.
Then again, there is always less danger
of queens being lost from a full col-
ony than there is from a nucleus colony
at mating time. Hence the reason for
the extra care with the nucleus colony.

While many paint the fronts of their
hives in different colors to aid the queen

and bees in locating their home, I hard-
ly think such is necessary from the fact
that bees do not seem to know one col-
or from another. I have found that a
slight change in the position of the hive
from the one nearest it, is all that is
necessary, and much better than paint.
For instance : let one hive face south,
the next one southeast and the next
south again. Another hive may have a
small stone near the entrance, or any
other object by which the bees can
mark the location. Bees seem to be
guided in locating their home more by
the position of the hive and surround-
ings than by colors.

How bees act when leaving the hive the
first time.

When bees are let out of the hive after
being placed in a new position they al-
ways "mark" the location by flying about
the entrance a few moments. They do
not come out of the hive and start direct-
ly for the fields, but as soon as they are
outside the hive they at once discover
that something is wrong. As each bee
gets on its wings it turns head towards
the hive, and after a few seconds spent
in observation, it will move a little far-
ther away and gradually enlarge the cir-
cle, all the time rising h'gher in the
air, and finally it will take a "bee line"
in search of water, pollen, propolis or
honey, as the needs of the colony seem
to demand ; after the bees have been to
and from the fields once or twice, they
do not stop to locate their home but at
once go to the fields in searcli of forage.
When the bees leave the fields they go
high in the air, and after circling around
several times go directly to their home.

How a queen marks the location of her
home when she leaves it for the mating trip .

One engaged extensively in rearing
queens will in the course of the season
see hundreds of young queens leave the
hive to meet a drone. Queens mark
the location the same as the worker
bee. When the queen returns to the
hive she is more careful about enter-
ing the right hive than the worker

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

95

bee. This is natural. The queen seems
to know that if she enters the wrong
hive that her chance of escape from
death is very small, unless by chance
she enters a queenless colony, when, of
course, she will be well treated. If she
happens to enter a colony having a fer-
tile queen she would be pretty sure to
be killed, not by the queen in the hive
which she entered by mistake, but by
the bees, as they would at once seize
and ball her until she is dead when the
bees would unceremoniously eject her
from the hive.

I have seen queens return from the
mating flight and fly about the entrance
of their hive nearly five minutes before
they dared to enter. The queen would
go very near the entrance, and then re-
cede several feet and then go near the
hive again. Bees or queens seldom make
mistake in locating the right hive.

I sometimes have thought that when
watching the movement of a queen fly-
ing about the front of a hive she would
venture near the entrance for the pur-
pose of getting a sniff of the odor of the
interior of the hive, in order to make
sure of the right one.

During the honey flow it makes but
little difference which hive in the apiary
the worker bees enter when loaded with
honey or pollen. The guard bees seem
too busy to notice whether it is a friend or
foe that is entering their home.

"Where bees carry pollen and propolis.

Here let me say to the novice, old
farmer and the box-hive beekeeper that
bees carry pollen and propolis on its
legs and not wax or honey as some sup-
pose. A sack holding al30ut one drop
of honey is located in the abdomen of
the bee and is used for the transportation
of honey and water. So far as is known
the nectar is not in the least changed
for having been through the honey sack.
Bees do not jiiake honey, they simply
gather it and place it in the cells of the
hive. The nectar is then changed
slighdy by having the water evaporated
from it and by the high and even tem-
perature of the hive.

Nature has provided the bee with a
way of ejecting the nectar from the hon-
ey sack. I have watched the bees fill
a cell that was made against glass. They
seemed to put the honey in the cells
exactly as a painter puts paint upon
wood. The tongue is used like a brush
to paste the honey in the cell.

The cell is kept fullest against the
walls to prevent any honey from run-
ning out ; that is, the honey is put in the
cells on the concave principle.

[To be continued. 1

JToreign ^otcs.

L. Stachelhausen.

SoMK beekeepers believe that bees
transfer eggs from worker-cells to
queen-cells. A new observation of
Mr. Vogel in Germany shows that this
is very improbable, at least. Mr. Vo-
gel had a queen with one hind leg want-
ing to the trochanter. When and
how this leg was lost Mr. Vogel did
not know. In the spring of 1889 the
colony was populous, but got very
weak in summer. He found many
eggs laid, but not on the bottom of
the cells, but about four to Ave milli-
meters from the edge of the cell. By
lepeated examinations he found no
larvae but eggs only. The eggs were
always removed by the workers.

Now, jNIr. Vogel set one of the combs
containing these eggs in a queenless
nucleus. One day all the eggs were re-
moved. The nucleus was queenless
some eight days and if the bees ever
transferred any eggs, they would have
done it in this case, so says Mr.
Vogel.

In nearly all our American bee-pa-
pers and in the British Bee Journal
we found, lately reproduced, a Ger-
man law on l)eekeeping. This law
has not passed, as yet, any legisla-
tion in Germany. The bill was in-
troduced in the Eeichstag. There it
was dropped ; the matter belonging
to the resort of the police authorities.

96

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

In April, 1889, the bill was intio-
ducecl to the Prussian house of repre-
sentatives, but referred to a commit-
tee where it will remain forever bur-
ied. By the wa}', I will remark that
the law is objected to by many Ger-
man beekeepers.

Within a few years the question has
been very much discussed in Germa-
ny, " Do the bees need water in win-
ter and is it profitable to water the
bees at that time inside of the hive?'
Some beekeepers strongly recommend
giving a little water by the aid of a
bottle, while others think this is not
necessary.

Theoretically, the bees need a little
water to prepare the larval food, as
soon as breeding commences. In some
localities the honey is much inclined
to granulate, and the bees need water
to dissolve it. If the bees cannot fly
out to get this water, they have to get
it inside of the hive or suffer badly.
The question now is : Is it more profit-
able to use a hive, so constructed,
that the moisture ma}^ condense on
the walls or near the alighting hole,
or to have the hive all packed very
warm and give the water by aid of a
bottle? For our northern friends, I
think this question is quite important ;
we are still very far from knowing
everything about wintering bees.

In respect to the science of bee-
keeping, we find in the illustrated
Bienenzeituvg of Gravenhorst, some
very valuable articles from Mr.
Schoenfeld.

He experimented with drones and
found that they will die in three days
if not fed by ihe workers with larval
food. These experiments explain now
at once, in what manner tlie drones
aie killed by the workers. They sim-
ply do not receive any nitrogenous
food. The reason for killing the
drones of a colony is not on account
of the end of the swarming season,
but the scarcity of pollen in the field.
With scarcity of pollen it is more dif-
ficult for the bees to prepare larval
food. At first the drone-brood is not

fed any more ; then the drones are so
weak the second day that they are
easily carried out i)y the bees. Here-
by it is necessary to know that drones,
like the queen, feed themselves on
honey, but never eat any pollen. All
nitrogenous food for drones and queen
comes from the chyle-stomach of
worker-bees.

Before the British Beekeeper.s' As-
sociation, in the meeting of Oct, 23,
1889, Mr. Grimshaw read a paper en-
titled '"Heredity in Bees." Quite the
same idea and hypothesis was pub-
lished by me in the German Bienenzeit-
ung, No. 10, 1879. At that time it
seemed quite certain that the larval
food was prepared by glands. But now
we know that this theory was a great
mistake, and Mr. Grimshaw thinks
that with the gland theor}-, his or my
theory on heredity would fall ; this is
not necessarily so. If the time allows
I will write on this subject.

Selma, Tex.

Double- vs. Single-wall Hives .

A writer says in the Michigan Far-
mer in determining which is the bet-
ter, a double- or a single-wall hive for
practical results, we should consider
not alone the winter problem. At
the late International Convention,
where the matter was fully discussed,
it was not, nor can it besliown to be,
that a properly constructed double-
wall hive packed with suitable mate-
rial will not winter bees as well as
the single-wall hive in a good cellar ;
though it was shown, I think, conclu-
sively, that there is a small saving of
stores by cellar wintering. I think it
must also be conceded that it is on the
whole, the most economical s^'Stera of
wintering. Here, then, are two points
conceded in favor of single wall hives ;
but I propose to show that these are
more than offset by the superior ad-
vantages of the double-walled hive in
spring and summer.

The saving of stores by cellar win-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

97

tering- is not over four pounds to the
colony ; and the saving in the cost of
hives is not more than tlie*vahie of
four pounds of iioney per year. Now
we come to spring brooding, and my
experience is, tiiat there is a net sav-
ing of not less than ten pounds of
stores to the colony by the use of the
double wall hive up to the first of June,
in this locality ; and I believe the sav-
ing would be still greater at any point
farther north. If we calculate, then,
from the first of November till the first
of June, we have a saving of at least
six pounds of stores in double-wall
hives over the best possible showing
in single- wall hives.

But we will not stop here. There
is another advantage in double-wall
hives that has not heretofore been re-
corded ; and it is the chief considera-
tion with me in deciding in favor of
them. We can raise one-third more
brood and bees in a double- than in a
single-wall hive by the first of June.
"We have the facts and figures to prove
this point, and they will be given if
desired. I will here simply allude to
the fact that bees in protected hives
in spring are stronger, and are able
to gather stores, and to breast strong
cold winds, when the bees from single-
wall hives, being comparatively weak,
fall to the ground, or become chilled
on the flowers and died. The cause
of this state of things is undoubtedly
due to the greater labor required to
keep the brood warm during the cool
nights of April and May, in single-
wall hives.

Thus it will be seen, that the two
points above conceded to the credit
of the single wall hive become a small
matter when we compare the grand re-
sults that can be achieved with the
double-wall hive in spring brooding,
preparatory to securing a crop of
honey. But I shall fall short of do-
ing this subject justice by not saying
something upon the proper construc-
tion of double-wall hives and their win-
ter and spring management. I know
that man}' have failed with such hives,

and I think I know why. I have said,
and I desii'e to emphasize the fact,
that a chaff hive, with damp packing,
and damp walls and combs, is a poor
place for bees. Indeed, it is far in-
ferior to a single-wall hive in out-door
wintering, if it is allowed to get into
such a condition ; and I know that the
management of these hives leads to
more or less dampness, which is either
death to the bees or there is a partial
or complete failure in results. Double-
wall hives, then, must be kept dry,
and the packing must be thoroughly
dry to begin with. Again, the pack-
ing must be quite porous or it will re-
quire to be often changed. Thus, fine
sawdust, clover, and oat chatf, that
mat down close, are objectionable.
Forest leaves, planer shavings from
dry wood, and the excelsior sawdust
obtained in sawing sections, are pre-
ferred, and from two and one-half to
three inches of packing about the
brood-chamber is enough.

In preventing dampness I rel}' much
npon proper ventilation, and practise
two methods, both of which succeed
well. The first is free bottom venti-
lation, and it seems best adapted to
this locality. The second is upward
ventilation in connection with a small
entrance (two inches by three-eighths
of an inch). This latter system seems
better adapted to points farther north,
though I am not sure it is. With free
bottom ventilation there is more and
purer air furnished to the bees, and
they appear to be able to keep the
hive as warm as by the other plan, as
the following will show.

About fifty miles due west of here
are quite a number of apiaries of from
ten to fifty colonies of pure black bees
in box hives, where for more than fifty
years they have held their own, and
where, up to this time, the frame hive
and the modern system of beekeeping
have been unknown or ignored. What
impressed me most was the fact that
all of these hives, without exception,
were set on four small, flat stones,
from three-fourths to one inch thick,

98

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

and they were left so the year round.
I inquired of one old and intellicrent
beekeeper why he let so much air in
at the bottom of his hives, and he re-
plied that they could not winter their
bees in anyotlier way ; that the combs
and hives, without the large openings
at the bottom, would become damp
and the bees would die ; that, as long
as the hives and combs were dry, the
bees were never injured by the cold !
I suppose I iiave seen this fact stated
in tlie bee papers a hundred times,
and yet it does not appear that the
mass of beekeepers are profiting by it.
It is now a well-known fact that bees
in winter, at intervals of three to five
days, arouse from their torpid condi-
tion, and feed. During the intervals
they take no food until the sense of
hunger again arouses them. Tiiis is
an interrupted hibernation. I have
thought tiiat they often go as long as
a week Avitliout food ; but when they
do rouse up they raise the tempera-
ture and warm up their stores before
they can feed ; and in the operation
they set in motion active currents of
air. Now, I have observed that bees
cannot properly ventilate a hive ex-
cept from tlie bottom ; and the exper-
iments of Mr. Cornell have shown that
free bottom ventilation cannot be had
through an horizontal entrance of the
usual size, without other openings in
bottom or other part of the hive. Bees
then may, at their feeding times ven-
tilate and dry out their hives to some
extent, where free bottom ventilation
is provided for. The plan that I have
tried, and which seems to answer
every purpose, is to give a full en-
trance (§^ X 12 inches), and in tlie bot-
tom of the winter-case, at the rear end
of the brood-chamber, make five one-
inch augur holes, which are to be cov-
ered with tinned wire cloth. Upward
ventilation is prevented as far as pos-
sible b}' the use of an inside cover for
the brood-chamber, made of wood.
The hive stands near the ground, and
a few leaves are placed loosely be-
neath to keep the bees from trying to

get under the hive, when they can fly,
where the augur-holes are located.
The hives" are painted on the bottom,
and the dampness of the ground does
not affect the hive or bees.

With the above arrangement the
packing gets only slightly damp,
which is soon dried out by taking off
the cover of the winter-case once in
two or three weeks when the sun sliines
clear. If the packing gets quite damp
over the brood chamber (and it often
gets so on the cool days of spring),
I throvv it all out to dry on the cover,
which is inverted on the ground. The
sun is also allowed to shine fidl upon
the inside cover of the brood-chamber.
The effect of this treatment on the
bees in the spring is very remarkable,
and especially upon the laying of the
queen and the ra|)id extension of the
brood. The covers are usually taken
off about 10 A.M., and returned at
4 P.M. Where upward ventilation
is given, the entrance is closed to two
inches by three-eighths, and no holes
are made in the bottom of tiie hive.
Over the brood-cliamber is laid two
thicknesses of cheap cotton cloth, and
four or five inches of packing. I pre-
fer the cloth to .lie flat on the frames
without any cross-sticks for passage-
ways. With this arrangement, after
a few weeks of cold weather tiie sur-
face of the packing will become quite
wet, while it is warm (fifty degrees)
and dry beneath. I use mostly the
excelsior sawdust on tiie brood-cham-
ber, loose, as it can be handled almost
as easily as a cushion, and is readily
dried out, while a cusiiion is wet.
When ready for the sections it may
be taken out and stored in barrels, for
future use ; but the packing around
the first story is left in place, as a
rule, all the year.

A properly constructed double-wall
hive is simply a winter-case for a
single-wall hive. They should not be
constructed all in one, as the pack-
ing, if it becomes damp, cannot be
removed to dry it out. My winter case
is made of thin boards, nine thirty-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

99

seconds thick by tweiit}'^ inches long,
nailed np and down to a frame at tlie
top and bottom. Tlie bottom and cover
are also lined with the same thin stnff ;
and the whole, witli the flat, tin roof,
weighs under twenty-five pounds. It
is light, easy to handle and very dur-
able. After five years' use I have yet
to lose a colony in them. In summer
we take most of tlie packing away,
when they become excellent summer
hives. In conclusion, allow me to
again call the attention of beekeepers
to the matter of bottom ventilation
for winter hives. — Exchange.

The above 8o nenrly meets onr views so often
expressed in tlie diA'crent bee-papers that we fr've
space to it here. Tlie article is one of the best we
have seen on the s\ibject of double-walled hives
for a long time. — Ed.

Biftinqs in 3tt Culture.

CONDUCTED BY M. A. KELLEY.

Periodicals for review, exchanges and corre-
spondence intended for this department should
be addressed to

M. A. Kelley,
Milton, W. Va.

" La Grippe" prevented the ap-
pearance of Siftings in the Api for
March.

Mr. Heddon, in Gleanings^ says
that frames spaced 1^ from centre to
centre will do very well.

Mrs. L. Harrison, in American Bee
Journal, advises beekee[)ers to have
honey on hand to supply their trade
at all times.

Our old friend, Mr. C. W. Dayton,
has invented what iie calls a " queen-
restrictor." Siftiyigs awaits further
developments.

Well, well! What next? Here is
Mr. Doolitt^e using nearly a page in
the American Bee Journal discussing
frame vs. box-hives. " Chaff."

A series of able articles are being
published in the American Bee Jour-
nal on " Extracted honey." Much
valuable information is thus being
disseminated.

An entire page in a recent Cana-
dian Bee Journal is devoted to the
consideration of the best means of
filling up a "crack" in a log "gum."
" ChaflT," Brother Jones, chaflF!

Even A. I. Root seems to be com-
ing around upon the side of those
of US who have been advocating the
idea of brood-frames being spaced
not more than 1| from centre to ceii-
fre.

A correspondent in Gleanings
speaks of adding something to ex-
tracted honey to cause it to retain its
liquid form.

Siftings wants to sit down hard up-
on all such plans and all such talk.
Better mix a little brains with your
beekeeping and then, perhaps, there
will not be so much talk about impure
honey.

Mr. F. Danzenbaker says in the
Revieiv that he has thrown aside hon-
ey-boards, queen-excluders and rever-
sible frames, as useless nuisances.
He says also, that only three-six-
teenths of an inch should l)e allowed
between top-bars and the sections and
that the prevention of brace-combs is
a matter of distance. Proper spacing
will prevent them. — [Correct — Ed.]

Well, if this be correct and likely
it is, brace-combs are not so terrible
after all.

Mv. W. F. F. Petty, in the Beviezv,
puts himself on record as of the opin-
ion that the best preventive of brace-

100

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

combs is a properly constructed and
correctly spaced brood-nest. He pre-
fers brood-frames, nine to the foot,
l^y inches wide and \ inch thick.
Frames that are spaced 1 J- inches from
centre to centre are losing ground in
the estimation of many bright bee
men.

Mr. J. E. Pond, in American Bee
Journal, gives some ideas regarding
the much-talked-of burr-comb ques-
tion. He says, in substance, tiiat the
prevention of brace-combs depends
on proper spacing. The frames should
be ^ wide and the combs \ thick and
spaced f apart.

This agrees with my views exactly.
"Why anyone should want frames IJ-
Indies from centre to cent.'-e is hard
to understand.

The Canadian Bee Journal has an
article, copied from the British Bee
Journal, relating some facts as to
heating bee houses in winter. It is
claimed that a great saving of stores
is thus accomplished. And that va-
various manipulations may be per-
formed in winter. Beekeeping, as a
practical, mone3'-raaking business, is
yet in its infancy. The coming years
will bring as much progress as those
that are now passed away.

A hint that may, if followed up,
lead to some practical result. Is given
by Mr. G-. E. Hilton in the Revieio.
It is that bees, if furnished with
combs or foundation, have no good
use for their wax, and rather than
waste it they use it in building brace-
combs.

Now, cannot some of our good
thinkers invent a way to gather and
save the wax scales and thus prevent
their misuse?

The American Bee Journal says
that the hone}' and pollen gathered
from the yellow jessamine {Gelsemium

sem2')ervirens), is poisonous to the
bees. This noxious shrub is plentiful
in the south and should be destroyed
wherever found.

Tlie one great trouble in securing
comb honey in presental)le shape is to
overcome or circumvent the bees' pro-
pensity to waste their time in gather-
ing propolis and depositing it in all
available places.

dHuccn-brecbcrs' IDepartmcnt.

Conducted bi' e. l. pratt.

Northern breeders are now pricking
up their ears.

The Revieio did not give us many
fresh points on queen-rearing in the
special issue for March.

Who makes a good perforated zinc
that will exclude drones and yet al-
low virgin queens to pass?

It looks as though control of flight
was going to be as near to mating in
confinement as we shall ever set.

Dr. Tinker is going to give us a
book on how to get honey. We iiope
the doctor will give all the light pos-
sible on the use of zinc.

One of the first rudiments of breed-
ing is the povver to detect a small ad-
vancement in qualities, and to hold it
there until another can be made.

Have a care when spring opens to
keep down the rearing of undesirable
drones. Keep drone comb away from
your poor stock and give it to the
2,ood.

We have wintered over some quite
small nuclei for experiments and are
well pleased with the result. Next
season we shall try a large number of
them.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

101

I nm gradually being reconciled to
a closed-end tVan)e. Unless some one
invents a, no\el way of fixing hanging
frames prett}' soon, I shall l)e entirely
shifted. Closed-end frames are much
better for breeding up.

How can we form any idea of the
value of a cross of different races un-
less we breed for purity at the start?
The purcliasers of queens should be
the ones to experiment along this line,
not the breeders.

Dr. Morrison recommends carrying
a drone-laying virgin queen through
the winter in order to secure early tly-
ing drones. He says he can get them
flying in April by so doing. Are they-
good for anything? Are not the
queens mated to them drone layers?

Such rtroiies would be worthless, and every
queen mated to them would be worthless, too. —
Eu.j

I believe, b3^ the proi)er manipula-
tion of dvo/ie-excluding nectar at
swarming time, that the honey pro-
ducers could elevate the standard of
tlieir own bees. They could, at least,
hold it up. The natural tendency is
to backslide.

There is an erroneous impression
going abroad that another entire out-
tit of supplies is necessary in order
to work tlie self-hiver to perfection.
Please tell them that they can use an}^
old, cheap box just as well. By cov-
ering said box with wire cloth, would
the bees not cluster inside until hived?

There is considerable being said of
late about queen breeders training
bees to swarm by the forcing metliods
they employ. Fray tell us are not
natural cells constructed during the
keenest swarming excitement? Cells
developed over an excluder are more
like the superseding process and will
have a tendency to lessen the swarm-
ing fecer. i3y this I do not mean

" breed out swarming," for I do not
believe such a thing possible.

This is a good point, fiiend Pratt.— Ed.]

The importation of foreign races
into Ital}', Germany and Austria will
veiy soon ruin the export business for
those countries. Unless a breeder is
honest it is folly to send 3-our money
across the water for imported stock
from lands where other ioreign blood
has been introduced. In America we
have as pure bees as can even now be
obtained from many breeders in both
Italy and Austria. Our foreign friends
will need to take vrarning before it is
too late, or they will lose the large
patronage America has been giving
them. Keejy your bees pure, breeders !

The reputation of the Carniolan
bees will depend entirely upon their
purity. 1 believe A. 1. Root and
those who have written disparjigingly
about the Carniolan race of bees, have
not been furnished with pure stock.
Tlie markings of pure Carniolan bees
are very distinct; thci'e should not be
a speck of decided yellow on them,
but all should show "rust" near the
joint of the body and a series of light
hairy bands to the tip of the tail and
about the thorax. If pure their tem-
per will be decidedly mild, and the
heavy combs will tell the story of their
power to gather honey.

You will hear men say that tliey do
not believe there is any difference in
the bee of to-day and that of fifty
3 ears ago. How is it, then, that we
can now get larger 3'ields of honey ?
Who of our large Italian and Carnio-
lan beekeepeis would go back to the
bees of fil'ty 3'ears ago? Is thei'e a
man of us who woukl part with his fa-
vorite strain of any of the foreign
races for those little fiendish black
bees? If we have made no improve-
ment in our bees in the last fift3'^ years,
it is our own fault. Unless a man
can improve the qualit3' of his stock

102

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

each year he is not worth}' of the name
"Breeder."

It looks as if the designer of all
things had made worker bees, drones
and queens of different sizes in order
that man could so manipulate his in-
ventions to improve upon nature's
handiwork in cultivation.

Mating" in confinement will proba-
bly never l)e accomplislied only by
the confining of undesirable drones by
excluding metal. This metal can be
made of sizes to exclude the drones
in a certain hive, and yet allow the
queen to pass and be mated with such
drones as the apiarist sees fit for her
company. Then we have that size of
perforation that excludes both queen
and drones, when, by simply remov-
ing said excluder after oilier drones
have ceased flying, the desired mating
is sure to take place.

The " dry bones" of beedom have
been shaken up all along the line in
the last few years. New ideas come
up like meteors, shine awhile and sink
to rise no more. Beekeepers have
"■sought out many inventions." Many
of these ap[)liances are used awhile
and then rei)laced by others thought
to be better.

Old ways of doing things are aban-
doned and others take their places.
The older men are halting by the way
and 3'oung men lead the van. So that
in a few years we have new ideas,
new appliances, new ways and new
men.

The number who grasp ideas of im-
provement at their utterance is very
limited. Those who are famous for
kicking against what they call theory
eventually fall into line and make a
practice of the so-called theory.

You will often hear men say, " I
wouldn't give a fig for all the theoreti-
cal stuff you could crowd into a maga-
zine," while in truth they are making
a livelihood on that which was but

theory a few 3'ears previous. When
you find one man pushing for some-
thing better, there are alwuj's a dozen
others to hang on his coat-tails and
hold him back.

Those fellou'8 who liave done so much " kick-
iiifr ■' iiSiiiiist tlie (IroneMnd-queeii tr;i|) and sell-
liiver should take the above home. — Ed. J.

Dr. Tinkers' new book.

A copy of this new book has just
come to hand. It is like everything
that comes from Dr. Tinker's pen.
Every branch of practical beekeeping
is treated and in such a plain, common-
sense way, that no one can fail to un-
derstand what the author means in
the description given of the different
methods practised by him in the pro-
duction of honey, rearing queens, and
new system of managing an apiary.

Price of the book is but 25 cents
per copy.

G. B. Lewis & Co., whose factory
was recently destroyed by fire, are
now ready to fill orders for their fine
one-piece sections, beehives, etc.

Up to date, May 25, bees here in
Massachusetts have done but little
towards gathering honey. We have
too much wet weather all the time.

No one should divide a colony of
bees and allow one part of the colony
to rear a queen. The queen thus
reai'ed would be a very poor one. Do
not divide unless you have a fertile
queen to give the colony. A cell taken
from a colony that has cast a swarm
will do very well if no queen is at
hand.

If you want all your sections nicely
filled, and the comb fastened to all
sides of the section reverse them when
about two-thh'ds filled with honey.

There is a proper way to do all
things; then there is a wrong way to
do most things.

THE AMERICAN APICVLTURIST.

TKSTESD GARMIOLAItf QUEIBiy^S.

We have just purchased all the Tested Carniolan Queens that John Andrews,
of the late firm of Andrews & Lockport, has now wintering in his 100 colonies,
except what was ordered prior to January 7, 1890. These queens are to pro-
duce no bees showing yellow bands, and are to be shipped in May. Anyone
in need of a fine breeding queen early in the season should correspond with
me, or anyone interested in the Carniolan bees should read our catalogue de-
scribing these bees.

Address, •

T li E .A. Z) "V" ^^ IsT G E ,

MECHANIC FALLS, MAINE.

1882 CARNIOLAKS. 1890

Before you buy impoitcd or home breil Carnio-
lan Queens, send for my circulars. 1 have been
breeding the Carniolan bees longer than any
other man in tlie United Stales. They are the
best race of bees known.

L. A. LOWMASTER,

Belle Vernon, Ohio.

A NEW^ DISCOVERY.

Thk Common-sense Honey Extkactok is

strictly scientitic, i)o\verful, durable, handy, clean

and rapid, and diflV-rs from all others, and is

cheaper tlian the cheapest at slaughter prices.

CiuctiLAES Free.

REV. A. R. SEAMA3Sr,
New Cumhekland,
Hancock Co., W.Va.

The Beekeeper'3 Directory.
A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classified list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays and hints regarding the
successful management of the apiary. It is "com-
piled by Henry Alley, Wenham. Mass." It con-
tains 140 pages, one-half of whicli are devoted to
names and addresses of beekeepers, and the
other half to the prattical hints mentioned above,
including Mr. Alley's " method forrearing queens
in full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Bee Journal.

WESTEEN HEAD-QUARTEES FOR APIAEIAN SUPPLIES.

Having greatly enlarged our factory and increased our manufacturing facilities, we are prepared

to fill orders promptly with goods unsurpassed in quality

and workmanship.

ALL OUR HIVES TAKE THE SIMPLICITY FRAME.

ITA.LIA.N QUEENS ^NID BEES

At astonishingly low prices.

Situated, as we are, on the "Great Burlington Route" (C. B. & Q.) and the C. & N. W.,
we can ship goods cheaply to all parts of the United States and Canada.

Estimates gladly furnished and correspondence solicited. We will send free our new
illustrated price-list and know you can save money by examining it before purchasing your
supplies.

A. F. STAUFFER & CO.,

Mention Api,

STERLING, ILL.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

i^mOES OF SUJPI>X.IES

— AT THE -

BAY STATE APIARY,

liee-flives.

We oflfer only the Bay State hive for sale.

t)ne hive in the flat, § ;i.00

Six hives" '• '• 15.00

Twelve" •• " " 27.00

All parts of the Hive ai'e included in tlie above,
frames, tection.s and all but paint and nails.
^Sections.
One-piece sections per 1,000 $4.50
" •• 500 2.50

" " " " ]00 .00

Langstrotli Fx*ames.
israteiial lor (hanging) IVanies for Standard L.

H i ve per 100 . . . .^. $:j.00

The frames we use are so constructed that (lie
bees will not build comb between or over tliem
at ilie lop, nor fasten tlie section case and frames
together, as is the ca»c when the coininon top
bai is used.

]Vailiiig Block fox' Frames.

No one can do good work at nailing Irainos

witliout a iiro|)er board to nail thcni on. We can

send one, liy express, that will do ihe work nicely

Ijrice,... . 50

Coml> Foundation.
We can sujjply the best bramls at manufactur-
ers' prices, ami ship direct. to our customers from
the nearest factory. We also keep a quantity in
stock to till small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames 45 ets. per lb.

1" '• " " sections 50 " " "

We keeiJ in stock but one iliinen>ion of brood-
foundalion 17i x 7 inches. This is large enough
for any L. fraine and is just right for the ISay
State Iraine.

rei'loi-atecl Zinc
This we can suijply in any quantities, shipjied

with other goods, per foot 12cts.

If sent by mail, add 10 cents i>«r font, fir postage.
Honey Extractors.
The E. '1'. Lewis & Co. KxTUAcroK,
Kg. 22. 28 inches m diameter. 25 in(;hes
high, 2-lVaine for any size np to
12| X li); room for 25 lbs., honey
below reel, and the best extractor

ever made for $10 00

We sell this size only as it is tlie most conven-
ient to u.-e of any found in use. This extractor is
adapted to any fiame in use.

Honey Itnlves.

Boot's knife, by express, 70

" by mall, 75

Bee Veils.

The veil has a rubber band which draws the toji

together; it is then placeil over any hat and

drawn until the elastic is over the hat band.

Common net, by mail, ob

i^nioliers.

Bingham & Hetherington's only.

By mail, $1.75; by express, $1.50

Queens ancl Full Colonies,
t Colleens.

Prices.

Un tested queens, each $1.00

Selected " " 1.25

Te-ted " " 2.00

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,

each, 3.00

Our untested ijueens are sent out before any of
their biood hatches. 95 per cent will prove to be
jnirely mated. Safe arrival and purity guaranteed
in all (\ases.

Carniolan qurens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bees cannot be ex-
celled.

Full Colonies.

We consider eight frames well lilled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. Prices of
such in 15. S. liive. inclinling one set of sections,
$12.00. Piinhasers to pay express changes. Safe
arrival guaranteed.

Fourth Edition of tlie

Beekeepers' Handy Book, or Thirty Years
aniDiig the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

CJueen-i'earing Apparatus.

Beekeejiers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by any other, should have the
ai>par;itus liere described. The Swaum isox and
QUEEN-NUUSEHY are articles that no person who
rears qne-ns ought to dispense with.

By u-ing the swarmbox a large colony of bees
can be conlined a hug time or transported safely
hundreds ul miles. It is a very useful aiticle
about the apiary at all times during the season.

Sent only by expiess, |)rice. $1.25.

When a cohmy swarms audit is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei aie at
liand, the Queea-nursery in such cases will be
louml invaluable; the (!ells can be ))laced in them
and they need no further care for a week or more.
Virgin or fei tile queens can be kept in the nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
nninberof queen-nurseries in years past.

The follDwing arii<-les are also used in rearing
queens, a lull descriittion of which can be found
in our Work upon queen-rearing.

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.00

Swarin-lxix 1.25

Fertilizing hive (complete) 50

t'umigator lor using tobacco 25 .80

Cone-leeder 15 .20

To make the lot complete, we put in each
package one drone and-queentrap, one copy of
THiirTV Yeaus AMiKNG iHE BEES, and send nil
by expiess for $4.50

All these articles can be packed in the swarm-
box anil sent safely by e.vpress or freight.

Brooms for Brusliing Bees
from Coniljs.

We find a small "corn-broom" best for this
purpoi-e as it does not injuie or irritate the bees,
and will do the work better and quicker than
anything else u-ed for the purpose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 " byex|iress 20

HOW TO REMIT MONEY.

Remit by registered letters, cashier's check or
express orders. Jf sent by money orders or
))Ostal notes, have them made i)a/al>le at the
Salem, Mass.. P. O. Make all rtmittances pay-
able to the order of the AJiEitiCAN Al'lCULTU-
EI ST.

Address,

AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

Wenham^ Essex Co., Mass.

TF^E « ]{nim\m]iii ' TiPicnLTn^igT.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

PuBiJsiiED Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annu

M.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., JULY 1,1890.

NO. 7.

Knlered. at Fost-office as second-class matter.

®l)e (glritor'0 department.

The Bee-News.
Tlio editor is nio-st too busy in tlie queen jard to
irive our readers tlie cuneut Ijce nevvsoltlie day.
IJrotlier Pratt has attended to tliat part very well.

The Carniolan Bees.
We sliall have no more Carniolan bees for sale
tliis season. Send youi- oitiers to Brotiier I'ratt,
iViailboro, Mass. if you don't care to do that,
order wliere you please.

Every reader of the Apicultuki.st should order
and introduce a young queen i-eared from our
hundred-dollar ijueen. This is the finest strain
of Italian bees we have evei' had in our apiary;
We wish lo remind tliose who send lor sample
copies of the Ai'iCULTUKiS'i' that tliey can get our
paper one year, and a selected daughter of tlie
above queen, for $1..50. Now is a good time to
subsci'ioe. We can mail the queen in a few d.iys
after the order reaches us.

Bees and Honey.
"Bees and Honey'' by Thos. G. Newman, is on
our desk. All we can say of it is that it should
be read by every beekeeper in the land. We
never saw any of the former editions of the work,
consequently can not say in what respect the last
edition is better than the previous ones.

Supersede old queens.
When a queen is two years old she has seen
lier best days and should be superseded. If you
are a subscribe)' to our paper send seventy-five
e.ents and get one of those daughters rearerl from
our $100 queen. If you are not a subscriber,
send $1.50 and get a queen and the API one
year.

The Drone-and-Queen Trap.

If you never have seen one of our drone-and-
queen traps we will mail one to your address on
leceipt of tilty cents. If satisfied with it and
think you desire an individual or township right,
the fifty cents may be deiUnited from the prices
for rights given on anoi.her page.

We have a splendid picture ol our queen-reai-
ing apiary which will be given in a later issue of
the An; probably in the August number.

Three Hundred Queens.

July 1, we shall have three hundred beautiful
Italian (jueens all reared from our famous $100
queen. We exi)ect to be able to fill all orders
by return mail. When ordering queens you will
confer a favor by stating ttie date you desire to
use the queens. If the weather will pei-mit the
queens shall reach you at tlie time you st.ite.

Imported Italian Queens.
Oil June 16, we received by intiil,
two (hie queens from the ai)iary of
Charles Biancoucini, Bolognu, Italy.
There were no dead bees in one bo.K
and only two in the other. This we
call a success. Last year we received
three dead queens by express from an-
other party in Italy. Express cliarges
were ten dollars. We could not get
the shipper — Chini Josephine, Bo-
logna, to make good his bad shipment.
No one will order queens of such ii
dealer.

Queens in exchange for Honey.

We will exchange some of our fin-
est queens for either extracted or comb
honey. Anyone desiring to exchange
will please address Henky Alley,
We)iha7n, Mass.

How to remit.
All remittances to us should be
made payable to the order of The
Americak Apiculturist. Please bear
this in mind.

(103)

104

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Siftiiuis in Btc Culture.

CONDUCTKU BY M. A. KELLEY.

Does the Bee-hive wish to go on
record as saying that the bees are not

aiumals?

Dr. A. B. Mason says that am-
monia in water will remove propolis
from the hands.

A sure way, and the only one to
entirely prevent the building of brace-
combs — don't keep bees.

The fraternity of beekeepers surely
have great reason to be proud of the
noble band of men that have editorial
control of our different bee journals.

If you would make beekeeping pay
you must stick to it. "One swallow
does not make a summer," nor will one
or two years make a thoroughly prac-
tical beekeeper.

Fruit bloom was an entire failure
in this locality [southwestern West
Va.], and the bees are in poor condi-
tion to enter the white clover harvest
which is now at hand.

Mr. A. E. Manum says in Glean-
ings that he has used with success hard
soap on the top-bars and the bottoms
of the sections as a preventive of
brace-comb building.

A crying need of the trade in liquid
honey is some kind of cheap recepta-
cle to retail a pound or two up to
about ten. It should compare in
cheapness with the one-piece section.
As material of which to make them
howf would waxed paper do?

"Speaking of the combs in sections
Dr. Miller sa}' s : — To have them well
fastened, put a strip of foundation at
the top and bottom." This, coming,

as it does, from a leading comb hone\'
producer should carry with it nuich
weight.

We reverse tlu; sections to secure solid
coiiii)s ill sections. Should suy tliat the
Dr. is a little oil" in his way. — Ed.]

The open-side section has had its
day. That day is drawing to a close.
Mr. Root says, "our orders for sec-
tions made with open sides are get-
ting to be few and far between.

I used two thousand of them the
last two seasons but I shall use them
no more. Dr. Miller says he is a "lit-
tle skeptical" as to the advantages
that have been claimed for them but
if he would use them by the thousand
during poor seasons he would soon
become a "big skeptic."

Artilicial pollen is the subject of a
question in the Canadian Bee Jour-
nal for May the first. From the gen-
eral drift of the replies one woidd lie
led to suppose that the practice of giv-
ing the bees artificial pollen is losing
ground in the estimation of many lead-
ing beekeepers. It is of doubtful util-
ity anywa_y and will soon be relegated
to the limbo of wornout fussy fancies.

It is not now common, as it was
some few years ago, for beekeepers to
try to induce every Tom, Dick and
Harry to go into the bee business.
We gain some wisdom as the years go
by. Mixed beekeeping, that is, bee-
keeping in connection with other over-
shadowing pursuits, will not and can-
not pay. You cannot keep bees and
do a dozen other things and do either
well. One thing well done is worth
a dozen failures.

Close spacing of the brood frames
is gaining ground. The time is com-
ing when all frames will be spaced
not more than one and three-eighths
inches from centre to centre. "I think,
should I begin beekeeping again, I
should use frames that would be but
one and three-eighths inches from cen-

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

105

Ivii to centre" siiys Mr. Alley. Thus
the loiuling" men in the fraternit}' are
more and more coining to the conclu-
sion that one and three-eighths is the
[jroper distance.

The old reliable American Bee
Joitrmd in its issue for A|)ril 26 con-
tains one of the neatest, brightest,
heai'tiest commendatory notices that
we have seen for many a day. Brother
Newman knows how to say these
things and his good opinion of the
"■Ai'j" is doubtless highly appreciated
by all who help to make it what it is.
The Americ(()iBee Jomiial is certainly
the "wheel lioi'se" of l)ee jonrnaldom.

Brotlier Kelly probably lias reference to
the following.— Ei).]

,e6g=-Tho AriCULTUKiST for April is on our desk.
It IS, as usual, filled will) spicy reading tor bee-
lieepers. The AricULTUUiST is fully up with tlie
limes, and it is a pleasure to read every copy as
it comes to hand. It richlv deserves its success.
— Am. Bee Journal, April 26.

Mr. Doolittle says that "not nearly
as nice coml) is built when a colony
has no laying queen in the hive." This
seems to indicate that it is a mistake
to cage the queen to prevent increase.

It strikes us that Mr. Doolittle should
know that queeuless bees build all or
nearly all drone-comb. If a hive is opened
unii tlie bees found bnilding little patches
of drone comb, It is a sure indication
that the colony is queeuless. Of course,
this does not apply to all cases. When a
sti'ong colony is hard pressed for drone-
comb they will make little patches of it in
most any part of the hive; but such comb
wih have eggs or brood in the cells, while
in the queenless colony there will be
neither.

If a colony is supposed to be queeuless
just give the bees a chance to build comb.
Place an empty frame in the centre of the
brood-nest, and feed the bees some. If
worker coiub is made the colony has a
queen; if drone comb is built, it has no
queens. — Ei:).]

A writer in the Guide claims that
clipping the queen's wings leads to
her supersedure before she fails on ac-
count of age. Yes, true enough, and
it sometimes leads to her death in a
month or two after her wings are re-
moved. A few leading bee men still
practise clipping the queen, but it is

my opinion that it will be abandoned
sooner or later by progressive bee-
keepei's. What do you thiitk about
it, Mr. Alley?

You are just right, friend K. Mr. Doolit-
tle is the only strong advocate of clipping
queens' wings. Mr.' D. is the only person
to rear queens by transferring larva from
one cell to an other to obtain queen cells.
Most queen dealers use a more practical,
convenient and natural way. Yes, and
who ever saw in print one word commend-
atory of Mr. Doolittle's queens? This only
shows that "with the best method for rear-
ingqueens," Mr. D. ships no better (if as
good) queens than other people.

miuccn^brtc^era' ?!) apartment.

Conducted by e. l. pkatt.

Equalization and Increase.

A simple method of strengthening
weak hives in the spring is to simply
change places with one of the strong-
est, that is, providing they have an
active young queen and the Weather
is not too cool.

I have been asked, probably a thous-
and times, how to form a nucleus col-
ony and have it do well enougii to
build up strong for winter. The sim-
plest method I know of is to take from
some stock its queen and one fraufe
of brood and bees and place them in
an empty hive filled out with full sheets
of foundation. Place this hive on the
stand of some colony when in full
flight. Give the queenless colony a
cell or, better, a young laying queen.
If too many bees leave the full hive
they should be changed back until the
desired number are in both hives.

Another plan is to remove all bees
from their combs during a harvest
and let them run into a hive filled out
with full sheets of foundation. (If
done I)efore a storm the}' would starve
unless a combof honey is given them.)
Place all the capped brood and one
or two frames of hone}' in another hive
and place it on the stand of your
strongest colony. You can then give

106

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIHT.

them either a queen or cell ready to
hatch. In this way the robbed col-
ony will act like a new swarm and if
populous will work wonders in honey.

Swarming can be held at bay by
either of these methods and rapid yet
healthy increase secured.

A plan for securing small two or
three-frame nuclei is to dequeen a col-
ony and leave it until it has cells
capped when it can be broken into sev-
eral parts and each given a virgin queen
or hatching cell.

In any of these operations full
sheets of foundation should be used
or quantities of drone comb would be
built which we do not want.

In forming nuclei it should be
done late in the day so that a long
confinement in the hot sun will be
avoided. All we have to do is to
block them in until dark and during
the night the bees will become aware
of the queen in their presence and
very few will go back.

If the colony broken up is a strong
one better success will crown your ef-
forts and enough old bees will go back
to the old stand to warrant your giv-
ing five or six empty combs and a lay-
ing (pieen.

Some of these small colonies will
do better than others but can be equal-
ized in a few days by the jumping
metliod which has been a great suc-
cess with us at any season of the year
and was higlily recommended by Fa-
ther Langstroth. It is a splendid
method for equalizing 30ur colony in
spring.

By taking a full colony to some farm
about a mile away, a few weeks be-
fore wanting nuclei one can bring them
home just as lie wants them without
losing a single bee. Or the nuclei
can be made up in the home yard and
carried a mile away.

If nuclei are strengthened with bees
from other colonies care should be
taken not to give theui old bees, and
bees just coming from a laying queen
should never be joined to a nucleus
having a virgin queen. Queenless

l)ees can be put anywhei'u without
fighting.

A bee master will find plenty of
ways to fill out shortage and make
improvements that suit him liest.

Equalizing can be carried on with-
out lifting a comb or even opening a
hive. Queenless bees will abandon
strange cells if not about ready to
hatch. It is always safer to introduce
a just hatched queen by the use of to-
bacco smoke. If the virgin queen is
quite old when given to the nuclei she
should be put into a little cage made
by boring a one-inch hole into a seven-
eighths inch block and covered with
wire cloth. Provide a three-eighths
inch passage at one side to be plugged
with candy. By the use of these cages,
queens can be introduced with perfect
safety to any colony.

Bees taken from upper stories wliei'e
cell building is going on will not
quarrel if dumped directly into a
strange hive with a virgin queen, but
if taken from the bod}' of the hive
they would kill eveiy bee if a quantity
is given and then ball the queen and
at last clear out with the honey, leav-
ing the very young bees queenless and
starving.

Plenty of food should be left with
all colonies, to last them at least two
weeks.

Swarming and prevention of increase.

Having detailed several methods
for securing increase, I will endeavor
to tell how increase may be kept down
and large crop of honey produced.

One of the best plans is to hive the
swarm on the old stand and transfer
the surplus arrangements thereto ;i.t
once, using starters in the brood-
frames below, so as to allow the bees
to satisfy their desire for comb- build-
ing and at the same time securing a
nice set of combs at very little cost.
(Allow me to add here that we bee-
keepei's are cornering the markets on
wax by the use of so much founda-
tion, consequently that product luu-i
been getting so scarce that all dealers

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURI8T.

107

are obliged to advance the price eacii
year. The ultimate oiitcoine will he
that we cannot afford to use founda-
tion at all.)

After the larger portion of the
brood in the [iareut hive has been
capped, shake every bee off the combs
in front of the swarm after adjusting
a trap at the entrance to sift out the
drones and young queen. The capped
i)i'<)od can now be exchanged for
combs of honey from the diffei'ent col-
onics in the yard, or it can all be put
over some strong stock divided by
zinc and the honey extracted after
the bi-ood hatches out by the latter
metliod ; comb and extracting honey
will be produced in the same yard.
The combs of honey may be removed
and boxes put on.

Another plan is that given by Dr.
Tinker, who is unquestionable author-
ity on bee matter which will be thor-
oughly understood by I'eadiiig his val-
uable little book.

A grand and very successful meth-
od of cutting down increase materi-
ally and at the same time securing
splendid crops of extracted honey is
to raise all the brood and tier-up a
story, giving empty combs below,
also the one the queen is on ; then
dividing the two cliambers with ex-
cluding metal and repeating the op-
eration after extracting all the honey
from upi^er story. Cell-huilding can
be practised in all upper stories
worked in this manner and fine ones
will be built. During June or the
clover harvests, cells will be worked
out in both cliaml)ers.

It is poor policy to double up colo-
nies that have no intention of swarm-
ing. Better push them all to the
swarming pitch and do the doubling
after they have had their fun. If
worked in the right manner a new
swarm can be made to store more box
honey than a powerful colony that
does not think of swarming.

The term increase does not apply
to the number of bees but to the num-
ber of colonies of bees.

We are opposed to liiving two
swarms in the same hive when they
can both be made to do gi-and work
by vamping up with the bees of the
parent colonies and at the same time
adding vim to all the bees in l)oth
hives and cutting down increase all
together.

Swarming.

We value the queen-traj) more and
more each season, Especially this, as
we had in our 3'ard several colonics
of bees in all sorts of things called
"hives." Transferring was in order
all through the fruit bloom and up to
date it looks as though we would win-
ter a few of these bees yet in boxes
as they are.

By allowing after-swarming and
then jumping the hives we have l)een
able to get most of tlie bees on
frames of foundation. vSonie of the
box hives have only a hand fid of bees
left, but a hive full of honey. These
we shall transfer at our leisure.

By the use of the drone-trap and
jumping hives we have weeded out
about all the undesirable drones in the
yard and before these hybrid queens
have time to lay more drone eggs we
have a young queen in a'nd the trap
comes off.

If the trap or s warmer is used mere-
ly as a swarm catcher it can be re-
moved as soon as swarming is over,
but when in rearing queens for sale
the}' are indispensable the entire sea-
son.

We had an after-swarm containing
eight queens ; the trap sifted tliem all
out and we hived the bees in the ordi-
nary' way and gave them a nice virgin
of approved blood.

There are a thousand and one little
knacks that can be applied to a good
queen-trap. Mr. Alley has one so ar-
ranged that it will acconnnodate a
whole swarm.

A plan that worked first-rate with
us several times in a case where we
could not get at the frames, was to
leave the trap on until the young queen

108

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

came out to mate. She finds she can-
not pass the zinc, so she goes up
through the cone and is trapped. At
uigliL the bees will miss her and cluster
into and on the trap when they can be
hived on movable combs or on the old
stand and the queen will mate the next
day. If a frame of brood in all stages
is given them they will do finely and
will not swarm out. By this plan a
box-hive can be entirely cleaned out
witli no trouble whatever.

When a large amount of brood is
put above a strong colony, large quan-
tities of honey will be carrieci al)ove
and the bees will soon get accustomed
to storing above b}' the time all the
brood intlie upper story is hatched out.

Now I will tell you how a large
portion oC that honey can be trans-
ferred to boxes if you do not care for
extracted hone3^ Simply transfer the
super or supers from some hive that
has been working well or give them
a full case of foundation, a section
containing one or two drawn combs,
shake all the bees off the rest of combs
containing brood and let them run in-
to the part containing the hone}' ; put
on the caoes and close the hive and
if you do not get a nice lull case of
comb honey it's your fault. The
brood taken away can be tiered over
the colony from which you stole the
case or a new one started in and the
operation repeated. It's a sort of
"presto change" and beats feeding-
back "all hollow." The bees rather
enjoy shifting the honey about be-
cause thej^ can work nights on it ; ev-
ery bee will be on the field in the
morning.

On the 23d of May, we had quite a
heavy honey flow and we caught two
hundred large combfuls. We are now
having it put into boxes as fast as we
can. I took off seventy all capped
from two hives on the 7th of June.
It gives employment to the bees during
warm weather by first securing your
honey in large frames if boxes are not
convenient and hand3\ The bees shift
it into unfinished cases.

Tlie above all applies to controlling
inci'ease of colonies l)y the manipu-
lation of brood-combs containing brood
in all stages. It would be folly to
first put on empty combs and attempt
to get them fillccl and transferred, be-
cause it uses up tlie bees faster than
they corner in.

We are now perfecting a sj'stem
in combination with our micleus man-
agement to secuie nice honey in one-
half-pound boxes to retail at 15 cts.,
and at the same time have plenty of
uncapped section to give to our nu-
clei.

Notes from the Bay State Apiary.

V>\ IlENHY ALI.KV.

Just at this season in the year, and,
in fact, for nearly two months past,
business has been lively at our a[)iary
and at tlie office of the Apicultukist.
We have been on the junii) and work-
ing fifteen hours each day fin- several
weeks, and even then, havt; been un-
able to keep up with ordei's and ship
goods in all cases as promptly as our
customers desired them. However,
in this I'ospect we have done as well
as other dealers, as, so far as iieard
from, all have been nearly three weeks
behind their orders.

First work in the apiary.

The first work in the queen-rearing
apiar}' is to get the colonies in good
condition for cell-building. This is
done by feeding sugar syrup, contract-
ing the entrance to the hives and pack-
ing so as to retain all the animal heat,
and to prevent the cold from entering
the brood-nest. We have but little
trouble to keep the bees warm as only
double-walled hives are used in the
Bay State Apiary.

Early in May we had a large num- ,
ber of colonies strong enough to build
queen cells, and on May 4th the bees
were set to work at reaiing queens ;
yet notwithstanding the early start we

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

109

had, there was not .1 queen fertilized
nnd ready to ship until the first week
in Jniie.

The weather and queen-rearing.

Well, it did seem to me that tliere
never was such cold, cloudy, windy
and wet weathei-as we had all through
the month of May and to this date,
June 16, still continues. Once in a
great while we had a warm day, Init
such days were followed l)y, at least,
ten days of cold and wet weather.
On Wednesday, June 11, we had the
lirst warm, summer-like day. That
night the wind swung round to the
northeast and all hands had to put
on winter clothing to keep warm,
and then the rain and wind came and
continued up to June 16, with not the
slightest indications or prospect that
the sun would ever shine again in this
part of New England. During the
first week in June, while people but
two hundred miles from here were suf-
fering from the heat, here in New P2ng-
land it was wet and cold. Old Sol
will most likely let his light shine later
on. All will rejoice when he does as
wc have been aftlicted with the worst
of weather since Sept. 1, 1888. I need
not tell our readers the effect such
weather has on the queen dealer, and
beekee|)ing generally.

I find it has taken about five pounds
of sugar, on an average of 8^ cents
per lb. to rear each queen we have
sent out since the last week in Au-
gust, 1888. This little item is in ad-
dition to the " cussing " we have re-
ceived and hard names we have been
called because we were not more
prompt in filling orders for queens.
How could we do it ? We have made
every effort to ship queens and fill all
orders as soon as possible, but it has
been impossible for us to do all our
customers justice. We have had no
less than two hundred and fifty nucleus
colonies, each containing a queen or a
queen-cell, yet the weather was such
all through the month of May that

only a few queens were fertilized rtn
any day.

Our readei's know, or, at least, the
older ones know that queens will not
leave the hive on the mating tour when
the weather is cold and cloudy, and
only on such days as are warm and
[)leasant — just such days as we have
when bees are gathering honey in
great quantities. Well, we do not
have many honey-gathering da3's iiere
or, rather, have not had the past two
seasons. Tliis state of things will
not, in all probability, continue nuich
longer.

If we are favored with a few pleas-
ant days during the next three weeks,
every order for queens will be filled
before July 10. If any order remains
unfilled on that date it will be liecause
it has been overlooked or received on
that day.

June 15, there was a change in the
weather. Our hives are now full of
honey ; bees at work in sections, and
all is going well.

No less than three hundred queen-
cells were started on one day the past
week from our $100 queen. This week
as many more will l)e started. All
this is in addition to the three hundred
queens we now have in nuclei and in
the queen-nurseries.

There are in the Bay State queen
apiaries two hundred and fifty nuclei
in as good condition as it is possible
to get them. They are nearly all
crowded with bees and brood. It has
cost a good deal for sugar to do this,
but the cost in this case is an item not
to be considered. We have advertised
queens for sale, and as orders are
coming by each mail we must have
the queens, leaving the cost to come in
as a later consideration.

One hundred queens will be mailed
tiiis week (between June 16 and 21)
to our customers. Right here, sup-
pose we give the readers the contents
of a few private letters that have come
to us within a month.

The first one is from a well-known

no

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

writer for the Api. He is also one ol'
the largest lieekeepers in America.

Selma, Jexax. May 19, 1800.

Mr. Henry Alt^ev:

DkatjSik: — Two years ag;o you srnt me the
nicest, It.ilJan queen I ever saw. Tlie colony
gatliercd lots of lioney and is uow the l)est colony
in niyai)iary. L. SrACHEr.iiAUSEN.

Considering that Mr. S. has several
hundred colonies in his apiary, we are
inclined to the opinion that we have
I'oarcd more than one queen tiiat is
worth $100. Mr, S. was not leqiiested
to send us tiie above testimonial, and
we realU' had forgotten that a queen
Avas ever sent him from our apiaiy.
Now here is another testimonial that
seems to favor us, but is bad for other
parties. As no names of dealers are
given, no one will be badly hurt if we
^ publish all the writer says about the
queens he has [)urchased.

Little Rest, N. Y., May 28, 1890.

Uli. ALLKV:

Please send me one of your nice queens as I
have a (jneenless colony. The queens I got of
you last vear cari-ieil their colonies ihronj^h the
winter all ri^ht. Tho.'^e jiurchased IVoni other
parties tailed to winter theii- colonies.

WM. H.TOMPKIN.S.

Now this is the result of rearing
queens on the haphazard plan, and
sending out everything for queens that
look like a queen bee. There are thou-
sands of queens sent out every year
that ought to have had their heads
pinched the minute they left the cells.
The person who pays fifty cents or
seventy-five cents for such queens
and introduces them to his colon-
ies will surely regret it. Good queens
cannot be reared and sold at fifty
cents nor seventy-five cents each. At
any rate I cannot do it and will not.
True, we sell one queen to each sub-
scriber of the Api for seventy-five
cents ; but do you not know that we
get more or less orders for other goods
from each subscriber of the Api ? We
do, and our way of increasing our sub-
scription list is to sell each subscriber
a queen for seventy-five cents, that
generally brings out just such testi-
monials as are given here. We re-
ceive hundreds of testimonials each
year, but we do not think it best to
publish them all.

Rearing good queens— How it is done in
the State Apiary.

All queen-cells are built in the
strongest colonies and no weak col-
onies are ever pei-mitted to rear queens
for us. Here is our plan, and it will
be well for those dealers who sent Mr.
Thompson the queens that ruined liis
colonies to make a note of what we
sa3' here.

Our queens are started by queen-
less bees, and by the strongest colo-
nies we have in tlie a[)iary. The other
day we removed all the bees from a
large colony for starting cells. It be-
ing an unusually strong colony I took
a notion to weigh them (the bees
alone) and there were twelve i)Ounds
of bees. Those felloves will rear
queens that will take their colonies
through the winter in the best condi-
tion. This strong colony was not
permitted to work on the cells until
they were finished. When they had
worked ui)on them thirty-six hours,
the cells were removed and j)laced in
colonies to be finished having more
than twelve pounds r)f bees even.
There, reader, do you see the point?
Do you see that there were not less
than twenty-four pounds of bees, prob-
ably 100,000 bees in all, that built
those queen cells? Another point is
this : no one colony is allowed to rear
over fifteen cells. We have had col-
onies build a larger number of queen
cells but, if we are to rear good
queens, not over twelve or fifteen cells
should be built in the strongest colon}',
and under no circumstances rear queens
in weak colonies. Did you ever hear
any dealer in queens say that he reared
his queens by using the number of bees
for cell-building that we do? Not a
queen dealer in the world has ever
done it, nor has it ever been done b}'
any one outside the Ba}' State Apiary.

We have always made it a practice
to examine all queens before they were
allowed to become fertile. ]f any
seemed inferior in any respect, their
heads were [)inched at once.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Ill

It uifitters not by vvlmt method one
rears queens ; there will lie more <»r
less of tliera in the lot that should be
destroyed. The dealei- who makes it
a practieo to rear and ship only the
finest formed, largest and most |irom-
ising queens will alvva3's have all the
orders he can fill.

We also make it a practice, when
it is possible to do so, to rear a good
many more queens than we can use.
The largest and best queens are se-
lected and placed in nuclei and when
fertilized are sent to our customers.

A few more testimonials.
I came near forgetting about the
testimonials which I intended to insert
here. We have a lew more good ones.
Ilei'e is one of them.

Mfarshjield, Mo., June 6, 1890.
Mil. llENRY Alley:

DKAii Sir:— I have been trying for the iiicpst
coloied (|iu;ens thai can be Ibuiid. I have tried
several dealers and the best I have seen came
from your apiary.

M.L. MCNABB, P. INI.

Nothing bad in the aljove. Our
friend says no more in favor of our
queens than hundreds of other cus-
tomers have the last thirty years.

Adoi)t the best methods for reai-
ing queens and good queens will be
the result. We have lel't in our apiary
about a dozen colonies of the choicest
and handsomest Italian bees that can
be found in the United States. It
is pretty hard to decide which of these
colonies has the handsomest bees.
We have tested all of the queens in
these colonies to see which produces
the finest queens. Can see no dif-
ference in them. All i)roduce large
golden queens, and as line in all i-e-
spects as those reared from

Our hundred-dollar queen.

As this issue of the Apicdltuuist
will be an extra large one and will be
read by hundreds of beekeepers who
never before savy- a co^iy of our paper,
and, perhai)s, never heard about the
best Italian bees that we think can be
found in the world, perhaps we may
be excused for giving another brief

description of this wonderful queen
and her colony.

••There is a colony working well ;"
so says everybody who comes into our
a[)iarv. "Yes," we say, "that is our
hundred dollar queen." "Would you
like to see what a gentle colony of
bees they are?" We then proceed to
open the hive without bee-veil, smoke
or rubber gloves. Nor does the
stranger who stands looking on need
any protection. The hive is 0})ene(l,
combs removed, and although there is
a half bushel of bees in the colony not
one leaves the combs or takes wing.
We can open the hive twenty times a
da}' with the same result. Now this
colony is very strong, none stronger in
the apiary ; bees unusually gentle and
the best workers and honey gatherers
we ever had in our apiary. Her
worker progeny are large, and very
handsome. The queens are of a rich
orange color. The drones are all large,
active, and handsomely marked.

About seven hundred queens have
been reared from this queen the })res-
ent year and about three thousand will
be reared before September 1 . When
one has a queen that combines all the
desirable points that bees should pos-
sess she is indeed a prize. We have
them in this $100 queen, viz. : — pu-
rity, beauty, gentle disposition, pro-
lificncss of queens, and excellent, yes,
the best' of honey foragers.

We will say to our new readers that
we mail a daughter of this queen to
each of the subscribers of this paper
on receipt of seventy-five cents. Pu-
rity and safe arrival by mail guaran-
teed of all queens sent out from the
Bay State queen-rearing apiai'ies.

One more puff for the queens reared in the
Bay State Apiary.

Sylvan Jlearh, N. Y.. June 0, 1890.
Mr. Alley :— Your Ueelceepeis' Directory is
a treasure. Iliave had (lueeiis from dealers from
the Gull' to the Lakes, l)iit the best I ever had
are ol' your rearinjr.

P. W. Leete.

Correct, my friend, the Directory
is a treasure. It contains as much
information on bees and bee culture as

112

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

iiny hook in print devoted to l)eekeep-
ing.

It is a wonder ttiat at the low price
we sell this l)ook that more copies are
not called for. The work contains
the full address of two thonsand bee-
keepers, and sixty-four pages of solid
reading matter relating to the best
management of bees for profit. Be-
side giving the best methods for rear-
ing queens above a queen-excluder,
and for rearing queens in colonies
while a fertile queen still has posses-
sion of the combs, the work contains
tlie best and most practical method
for producing comb honey.

One dollar and twenty-five cents
will purchase the book, and also the
Api ojie year. If those who purchase
the Directory are not well satisfied that
they have their money's worth the
remittance will be returned. How
docs this strike the reader?

A new strain of bees that was developed in
the Bay State Apiary.

We shall not trouble you with any
more testimonials at present. We will
merely call your attention to the fact
tiiat any of those given in connection
with these notes are not old. Please
note the date of each. Now let me
tell you about a new strain of bees we
have and from what this strain was
developed.

Last fall when cleaning up our nu-
clei for the season we found in our
out queen-apiary (the one used for
Carniolan queens) a muddy-yellow
Cainiolan queen. She had not been
fei'tilized and could not be by Carni-
olan drones as we had none, nor did
we have but a few Italian drones. It
was late in the season (Oct. 10) to ex-
pect a queen to be fertilized, yet I did
not despair. We had about fifty fine
drones in our $100 colony. One day
when the drones were flying out about
fifty were caught and placed in a nu-
cleus colony which was made all read}^
to move to the Carniolan apiary on
the first day the weather was suitable
for drones and queens to mate. After

a few days waiting the weather cleared
up warm about noon one day and we
took the drones and went to the out
apiary as quickly as our horse was
able to take us there. When we got
there the queen was on the wing. The
drones were at once released and in
a moment's time all were in the air.
In less than ten minutes the queen
return9d bearing unmistakable in-
dications of having been fertilized.
In less than one hour from the time
we started from home we returned
with tiie queen. She was introduced
to a weak colony, yet she managed to
go through the winter all right, though
there were less than a pint of bees
this spring. This queen proves to bo
very [)rolific, the workers extra good
honey gatherers, and handsomer
marked yellow-banded bees cannot be
found.

We shall commence at once to rear
queens from her eggs, and have all
of them fertilized by drones reared
from our $100 queen. If this does
not prove to be a good strain of bees
we shall be disappointed.

Swarm ers.

Reports concerning the self-hiver
have not come in as rapidly as we de-
sired. In our own apiary we have
had but one swarm issue and that one
we managed to hi vein the swarmer de-
scribed in the May issue of the Api.
This worked to our entire satisfaction.
About four-fifths of the bees were
caught, or rather, hived in the box.
If we can only induce our bees to
swarm enough, we shall have a hiver
that will give satisfaction in the hands
of any beekeeper.

We are experimenting with the self-
hiver described in the Jan. Api. We
have them arranged in several posi-
tions and when perfected will describe
with illustrations. That the self-
hiver will work, and work satisfacto-
rily is as certain as anything can be.
We have the right principle, and all
needed is a little experience to apply
it to secure the end desired. The

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

113

s warmer lias been made a success in
many cases, and with a few minoi-
cininges in applying it to the hive will
work perfectly.

The drone- and-queen trap.

The utility and practicability of the
drone-and-queen trap was established
the Orst year (1884). We need not
say one word in its favor. All who use
them praise and speak in the highest
terms of this wondeiful labor-saving
device for the a[)iary. Supply dealers
from all parts of the country are or-
dering trai)s by the quantity for their
customers. Of the 100,000 now in use,
no beekeeper has ever found any fault
with them. They do all we claim
for them. One beekeeper says the
trap is a more important invention
than the movable comb frame. This
beekeeper is obliged to be away from
home every day but Sunday and says
he can leave his bees feeling that not
a swarm can decamp ; and if a swarm
has issued during the day all he has
to do to know it is to exnmine the tr;q)
when he returns home. If a queen is
found in any of the traps he knows
just what to do.

Those who kee^) bees and are in the
apiary all the time will find that the
trap saves them the trouble of climb-
ing into trees for a swarm, or hunting
on the ground for a queen in case her
wing is clipped. No swarms can de-
camp as the queen is certain to be
found in the trap when a swarm issues.

The utility of the trap is now so
well established that in the future we
propose to sell individual, township
and county rights for people to use
and inanul'acture them for sale.

We can supply the cone tubes, the
only difficult thing to make about the
traps, at a low figure. The wood parts
may be obtained of the nearest dealer.
Express charges are high, and they
can be saved if one has the right to
make and use the traps. The cone
tubes can be sent by mail. I know of
no better way for beekeepers to do in
order to get the traps at the lowest

possible cost than to club and pur-
(thase a townshi[) right.

We will sell one tovvnshi[) right,
and send one tr;i|) b}' mail for $5.00.
The person who purchases territory
can maiuifacture and sell as many
trnps as lie can find demaiul for in the
territory deeded to him, without fur-
ther expense.

A county right will proliably be the
best to buy for one who has the nia-
chiner}- to get out t.he wood parts of
the traps.

We will sell the right for any
county for the small sum of $15 or
any three counties for $40.

Just as we wrote the last line, Mi-s.
Alley came into the office and said
"The bees are swarming."

As good fortune would have it, the
bees were issuing from a hive on which
we had just placed one of those drone-
trap swarm-catchers.

The air was full of bees, and in the
course of half an hour the entire swarm
was in the drone-trap, nicely boxed
and all ready to be hived. Well,
didn't that work like a charm? That
is the second time we have tried the
drone-trap as a swarm catcher and in
both cases it worked just as we sup-
l)osed it would and as we intended it
should.

Those of our readers who also read
Gleanings in Bee Cxltxire must have
read our description of this swarmer
in the June 1 issue of that paper. We
also will call to min<l the remarks in
brother Root's footnote at the end of
my article. We ventured the predic-
tion that this device would hive ninety
nine out of every hundred swarms
that issued. Brother R. said he
hoped it would, l)ut he said it in such
a way that all understood that he did
not take much stock in my statement.
We shall probably live long enough
to convince all beekeepers that that
statement was not an idle one.

Well, the swarrn we caught is now as
quiet as can be. We have demonstrat-
ed to our entire satisfaction that this
drone-trap swarm-catcher is a success.

114

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Now when un^'one purchases terri-
tory eitlier an individual, township or
for counties, tlie riujlit to make, use
and sell the drone-trap swarmer will
l>e included. We do not expect to i>et
rich out of the patent business. I am
desirous and anxious to introduce the
trap and swarmer into every section
of the country, and for that reason
have put the prices for territorial i'i<>iits
at a low figure.

Address, Henry Alley,

Wenham, J/a.s.s.

Increase by forced natural
swarming.

E. L. P II ATT.

We always make it a point to get
all swarming over with before the
main harvest, aud by the jtimpiug
plan we can Cix all the wealcer colo-
nies and draw enough bees from the
stronger to prolong the day just
enough to l)ring all our bees to a cer-
tain standard a few weeks before clo-
ver, when wholesale swarming com-
mences and the Alley trap comes into
play.

Notwithstanding there will be a few
colonies having weaker queens that
cannot build up to the svrarming point
until after the swarming season is
about over.

To prevent these from taking on the
swarming mania during the harvest
we force out a natural swarm artifi-
cially about a week before white clover
opens.

Artificial swarming is oftentimes
good l)ut natural swarming is better,
and if we understand our bees we can
just as well operate with Dame Nature
as against her.

Wliat first gave me the cue to
forced natural swarming was having
a swarm come out with a virgin
queen from cells the bees iiad built
with tiie intention of superseding the
old (pieen. I at once commence(i ex-
perimenting and tiie result has been
very satisfactory. I can say that in

our locality we can make a colony
cast a natural swarm even if they
had no intention of doing so for some
time to come.

The modus operandi is as follows :
exchange stands of two moderately
populous colonies, aud after they are
down to working order take away
their queens long enough for them to
start cells. At the end of the third
day run a virgin queen into each and
leave them two or three days longer,
when the laying queen can l)e safely
reintroduced (a just laying queen is
better) either on a full comb of brood
and bees or by the candy-plug-cage
method, which by the way is the best
ever given to the fraternity.

I need not say that the queen-trap
should be left at the entrance of both
hives during the whole time so as to
catch the queens if they attempt to
leave the hive.

There is no fixed time when the
swarm will come out but they are
sure to swarm and you must be on
hand with an empty hive and work
quickly or you will lose them. They
act for all the world like a swarm that
has it in mind to decamp. Which-
ever queen they come out with must
be kept in the trap until the bees are
all in the hive or clinging thereto,
for if you allow her to escape while
changing the trap from the old to the
. new hive she will surely lead your
bees to parts unknown.

I have never known them to cluster,
but after they are hived they work
exactly like a natural swarm.

There are a number of little points
that cannot be told here and which
would not be brought to mind until
the occasion offers. I have simply
outlined a method of procedure and
leave to the reader to experiment on it.

If the swarm comes out with the
laying queen, hive it on wide starters
in the ordinary way ; but if it is the
virgin, use full sheets of foundation
at the sides and starters in the mid-
dle, so as to prevent the building of
drone comb. All swarms, whether

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

115

iiaturiil or otherwise having a virgin
queen, shouhl have their hives ar-
ranged in this manner. If tlie hive
for any swarm is raised olf tlie bot-
tom-board two incliesor more the ma-
jority of the combs will be attached
to the bottom bars and many will be
firmly built to them the entire length ;
then wiring will be unnecessary.

After a swarm has been hived a
few days look the comb over to see
when they are liable to build drone and
comb and jump them to the centre
bring one of the completed combs to
its place. By following a swarm up
closely you can prevent the building
of drone-comb entirely.

If a patch is started cut it out and
jump it to the centre. It will always
be found at the sides. If they still
persist in building drone-comb take
the frame away entirely and give a
full sheet of foundation.

Some of our nicest and straightest
combs were built from starters by
swarms. Full sheets should always
be given bees in established colonies.

An experiment.

During a heavy flow of honey this
spring we took the drone-trap away
from one of our strongest colonies to
ascertain whether or not it was a hin-
drance to the bees. We are pleased
to go on record as saying "It is not."
The one we matched with puts in a
little more honey through the trap
than the one without. Bees can slide
through perforated metal "as slick as
a mitten" after a little practice. We
had one colony that spent three days
practising on the zinc but now they
do not mind it in the least. Bees are
creatures of habit like men.

A blizzard of orders.

" Oh pity, pity me !" for I am a
supply dealer and a queen-breeder and
with orders piled so high and still
coming. All beekeepers should learn
a lesson by this season's experience.
I feel like saying, " I told you so, I
knew the cow would eat the grind-

stone" and next season will be still
worse, so it will behoove us all to en-
large onr facilities for there is a good
time coming for the bee business.
We never had such a spi'ing for
honey. Clover is doing finely on the
start. The tide is turning andevei'v-
thing is pointing toward a successful
.season all around. Now, a word to
the beekeepers in a small way : have
your orders, whatever they may be,
large or small, in the hands of your
dealer two months before they are
needed. This is a thing that cannot
be i)ut off'.

Of course the burning out of G. B.
Lewis & Co.'s factory cuts down the
supply of sections just at a time when
they vvei'e most needed, and a short-
age in one article delays tin order un-
less two shipments are made. We
feel like saying that we are glad to
get onr orders filled by hook or by
crook this season.

Mr. C. W. Costellow has proposed
a meeting of the New England sup-
ply dealers which we lliink a good
plan. If any have suggestions to
make, put them down (m a card and
direct to Waterborough, Me.

A fine bee.

We have seen a sample of the bees
Mr. Alley run out last season. Tiiey
are finely colored and possess all the
desirable points of Carniolans.

Marlboro^ M((ss.

€luen) Pepavtnunt.

Diseased Bees.
Mk. Allky :

A few colonies in my tipiary arc dis-
eased. Bees turu black and die. Do you
know uiiylhing about this disease?

Wm. Stevenson.

Yes, we know something about it.
Should say it is what is called the
nameless disease. The remed}' is
simple, cheai) and easily a[)plied.
Make a strong brine, about an ounce

116

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

of suit to a pint of water. Unctover
the fVatnes iin<l wet the bees, coiuhs,
IVaines and all the inside of the hive
with the mixture. It will do no luirni
in any event, and will surely eure the
disease.

Some twelve 3-ears ago there w:is a
colony in our apiary in as had con-
dition as you say yours are. One day
I uncovei'ed the frames and sprinkled
the top bars with fine salt and then
wet the whole thing with water. Re-
sult was that all the stricken bees
dieil and the disease disappeared.

This malady has made its ap[)ear-
ance in several apiaries in California,.
Salt is the remedy.

Moving Bees.

Chicago, May 13, 1890.
Am. An. :

Sometime please answer the Collowiiiy
quesliou :

111 the fall before I pack my bees for
winter (I winter on suininer stuiid.><) could
I move the liive.s about lifty to seventy -
live feet without duuiier of loss? I have
been watching Api and Gli-aniugs for in-
foniKitioii that jnst hit my case, but iiave
not noticed any thing.

Jos F. Bautox.

There Is no way you can remove
the hives v.'ithout losing many of the
bees unless the hives are moved only a
{'gw feet each time.

A much better way would be to
move the bees about a mile ; let them
remain a month or so and then take
them back and place in the new loca-
tion. This is the most practical vvay.

Another wa}' is to remove the
queens and confine the bees to the
hives three days. The bees ma}' then
be iilaced in a new location when
few, if any, vvould return to the old
stand. The queens should be rein-
troduced at the end of three days.

Introducing queens at swarming time.

We have received many inquiries

as to the best way to introduce a queen

at swarming time. An order just

came for a queen. The writer says ;

"Shall I put the new (|ueen in with
the swarm or in the old hive? How
shall I do it?"

We never introduce a strange queen
to a siCitrm of bees. As the i)erson
wIhj sent the above queries says he
is a beginner and knows nothing
about bees, we will first inform him
that a swarm of bees are the bees that
have issuetl from a full colony. Well,
now the new queen should not be in-
tioduced to the swarm, nor to the
old colony until after the combs have
been examined and all the queen-cells
destroyed. Three days later intro-
duce the queen.

If the queen is i)urchased of us and
she is mailed in one of our introducing
and shipping cages, all there is to do
is merely to place the cage in the hive
so that the bees of the colony can re-
move the sugar food in the cage and
thus release the queen.

We have sent out a few queens in
Pratt's shipping cage. If any cus-
tomer hap[)ens to get a queen in one
of these you will notice that there is
a small hole in the food end of the
cage. The food is held in place by
paper. Take a nail and pierce the
paper before placing the cage in the
hive.

We usually place the cage at the
bottom of a brood frame, close the
hive and in the course of a week ex-
amine the combs for eggs or for the
queen. Do not put the cage near the
hive till two days after the swarm
has issued, or the colony has been
queenless.

^plcultunst illaiUbojf.

Two Years of the Api. free.

New York, June 11, 1890.
IIknky Alley :
Dkar Sik :
Queen came to-day, O. K. She is
much handsomer than a $3.00 (lueeu that
1 bought this spring. If she does as well,
I sliall consider that I have gained two
years of the Api free.

Henry Hall.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Humh loi the Ciniiolin'5! llie\ tile tlie
load win the 1 ice slgui e the piize I( \ u ^^ nt

TONS OF HONEY

Try the Carnoliaiis. Hardiest to winter: i^leas-
aiitest to handle; best honej' gatherers. Our stock
is the best that can be procured, and is bred
miles away tVom other races.

r»RICE:S : 1 untested queen, $1.00 ; (i for
$5.00; VZ for 9.00. 1 tested queen, $2.,TO. 1 im-
ported queen, $8..50. Thic Beekeki-eus' Ad-
vance and an untested queen, foi' $1.25.

J. B. MASON, Mechanic Falls, Me.

GLOBE BEE- VEIL

By Mail for $1.00.

A center rivet holds ,5 spriuK-steel
, cross-bars like a globe to support the
bobinetVeil. These button to a neat
brass neck-bantl, holdiuKitttrmly.

It Is easily put together; no trouble
to put on, or take olT. An absolute
protection against any insect that
Hies. Will go over any ordinary
sized hat; can be worn in bed with-
out discomfort; fits any head; does not obstruct the
vision; folds compacdy, and can be carried in the
pocket; in short, it is invaluable to any one whom
Hies bother, mosquitos bite, or bees sting

For sale at the office of the Ai-icultuuist.

THAT HUNDliED-DOLLAR
QUEEN. SEE DESCRIPTION
PAGE 11, THIS ISSUE.

1882 CARNIOLAIS. 1890

Before you buy imported oi' lionie-bred Carnio-
lau Queens, send for my circulars. I have been
l)recding' the Carniolan bees longer than any
other mau in the United States. Tliey are the
best race of bees known.

L. A. LOWJIASTEH.

Belle Vernon, Ohio.

IMPORTED QUEENS.

In May and June, eacli $2 00

In July and August, each, . . . . 1 SO
lu September and October, eacli . . 1 40

Money must be sent ina<lvance. No guarantee
on shipments by mail. Queens sent byex'iiress
(8 at least), which die in transit, will be replaced
if i-eturned in a letter.

UHAS. BIANCONCINI, Bologna, Italy.

The Beekeeper's Directory.

A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Heekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classifleil list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays and hints regarding the
successful management of the apiary. It is "com-
Ijiled by Henry Alley, Wenham, Mass." It con-
tains.140 pages, one-half of which are devoted to
names and addresses of beckeepei's, and the
other hair to the i)ractical hints mentioned above,
including Mr. Alley's " metlnxl forbearing (|iicens
in full colonies, while a fertile (jucen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Bee Journal.

WESTEEN HEAD-QUARTERS FOR APIARIAN SUPPLIES.

Having greatly enlarged our factory and increased our manufacturing facilities, we are prepared

to till orders promptly with goods unsurpassed in quality

and workmanship.

ALL OUR HIVES TAKE THE SIMPLICITY FRAME.

ITA.LIA^N QUEENS A.Nr) BEES

At astonishingly low prices.

Situated, as we are, on the "Cireat Burlington Route" (C. B. i<: Q.) and the C. & N. W.,
we can ship goods cheaply t(j all parts of the United States and Canada.

Estimates gladly furnished and correspondence solicited. We will send free our new
illustrated price-list and know you can save money liy examining it before purchasing your
supplies.

A. F, STAUFFER & CO.,

Mention API. STERLING, ILL.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

PHICES OF SUPPLIES

— AT THE — *

BAY STATE APIARY,

Bee-Hives.

We offur only the B;iy State hive for sale.

One hive in tlie flat $ y.OO

Six hives" " " 15.00

Twelve" '■ •' " 27.00

All parts of tlie Hive are included in the above,
fianie.s, .-ections and all but iiaintaml nails.

Sections.

One-piece sections per 1,000 $4.50
" •' 500 2.50

" " ■' 100 .00

Lanj^strotli Frames.

Material for (hanging) frames for Slamlard L.
Hive per 100 ifijOO

The frames we nse are so constructeil that ihc
bees will not build comb between or over them
;it the top, nor fasten the section (;ase and frames
togetlier, as is the case wlien the common toj)
bar is used.

TVailing IJloek lor- Frames.

No one can tlo good woik at nailing Irames
witliout a pro|)ei- board to nail them on. Wecan
^elld one, by express, tliat will do Ihe woi-k nicely

I'lice 50

ComV> Foiiiiclatioii.

We can supi)ly the best brands at manufactur-
ers' prices, and ship direct to our customers fioni
Ihc nearest factory. We also keep a quantity in
stock i,o (ill small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames 55 cts. perlli.

1 ■' '■ " " sections 00 " " "

We keep in slock hut one dimension of brood-
foundaiion ITj x 7 inches. This is large enough
for any J. frame and is just right for the I5av
Stale li'ame.

Pei'loratecl Zinc.

This we can sui)ply in any quantities, sliipped

w:Mi oilK'r goods, per foot 12 cts.

Ifsciit liy mail, add lOcents per foot for i)ostage.
Honey i:xtractoi-s.

THK E. T. LKWIS & Co. KXTKACTOK.

No. 22. 28 inches in diameter, 25 inches
high, 2-franie for any size up to
Vl\ X 19; room for 25" lbs., honey
below reel, and the best extractor

evei- made for $10.00

We sell this size only as it is the most conven-
ient to Une 01 any found in use. This extractor is
adapted to any I'l.ame in nse.

Honey Itnives.

Ko<il's knife, by express, 70

by mail, 75

J5ee Veils.

Th(! \ eil has a rubber band which draws the top
logeihei-; it is then placed over any hat and
(liawii unlil the elastic is ovei- the hat band,
('ominoii mi, Ijy mail, ;j5

Wniolters.

Bingham & Ilctherington's only.
By mail, $1.75; by express $1.50

Queens and Full Colonies.
Colleens.

Pi-ices.

Untested qiiecus, each, $1.00

Selected " •• 1.25

Tested " " 2.00

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,
each, 3.00

Our untested queens .are sent out l)efore any of
their brood hatches. 05 per cent will prove lo be
purely m.ated. Safe arrival and purity guaiantecd
m all cases.

Carniolan ((ueens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bees cannot be ex-
celled.

Full Colonies.

We consider eight frames well filled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. I'rices of
such in B. S. hive, including one set of sections,
$12.00. rui-i-hasers to pay express charges. Safe
arrival guaranteed.

Fourth F:«iition of tlie

Beekeepers' Handy Book, or Thirty Years
among the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Qneen-rearing^ Apx>aratiis.

Beekeepers who rear queens, whether by the.
Alley method or by any other, should have the
apparatus here described. The SWAIt.Mliox and
QUEKXM'ii.SEliV are articles that no person who
r('ars queens ought to dispense with.

By using the svvai'mbox a large colony of bees
can be conlineil a baig time oi- ti'ansported safely
hundreds of miles. It is a very useful aiticle
about the apiaiy at all times during the season.

Sent only by express, p)-ioe. $1.25.

\Vheu a colony swarms and it is desir.abJe lo
pres(!rve the queen-cells, and no niicU'i .are at
hand, the Queen-nursery in such cases will be
found mvabiable; the cells can be placed in tliein
atid they need no further care for a week or more.
Virgin or lei tile (pieens can be kept in the nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
number of queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are also used in rearing
queens, a full desc.ription of which can be found
ill our work upon queen-rearing;

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.00

Swarm-box 1.25

Fertilizing-hive (complete) 50

Kuniigator for using tobacco 25 ..SO

Cone-fee<ler 15 .20

To make the lot complete, we put in eacli
package one drone-and-queen-trap, one opy of
Thiktv Yeaus among the Bees, and send all
by express for $1..50

All these articles can be packed in the swarm-
box and sent safely by express or freiglit.

Brooms for I5msliiiig Bees
troni Combs.

We find a small •' coru-brooin" best for this
l/urpose as it docs not injure or iriitate the bees,
and will do the work better and quicker than
anything else used for the purpose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 '' byexpress 20

HOW^ TO REMIT MONEY.

Kemil b_\ registered letters, cashier's check or
ex|)ress orders. If sent by money orders or
postal notes, have them made payal)le at the
Salem, Mass.. P. O. Make all remittances pay-
able to the order of the Amekican Ai'icultu-

KIST.

Address,

AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

Wejiham, Essex Co., Mass.

Tr2E * ]{WW%^ * :^pi6niiTn^iST.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., AUGUST 1, 1890.

no. 8.

Entered at Fost-oifice as second-class matter.

®l)c Q!t)itor's Department.

The honey crop.

Our splendid honey crop was cut short by
drought. Nevertheless, we got more honey and
of a much better quality, than for several years
past.

Supersede your old queens.

Don't allow any colony to go into winter quar-
ters with an oUl queen. Such a queen will most
likely fail early tlie next season. A colony wliich
gives promise early in the spring ot a good yield
of honey will do nothing on account of the failure
of the queen.

It will pay to requeen colonies each year. Old
queen bees are very poor property.

When a queen is two years old she has seen
her best days and should be superseded. If you
are a subscriber to our paper send seventy'flve
cents and get one of those daugliters reared from
our $100 queen. If you are not a subscriber,
send $1.50 and get a queen and the API one
year.

Rearing queens.

We have experienced a temporary set-back,
in our queen-rearing operations since July came
in. Had we not expected something of tli'e kind
our customeis might have had to wait for queens.

For some cause which we cannot make out,
about four hunilred queen cells failed to hatch.
As we have plenty of queens no one will have to
wait for them a,great while.

Yellow- banded Carniolan bees.

The queens reared from our yellow Carniolan
mother are very large and handsome. We liave
in the a|iiary about flity such queens and all are
laying finely and seem to be very prolific. If
they are duplicates of their mother in all good
points, they will satisfy any beekeeper. Prices
same as for Italians.

We have one very dark Carniolan queen that
is giving the most beautiful three-bandeii workers
we have. She is such a curiosity that we shall
introduce her to a full colony.

Every reader of the Apiculturist should order
and introduce a young queen reared from our
hundred-dollar queen. This is the finest strain
of Italian bees we liave ever had in our apiary.
We wish to remind those who send for samijle
copies of the Apiculturist tliat they can get our
paper one year, and a selected daughter of the
above queen, for $1.5U. Now is a good time to
subscriiie. We can mail the queen in a few days
after the order reaches us.

Queens in exchange for honey.

We will exchange some of our fin-
est queens for either extracted or comb
hone}'. Anyone desiring to exchange
will please address Henky Alley,

Wenham, Mass.

The drone-and-queen trap.

If you have not seen one of our drone-and-
queen traps we will mail one to your address on
receipt of fifty cents. If satisfied with it and
think you desire an individual or township right,
the fifty cents may be deducted from the prices
for rights given on another page.

How to remit.
All remittances to us should be
made payable to the order of The
American Apiculturist. Please bear
this ill mind.

(117)

118

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Siftinqs in Vnt (Eultitre.

CONDUCTKD BY M. A. KELLEY.

Mr. C. H. Dibbern has been invent-
ing some more and has now what he
says is a perfect bee-escape.

Dr. Tinker has our thanks for a
copy of his new book. It is called
" Beekeeping for Profit," and it is,
like all of the doctor's productions, as
nearly perfect as human skill, care
and good judgment can make a book
of its size and scope.

Many of the reports in the papers
indicate another poor honey year.
"Well, well, we must make the best of
it.

The Beehive is printing a serial
poem. The " Hive" is rather small
to be filled with anything but nectar.

Have you ever observed that bee-
keepers, as a class, are rather good-
looking? Or is it because only the
good-looking ones have their pictures
published?

Mr. C. F. Muth, in a recent Gleari-
ings, gives much valuable information
about selling honey. Lack of space
forbids its reproduction here. Get
Gleanings and read for yourself.

A neat idea of Mr. S. F. Newman
in A. B. J. is to teach the bees to
carry a few seeds of the svveet clover
and drop them where they will grow.
The point is, of course, to do this
yourself.

What a grand thing it would be to
have all, or even a majority of the
" mooted points " in bee culture set-
tled finally and forever by some com-
petent authority ! But this I fear,
can never be.

A great deal of nonsense about
"dead-air spaces" is to be found in
the papers. A "dead-air space," in
order to be such, must be airtight
and must be surrounded by exact
thermal equilibrium.

A practical machine for uncapping
combs for extracting is the one great
need of large producers of liquid
honey. Let some genius invent one
at once. Siftings remembers that
there is such a machine in existence
but does not regard it a success.

Our co-worker, Mr. E. L. Pratt, sent
out the first of April a bee-edition of
the Companion and Prize Weekly.
P'our of the eight large pages are de-
voted to beekeeping. Many of the
most useful hives and apiarian imple-
ments are nicely illustrated.

A thing of beauty as well as util-
ity is Brother Newman's book, "Bees
and Honey." It should be in the
hands of every beekeeper in the land.

It is largely rewritten and is fully
up with the times. It is well-nigh
perfection as to its illustrations, mat-
ter and make-up.

Let the beginner start right. "Get
the best " is a good rule in beekeeping
as well as in other things. Get good
tools to work with, it will pay in real
comfort. To do a thing well requires
correct knowledge, great care and
good implements to work with. Cheap
thino;s are often dearest in the end.

One great trouble as to hives in our
sunny south is that the flat-covered
boards will warp. I have lost sleep
nights trying to devise some sort of
flat-cover that would remain true. It
seems to me now that nothing but a
slab of stone will fill the bill? Have
any of our readers tried stone covers ?

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

119'

The Review for March contains an
editorial on the production of comb
honey that, in the humble estimation
of Siftings is worth more tlian tl>e
price of tliat excellent Journal for the
entire year. I cannot "sift" it and
give you the wheat, for it is all wheat.
Get the Review and read it for your-
self.

The Beekeepers' Review for March
rebukes Mr. A. I. Root pretty se-
verely for the unreasonable position
he takes with regard to patents. In
closing, Mr. Hutchinson says : "Mr.
Root's position is very peculiar, and
one that cannot be successfully de-
fended by argument." Mr. Root is
almost alone in his strange views
about this matter.

Mr. James A. Stone in A. B. J.
gives some good advice as to keeping
honey. Do not put it in the cellar but
in some dry, warm place. It would
be a splendid thing to have correct
information as to the management of
honey plainly printed on a gummed
label so that all who buy might read
and thus know how to care for their
honey. It would pay the producer a
hundredfold in increased sales.

In view of the present trouble to
keep sections free from propolis how
would it do to make them alike on all
sides, that is without insets, and sup-
port them in the supers, bee-space
apart, in all directions upon the points
of wire nails driven through the slats
of the super? This is only a hint,
but if anyone invents such a thing
don't you see that Siftings can be fash-
ionaUe and claim priority?

Much is being said in the bee
journals about supers. No one seems
to be satisfied with those in use. Most
bee men are all the time looking for
something better. One leading bee-
keeper says he must have something
better. It may be that this general

dissatisfaction v/ith the supers in use
will lead to a radical change in the
section itself. If the super cannot be
made to suit the section, why not
make the section to suit the super?

A large card printed in colors con-
taining the leading facts about comb
antl extracted honey to be framed and
hung where honey is for sale would do
a world of good. It should be illus-
trated and have the local dealer's ad-
dress placed upon it in such a way as
to appear that the whole affair was his
own special announcement. Now, let
some of our brethren who are printers
see to it that we have such a card be-
fore we come to sell the coming sea-
son's crop.

The editor of the Canadian Bee
Journal says, " it is totally unnec-
essary to wire frames of the dimen-
sions you name (lOf X 14), or in
fact any frame having a sufficiently
stiff top-bar to prevent sagging of the
comb."

The editor of the Api and Dr. G.
L. Tinker are of the same opinion
and this triumvirate of leading lights
in the vocation is good authority on
such points. Will the beekeeper of
the future wire his frames?

It would be interesting to know
what proportion of the beekeepers of
the world use veils. Mr. Doolittle
says he always uses one when work-
ing with the bees. I think I would
quit the business if I were obliged to
use a veil. I regard them as a nui-
sance, absolutely necessaiy at times
it is true, but still what might be
called a necessar3' nuisance. Handy
to have around, for when you need
one you need it badly, but from their
usual use, good luck, deliver us.

For one, I think the course of
Gleanings regarding Carniolans is
commendable.

Mr. Root does not wish to sell

120

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

queens until he is further persuaded
of their value.

What is the matter with the Ital-
ians? They have been tried long and
severely in competition with other
races and have not been found want-
ing. They are the "coining bee," and
they bring tons of honey with them.
Did you ever hear of train-loads, or
car-loads, or even tons of honey be-
fore the daj's of the beautiful Ital-
ians?

What is the exact size of the
Langstroth frame?

"The Langstroth frame is 17f X
9 J inches."

J. P. H. Brown.
"Tlie Standard Langstroth frame is
171 X9| inches."

G. W, Demaree,
"I always supposed it to be 17| X
9 J inches."

Eugene Secor.
"The frame is 17| X 9^ inclies.
A. J. Cook.
Of course these men all know just
what they are talking about. Root's
"Simplicit}^" frame whicli is 17| X 9|
turns out to be sAvaoslbutnot quite an
L.

Mr. John F. Gates, in the Cana-
dian Bee Journal, makes some rather
cutting, yet true and timelj^, remarks
as to the too common practice of some
of the older brethren of lauding bee-
keeping too highly. The day is past
for this sort of thing. Let your en-
thusiasm be properly curbed and
bounded. The conclusion of the whole
matter, as it seems to me is, that
it requires as much hard work and
hard worry to make beekeeping paj'
as to succeed in any other vocation.
The way we tread is not a path of
roses. Another mistake is made in
trying to induce women and inva-
lids to engage in this pursuit under
the impression that there is no ivork
ahoxit it. Rather say to all that there
is hard work, lieavy work and hot
work and plenty of it in beekeeping.

I would not deter women and inva-
lids from keeping bees, but let them
understand that a strong man is at
times scarcely sufficient for the work.

Mr. Doolittle gives his views at
length as to preventing increase in
Gleanings for March.

It would not do, with the space at our
disposal, to copy his article entire, so
we shall simply "sift" out some of the
most important points. He gives three
methods. Tiie first, which he prefers,
is to contract earl}' in the spring tofive
combs. Then, when by giving them
combs of honey outside of the division
board, they have their five frames
full of brood he takes the queen of one
hive and one frame of the brood along
with one empty frame with a starter
which he leaves on the old stand to
build comb. He then takes all the re-
maining brood and adds it to the next
hive which is thus greatly reenforced.
In the fall the little colonies are united
or added to weak swarms.

The second plan is to cage the queen
at the time she swarms, cutting out all
queen cells at the end of six days and
again at the end of fourteen days from
time of swarming and then releasing
the queen.

The third plan is that given b_y Prof.
Cook and is to hive the first swarm of
the season in a new hive, and put the
next swarm that issues in the hive the
first came from and the next in that
the second came from, and soon to the
end of the season.

After all, we are told b}' J. M. Doo-
little in Gleanings that brace combs
area blessing. He gives two reasons
for his view. First, tliey answer for
Hill's devices, giving a winter pas-
sage over the combs, and, second, they
serve as ladders for the bees to go up
to the sections, thus saving much time
and honey.

There is one class of persons that
I would like to see encouraged in bee-
keeping. 1 mean our bright Amer-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

121

ican boys. We teach other trades to
our boys and why not beekeeping?
Not often do invalids and persons wlio
have failed in other callings make
good beekeepers. They have failure
to begin with. But take a boy and
bring him to handle bees and he will,
if at all adapted to the business, make
it a success. The young blood of our
country is needed in apiculture as
well as in other vocations. To the in-
ventive genius of the boys of our land
must be relegated for solution many of
the knotty problems that vex us older
heads. The energy, the originality,
the enthusiasm of youth are only qual-
ities that will press to successful issue
many of the experiments of the da3^
How many of our boy readers are
already beekeepers? I would like to
know. Send me a postal card giving
your name, age, address, number of
colonies, etc., and I will report it all
in the Api.

That Self-hiver, etc.
Kit Clovek.

I am still on the "tenter hooks" of
uncertainty regarding that self-hiver,
and I want more light. "Will not
"Bro. " (that's vphat all the bee-men
seem to call each other) Pratt forgive
my "swear words" and help me out a
httle.

Here is my trouble. Will the self-
hiver catch a vh-gin queen, and if so,
is it all right that she should not be-
gin laying until after swarming time?

I can make matters all right with
the old queen, not, Mr. Editor, because
I read "two-penny" papers, for I read
about all the bee papers published,
but simply because I canH "shin" trees,
worth a cent. I snip the queen's wing,
and that ends my trouble. I can hive
the first swarm that comes off, all
right, but that miserable, high-flying
second swarm, that is what troubles
me. They go to the very tip-top of
our oak trees, and I can't follow.

Now, after the first swarm has is-
sued, can one put on an Alley self-
hiver, or queen-trap, or anything else,
and let it stay there until the hive has
swarmed its second time, and will the
queen go to laying after the cluster
has been hived in a new hive.

Another qiaestion is this; can we
keep down increase by putting this
afterswarm back mto the parent hive?
This can be done in some cases, I
know, for I have done it, myself, and
the bees went to work sj)lendidly, but
do they usually do so? And is there
any plan by which one can prevent
afterswarming except by cutting out
all the queen cells?

I have tried that process with three
hives this spring and the result is, I
have six good fioui'ishing young col-
onies, from the three, but no surplus
honey. I supjpose I skipped some
cells, or did they build cells later on?
I cut them out the fifth day after the
first swarm issued. In one case the
second swarm came out on the tw^elf th
day, and when I opened the hive, I
found two or three empty queen cells
in plain sight, where there were none
the day I cut out cells. Did they
build them later?

How would it work to have good
laying queens in nuclei, and introduce
one to the old hive just after the
swarm has issued? And now, Mr.
Pratt, do the Carniolan bees swarm
more "early and often" (as a bad man
votes) than any other breed of bees?

I began the season with five col-
onies, and by the last of June had
eleven. My neighbor had five colo-
nies of Italians. He now has six.

Another neighbor began with ten;
has nine now, since one starved. An-
other had one hundred colonies of
Italians and has not had a swarm.

My new colonies have filled ten
brood-frames, having only one strip
of foundation two inches wide, and
the parent colonies have theh brood
chambers full.

From what I see of other bees, I
think I want nothing but Carniolaus;

122

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

but, if tliey are to swarm and swarm
and do nothing else, why, that will
not altogether suit me.

Here is a comparison. At the time
I got my first swarm of bees, a neigh-
bor got one of blacks. That was two
years ago in June. Last year I should
have increased to eleven swarms if I
had not put them back in all the
while, sold two swarms, lost one; and
increased to five that I wintered over,
and took off three hundi'ed pounds
one pound sections, and so for this
year I have six young swarms, all
sold. My neighbor with the blacks,
increased to thi-ee swarms last year,
lost one, one starved next spring, and
they now have the old colony, and one
just now (July) issued. No honey,
not an ounce.

I am certain of some points about
Carniolans. They are gentle, hardy,
and excellent workers, capping the
whitest honey I ever saw, and getting
the least dark honey, but if they are
bound to swarm too often, I just
want some kind of a trap to catch
them.

No use to tell me to put salt on
then' taUs, I can't do it.

Do give me a little light on this
matter.
Dubuque, la.

For reply to this communication see page 121.
—Ed,

How our queens and the manager
of the Bay State Apiary are ap-
preciated.

Editor American Api :

Yoiu' postal at hand somedays since
and the qneen and her escort arrived
safel3' this a. m. She is as handsome
as a gold coin fresh from the mint, a
sort of personification of be(e)atific
perfection. If any one can show finer
queens or handsomer bees as tlieir off-
spring than is to be found in our little
amateur apiary, we should be pleased
to hear from them. In selecting at
tlie start tlie strain of bees we would
cultivate, we feel that we made the
right choice. We have strictly ad-

hered to tliat choice, without any
deviation and all the colonies are
"queened" either by one reared in the
Bay .State apiary, or a daughter raised
by ourselves. Our deal with you is
one of the exceptionally few instances,
in which we hav'n't been swindled or
deceived in some way or other in deal-
ing with agents or dealers in supi)lies ;
and we contemplate that fact with as
much satisfaction as we do the nice
coating of honey on the matutinal
griddle cake.

We hatched three queens last
night in some nuclei we had pi'epared,
and they all are that same splendid
color and size as that fi'om you. You
see we had a good chance to compare
them, and prove our standard, yours
being caged. The bees are all right.
We had one colony with a two-year
queen that filled about three-fourths of
their brood frames with honey. We ex-
tracted twenty-seven pounds and put
them back and now they are well filled
with brood. Your queen is to super-
sede her to-night. We have taken off
but little of our honey yet — it ripens
well in the hive. We took forty-nine
pounds capped and i)erfect from one
hive leaving just half the sections on ;
they were filled but not quite capped
We have several others that will do
as well or better — say a dozen or so.

To-day the bees have taken to rob-
bing some new swarms we had started
(three oi- four) and we have shed
much vigorous P^nglisli and lots of
smoker manipulation at this evidence
of their moral turpitude ; have closed
the new ones up tight to keep them
out.

On the whole we are doing very well.
We've found out that there's lots of
things we don't know about " bee cul-
ture " but we're learning and you'll
hear from our apiary yet. We mean
to have a good one At the same time
there's lots of things we do know — such
as what hive we want, also on the sub-
ject of bee culture as a pursuit for
women and some other things of which
I may sometime write you. Am glad

THE AMEI^IGAN APICULTURIST.

123-

you propose to visit us. Come at any
time, only drop us a postal card, that
we ma^' be at home. We shall be more
than glad to welcome you. Will do
our best to entertain you and make
you leak bee wisdom, all of which
will be most carefully stored for fut-
ure use and experiment by
Yours very truly,

Mrs. G. M. Barker.

P. S. Will also explain our aggre-
gation of freaks yclept — hives, etc.

Natick, Mass.

Tell-tale arrangements.

E. L. P 11 ATT.

I have tried tacks, stones, section
pieces, blocks, pins, nails and I don't
know "what all," to remind me of work
to be done with nuclei, and I have not
yet found a convenient j)lan.

We want a plan to tell us where
our mated queens may be found and
something that will "cry out in a veri/
loud voice'''' and point in a forcible man-
ner to those hives in want of a cell or
vu'gin queen.

I propose to try a flag system next
season, something as follows: I shall
have a lot of pine sticks cut about
eight inches in length by one-foui'th
square. On the ends of them will
be tacked little three-cornered flags
made of colored flannel or felt, red
on one end of each stick and blue on
the other. One of these sticks will
be attached to each hive by a small
•wu'e nail, pivot fashion, in such a man-
ner that I shall be able to display
either color at will.

Red will mean " queenless, " and
bhie for "laying queen." When both
flags hang down with the stick in an
horizontal position, it will mean "nor-
mal state."

I think with this arrangement, it
will be hard on a keeper's conscience
to see many red flags in sight any
length of time. There will always be
a great effort on my j^art to keep the
blues up rather than the reds.

Railroad men have used a flag sys-
tem for a great many years with satis-
faction. Should think queen-breeders
could pattern after them and adopt a
similar well tried system m connec-
tion with then- business.

Artificial heat.

I was very much interested in "For-
eign Notes" in your January issue.

Brother Stachelhausen has gath-
ered together very valuable and in-
teresting matter.

What interested me more than any-
thing else was "Ai'tificial heat for
bees in spring." I had in mind an
experiment for March, 1890, somewhat
as follows: a hollow division board
made of tin was to be placed close up
to the contracted brood-nest inside a
regular division board made of frame
stuff covered with felt and close to the
packing. A small rubber hose was to
be connected at the bottom of this tin-
chamber outside the hive in such a
manner that it could be filled readily
with hot water and emptied of cold
from the outside of the hive wdthout
disturbing the colony. Every morn-
ing and night the cold water could be
run out and hot water run in by a
tunnel.

I was in hopes to be able to force
along several colonies to use on eaiiy
queens. Also to secui-e drones equal-
ly early. Hope Brother S. will keep
us posted on this matter. I believe
artificial heat can be used to advan-
tage in forcing bees the same as with
plants under glass.

A. I. Root failed with an experi-
ment of this kind some years ago.
Since then I have not seen much
mention of the scheme.
Marlboro, Mass.

Notes and comments.

By Henkt Alley.
Bee veils.
Where one has a race or strain of
bees that cannot be handled with a
good smoker, we advise a change in

124

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

the " breed." We never owned a bee-
A'eil and seldom have seen the need
of such a thing in our apiar3\ A Brig-
ham & Hetherington smoker is all
anyone needs to handle bees without
getting stung.

Bee-veils should be worn as little
as possible on account of injury to the
eyesight. Tliere is no doubt that
the straining of the eyes in looking
through the fine meshes of a veil will,
in time, cause blindness.

Like brother Kelley we would give
up beekeeping rather than wear a bee
veil. Our work is such that a veil
would be in use ten hours each day.

Advice to beginners.

" Siftings" advice to beginners to
start right is hitting the nail on the
head.

Too many of those who commence
beekeeping do not look around and
investigate as much as they should
before investing their money in bees.
Many of the beekeepers of the pres-
ent day soon found when they had
had a little experience in bee-culture
that they started wrong and too much
in a hurry.

Our advice to the beginner is to
visit several successful beekeepers for
the purpose of getting some practical
information concerning the best hives
and other appliances and go into
keeping bees understand! ngly.

Keeping comb honey.

I have known beekeepers to remove
honey from the hive and at once place
it in a cold, damp cellar. In a short
time the honey was nearly ruined.
The moisture of the cellar would con-
dense on the comb and that which was
not sealed when put in the cellar had
gathered moisture, soured ajid ran out
the cells, thus spoiling the honey as
well as the sale of it.

Now our plan for keeping comb-
honey is this : We happen to have
considerable section honey this year
( rather an unusual thing for us, I
admit ) and we propose to keep it in

good condition until sold. The cases
as they were removed from the hives
were placed in a small room, the di-
mensions of which are about ten feet
square. There is but one window, and
to keep out flies, bees, etc., a wire
screen is used the whole size of the
window.

When the weather is dry and warm,
the window will be opened to give
ventilation. In damp and rainy weath-
er, and in dog-day weather especially,
a good sized lamp will be placed in
the room to keep up the temperature,
and to keep the room dry and also to
to give better ventilation.

Those who practise this method will
have to keep a lookout for the moth.

Although these troublesome insects
do not often destroy honey in the
comb, yet they will work in it some,
enough certain to spoil the appearance
of many sections.

Why tops of hives warp.

Siftings says the to^js of his hives
warp. The only way to prevent it is
to send north and get some of our soft
lumber and. then dress the tops with
two coats of white lead. Make the
tops of seven-eighths-thick boards
and cross-cleat them by pieces three
inches wide. Boards of any kind with-
out paint will warp and. crack.

The tops of our Bay State hives
ai'e made of boards but three-eighths
inch thick, yet they are so thoroughly
nailed and cleated that they do not
warp. Unless made of a good qual-
ity of lumber they will crack some
toward the ends, but this does not
cause them to leak.

Self-hivers.
Kit Clover, whose article will be
found on page 121, this issue, says she
wants more light concerning the w^ork-
ing of the self-hiver. This device
will catch and hold any queen that
attemj^ts to leave the hive. I do not
say that every swarm that issues where
the hiver is used will be hived. If
not successfully hived in the new hive
the bees will retui-n to the parent

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

125

stock. As the swanning season is now
over, we shall drop the self-hiver busi-
ness till next winter, then our readers
shall have more light about this won-
derful invention for catching swarms
of bees when they issue.

Yes, it is just right for the vu'gin
queen, or rather what was a virgin
queen, not to lay till after swarming
is over. When the last swarm issues,
whether it is the second, third or
fourth swarm that comes off, the
queen is usually but a few hours old.
It will be from seven to ten days be-
fore she will be fertilized and com-
mence to lay. If the queen is fertilized
when five days old (and I never knew
one to mate when younger than five
days old) she would not commence to
lay till she was seven days old. But
there are but few queens fertilized
when just five days old. The majority
are ten days old when they commence
to lay.

If Kit Clover will use the drone-
and-queen trap there will be no need
of shinning trees for those high-flying-
second swarms. The trap will catch
all queens, young or old, or whether
fertilized or not, and hold them, too,
until the bees return. We never pay
the least attention to bees if we are
busy when a swarm issues; don't even
look to see where they cluster, as they
sometimes do and hang on the limb
of a tree for half an hour without a
queen, and then return. We go di-
rectly to the trap, and finding the
queen caged, make preparations for
the return of the bees. If we return
the swarm, the cells are first removed;
then when the bees are about all in
the hive, the queen is liberated and
allowed to join her colony.

By all means keep the trap on the
hive for twelve days after the first
swarm issues, then remove it to give
the young queen a chance to become
fertile. No swarms are likely to issue
after the twelfth day.

Increase can be kept down by re-
turning the first swarm that comes
out. While the bees are in the an-,

open the hive and destroy all the
queen cells. I never knew a swarm to
issue where this had been repeated
twice. Usually the bees will not
swarm a second time, if all the cells
are destroyed.

No, there is no plan to prevent af-
ter-swarming except by removing all
the queen cells or all but one of them.
If all the cells are destroyed a queen
should be introduced. If this is not
done, other cells would be built, and
when matured, a swarm would issue.
In this case the old colony would be
about ruined, as a queen reared by so
few bees and on such a forced plan,
would be very inferior.

Kit Clover did wrong in cutting
out all the queen cells, but it was the
right thing to do in removing all but
one after the swarm came off. Your
bees commenced to build other cells as
soon as they discovered the fact that
all the capped cells had been removed.
That is why the swarm issued twelve
days later. The best plan is to re-
move the cells and introduce a fertile
queen the thu"d day after the first
swarm issues.

Kit Clover inquu-es of Mr. Pratt as
to the Carniolans being more apt to
swarm than other races of bees. Bro.
Pratt is quite able to answer this, but
this time we will do so. Yes, the
Carniolan bees are given naore to
swarming than other races. When
our American queen breeders have
had these bees a few years this little
fault with the Carniolan will be erad-
icated. Kit Clover's report of her suc-
cess with bees is first-rate. Y'^ou have
done well. Women seem to make suc-
cessful beekeepers.

Use the drone-and-queeu trap and
your trouble and annoyance, so far
as swarming is concerned, will be at
an end.

Wiring brood-frames.

Brother Newman is just right in

sayhig it is folly to wire frames 10 X

14. It is folly as well as loss of time

and money to wire any frames. We

126

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

can show in the Bay State apiai'3^ the
handsomest brood-combs to be found
in the world. The foundation came
from the Dadants, every comb is as
straight and as smooth as a piece of
board.

Wired brood-frames and narrow
top-bars have caused me to say a good
many swear words the last ten years.
Both of these things are nuisances in
the apiary. Bee veils, wood founda-
tion, narrow top-bar brood-frames and
rubber gloves are the meanest kind of
nuisances in the apiary, and wholly
unnecessary at all times.

Carniolan bees.

The Carniolan bees are getting some
hard kicks in the various bee papers.
Those who are rearing this race of
queens have our sympathy, as we
well remember some thirty j'ears back
how the Italians were treated. Just
substitute the word Italian for Carnio-
lan in those fellows' articles who are
now saying such hard things al)out the
Carniolan bees and you will then get
some idea as to what was said about
the best race of bees now in the world.

It does sound so natural to us when
reading one of the articles in the bee-
papers concerning the Carniolan bees
that we almost feel thirty years young-
er. Well, the Italians outlived the
croakers and no doubt the Carniolans
will do the same.

When the Italians are properly
reared and bred, they are as good as
bees can be expected to be. Tlie same
may be said of the Carniolan bees.
The first imported queens were not as
good as they sliould have been. Queen
dealers here had to rear queens from
inferior motliers at the start. The
consequence has been that the Car-
niolans proved to be great swarmers,
and poor hone}' gatherers. Now, in
the hands of the skilful queen breeder
there has been a great improvement in
this new race of bees.

We cannot say that the Carniolan
bees are as good as the Italians, yet
will say that they are pretty nearly

as good in most respects. However,
the Italians will sta}' in the Bay State
apiary a long time yet ; we do not
propose to throw them over yet awhile.
There is one peculiar thing about
crossing these two races. Last year we
mated some Carniolan queens to Ital-
ian drones. Result was beautiful Ital-
ian bees. We then mated some Italian
drones and Carniolan queens. Re-
sult was the same. Who can explain
this?

Imported Italian queens.

We stated in our last issue that we
had received two imported queens by
mail from Italy. Both queens were
successfully introduced and the hives
are now well filled with bees. Those
unacquainted with imported bees sup-
pose that queens received directly
from Italy must produce the finest
three-bauded, worker bees. This is
not so. The progeny from these
queens, though they have a yellowish
cast, have but two narrow bands.
Should I send queens to my customers
that produced no better bees, letters
would come in by the hat full "the
queen you sent me is a hybrid." All
queens, and pure Italian queens too,
do not produce three banded workers,
nevertheless they are pure Italians.

We shall soon rear a few queens
from the imported mothers. The
young queens will be quite dark col-
ored, yet they will produce handsome
bees where fertilized by drones reared
from our SlOO queen. One thing is
certain, there will be no in -bred bees
when thus crossed.

Will those who desire these queens
please order early, so that we may be
prepared to fill all orders as soon as
possible. The imported mothers are
very prolific and we have no doubt
that the daughters, when fertilized by
the drones to which we propose to
mate them will produce bees for busi-
ness and profit.

We did not attempt to rear any
queens from these mothers till they
had been in the hives sutiicieutly long

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

127

f

to test their egg-lay iug powers, color
and purity of the bees.

Introducing cells or virgin queens at the
time a fertile queen is removed.

Mr. G. M. Doolittle gets a sly dig
at us on the matter of introducing
queen cells or virgin queens at the time
a fertile queen is removed.

Eead what Mr. D. says :

A correspondent writes to me thus :
"Lately I have seen it stated that bees
never destroy queen-cells until after some
qneen has stiiiiii the embryo queens, after
which the workers will remove tlie dead
queens and tear down the cells ; also, th:'t
should a young queen emerge from a queen
cell placed in a colony having a fertile
queen, she would not be molested until
the reigning queen happened to meet her,
when the former would be dispatched.
Do you rind this to be the case?"

In reply I will state that I have not
found such to be the case; and, further, I
stand ready to give the party who claims
such to be a fact, .$100 if he or she will
come into my apiary and demonstrate it,
for I would willingly pay that price to
know how to introduce a ripe queen-cell
or a just-hatched virgin queen to any col-
ony I so desired at the same time I took
away a laying queen. Even as good a bee-
keeper as Mis. Harrison cannot do it, if
we are to judge from what she writes,
when she says :

'In my early days of beekeeping, I
used to read that wlien forming a nucleus
by taking two combs of bees and brood
and placing them in an empty hive where
I wished the nucleus to stand, I should
give them a sealed cell at once. Alter
trying it very many times, they have been
invariably destroyed, the bees building
queen-ceils to suit themselves from the
eggs and larvas which they had.'

To say that Mrs. Harrison has jumped
at these conclusions, or has not had much
experience, is belittling one of our best
apiarists — one who stantls as high in the
ranks of beekeepers, as a careful, th^r-
ough, persistent, experimenter as any in
fraternity. No, this will not do. Bees
will destroy queen-cells where no queen
is present in the hive to sting the inmates
of the cells, as I have learned to my sor-
row. I do not say that they will sting the
embryo queen, for I have no evidence to
that efl'ect : but I have often opened hives
in which I placed queen-cells a few hours
before, to rind the bees biting away at the
cells, and dragging out the struggling in-
mate, if such inmate was far enough ad-
vanced to be about ready to hatch.

I will not claim that bees will not
kill a virgin queen of any age if in-
troduced at the time a fertile queen' is
removed. We are continually remov-
ing queens to ship to customers and
introducing queen-cells at the time ;
that is, in the course of an liour after
the laying queen is removed. Have
often opened a hive in a few hours
after a fertile queen has been removed
and a cell inserted and found a newly
hatched queen running over the combs.
I never hesitate a mou^ent to insert a
cell at the time a queen is removed.

Now, Mr. D., let me tell you how
you can save nearly all that hundred
dollars you offer. Just send some
friend here and let him spend one week
investigating the matter and let him
report result to you. If we do not
do all we claim in ninety cases out of
a hundred we will pay the $100 to
you.

We claim that some things can be
done and are done in the Bay State
Apiary that cannot be done success-
fully in many other apiaries. We can
introduce a hundred virgin queens to
nuclei with tobacco smoke and not
lose one out of the lot. We will in-
troduce them just as fast as we can
handle the queens. Perhaps it will
require two minutes to introduce each
queen. Now, 1 do not wish to brag,
and do not, but Mr. D. cannot do
this thing, and we do not believe there
is another man in the world who can.
Now, Mr. D. can do some things we
cannot. For instance ! He can rear
queens by transferring larva or royal
jelly from one cell to another. We
cannot ; that is, don't suppose we can,
never tried it ; never shall try it. Don't
believe in the plan, though it is very
scientific, but most too far from na-
ture's way. We had rather do less
work and get better queens. We know
how to get queen-cells by the million ;
but cannot get a big lot of first-class
queens from cells when reared by the
million. Our aim is to see how good
queens can be reared, not how many
per colony. Our columns in each is-

128

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

sue contain ample evidence as to
whether our method for rearing queens
is a good one or otherwise.

Mr. D. may have testimonials by
the million for all we know, com-
mending his methods and views, yet
though we liave walclied the bee-pa-
pers i)retty closely, none to our liuovvl-
edge have ever got into print. We
have no doubt, however, that Mr. D.
rears good queens, perhaps better than
ours. Although Mr. D. is not slow
in tooting his horn about the only
"scientific and natural method" for
rearing queens, he has been slow and
very backward about the testimoni-
als, which he should have, and which
people demand of any dealer com-
mending his goods. A dealer who
cannot show proper evidence that his
goods are all he claims for them should
be driven out of the business.

Fifty- cent queens.

About every mail brings us letters
asking ns what we will furnish fifty or
a hundred queens for. In no case
have we stated a price less than the
one found in our regular price-list.
We have no fifty-cent queens, cannot
rear first-class queens at those fig-
ures. When you want such low-
priced queens please apply at the next
shop. Good queens cannot be reared
at such lovv figures. When we can
fill our orders at our regular prices,
and have a surplus of queens, then
a proposition to sell at a less price
will be in order.

Though we have been rearing and
shipping queens thirt}^ 3'ears, there
never has been a time when we had
a surplus of queens in our apiary.

We are ready to sell each subscrib-
er to the Api one queen for 75 cents,
and that is the lowest we can sell
queens to anyone. Every queen sent
out from our apiary is worth $5. We
venture to say that hundreds of queens
go out from our apiary every year
that cannot be bought for even more
than $5 each. Let me tell yon about
one of them.

Neiohurgh, Indiana, July 14, 1890.

Mr. H. Alley: Herewith find 75 cents, for
another queen; the one you sent me last year is
a splendid queen. Have taken thus far this sea-
son 112 pounds of honey from her colony and ex-
pect to jjet 28 pounds more if tlie weather does
not cor.tinue too dry. Dr. Geo. Lacke.

There, friends, isn't such a queen
as that worth $5? Who says no?

If such a testimonial as the above
does not suit you, please read the one
from Mrs. M. G. Barker on page 122.

Our orders.
We want to say to our friends that
there has l)een considerable unavoida-
ble delay in filling some orders we have
received. However, we have done the
best we could, and each customer will
get what he has ordered as promptly as
possible. One man whose poor hand-
writing we could not make out or-
dered two queens, also, one drone-
trap. These things were sent and we
supposed we had addressed them cor-
rectly, after a while our friend vvrote
brother Root that he sent Alley so
much money and could get no word
nor goods from him. We investigated
the matter and found the trap had
been sent, and although the order was
for but two queens we had mailed
three to the supposed address of this
man. Later on, postmasters in several
towns in Ohio notified us that there
were packages there for which thej'
could find no owner ; and then the
cards and letters we had written this
fellow came back. Now this customer
thinks we must and should send these
things again. It is not our fault that
he did not get his goods.

When ordering supplies, please
write the address so that we can make
it out at a glance. We sometimes
have to call upon the neighbors to aid
us in making out a badly written ad-
dress.

A few days ago a registered letter
came to hand said to contain 75 cts.
The letter was unsealed (but it was
not noticed till we arrived home) and
contained no money. No one in my
opinion had meddled with the letter.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

129

The remitter had forgotten to enclose
the money.

We so informed liim of the circum-
stances. All we got in return was
the card which we had to write our
name upon when the letter was re-
ceived.

When we place our name on the
card we do not certify tliat we i"e-
ceive any money, we merely say that
we have received a registered letter
from such a party. A postmaster
who knows his business will not per-
mit anyone to open a registered let-
ter until tlie receiver has receipted for
it. The postmaster or person ad-
dressed is not supposed to know
whether the letter contains money or
important matter.

Sorae one gets a hard hit.

Nev) York, July 22, 1890.
Henry Alley Esq.,
Wenham, Mass.

Dear Sir: The queen came this a. m.
much sooner than I had hoped for. Please
accept thanks.

I think that I'll try a select tested queen
later in the season.

I asked a certain beekeeper and dealer
in supplies wiiat lie wanted for a first-
class queen, as good as he liad, and he
said thiit his price was $3, but he would
let me have one for $2.

After ordering- the queen, I sent him
word that if more money would get abet-
ter queen, to let me have the best. He
then sent me a two years old queen for
$2, "as good as he had." The result is
that she isn't filling seven frames.

Mural — I ouuht to have read "Thirty
Years among the Bees" more carefully, and
I should not have invested in a two year
old queen, even if she did store ninety
pounds comb honey last fall. And if the
dealer, who is a very square man, had
also been familiar with the same book he
would not have risked his reputation by
sending her.

Very truly yours,
Hknky Hall.

that Josephine Chini is a woman. She
can't l)e much of a man anyway,
to use a fellow in the way we were
used by our own dealings with that per-
son.

(Ducrg ^Department.

Black ants in hives.
Melrose, Mass., June 6, 1890.

Mr. Henry Allky: I opened my bee-
hive this morning and found thousands
of large black ants inside evidently eat-
ing honey as fast as brought in by the
bees.

I immediately put fine salt around and
inside the hive. In an hour opened the
hive again and should judge by the ac-
tion of the ants that they thought it was
put in for their benefit.

What is best to do to exterminate them?
A reply in the Apiculturist will much
oblige a subscriber.

Sprinkle kerosene oil, or red pepyjer in the
places where the ants are located. We do not
think ants trouble the honey. They got in the
hive lor warmth and protection from the weather.
-Ed.

E. Myrick.

Chini Josephine, or Josephine Chini,
which?

A correspondent saj^s, Josephine
chini is a lady. I think he must mean

Extract from a private letter.

Frien'd Alley : I have been very busy
lately. Do not even get much time to
read tlie bee-papers. Besides, a damper
is put upon us occasionally by, for in-
stance, an Important (?) invention such as
the Heddon hive, which is taken up by
almost every bee-paper in the world and
lauded in such a manner that grave doubts
arise in our minds whether or not there
is an editor anywhere who has even a
faint iilea of bees and beekeeping. Again
when I read Heddon's speech at the Chi-
cago convention my compassion was
aroused. I thought of Langstroth, Quin-
by, Dziei'zon and a dozen others. Poor
fellows ! what did they do to compare with
my invention ? I thought also of us poor
fellows ! who are going to steal those great
inventions. I can comprehend our small
souls and get sick of argument on bee
culture.

Had some friend carefully read the
Api he would have found that its ed-
itor never took any stock in the Hed-
don hive. I once told Mr. H. that
had anyone but himself invented that

]30

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

famous hive not a man in the world
could be found who would say more
agamst it.

I know it is a pity to dig this hive
question up after it has been buried so
long and so deep; yet we rather de-
su-e to make public the opinion and
sentiment of one of the most i^romi-
nent beekeepers in the west. This
letter has been on our desk some-
time, and had it not been mislaid
would have apjDcared before. — Ed.

Size of standard brood frame.

M. A. Kelley, on page 65 of the
April No. of the Api asks, Will Mr.
Bunch give us the exact size of a
standard brood frame? What is a
standard frame anyM^ay? I think I
can answer this question. Turn to
page 147 of revised Langstroth, in
regard to what they have to say of
the Simplicity brood frame. This
style of frame has been manufact-
ured and sold by the most prom-
inent dealers to such an extent that
it may be called the standard frame
of America. The size of this frame is
9^ by 171.

C. A. Bunch.

Nye, Ind.

From some of our exchanges.
(Tiny travellers.)

Ten little travelers, useful and welcome
immigrants to the Centennial State, made
a t-hort stop at the The Eye office this
week. They traveled by mail in a neat
little box, addressed to Mark W. Moe,
who resides out by Smith's Lake in Sontii
Denver. The box was postmarked "Sa-
lem, M!iss.,"and came from the celebra-
ted Bay State Apiary. Within it was a
queen bee, of the select strain of Italian
bees, with nine healthy and active work-
ers. They were bountifully provisioned
Avith a good supply of honey and sugar,
and openings in the box afforded good
ventilation. Apparently they were none
the worse for their long journey.

Mr. Moe has forty hives of bees, all do-
ing well, and he informs us that the pres-
ent season promises to be a prosperous

one for beekeepers. — South Denver Eye,
June 21, 1890.

Mr. S. M. Eankin, the apiarist, has just
received an Italian queen bee from the
"one-liund red-dollar queen" of Mr. Henry
Alley of Wenham, Mass., the champion
queen rearer of this country. MiddUtown
{Bel) Transcri])t, Jiuie 26,"lS90.

Thirty years among the bees.

This work is about ready to mail, contnins sev
enty-two pages size of llns page; neatly bound in
paper, sent to any address on receipt of 50 cents.

Kemeniber that this book gives our thirty-
yeais' experience in queen-veaiing as well as
much other important iuformatioa concerning bee
culture.

All the best methods for rearing and intro-
ducing queens, and in lact, evci-ytliing about
queens that is likely to interest and instruct any-
one may be found in this manual.

The honey crop.

It is as yet most too early to give an estimate of
what the lioney crop of the country is likely to
be. That It will be above the average is more
than i>rob.ible. Tlie I'avorabh; weather in most
sections has had much to do with the crop.

New England larmers have been favored with
an unusually large cro|i of hay, nearly all hai vest-
ed without a drop of rain on it.

My 22n(l Annual Price List t^'S^.J^^^,

Queens and Nuclei Colonies (a specially): also
Supplies— will be sent to all who send their names
and addresses. H. H. BROWN,

Light Street, Columbia Co., Pa_
5-9-90 Mention the American Apiculturist.

THE CANADIAN

O. A. JONES.

Pooltry Jonrnal

EDITED BY W. C. G. PETER.

75 cts. per Year. 75 cts. per Year.

These are published separately, alternate
weeks, and are edited by live practical men, and
contributed to liy the best writers. Both Jour-
nals are interesting, and are alike valuable to the
expert and amateur. Sample copies free. Both
Journals one year to one addre,-s $1.

Until June "1st we will send either Journal on
trial trip for 6 mos. for 25 cts.

THE D. A. JONES CO., Ld.,

THE AMERICAN APICULTUIilST.

Hun ill til tlie Cainiolinsl J1r\ tile the
lead ; win the race ; seinire the prize. It }'ou want

TONS OF HONEY.

Try the Carnioinns. Harfliest to winter: pleas-
antest to haiiille; best honey gathercM-s. Our stock
is the best that can be procureil, and is bred
miles awav f i om other races.

I»K.TCES?> : 1 untested queen, $1.00 ; 6 for
$5.00; li for 9.U0. 1 tested queen, $-2.50. 1 im-
ported queen, $s.50. The Beekeepeks' Ad-
vance and an untested queen, for $1.2.5.

J. B. MASON, Mechanic Falls, Me.

GLOBE BEE-VEIL

By Mail for $1.00.

,, A center rivet holds 5 spring-steel

\ , cross-bars 1 ike a globe to support the

I bobinetVeil. These button to a neat

brass neck-band, holdiuKittirtnly.

It is easily put together; no trouble
to put on, or take off. An absolute
protection against any insect that
flies. Will go over any ordinary
' sized hat; can be worn in bed with-
out discomfort ; fits any head ; does not obstruct the
vision; folds compactly, and can be carried in the
pocket; in short, it is invaluable to any one whom
flies bother, mosqultos bite, or bees sting

i'or sale at the office of the Apiccltuuist.

THAT HUNDRED-DOLLAR
QUEEN. SEE DESCRIPTION
PAGE 11, THIS VOLUME.

1882 CARNIOLAf^S. 1890

Before you buy imported or home bred Carnio-
Ian Queens, send for mj' circulars. 1 have been
breeding tlie Cai-iiiolau bees loup:er than any
other man in the United States. They are tlie
best race of bees known.

L. A.

LOWMASTEU,

Belle Vernon, Ohio.

IMPORTED QUEENS.

In May and .June, each, . . . . $2 00
In July and August, each, . . , . 1 80
In .September and October, each . . 1 40

Money must be sent in advance. No guarantee
on shipments by mail. Queens sent by express
(8 at least), whicli die in transit, will be replaced
if retui'ned in a letter.

CHAS. BIANCONCINI, Bologna, Italy.

The Beekeeper's Directory.

A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classified list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (includnig abiiut 200 supply
dealers), witli essays and hints regarding the
successful management of the apiary. It is ''com-
piled by Henry Alley, ^V'^enham, JMass." It con-
tains 140 p.iges, one-half of which ai-e devoted to
names ami addresses of beckee|)ers, and the
other half to tlie practi(;al hiut.s mentioned above,
including Air. Alley's " melhdd for rearing queens
ill full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — Ainericitn Bee Journal.

WESTERN HEAD-QUARTERS FOR APMRIAN SUPPLIES.

Having greatly enlarged our factory and increased our manufacturing facililies, we are prepared

to fill orders promptly with goods unsurpassed in quality

and workmanship.

ALL OUE HIVES TAKE THE SIMPLICITY EKAME.

ITA.LI^N QUEENS ^ND BEES

At astonishingly low prices.

Situated, as we are, on the "Great Burlington Route" (C. B. & Q.) and the C. & N. W.,
we can ship goods cheaply to all parts of the United States and Canada.

Estimates gladly furnished and correspondence solicited. We will send free our new
illustrated price-list and know you can save money by examining it before purchasing your
supplies.

A. F. STAUFFER & CO.,

HentiooApl. STERLING, ILL.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST SUPPLEMENT.

— AT THE —

BAY STATE APIARY,

Bee-JHlves.

We offer only tlie Bay State liive for sale.

One hive in tlie flat, $ 3.00

Six hives" '• '• 15.00

Twelve" " " " 27.00

All parts of the Hive are included in the above,

frames, sections and all but paint and nails,

Sections.

One-piece sections per 1,000 $4.-50

500 2.50

'< " " " 100 .60

liaiigstrotli Frames.

Material for (lianging) frames for Standard L.

Hive per 100 $3.00

The frames we use are so consti-ucted that ilie
bees will not build comb between or over tliem
at the top, nor fasten the section case and frames
together, as is the case when the common top
bar is used.

]Va.lliiig Bloclc for Frames.
No one can do good work at nailing frames
without a proiier board to nail tliem on. We can
send one, by express, that will do I he work nicely

price, 50

Coml> Foiiiidation.
We can supply the best brands at manufactur-
ers' prices, and ship direct to our cnslomeis from
the nearest factory. We also keep a quantity in
stock to lill small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames 55 cts. per lb.

1 " " " " sections (10 " " "

We keep in stock but one dimension of brood-
foundaiion 17^ x 7 in(;hes. This is large enough
for any L. frame and is just right for the Jiay
State frame.

Perforated. Zinc.
This we can supply in any quantities, shipped

with other goods, per foot 12 cts.

If sent by mail, add 10 cents per foot for postage.
Honey Extractors.
The E. T. Lewis & Co. Extkactok,
No. 22. 28 incites in diameter, 25 inches
hiali, 2-frame for any size up to
12^ X 19; room for 25 lbs., honey
below reel, and the best extractor

ever made for $10.00

We sell this size only as it is the most conven-
ient to use of any found in use. This extractor is
adapted to any fiame in use.

Honey Itnlves.

Root's knife, by express, 70

" " by mail, 75

Bee Veils.

The veil has a rubber band which draws the top

together; it is then placed over any hat and

drawn until the elastic is over the hat band.

Common net, by mail, 35

Smoliers.

Bingham & Hetherington's only.

By mail, $1.75; by express, , $1.50

Queens and. Full Colonies.
Queens.

Prices,

Untested queens, each, $1 . 00

Selected " " 1-25

Tested " " 2.00

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,
each 3.00

Our untested queens are sent out before any of
their brood hatches. 95 |ier cent will prove to be
purely mated. Safe arriviil and purity guaranteed
m all cases.

Cai'niolan queens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bees cannot be ex-
celled.

Full Colonies.

We consider eiglit frames well filled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. Prices of
such in B. S. hive, including one set of sections,
$12.00. Purchasers to pay express charges. Safe
arrival guaranteed.

Fourth Fldition of tlie

Beekeejiers' Hamly Book, or Thirty Years
among the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Queen-rearing Apparatvis.

BeekeeiJers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by any other, should have the
apparatus here described. The Swarmbox and
Queen-nursery are articles that no person who
rears queens ought to dispense with.

By u.-^ing the swarmbox a large colony of bees
can be confined a long time or transijorted safely
hundreils of miles. It is a very useful aiticle
about the apiary at all times during the season.

Sent only by express, price, $1.25.

When a" colony swarms and it is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are at
hand, the Qneen-nursery in such cases will be
found invaluable; the cells can be placed in them
and they need no further care for a week or more.
Vii-gin or fei tile queens can be kept in the nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
number of queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are also used in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be found
in our work upon queen-rearing.

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.60

Swarm-box 1-25

Fertilizing-hive (complete) 50

Eiimigator for using tobacco ... .25 ..30

Cone-feeder 15 .20

To make the lot complete, we put in each
package one ilrone-and-queen-trap, one copy of
Thirty Ye.\rs among the Bees, and send all
by express for $450

All these articles can be packed in the swarm-
box and sent safely by express or freight.

Brooms foi" Brusliing Bees
from Combs.

We find a small "corn-broom" best for this
purpose as it does not injure or irritate the bees,
and will do the woik better and quicker than
anything else used for the purpose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 " byexpress 20

HOW TO REMIT MONEY.

Remit by registered letters, cashier's check or
express orders. If sent by money orders or
postal notes, h.ave them made i)ayable at the
Salem, Mass., P. O. Make all remittances pay-
able to the order of the American Apicultu-

KIST.

Address,
AMERICAN APICULTURIST,

Wenliam^ Essex Co., Mass.

Tr^E * ;5I]QE^I6^1] . ^PienLTH^IST.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM.MASS., OCTOBER 1,1890.

NO. 10.

Entered, at Post-office as second-class matter.

^I)e (fflritor's IBepartmmt.

How does this strike you?

We still have a few copies of the
Beekeepers' Directory (bound in paper)
which we shall dispose of as follows :

To those who renew their subscription
to the Api at once, and to all new sub-
scribers, we shall send the Journal,
also Thirty Years Among the Bees and
the Directory for the sum of $1.25,
Now is the time to get the largest amount
of bee literature for the smallest sum.

A splendid offer.
We have just received from the fac-
tory five hundred drone-and-queen
traps. If any one is disposed to pur-
chase them at this time we shall sell
half dozen in flat, one made, seven traps
in all, and give the purchaser an indi-
vidual right to manufacture the traps
for his own use for the small sum of
$3.00. If you wish one dozen traps(13)
and individual right, we will ship tliem
for $4.00. Those who purchase fifty
traps for $10.00 will get an individual
right to make 100,000 or an unlimited
number of traps for their own use.

Now let me tell you something all
of you, or many of you do not know
about, at least nine out of every ten
persons do not. Do you know that

you can sell any or all the trap^ you
purchase of us in any place in the
United States where the territory is
not sold ? You can come into our town
and sell these traps if they were pur-
chased of us in the first place.

Now if we sell you one dozen traps
(13) you can sell every one of them
for 50 cents each. This will be $6.50.
You then have the right to make all
you can use in your own apiary.

Those who have an individual right
to make- the traps, can obtain the ma-
terial for them from their nearest deal-
er. A person who owns a right to use
and manufacture a patented article has
the right to get his goods manufactured
just where he selects. So you see it.
will pay you to purchase an individual
right in any case, as by so doing you;
can more than save the price of it in,
express charges on one dozen traps.

We want agents in every part of the
country, and know of no better way
to establish them than the above plan.

There is nothing in the way of bee
supplies that sells so readily as the
drone-and-queen traps. To any one
who will purchase one hundred traps
for $20 we will present a township right.

Now is your time to get the traps
at a low figure.

(145)

146

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Notes and comments.

By Henry Alley.

Something about the Bay State Apiary
and what has been done there tnis year.

Bv the time this number of the Api
has been mailed tlie queen-rearing bus-
iness at our apiary for the season of
1890 will be nearly over. We can say
that on the whole, we haA-e had a suc-
cessful year. Some over twelve hun-
dred queens have been reared and
shipped, and up to Sept. 20 less than
one dozen have proved to be otherwise
than satisfactory to our customers.
This is a record of which we feel proud.
Our one-hundred dollar queen from
which so many queens were reared the
past season has at this date (Sept. 20)
control of one of the largest and finest
colonies of bees to be found in any ap-
iary in the world. Though we have
taken from her colony since May 8,
1890, not far from 100",000 eggs, there
is at the present time no less than sev-
en L. frames well filled with brood,
and certainly not less than 50,000 bees
"on the wing."

We expect this queen to do as well
in 1891 as she did in 1890.

Orders for queens reared from her
eggs continue to come in at the rate
of one hundred per week. Of course
we cannot fill all orders that will be
sent us, though we hope to fill most of
them.

Some of our friends think we have
done a good deal of bragging about
this queen. Not at all. Don't you
know that all advertisements have an
air of bragging about them ? How can
a business man sell his goods if he
does not advertise and show them
up in the best light possible?

Our yellow Carniolans.

Now permit us to do a little more
bragging about this new strain of bees.
You have all heard considerable about
the "coming bee." Well, if the yel-
low Carniolan bees do not fill the bill
as the coming bee, then it will be a
waste of time and money to even try to
produce the coming bee, or a strain of

bees that will be better than those we
now have. For years we have expei'-
imented in crossing the new races of
bees for the purpose of improving, if
possible, the races and strains of bees
we all have had in our apiaries so long.
Nearly all progressive beekeepers
know well that the Italian and Carni-
olan races are superior in all respects
to the brown, or black German bee.
Such is the fact, nevertheless, though
some people have not found them so.
Does any sensible man dare say that
if we continue to propagate from the
hest strains year after year that no im-
provement in our bees will be the re-
sult?

Now suppose there is in the apiary
a colony of bees that is doing a good
deal better than any other, or much
better perhaps than most of the others.
This one colony and its history we will
make a record of. By and by we find
colonies that are working hard, stor-
ing honey may be, while other colo-
nies that have an equal chance are do-
ing nothing. Now suppose we use the
queen in that best colony to rear other
queens from, and for drones select a
queen from one of the hest working col-
onies. Are we not likely to get all the
good qualities of these bees transmit-
ted to their progeny ? At any rate, -this
is the principle that is being carried out
at the Bay State queen-rearing apia-
ries. Now suppose we go on year after
year rearing queens in the helter-skel-
ter way that is being done in some of
the apiaries of this country, what will
be the result? I need not say, pur-
chase the fifty-cent queens from the
cheap queen dealers and you will soon
get all you want of inbred bees and
queens.

Our beautiful yellow Carniolan bees
and queens are not the result of breed-
ing in, but the result of very careful
breeding and selection.

We expect to send out in the season
of 1891 about two thousand of the fin-
est yellow Carniolan queens that can
be reared.

Out of all the queens of this strain

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

147

we have reared this year, two have
been selected for bree("ling queens for
the season of 1891. One will be used
to rear queens from ; the otiier for
drones. On Sept. 6 we had a batch of
twenty-five queens hatched from our
best golden Carniolan queen. Friend
Pratt was on a visit to our apiary a-
bout that time. We won't repeat his
i-eraarks when shown these queens.
They were all large and as yellow as
gold. We shall let Mr. P. have one or
more of these queens. You will hear
from him in 1891. We have an idea
that all queen breeders will be anx-
ious to get one or more fine breed-
ing queens of this new strain. We
can tell you now that these queens
will be sold to no one until they first
agree over their own signature that
they will rear no queens for sale from
them before the year 1894. We once
bought an Italian queen of S. B. Par-
sons of Flushing, L. I., on condition
that we siiould not sell any queens
from her for thi-ee years. That was a
good many years ago, yet we have
not forgotten the fact.

There may be other strains of yel-
low Carniolan bees besides our own
for aught 1 know.

This particular strain of which we
have spoken was proiluced in the Bay
State Apiary, and 1 would like to reap
a fairly good income from them be-
fore the fifty- cent dealers get hold of
them.

A perfect queen-bee.
It has often been said that no yel-
low queen would duplicate herself ev-
ery time in queen progeny. Well, this
is usually the case with the Italians,
but it not so with our best yellow Car-
niolan queen. I have no doubt that
every queen we shall send out next
season will produce a/Z yellow or gold-
en colored queens and bees. At any
rate, I shall establish a yellow Carni-
olan queen-rearing apiary two miles
distant from all other bees, and as the
drones of this strain are nearly as yel-
low as the queens there can be no

trouble about getting handsome queens
and bees.

The working; qualities of the yellow
Carniolans.

" What sort of honey gatherers are
the yellow Carniolan bees?" methinks
1 hear some one say. " A 1 friends."
Call at the Bay State Apiary some
pleasant day and see them work.
There are no better workers. In dis-
position they are perfect. I can sit be-
side the hive an hour at a time and
not a bee will molest me. This cannot
be done with all races of bees.

Well, to make a long story short,
we will say that the "coming bee" has
come and we shall prove it to you in
the year 1891, as tve have the bees.

Prices of these queens will be 50%
higher than Italians.

The Api and one selected 3^ellow
Carniolan queen will be sent for two
dollars. Remit the seveny-five cents
for the Api, and when the queen is
needed the balance (Si. 25) may be
sent. One selected Italian queen and
the Api for one year, $1.50.

Feeding bees.

Sept. 15 feeding in our apiary was
begun. The feeder used was a one-
quart improved Mason fruit jar. Six
quarts of syrup was given each colony.
This will last the bees till about April
1, when feeding to stimulate breeding
will be commenced.

Should any one need these feeders
we can send them all i)repared for use
for tivo dollars per dozen. They must
go by express. These jars may be used
for preserving fruit after the bees are
fed. They are made of glass (not tin)
and will last with care a life-time.

Introducing queen.
I will tell you how I have introduced
a good many queens without the loss
of even one queen. We are now ship-
ping all our queens in Pratt's mailing
cage. These same cages are used for
introducing queens. We merely place
the queen in the cage, and then insert

148

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

the cage at the bottom corner of a
l)rood frame. Of course a small piece
of comb must be cut out to make room
for the cage. If the colony the new-
queen is to be introduced to has a
queen, she is removed and the cage
containing the new queen is at once
inserted. The liive (not entrance) is
then closed and a small amount of to-
tobacco smoke is lilown in among the
bees and combs. This will odorize tlie
entire interior of the hive — bees,
queens and all.

There is more than one advantage
in this method of introducing queens.
When queens are so introduced the
colon}'- never misses their queen ; at
any rate, they never show the loss of a
queen by any of the usual indications.
Another advantage is that all the work
is done at'' one time, and the hive is
probably not without a queen on the
combs over ten hours. The cage is
so arranged that the bees eat out the
food and release the queen in a few
hours.

Although I fumigate the bees with
tobacco smoke, I am not certain that
the fumes of rotten-wood would not do
as well. All that the fumigating is done
for is to give the bees and combs the
same odor. Bees, you know, recognize
each other more by scent than in any
other way. A robber bee, of course,
is not known by any peculiar odor
about its person. The bees easily rec-
ognize a thieving bee by the way it
approaches the hive. While the bees
that have a right to enter a hive at
once pass in, tlie robber bee tries to
sneak in.

■Unfavorable weather for bees.
The prospect for a good crop of
honey from golden rod was never bet-
ter tiian it was tlie present year ; but
the weather was such from Sept. 8 to
Sept. 19, that not one pound of honey
was gathered. After about ten days of
continued rainy weather the sun came
out in all his glory, and the bees com-
menced to work again, and to-da5%
Sept. 19, is one of the finest days we

have had this year. Bees are gathering
honey ; queens are out on the mating
trip, and all is going well in the Bay
State Apiary. We have several hun-
dred queens about ready to mail ;
about seventy-five will goto customers
on the 20 inst., and the balance of our
orders will be filled in about three days
more.

A good reason why one should swear.
Brother A. I. Root is inclined to
lecture those who make use of profan-
ity. I am thinking if he had been
here through the long rainy spell and
had had three hundred queens ready
to mate, and at the same time orders
coming in by the hatful for them, he
might have said some words not fit to
publish here. We felt a good deal
like swearing as the rain poured down
day after day. But never mind, we
don't feel that way now. The bright
sunshine has driven the ''blues" into
the shade.

During those rainy da3's several let-
ters came to hand urging us to hurry
up and ship "my queens," Bless your .
good nature, friends, we have hurried
up and have been hurrying up the past
thirty years and doing all we could
do to fill your orders promptly. All we
want to do is to get your orclers filled
and off our hands, and if we live to
see Sept. 22, not an order for a queen
will remain unfilled of those that are
received prior to Sept. 15.

Please bear in mind when ordering
queens that we do not control tlie
weather. Bad weather is the only
drawback to the prompt shipment of
queens.

Rearing queens from eggs.
I hope most of you read Dr. Tinker's
excellent article as published in the
Sept. Api. We are strongly convinced
that the best methods for rearing
queens or, we should say, starting
queen cells from the egg is the best
and most practical thing for queen
breeders to do. In future we shall
give the eggs to queenless bees twen-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

149

ty-four hours before they slioiild hatch.
This we practised the last two months
of this season. Novv if Mr.Doolittle
will manage to transfer an egg instead
of a larva he will hit the nail squarely
on the head. Why not try it Brother
D.? We do not practise the DooliLtle
method of rearing queens, but what a
wonderful improvement there would
be in the Doolittle methods and also in
queens reai-ed by those methods, if
Mr. D. and his followers will practise
our suggestions. Mr. D. has given us
a fine book on queen-rearing, yet his
methods are as far from perfection as
those given by many other queen
breeders.

An old customer.

Our old friend, J. Huhnan, of Terre
Haute, Indiana, ordered some queens
to-day and sa3's, "■! have bought queens
of you for 20 years." He is correct,
I think we have sent Frientl H. more
or less queens each year for twenty-
five years. 1 hope we shall continue to
do business together for twenty-five
years more. I shall need that num-
ber of more years in order to get rich
at the queen rearing business. It is
pretty hard work, and very small pay
and sooner or later those fellows who
are advertising queens for sale at such
low prices will find that they cannot
be reared at a profit for so small a
sum.

I saw the advertisement in a bee-
paper of a man who is ottering tested
queens at $1.00 each. That man does
not know a pure queen from a hybrid ;
yet some one will be so foolish as to
send him a dollar for one of his test-
ed ( ?) queens.

Italians vs. Carniolan bees.
Mr. S. A. Shuck has an article in
the American Bee Journal giving his
experience with the Carniolan bees
in which I was much interested. Mr.
Shuck hits one J. C. Robinson some
pretty hard raps. The article is well
written and will prove quite interest-

ing to those who have the Carniolan
bees. We are so well pleased with
the good advice Mr. Shuck gave the
readers of the A. B. J. concerning the
Italian bees, that we quote his words
below,

I wish to say to the iuexperienced bee-
keeper, that if he has bees that he knows
wall gather houey when there is honey to
be gathered, the best thing he can do is to
take good care of his bees. If he wants
bees that are gentle — bees that he may
know are, pure, both by their appearance
and actions — just send to any reliable
breeder of Italian bees for a few tested
queens ; and, take my word for it, yon will
not be disappointed.

I wonder if Mr. S. had the fifty-
cent queen dealers in his mind when
he penned the above.

While I am on the subject of Carni-
olan bees, I may as well say something
more about them. I have found them
very good honey gatherers and quite
gentle. These are their best points.

One word about the purity of these
bees. I had one queen in 1889 whose
worker progeny in color were all a
"steel blue." A great many of her
daughters were of a muddy-white col-
or. I selected some of the finest and
lightest queens for breeding queens.
But when the brood hatched from
these queens about half of the workers
were 3'ellow-banded ; in fact it was
very friuch so with the worker bees
from the darkest queens. As the
drones were reared from the same
queen that the daughter came from,
I su[)posed that some of the latter
would give purely marked Carniolan
bees. The worker bees were all yellow-
banded. Out of one hundred queens
reaied, not one gave purely marked
bees equal to those of the mother,
though all the queens were fertilized
two miles from all other bees, and at
the time there were thousands of Car-
niolan drones in the same yard with
the queens. Now please don't waste
your time in trying to prove that all the
young Carniolan queens were mated to
Italian drones. 1 know that not even
one of them was mismated.

150

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

lu my opiniou the Caruiolau bees
are the outcome of some yellow race
and from which the Italian bees origi-
nated. Perhaps Mr. Bentou might give
us some valuable information on this
point. I had an order in the season of
1889 for a few Italian queens mated
to Carniolan drones. When the bees
hatched from the queens so mated they
were all yellow-banded. Why was
this? Why were there not some of
the "steel blue" worker bees in the
lot ? W hen a drone from a black col-
ony has mated an Italian queen, about
half the worker bees will be solid black
and all the young queens will be very
black. It is a fact which I have found
in my experience, that if pure Carni-
olan bees are left to themselves a few
years they will nearly all be yellow
bees, while if the purest Italians are
left to breed and mate as they natur-
ally will, say four years or more, they
will degenerate to solid black bees.
There would, no doubt, be a few bees
in the colonies with a very narrow
yellow band, but a large majority of
the bees would be black.

Will some of our readers who have
given this subject study and serious
thought give the readers of the Api
their ideas on this point ?

You will see by what I have said
what an easy matter it was for me to
originate the race of yellow Cartiiolan
bees. Some one will say -'he bred in
to do it." No, I did not ; we found a
more practical way than that to reach
the desired point.

Age of the different sexes of bees.
The honey bee is a short-lived insect
iu any event. In the honey-gathering
season a worker soon wears itself out,
say iu about six weeks. Yet the bees
born in the months of August and Sep-
tember will live well into the month of
the following May. The drone bee is
abused and ill-treated nearly all his
days. As soon as his services are not
wanted he is unceremoniously pitched
out the hive. Pitched out the hive is
the word to use as they are pitched out

and no mistake about it. The drone's
life is a little over two mouths when
permitted to live it out, yet very few of
them ever reach sixty da3^s of age.

Mr. Doolittle tells the readers of the
Am. Bee Journal that drones will live
over the Avinter. He says :

"Many seem to think that drones never
live over tlie winter, Avhich is the rule
tliougli not always tlie case, for at two dif-
ferent times my hives have been so well
supplied with lioney during the fall and
winter, that the bees did not seem to rea-
lize any need of retrenching, so kept their
drones, which were flying ever_v fine day
during tlie fall and winter, the excess of
honey causing the bees to allow them to
live as long as life held out. It was really
amusing to hear their merry hum from
]nany hives on warm days during February
and IMarch. As the pheasant, days of
April came on, they gradually grew less
and less, until all were gone about the
middle of that mouth."

Mr. Doolittle is certainly mistaken
in this matter. 1 have found it impos-
sible to preserve drones alive even
three monthe. The drones found in
Mr. D's hive in the spring were cer-
tainly reared late in the winter. I have
often found drone-brood, that is, a few
cells in some hives early in March, and
have had drones tlying at the last of
March. The simple fact that Mr. D.
saw drones flying from his hives iu
April is not sufficient proof to con-
vince me that those drones were reared
the fall previous.

The life of the queen bee varies ac-
cording to circumstances and condi-
tions. Queens will live from one to
three 3'ears when kept in such small
hives that their productive powers are
restricted to about one-half of their
egg-producing capacity'. I believe the
practical thing to do is to introduce
3'oung queens as often as eveiy alter-
nate 3"ear. Young queens are tlie ones
that produce the most hone}- and bees.
A mnjorily of old queens l)egin to fail
and lose vigor when in the second year.

Another patent swarm-hiver.
Some one who claims a patent on a
swarm-hiver describes the same in the

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

151

American Bee Journal. It strikes me
that any one with half an eye to busi-
ness can see that this new device will
not work successfully. In the first
place the queen cannot leave the hive
b}' the rei»;ular entrance, as she natur-
allj' would and does do when a swarm
issues. To prevent her from going into
the air with the swarm a piece of ex-
cluding metal is placed at theentrance.
Well, now, the same thing that will
prevent the queen from leaving the
hive also prevents the drones from
passing out. What is the result?
Why, the drones will crowd into the
excluder so that the bees can only get
out with the greatest difficulty. Now
this will not only be the case at swarm-
ing time, but in the middle of every
warm day when the drones take a
flight as they do on each pleasant day
at noon time.

The arrangement of the device is
given below by the inventor.

"It is a combination of two hives, wntii-
out the use of any front ont ranees. Tiiere-
fore the alijiliting-board and bee-entrance
is at the orifice of vacant hive (No. 2)
which is provided with a queen-excluding
screen at the time of swarmiug.

The closing doors are so made as to
come entirely off, and allow the two hives
to come close together, and it will be seen
that the bees must pass entirely through
hive No. 2 in order to reach their home.
At first I regarded tiiis as objectionable,
but I soon found that the delay of the
bees in traveling through hive No. 2 was
more than made up by the warding off of
robbinir bees, and the perfect security of
hive No. 1 from the spring winds and
stormy weather. The colonies with hives
so arranged have done fully better tlnu
any others in the yard. This is a point
wherein experience is better than theory.

At the time of swarming, the queen-ex-
cluding screen is to l)e atljusted, which is
quickly manipulated. It will be seen that
hive No. 2 becomes the swarm- receiver."

I will bet a small sum that not one
swarm in 10.000 that issues will ever
be self-hived by that device. The in-
ventor says lie has hived several first
swarms with the device, but not even
one second or third swarm. Yet the
fellow says "It needs no argument to
show that this device is a success."

Pretty good. It needs no argument
to prove that the device can never
succeed. Any sensible man can see
that. The principle of the whole
thing is wrong. One need not pos-
sess a great amount of ingenuity in
order to invent such a device. When
we were ex|)erimenting with our svvarra-
hiver, all the things Mr. Lacy claims
for this new device were considered.
We saw that a self-hiver could not be
made practical if the drones that would
want to leave the hive every day, and
especially at the time the swarm is-
sued, were not taken care of and got-
ten out of the way.

Our device is not only a self-hiver
but is a drone-and-queen catcher as
well. It is placed at the entrance of
a hive in the spring and need not be
removed till fall. Now how would it
work if no 'provision was made to
catch the drones that want to take
wing each day? Why, the thing would
destroy a colony in a short time ; prob-
ably on the first warm day, as the
drones would clog the entrance to the
hive and no bees could leave or enter
it. This is not so with our swarm-
catcher. Place it on the hive and go
about your business. It needs no
care, and you are not obliged to stay
in the apiary ready to clap it on a hive
when a swarm attempts to issue.

As we sold thousands of the swarm-
ers to the readers of the Api we will
say here that the only trouble with
the swarmer was that the queen could
not in all cases readily find her way to
the empty hive through the end of the
svvarmeron the home hive. This little
difficulty has been remedied, and we
expect in 1891 that not one failure to
hive a swarm will be reported.

Our swarmer will catch an}' swarm
that issues whether it be a first or third
swarm. As soon as we had described
our swarmer in the American Bee
Journal, the man who claims a patent
on the one that will not catch only a
first s war in, put his wits at work and
soon described what he supposed
might be an improvement on our

152

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

patent. Just what that man claims
as a good thing, we rejected as being
impru(;tical. Have we not shown that
it is thoroiighl}' so?

Packing bees for winter.— Double-wall
hives.

We liave always contended that the
best place to winter bees is on the
summer-stands and in double- walled
hives.

At a convention of beekeepers held
at Haldimand, Out., the question of
of "Preparing Bees for Winter" was
discussed. As the experience of sev-
eral beekeepers who were present has
been the same as our own I will quote
them here : —

Mr. Khidree said he wintered his bees
in doubled-wiilled hives on the summer
stands. He first made sure that each col-
ony had a queen and plenty of food;
crowded tlie bees on as few frames as pos-
sible, and put a thick cu.sliion ou top of the
frames.

Mr. Armstrong winters his bees in doub-
le-walled hives and in clamps, with un
abundance of packiiifj on top, and all
around the iiives. He did not like cluvor-
chafi'for packing, as it had a tendency to
heat and make the bees uneasy.

The thick cushion on top of the
frames is a good thing, but the pack-
ing between the walls of the two hives
is all wrong. When we have so packed
the hives the combs near the walls of
the brood-chamber would mould badl}',
while tliose that had only a cushion
over the bees not only wintered the
best, but had no mouid}'^ combs.

Now here is another way of not
wintering bees.

Mr. G. B. Jones advocated taking all
tlie honey from the bees, and then killiug
them, buying new colonies in the spring.
For those who packed iheir bees he rec-
ommended the use of hair-felt. He said
it was very necessary to liav^^ young bees
instead of old ones, as old ones eat more
honey than youn<i ones; and gave two
plans of getting rid of all old bees, the one
lie preferred being to cage the queen dur-
ing the month of August, so that she could
not lay, then releasing her, and all tlie bees
reared after that would be young.

There reader, did you ever read or
hear of anything so foolish as that ?

If every body pi'actised that man's
method, wiiei-e would one find l)ees to
purchase in the spring? Tiie idea of
caging a queen in the montli of Au-
gust to prevent brood-rearing almost
makes me faint. Doesn't that fellow
know that the bees reared in August,
as well as those reared in September
are the bees that live over winter?
Why don't those bee cranks keep quiet
when they go to bee-conventions and
let practical and sensible men do the
talking?

We want the bees that are reared in
the month of August to gather the
golden -rod honey in September and
fill our hives with winter stores.

Large vs. small hives.
A good article from the pen of Mr.
Doolittle concerning the proper size
of hives ma}' be found in a recent is-
sue of the American Bee Jonrnal.
Once was the time I thought the
10-frame L. hive was the proper size.
I am not of that opinion now. I once
sold two colonies of bees in L. hives
that had been pi-epared for winter by
removing three of the brood-frames,
leaving but seven frames well filled
with good stoies for the bees to win-
ter on. It was my intention to replace
the three fiaines in the spring ; but as
the bees were twelve miles away the
matter escaped my mind. Well, the
result was that when I got a report
from those two hives of bees I at once
made up my mind that there would be
no more lO-frame hives used in the
Bay State A|)iary, and to that decision
I have adhered for the past ten years.
Although there were a dozen other col-
onies on 10-frames in the same apiary
as the two colonies purchased of me,
not one of them did as well as the two
colonies on the 8-frames. For several
years we have had in use hives having
not over eight frames, and several
hives with but seven frames. The sev-
en-frame hives do the best, and another
season we shall use but seven frames in
any of our L. hives, and eight frames
in our Bay States hive. The eight

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

153

frames used in the Bay State hive are
about the same capacity as seven L.
frames.

We (k) not believe in a large hive
as the Dadanls do, and think Mr.
Doolittle is right in advocating tlie
small hive.

Foul brood.

Our friend, F. A. Geramell, of Can-
ada, has sent us a cop}' of a pamphlet
on foul brood. If this worst and most
destructive of all diseases among bees
is half as bad and prevalent in Can-
ada as this pamphlet seems to indi-
cate, the Canadian beekeepers must
be having a hard time of it.

I would much rather go into my ap-
iar}' and find all m}' bees dead than
to find one colony infested by foul
brood. Over twenty-five years ago
we went through a seige with this dis-
ease. Fire was the best and chea[)est
remedy we could apply, and he who
employs any other means to eradicate
foul brood from his apiary will cer-
tainly' have diseased colonies on his
hands as long as he has a hive of bees.
Don't attem|)t to cure it. You cannot
do it. Destioy it. Don't hesitate a
moment to destroy the best, or even
all the colonies in the apiary if even
but one cell of foul brood is found in
each hive. I know this is a harsh
remedy, but it is the proper thing to
do.

I believe in enacting the most strin-
gent laws for the extinction of foul
brood. One case of foul brood in the
hands of a careless beekeeper would
be the means in time of destroying all
the apiaries in the country.

Let some inexperienced person open
a hive having foul brood on a warm
day when the bees are not at work. l\\
a few moments the bees from ever^' col-
ony in the apiary woidd be trying to
rob that hive. The result would be
that every colony in the yard would be
infected with foul brood in less than
six months. Take no stock in the
cure of foul brood. No matter who
tells you it can be cured. It will

cost more to cure it than it will
to annihilate it. When you have had
any considerable experience with the
disease, I feel pretty sure you will
come to the same conclusions con-
cerning its cure I have.

"Winter feed.

Some apiarists chiiin that a healtliier
food for bees to wiiittM- upon can be made
from granulated su<jai- tlian honey, which
I very much doubt. It looks like presump-
tion on the part of man to claim superior
wisdom to the Creator who fashioned the
bee and provided its food. It is true that
during very cold winters, when many col-
onies of bees living upon natural stores
died of diarrhoea, tliose that had only syrup
made of granulated sugar remained
healthy. Under some conditions it may
be the best food, but it does not seera
right nor practical to take away tlieir nat-
ural food and substitute an artificial one.

The above is from the pen of Mrs.
Harrison. I wonder if Mrs. H. was
thinking about the "bug juice" bees
sometimes store in the combs, when
she wrote the above.

When man removes this horrid stuff
from the combs and feeds his bees
good, clean and wholesome granulated
sugar, he certainly makes an improve-
ment upon nature. Has Mrs. H. for-
gotten the time, long ago passed,
when nearly all the bees in this
country were destroyed on account of
the ''bug juice" stored in the combs
for winter food ?

I do not believe that granulated sug-
ar is superior to good hone}' to winter
bees upon, and I think a beekeeper
would be in fine business to remove
the good honey from his hive and feed
back sugar for winter stores. I do
not believe any one has ever done that
thing. Most people feed sugar for
winter food for the reason that the
combs are bare of natural stores. That
is why we have been feeding sugar the
past ten days. Most of our colonies
are now in fine condition for winter.
In a few days the brood-chambers will
be placed in the winter cases, the cush-
ions put on the frames and that is all
we shall do to our bees till spring.

154

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Spacing frames in the brood-chamber.

A good deal is now being said iu
Oleaning !m\)oni spacing frames. This
is an old subject and was discussed
in the American Bee Journal (then
the only bee-paper published) nearly
twenty-five years ago. The beekeep-
ers of the present day seem to know
but little about it, and a good many
beekeepers seem to think that the only
bee-paper in the land is Gleaidnga.
"Where ignorance is bliss, etc." All
right, friends ; if yon think that Bro.
Root publishes all there is about bees
and beekeeping, just stick to his
teachings. No one man knows it all
— that is, all about bees. Now post
yourselves up about spacing frames.
Fifteen years hence there will be a new
set of beekeepers in the field, and they,
too, will want to know all about spac-
ing frames. Ernest Root then can
refer them to the back numbers of
Gleanings.

If 3'ou really desire to introduce a
nuisance into your apiaries, just use
any of the devices for spacing frames
now being recommended by those peo-
ple, who, it seems to me, have had no
experience iu such things. These same
things, now advised and described,
were used thirty years ago, and nearly
all who used them cursed the day they
applied them to their hives.

I need not tell you why they are a
nuisance. If any reader desires to
test the matter for himself, all I have
to say is, go ahead and use them.

Queen-rearing.
In a private letter to the editor of
the American Bee Journal^ Rev. L.
Johnson says :

I have jnst finished reading Mr. G. M.
Doolittle's book on "Scientific Queen-Eear-
ing," and must truly say it far exceeds
anytliiiig on the subject I have ever read.
His discoveries are certainly remarkalile,
and cannot fail to be of great value to the
beekeepers of America. God bless him
for Avhat he has done for us iu the little
in this little book. I thought Mr. Alley
had exhausted the subject in his "Bee-
Keepers' Haudy-Book," but Mr. Doolittle

has opened to us a new field of which I
never dreamed. I almost held my breath
iu amazement as I read Chapter XIII.

If our friend Johnson will take the
trouble to read Dr. G. L. Tinker's lit-
tle book, as well as the Dr.'s writings
that have appeared in "the Apt, and
our ^'■Thirty Years Among the Bees,"
he will find that Mr. Doolittle's meth-
od for rearing queens is very much
behind the times. There are newer,
better and more practical ways for
rearing queens than Mr. D. advises or
practices.

Gleanings in bee-culture.

Have you seen a late copy of the
above publication? Brother Root has
put his favorite publication in a new
dress and the improvement over the old
style of small type is very marked. I
believe the paper has also been en-
larged. Brother Root publishes so
much matter in Gleanings that does
not relate to bee culture that he found
it necessary to add several pages to his
paper.

We lately received a splendid book
from Bro. Root on ''Strawberry Cul-
ture." We can recommend this work
to all who raise little or much of this
most delicious and wholesome fruit.
Price of book, by mail, is 50 cents.
If you would like a copy we will have
it mailed to your address and the Api
one year for $1.10.

We have a small patch of seedling
strawljerries iu our garden. My son
planted a few seed some four years
ago from the Sharpless strawberry.
From about nine plants two only were
selected. These two plants produce
very large, nicely-shaped berries. We
had several pickings from these vines
some two weeks after all others had
failed. As the berries ripen so much
later than other varieties it is a very
desirable plant. By and by we may
have a few of these plants for sale.

Bro. Thos. Q. Newman's visit to A. I. Hoot-

The editor of the American Bee
Journal has been on a visit to the ed-
itor of Gleanings. We would be glad

^

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

155

to have all the editors of the bee-pa-
pers visit the Bay State Apiary. YA-
itors, like lawyers, quarrel sometimes,
but they do not despise or hate each
other. I hope the day is not far dis-
tant when Bro. Newman, at any rate,
can get as far as Wenham. We have
met him in New York and Philadelphia
and would go that distance again to
spend a few hours in his company.
Bros. Root and Jones we never had
the pleasure of meeting. We may
meet face to face by and by.

Mr. Ernest Root has been up in
York state to see Mr. Doolittle. We
hope Bro. D. gave Ernest as cordial
a greeting as he did the writer, at the
Candee house in Syracuse, N.Y., some
ten years ago. We shall never forget
our visit to the above city — no, never.

Bees and poultry.

Bro. D. A. Jones publishes a good
bee-paper, also a good poultry-paper.
The latter is the best paper of the kind
that comes to our office, and we get a
good many such papers during the
year. This mixing of poultry and bees
or, in fact, anything else with bees I
do not like. Bro. Jones did a good
thing when he decided to publish two
distinct papers.

Exhibiting bees and honey at fairs.

A few weeks ago Mr. E. L. Pratt
requested me to send some sample
copies of the Api to W. A. Green,
Providence, R. 1., to distribute at the
Rhode Island state fair. The papers
were sent and I also took a notion to
run down one day to see how the bee-
keepers of that little state did things
in the display of bees at their fair.
Well, I must say that I was surprised
at what 1 saw before I had passed in-
to the room where the bees and honey
were on exhibition. There were bees
in one frame (observatory) hives, and
full colonies in hives having glass on
all four sides, and not only that, the
sections were on the hives, and many
of them were full of honey and bees.
The hives were made for the occasion

and all were very handsomely and
so nicely arranged that the visitors
could see the bees, combs and honey
and get a good idea of how bees
"make" honey.

One large room was filled, yes
crammed full of bees and honey, both
in comb and extracted ; honey in large
frames, honey in small sections and
extracted honey in all sorts of fancy
glass jars and bottles.

Among the exhibitors who deserve
special mention is Dr. G. M. Marchant
of Warren, R. I. The Doctor was
awarded the first premium for the
largest and best display of extracted
honey. 1 understood that Dr. Mar-
chant is only a novice in bee culture.
Whether a novice or an old vet., his
display was very fine and would do an
old beekeeper credit.

Robert Nevins took first premium
for best general display of comb hon-
ey and apiarian fixtures.

The R. I. Apicultural Experimental
Station, Samuel Cushmau, apiarist, had
a large exhibit of hives, honeys and
bee furniture generally ; in fact, one
large room was filled with hives of all
patterns except the Bay State. Many
of the hives shown there were fit for
nothing but chicken coops, or for
kindling a fire. Several of the hives
were so large that they woidd proba-
bly let readily for tenements to small
families. A person intending to start
an apiary of 100 colonies in such hives
would have to order lumber by the
carload. I would not give one of
Root's dovetail hives, one of which I
saw there, or one of our Bay State
hives for all the others on exhibi-
tion. Just why the R. I. Apicultural
Experimental Station want such a
large number of old anti-deluvian
packing boxes in their way rather
puzzles me.

Mr. W. A. Green, of Providence,
had a colony of Carniolan bees on ex-
hibition that he purchased at the Bay
State apiary in the spring of 1890.
The bees had increased to two colo-
nies and had stored 125 pounds of

156

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

honey. The colony is a fine one, and
though not strictly pure Carniolan
bees, they are quite handsome. The
color is rather more of a light gray
than steel blue. Mr. Green says the
only fault with the Carniolan bees is
their propensity to swarm so much.

The]-e was another thing in the bee
exhibit that certainly was a novelty.
Mr. Cushman had on exhibition a large
swarm of bees clustered on a branch
of a tree, as in natural swarming. The
bees were in a large screen-wire cage,
and until late in the day were as quiet
as though they had just issued from a
hive and had settled there. Of course
in order to make a success of this, a
queen bee was caged and the cage fas-
tened to the branch, and the bees clus-
tered about it, completely hiding the
queen and cage from view. The whole
thing was ingeniously arranged and
did the exhibitor great credit.

Arthur C. Miller, of Barrington, R.
I., had a fine display of bees, honey,
hives, etc. Mr. Miller is the inventor
of a comb-fastening machine. Should
say it is a good and practical imple-
ment for the apiary. We also saw a
sun wax-extractor, constructed by Mr.
Miller. This also struck us as a prac-
tical thing.

Alley's drone-and-queen trap was
there. We all know this is a good
thing. No less than three exhibitors
had "the traps with their exhibits.

A. M.Cole, East Providence, had a
good display of hives, honey and a
general assortment of bee fixtures.
And last, though not the least, was
an exhibit by Brother E. L. Pratt, of
Marlboro, Mass. "Our new nucleus
system " was represented, as well as a
lot of other useful things used in Bro.
P.'s apiary. Mrs. Mary E. Ralph,
Hope, R. I., captured first prize for
beeswax, while A. C. Oluey was award-
ed second prize for comb honey.

The bee-keepers of the state of
Rhode Island seem to have done their
best to make the exhibition of bees
and honey a success. That they were

successful one need only visit the fair
to be convinced of the fact.

I was glad to meet so many of my
beekeeping friends who were present,
and the greeting given us was so cor-
dial that we shall not soon forget our
visit to the Rhode Island state fair.

If the beekeepers of the country
generally would make such an effort
to show their honey, bees, etc., as
the beekeepers of Rhode Island have,
honey would sell more readily and at
much better prices. Advertise at the
fairs ; make people acquainted with
bees and honey, and the many house-
hold and medicinal uses of this whole-
some and delicious sweet.

^picultiirist illail'boir.

Bees did well; nice bees.

Jeioeit, Ohio.
Mk. Allky: Please send me another
queen. Botli tlie queens you .sent me in
1889 have done well and proved tine. 'They
are the nicest bees I have.

David Lucas.

"Worth many times their cost.

Scnles 3Ionud, III.

Brother Alley: — Find $1 50 for Api

and queen. The queens y<>u have sent me

the last two years are all 0. K. and worth

many times their cost. J. W. Wilcox.

He likes our queens.

Oran, N. Y.

Mh. Alley.— Send me eight queens,

four from your imported mother. I like

your queens better than those bousiht of

other dealers. Wm. H. Balch.

Four queens paid for aU.

Bicknell, Ind.
Mr. Alley :— I bought eighteen queens
of you and lost all but fonr. But the four
queens made up my loss to a gi'eat extent,
as their bees were all I could desire or
expect. H. F. Winters.

Handsome bees.

Thortidal'', Texas.
Mr. Alley :— Find $1.50 for which mail
me another queen. The bees are hatch-
ing from the first one you sent me and
they are the handsomest bees I have.
O. J. E. Urban.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

157

#ue0tlon0 anlr replies.

Hearing queens.

Otioell, IiuL, Sept. 10, 1890.

Mr. Alley: — The two queens ordered
came to lumd in good condition and are
satisfactory in everj' respect. I liave Ijeen
trying my hand at rearing queens this sea-
son, but not witli very great success. I
have reared several fine queens, but liave
trouble to get the cells started; live cells
were the most I could get from one lot of
bees, and one lot of bet-s flatly refused to
start any cells, so I flually gave them a ma-
ture cell which hatched and the queen is
pure and proves to be a good one.

I used your system as given in the
Handy Book and Api, using eggs and also
larvae just hatched in both old and new
comb, but it made no difference in the re-
sult.

Another thing that puzzles me is that
the pure Italians seem no better natured
with me than the blacks, and the hybrids
of which I have several stocks seem no
more irritable than the others. If you can
give me some advice, either by letter or in
the Api by which I may succeed in getting
cells started, you will oblige me very much.

J. E. HOSTETTEU.

I hardly know how I can say more
about queen-rearing and starting queen
cells than I have said in my book and
in these columns.

When you try queen-rearing again, you
better proceed thus : Let the bees that
are to start the cells remain queenless
from eight o'clock in the morning till
six o'clock at night, then give them
eggs that are forty-eight hours old, and
those that are in as new comb as you
have. But never use comb that one
batch of young bees have not been reared
in. When the bees are about all in the
queen-rearing hive, place a caged fertile
queen at the entrance, and let her re-
main there till nine o'clock the next
morning.

If you follow these directions I do not
see how you can fail to get all the cells
you need. I never have the least troub-
le in getting all the cells started that
one good colony should start. Once in
a great while, a batch of bees will not
start quite as many cells as they ought,
but usually there is little or no trouble
about it. If the bees you use for queen

rearing have been idle for several
weeks, you will find that they will be
better prepared for cell building and
start cells more readily and a larger num-
ber, if you feed the colony liberally sev-
eral days before they are put to work
cell building. Try that, my friend, and
you will be well pleased with the result.

This question is out of order.

Lynchhurg, Pa.
Queens received O. K. Please say if
these queens are mated.

Yes, sir, the queens are mated. And
here let me say that we do not send out
queens till they have been laying a week,
at least.

I rather think our friend found the
queens were all right in one or two days
after they were introduced, as we have
heard no complaint to the contrary.

A few days ago, a customer ordered
several queens and said he did not want
ohl queens such as some dealers send
out. Where do you suppose we can get
I200 old queens to mail our patrons,
when we keep less than loo colonies of
bees in our apiary ? When we have old
queens for sale, we get ^5 each for them.

One more queer case. " I don't want
the wings of the queens you send me
clipped." All right, my friend, you can-
not get such queens here. Though we
have been requested to clip the wings of
queens, we have never done so, in any
case. We are not one of thos6 fellows
who have an idea that clippling queens'
wings is practical.

Still another. "1 don't want any
queens that hatch out the cells before
the thirteenth day from the appearance
of the larvae," writes another customer.
A good idea, my friend. I think you
must have read the Api with considera-
ble care. You are a beekeeper that will
succeed. You know what you want and
just where to apply for it, too. Queens
started from eggs will not hatch in less
than sixteen days from the time the egg
was laid. Some dealers hatch them out
in nine and ten days. Those fellows
can afford to sell for fifty cents each, or
to give such queens away, but no bee-
keeper can afford to introduce them in
his apiary.

158 THE AMERICAN APIGULTUBIST.

Thirty Years Among the Bees.

BY HENRY ALLEY, WENHAM, MASS.

EIGHTY PAGES. BOUND IN PAPER, BY" MAIL, .50 CENTS.

This work gives the author's TinuTY years' experience with bees, and, also, a full
description of the Ijest and latest methods for rearini^' queens in full colonies, while a
fertile queen still has possession of the combs. A practical method for rearing queens
above a queen-excluder and by queenless colonies is also given.

Three ihousand copies of The Bkekeepeks' Handy Book, giving our methods
for rearihir queens were sold. The work has been I'evvritten and is now entitled
"Thirty Years among the Bees."

Every part of the business of rearing queens is minutely described, and in such a
clear and practical way that even the novice can make queen-rearing a success.

THE BEEKEEPERS' DIRECTORY.

This is another work that should be in every beekeeper's library. It gives you all
the PRACiiCAL PART of BEEKEEPING. Mr. Doolittle gives his method of "preparing
BEES eor the harvest;" Dr. G. L. Tinker, "how io vvinter bees." In fact, the
DiRECiORY contains all the practical information that one need possess in order to
make beekeeping a success.

Price by mail, cloih, 75 cents; paper bound, 50 cents. The above books, paper
bound, will be sent by mail for $1.

Address,

HENRY A.LLEY.

THE OARNIOLANS.

Lancaster, Sept. 13, 1890.
Mr. E. L. Pratt, Pratt Bee Farm :

Dear 5iV(— Tlie two Ciivniolan Queens you sent me were both safely introduced and are now filling
the combs with brood . They are tlie two largest queens in mv yard I I am reall v proud of them.
I extend my thanks for sending me sucli line queens and especially for the prompt shipping.

Respecttully,

Joseph Eibel.

Tiie above is a fair sample of the hundreds of unsolicited testimonials showing the
value of the queens reared in our yards the past season.

We have a book giving our new system of Nuclei Management, which we send by
mail for 10 cents.

We also have two little books : one on Queen-Rearing, the other on Honey Producing,
at 5 cents each, by mail.

Send for circular giving full descriptions of a beautiful Golden Carniolan Queen and
a wonderful Italian Queen, also Pure Non stinging Carniolan Queens and Bees. We are
the most extensive breeders of this wonderful race. Over 300 hives devoted to queen-
rearing.

BEE HIVES.
All kinds of Bee Hives, Honey boxes. Comb Foundation and Beekeepers' Implements
furnished promptly at lowest prices. Send for free price list.

PRATT BEE FARM, MARLBORO, MASS.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Alley's Drone-and-Queen Trap.

SIXTY THOUSAND IN USE.

Prevents swarms from decamping and destroys
all uf^eless drones.

R. L. Tavlor of Lapeer, Midi., President of tlie
International American IJeekeepers' Association
has tliis to say of tlie trap :

'*T/ie (Irone-antf-qiieen trap I find an in-
disjiensiible coHVc/tii<-t)ce. I s/iould feel like
a, duck on dry land ivithont it. It saves tne
ZiABOR and prevents ANXIETY."

PRICES.

One trap, by mail, $0.65

Six, 111 flat (one made seven in all) 2.00

Twelve '■ ' thirteen " '■ S-.'JU

APICULTURIST one year and sample trap, 1.10
Address,

HENRY ALLEY.

Wenham, Mass.

IMPORTED QUEENS.

In May aiulJune, each, . . . . $2 00
In July and August, each, . . . . 1 SO
In September and October, each . .140

Money nuist be sent ni advance. No guarantee
on shipments by mail. Queens sent by express
(8 at least), which die in transit, will be replaced
if j-eturned in a letter.

CHAS. BIANCONCINI, Bologna, Italy.

THE CANADIAN

EDITED BY D. A. JONES.

75 cts. per Year.

Pflttltry Joirflal

EDITED BY W. C. G. PETER.

75 cts. per Year.

Henry Alley.

These are published separately, alternate
weeks, and are editeil by live practical men, and
contributed to by the best writers. Botli .Jour-
nals are interesting, and are alike valuable to the
exiiert aiHl amateur. Sample copies free. Both
Journals one year to one addre.-is $1.

Until June 1st we will send either Journal on
trial trij) for 6 luos. for 25 cts.

THE D. A. JONES CO., Ld.,

GLOBE BEE- VEIL

By Mail for $1.00.

A center rivet holds 5 spring-steel
, cross-bars like a globe to support the
boblnetVeil. These button to a neat
.« brass neck-banrt, holdingitflrmly.
It Is easily put together; no trouble
to put on, or take off. An absolute
a, protection against any insect that
"^ flies. Will go over any ordinary
sized hat; can be worn in bed with-
out discomfort; fits any head; does not obstruct the
vision ; folds compacily, and can be carried in the
pocket; in short, it Is invaluable to any one whom
flies bother, mosquitos bite, or bees sting

Eor sale at the othce of the Aimculturist.

Ij

23n(l Annual Price List ;f,u"£';ri:»n';fK°

Queens and Nuclei Colonies (a specialty): also
Supplies— will be sent to all who send tiieir names
and addresses. H. H. i5HOVVN,

Light Street, Columbia Co., Pa.

5-9-90 Mention the American ApicuLturist.

The Beekeeper's Directory.

A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classified list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays and hints regarding the
successful management of the apiary. It is "com-
piled by Henry Alley, Wenham, Mass." It con-
tains 140 pages, one-half of which are devoted to
names and adilresses of beekeepers, and the
other half to the practical hints mentioned above,
including Mr. Alley's " method for rearing queens
in full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Bee Journal.

Bee Conventions.

The next convention of the York and
Cumbeiland Beekeepers' Association will
be held at Goodwin's Mills, Me., Oct. 18,
1890. A cordial invitation is extended to
ail persons interested to be present.

Waterboro\ Me., Sept. 20, 1890.

The International American Bee Asso-
ciation will meet in Keokuk, la., Oct. 29,
30, 31. Copies of tlie program and hotel
rates can be obtained by addressing the
Secretary, C. P. Dadaxt.

Hamiltun, HI., Sept. 19, 1890.

How to remit.

All remittances to us should be
made payable to the order of Henry
Alley. Please bear this in mind.

THE AMERICAN AFICULTURIST.

PKICES OF SUPr>LIE:S

— AT THE —

BAY STATE APIARY,

3See-£Ilves.

We offer only the Bay State hive for sale.

One hive in the flat, $ 3.00

Six hives ' 15.00

Twelve" •• " " 27.00

All parts of the Hive are included in the above,
frames, fcectioiis and all but paint and nails.
l^ections.
One-piece sections per 1,000 $4.-50
" ■• 500 2..50

" " " " 100 .60

Laiigsti'otli Frames.
Material for (hangiug) frames for Standard L.

Hive per 100 $3.00

The frames we use me so constructed that the
bees will not build comb between or over them
at the top, nor fasten the sectiou case and frames
together, as is the case when the common top
bar is used.

Nailing: Bloelc for Frames.
No oue can do good work at nailing frames
without a proper board to nail them on. We can
send oue, by express, that will do the work nicely

price, 50

Comb Foundation.
We can suiiply the best brands at manufactur-
ers' prices, and ship direct to our customers frf)m
the nearest factory. We also keep a quantity in
Stock to till small orders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood frames 55 cts. per lb.

1 " '• " •' sections (30 " " "

We keep in slock but one dimension of brood-
foundaiion 17i .x 7 inches. This is large enough
for any L. frame and is just right for the Bay
State frame.

Ferforatecl Zinc.
This we can supply in any quantities, shipped

with other goods, per foot 12 cts.

If sent by mad, add 10 cents per foot fur postage.
Honey Extractoi's.
The E. T. Lewis & Co. Kxtractor,
No. 22. 28 inclies in diameter, 25 inches
high,2-frame for any size up to
11^ X li); room for 25 lbs., honey
below reel, and the best extractor

ever made for $10. 00

We sell this size only as it is the most conven-
ient to use of any found in use. This extractor is
adapted to any flame in use.

Honey ICnives.

Root's knife, by express, 70

" " by mail, 75

Bee Veils.

The veil has a rubber band which draws the top
together; it is then placed over any hat and
drawn until the elastic is over the hat band.

Common net, by mail, 35

Smokers.

Bingham & Hetherington's only.

Bymail, $1.75; by express, $1.50

Queens and. Fvill Colonies.
(Jueens.

Prices,

Untested queens, each $1.00

Selected " '" 1.25

Tested " " 1.50

Extra breeding qneens, the best we have,
each, 3.00

Our untested queens are sent out before any of
their brood hatches. 95 per cent will prove to be
purely mated. Safe arrival and purity guaranteed
in all cases.

Carniolan queens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bees cauuot be ex-
celled.

Full Colonies.

We consider eight frames well filled with brood
and covered with bees a full colony. Prices of
such in B. S. hive, including one set of sections,
$12.00. Purchasers to pay express charges. Safe
arrival guariinteed.

Fourth E:dition of the

Beekeeiiers' Handy Book, or Thirty Years
among the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Queen-rearing Appax'atus.

Beekeepers who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by any other, should have the
apparatus here described. The Swakmbox and
QUEEN-NUR.SEUY are articles tliat no person who
rears queen.; ought to dispense with.

By using the swai-m-box a large colony of bees
can be confined a long time or transported safely
hundreds of miles. It is a very useful aiticle
about the apiary at all times during the season.

Sent only by express, price, $1.25.

When a colony swarms and it is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are at
hand, the Queen-nursery in such cases will be
louncl invaluable; the cells can be jjlaced in them
and they need no further care for a week or more.
Virgin or fei tile queens can be kept in tlie nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have sold a large
number of queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are also used in rearing |
queens, a full description of which can be found
III our woik upon queen-rearing.

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.60

Swarm-box 1.25

Fertilizing-hive (complete) 50

Fumigator for using tobacco 25 .30

Cone-feeder 15 .20

To make the lot complete, we put in each
liackage one drone-and-queen-trap, one copy of
Thirty Years among the Bees, and send all
by express for $1.50

Ail these articles can be packed in the swarm-
box and sent safely by express or freight.

ISrooms for Brushing Bees
fx'om Comhs.

We find a small " corn-broom" best for this
purpose as it does not injure or irritate the bees,
and will do the work better and quicker than
anything else used for the purpose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 " byexiiress 20

HOW TO REMIT MONEY".

Remit by registered letters, cashier's check or
express orders. If sent by money orders or
(lostal notes, have them made ))ayable at the
Salem, Mass.. P. O. .Make all remittances pay-
al)le to the order of the American Aficultu-
rist.

Address,

HENRY ALLEY,

Wenham, Essex Co., Mass.

Tr2E * ^siiQE^ie;^!] * :3Pi6niiTn^iST.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

.WENHAM, MASS., NOVEMBER 1,1890.

NO. II.

Entered, at I*ost-otH.ce as second-class matter.

(5;i)e (Jrbitor'0 JDepartmcnt.

Read this and then Subscribe forthe Amer-
ioaa Apiculturist.

Desiring to increase the subscription
list of the Amkkican Apiculturist,
we make the following unusual liberal
offer : We will mail the above paper
from Nov. 1, 1890, to Jan. 1, 1.S92,
and to each subscriber will be mailed
one copy of our new book, on queen-
rearing^ '■'•Thirty Years Among the
Bees" also a copy of the Beekeepers'
Directory, all for the small sum of
$1.25. Here are 350 pages of solid,
practical facts concerning bee culture,
at a cost per page of less than ^ of a
cent.

The two books contain all the infor-
mation on beekeeping any one need
possess from purchasing the first col-
ony of bees to producing honey by
tons and rearing queens by the tliou-
sands. Every part of bee culture is
treated in a practical and thorough
rnanner by one Avho has had thirt}'
years experience in beekeeping.

The Apiculturist has been issued
monthly the past eight 3'ears and is
considered by competent and experi-
enced beekeepers as one of the most
practical publications devoted to bee
culture.

Apiciiltural Points.

Rev. L. L. Langstroth is improv-
ius: in health.

A. I. Root has purchased two car-
loads of honey from L. E. Mercer &
Sou of Ventura, Cal. As Mercer &
Son pnrchase a good many queens of
us, we understand how it is that they
have honey to sell by the carload.

Honey is getting scarce. We are
not sure that this is not a good year
to hold fine honey for a fancy price.
Honey is retailing at from 25 to 30
cents per pound in Boston.

We saw some California honey in
one-pound sections that was of an ex-
ceedingly poor quality. The dealer
would sell that for 19 cents per pound
by the case.

Forty delegates to Beekeepers' Congress
stricken with fever.

Berlin, Srpt. 21, 1800.

Fort}' (lelf'g.'ites of the l)e('keepprs' con-
gress, now beina,- held at KuUIa, have been
stricken wilh typhoid lever, and four of
tliem are nlready dead.

The doctors allege that the disease is to
be traced to their eating canned American
lobsters.

(159)

160

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Correspondence.

The color of Italian queens.
Mrs. G. U. Baker.

It seems then, to an amateur, that
while a bright, golden yellow color is
substantial proof that a queen is a
pure bred Italian, like those from the
Bay State Apiary, yet she may be
equally pure, even though she shades
off into a dark color as you approach
the rear of Ihe abdomen. At least, that
is what we infer from reading the ar-
ticle in GlecDiings, here referred to ;
because it is not for a moment sup-
posable that the manager of that jour-
nal would allow a hybrid, or anything
else other than purely bred and proper-
ly mated queens, to go from his apiary
as pure Italian. Is this inference
right? Is it only the bright yellow
specimens that are pure, and if so,
why are their sisters from cells cut
from the same frame, same hive, same
queen's eg<:s, and grown in same nur-
sery hatching at same time, not all
equally bright? Are they not equally
pure? If not, in wiiat respect do they
flitier — other than color — and what is
the cause of it? We profess to breed
only pure Italians and to that end,
have never allowed a queen in the api-
ary that did not come direct from the
Bay State Apiary, or reared by us
and fertilized by drones from a queen
got from there the same season, tlnis
avoiding in breeding, and 3'et while
we raise many just as handsome and
large and perfect in every lot in a
nursery we will find now and then
one that shades off darker at the end,
sometimes most black. Now, I don't
believe there is a colony of black bees
within fifty miles — there are no black
drones for the queens to meet. Why
then this difference in color of the
young queens ? We get but few shaded
ones and those we kill as soon as
hatched. If the dark shaded ones
aren't Italians, what are they? We
shall certainly be thankful if you or
anyone can explain this. At any rate

our experience don't seem to be ex-
ceptional. We raise three times as
many queens as we use. yet never have
sold any or tried to sell ; butdoitsoas
to have plenty to select from for our
own use, and sometimes it is difficult
to make the selection. It seems too
bad to kill some of them.

In looking over our files of bee lit-
erature we are struck with the amount
of work which should be done at "'sun-
down " and just before. And now
you state virgin queens should only
be introduced then. We have never
had any trouble in doing it at any
time of the day; in fact, if the bees
are working smart and honey plenty,
prefer the middle of the day. It would
lake a modern Joshua to hold the sun
up long enough to do a fraction of the
work laid down for about sundown.
Evidently from your recapitulation
your tune is toleral)ly well occupied.
Does it all have to be done " about
sundown ?" " Call and see us" is
goo<l. Could'nt you take in a little
civil engineering, or piece up a crazy
quilt, or teacli a kindergarten class?
The father of all mischief could'nt
abide in your ''Neck 'o timber."
Natick, Mass.

Mrs. Baker is getting rather funny.
We like it, and must say that we al-
ways enjoy a good, practical joke and
a funny thrust when aimed at the ed-
itor. Don't be afraid that we shall
get mad even if you hit us quite hard
— provided you are only joking.

Now to business. Mrs. B. does
not seem to understand that the Ital-
ians are not a fixed race of bees. She
seems to think that the true Italians
should produce all yellow queens and
bees. It is not olten that a yellow
Italian queen can be found that will
duplicate herself every time in the
color of her daughters. Queens that
will do it are the exception and not
the rule.

A queen that produces the most
beautiful worker bees will not produce
all beautiful golden queens.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

161

If Mrs. Baker would piircliaso one
imported queen and rear queens from
her eggs, she woukl have a good many
dark queens to kill; all of them, in
fact. Yet, we have found that even
the darkest queens reared from an im-
ported mother prochice, when mated
to yellow drones, handsomely marked
worker bees.

We call queens pure, regardless of
their color, when their worker progeny
are all uniformly marked, that is, when
all the worker bees show what are
called three yellow bands. A pure
Italian queen is not judged by her
color, but b}^ her worker progeny.

We have in the Bay State a[)iary
two queens : one is a light straw color ;
the other is a dark leather color.
The bees from both queens are exceed-
ingly handsome. But those from the
darkest queen are a good deal hand-
somer than those from the golden
colored queen. While one queen was
mated to a yellow drone, or a drone
that came from what we call a pure
mother, the other queen probably
mated to a queen from some other col-
on}^, or, perhaps, both queens may
have mated drones from the same
mother.

We must say one word about the
" sundown" business. Yes, ma'am,
we say do certain work at sundown.
If we have not stated the reasons
therefor, please listen while I do so
and for your special benefit as I am
sure all other readers of the ApI un-
derstand them.

We use tobacco smoke to introduce
virgin queens. When a colony has
been fumigated with tobacco smoke
(excei)t while bees are gathering
honey) they are not in condition to
defend themselves against robber
bees. Now for that reason we intro-
duced virgin qeeens just before dark.
Before morning the bees recover from
the effects of the smoke and all dan-
ger of the colony being robbed is
averted.

We introduce queens at all limes
in the day as Mrs. B. does, but we do

not use tobacco smoke in tlie middle
of the day for that pui'pose by any
means.

Then again, Mrs. B , we do a good
deal of other work between sunrise-
and sunset, and put off introducing
queens till the last thing, and we find
it much less work to do it at night
than we do in the middle of the day,
and will say that it i-equires no more
time to do it at sundown than it does
at any other time. Have I made the
''sundown" work clear? — Ed. J

A Visit to the Bay State apiary and'
queen-rearing yards.

By E. L. Pratt.

I spent two clays and a night recently
under the hospitable roof of Mr. Henry
Alley, editor of the Api, and manager of
one of the largest queen-rearing, yards
in the country. I cannot begin, to ex-
press myself on the pleasure the occa-
sion afforded. Suffice it to say that Mr.
Alley is a gentleman ; Mrs. Alley and
all the family circle are very pleasant
people to meet, and one feels at home
on crossing the threshold of the " Old
Alley Homestead."

We spent several hours talking about
bees from every conceivable point of
view, but mainly queens and queen-
rearing, as two breeders will.

Mr. Alley has originated a new strain
of bees, which he calls ''The Yellow
Carniolan." They were brought about
by a treak of nature and constant se-
lecting. They are very beautiful and
as clever as flies. This fall has shown
their gathering qualities to be as good
as the best. The queens are large and
very prolific, a great many of them be-
ing monstrous. Mr. Ahey believes that
yellow is the color of pure Carniolans.
I do not ; yet I do not understand why
they answer so quickly to the "yellow
call" when the greatest of care in breed-
ing will not keep them from showing a
spot or two of that color.

Next year will be a Yellow Carniolan
year at both the Bay State yard and the

162

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Pratt Bee Farm, and I doubt if we can
both supply the demand for this beauti-
ful new strain of bees. The breeding
queens are decidedly golden in color,
very large and strong.

After spending several hours looking
over the yard we retired again to Mr.
Alley's " sanctum sanctorum " for an-
other long talk. The one-hundred-
dollar queen seems to be in good health
and doing excellent work.

A seven-frame hive will be used in the
Bay State yard after this date.

The Pratt Perfection shipping and
introducing cage has the preference
with Mr. Alley now.

The swarmer is going to be a success
after a little remodelling to force the
queen to pass above as with the trap.

Mr. Alley's ideas are changing some-
what on the number of bees required to
construct queen cells.

He will hereafter tier up for the
nursery cages, placing them alternately
with brood in an upper story above a
zinc excluder.

I do not wonder that Mr. Alley is
proud of his bees, they are of such
beautiful color, so well behaved and
such excellent workers.

We looked over several imported Ital-
ian stocks and found the queens gener-
ally dark, but the bees are well-marked
and the queen progeny show a decided-
ly bright hue.

There were about 275 little fertilizing
hives in the yard and over forty large
colonies. The care of them all, besides
considerable outside work, including all
the work on the Api, is on the shoulders
of Mr. Alley.

The tobacco smoker, so much
"kicked" about by those who do not un-
derstand its use, is an indispensable im-
plement in both Mr. Alley's yard and
-our own.

The masses do not half appreciate
the value of the Trap, or drone-and-
queen "Flight Contioller," as it should
have been called.

Come to get two large queen-rearing
yards in Essex county, our friends can
have a chance to see queen-rearing on

a stupendous scale. We look forward
with enthusiasm to our removal near
the Bay State yards. Who dares say
that we cannot sell upwards of 3000
queens from our two yards another sea-
son?

Beverly, Mass.

Notes from Florida.
Bv John Crayceaft.

Friend Alley : Tliiough the agency
of "John Wannamaker," I have re-
ceived a coi)y of the Api. I am pleased
with its contents and more especially
with "Notes and Comments" and
where friend "Root" is asked to tell
where progressive beekeeping would
have been if not for "wasted time and
brains" to obtain patents on "worth-
less" appliances in beekeeping fix-
tures. His (Root's) reniaiks must
have made "dear old father Langs-
troth" feel very sad to think that he
had wasted his time and l)rains to ob- |
lain "just nothing at all."

"Wasted time and brains" will con-
tinue as long as there are brains and
time to make something better adapt-
ed to the uses of man ; even though per-
fection may api)ear to be complete.
Such is not the case ; tliere is no stop
either forward or backward. New in-
ventions call for more new inventions.
Progressive beekeeping calls for some
mateiial as a base for con)l) founda-
tion ; to make the manufacturer
speedy ; the material stronger ; the
handling, shipping and safety from
damage inoie secure. Will some man-
ufacturer that has the "time" to try
the paper now in use by "dairymen"
to wrap butter and said to be odor-
less, air and waterproof and cheap ;
who will volunteer the "time and
brains" to obtain this necessity ? Ne-
cessity is said to be the "mother of
invention." Sooner or later some ma-
terial will 1)6 brought forth that will
solve the problem.

Beekeeping and honey production

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

163

is a very fine business. We are prepar-
ing to make honey production a spe-
cialty. We have tliirty-eight colonies
to start with tiiis year. Shall work
for increase, although we have our
hives so arranged that vve can double
up for honey, or divide for increase
with very little trouble. We use a small
hive and work frames very close for the
brood. Hives have loose bottoms and
we can add as many stories as wanted.
We got an average of one hundred
pounds fine honey per colony last year
from twenty colonies and nearly
doubled them with very little atten-
tion as we resided twenty miles from
them. Now vve are with them having
made this our residence.
St. irancis, Fla.

Notes and Comments.

Bv Hksry' Alley.

It soon will be time to make plans
for the season of 1891. No doubt
many are thinking of making a change
in hives, or, at least, in trying some
new pattern. For several years we
have used more or less hives having
closed end frames similar in principle
to the Qiiinl)y closed-end frame;
though our frames are made of much
lighter material than the original Quin-
by frame. Mr, Ernest Root had an
idea that hives having closed-end
frames must possess some good points,
provided such frames could be handled
as rapidly and without killing bees,
as the hanging frame.

When on his visit to the l)eekeep-
ers of New York State, Mr. Rout
made a pretty thorough investigation
of the matter and returned home well
satisfied that the closed-end -brood
frame is superior to the hanging frame.
Belovv we give his opinion and expe-
rience in his own words.

"Well, after leaving Mr. Tuniclitf,
Mr. El wood and I started en route for
one of his out-apiaries, and were dis-
cussing fixed distances and the rapid-

ity with which they could be handled,
as compared with the common sus-
pended or hanging frames. Said I, 'If
lixed frames can be handled as rapidly,
and at the same time without killing
bees as the hanging-frame, they will be
the frame of the futui-e.' Mr. Elwood
did not boast very much what he could
do — in fact, he did not make any very
great claims to the system, etc., which
he was using. Sometime ago, in an
article he said he could handle the
clos(Hl-end Quinby as rapidly as he
could the hanging-frame. I well re-
member at the time I did not doubt
his veracity, but I did somewhat ques-
tion his knowledge as to the manipu-
lation of the suspended frame. I told
him, as vve approached one of the api-
aries, that one'of tire privileges that
I had long desired was to see him, or
some other beekeeper using the Quin-
by Iraine, handle them as rapidly as
the hanging frame, and not kill the
bees.

Mr. Elwood and I secured the lunch-
basket ; and after hunting around for
a good log to sit on, we [)artook of a
hearty lunch ; which, being dis[)atched,
we put on our veils and proceetled to
the yard. I had expected to see large
Quinby hives ; but, to my surprise,
the broodnestor brood chambers were
no larger, on the average, in cubic ca-
pacity, than are those in our eight-
frame dovetailed hives. I had sup-
posed that the York State beekeep-
ers, like the Dadants, advocated and
used large brood-chambers. So far as
I was able to discover, however — in
the [)roduction of comb honey at least
— they practise contraction, and use
brood-chambers no larger in capacity
than an ordinary eight-frame Lang-
stn^th hive. The frame being two
inches shorter than the original Quin-
by, six of these frames would be about
equivalent to eight of the Langstroth,
I should s:iy, without figuring. I was
surprised to learn that all, or nearly
all, of the bee-men of York Slate who
have adopted the Quinl)y closed-end
frame, like Mr. Elwood and Capt.

164

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Helheiington, use it two indies short-
er, and it is no doubt a l)etter frauie
for the reduction in leiiiitii.

After ligiitinji: tlie smoker, Mr. El-
wood and I entered the yard, and he
proceeded to open a hive while I was
lookin<>" on with eager expectancy.
The entrances were on tiie under side
of the hive. Blowing a little smoke
under to drive away tlie guai-ds, he
lifted olf a case of sections. I ex-
pected to see those frames come apart
with a snap, and an onslaugiit of bees.
Thei-e was uo snaj) or onslaugiit. He
picked lip and handled tlie frames as
japidly as you or 1 can handle sus-
pended frames ; and I am not sure but
he manipulates them more ra[)idly.

Mr. Elwood then examined contin-
uously twenty-five or thirty other col-
onies ; and when I came to think of
the time he had spent in doing it, of
the queens we had seen, of the brood
surface we examined, I vvas simply as-
tounded. I feel pretty sure I could
not have examined the same amount
of brood surface in the hanging-frame
in so short a space of time. Did he
kill any liees? Not one that I saw.
Did the frames stick together? Scarce-
ly at all ; and yet the bees were hy-
brids. Here was a large yard of, say,
over a hundred colonies. 1 do not
reraeml)er to have asked how long it
would take him to examine each one;
but at the rate he ham lied tliose before
me he would have gone through the
whole apiary in four or five houi's, and
hunted all the queens besides. He
did not move very rapidly; on the
contrary, his tnovements were delib-
erate, but tlie}'^ counted.

I am well aware that this is a heavy
testimonial for the closed-end frames
on the Quinby plan ; but I deem it
but just to give it, because I know the
beekeei)ers of the west, and those who
have been using the hanging-frames,
have somehow got the idea into their
heads that the closed-end frames were
sim[)ly intolerable, and that the bee-
keepers who were using them were
either very much behind the times, or

so stubborn as not to be open to con-
viction that there might be something
better. Indeed, when we consider the
fact that nine-tenths of the beekeepers
of that section of New York where I
visited are using fixed frames, and are
intelligent and progressive men ; and
when we consider the other fact, that
they make l)ees paji^ we must admit
that their system is not so clumsy and
awkward, after all. Cnpt. Hethering-
ton. years ago, used hanging- frames
faithfully, and finally discarded them
for the closed-end Quinby. Capt.
Hetherington, with his three or four
thousand colonies, Mr. Elwood, with
his 1.300, and a great many others,
owning from 300 to 400 colonies in
this part of New York, use only fixed
frames, some Quinby and some HoflT-
man.

No burr-eombs.
While ]Mr. Elw<^od was examining
the hives 1 was pleased to note that
there were no burr-combs on the tops
of the frames. No, I do not believe
I saw a single small si^ur. When I
came to inquire into the matter, I
found he used top-bars fully an inch
wide and five eighths of an inch thick
— perhaps in some cases one-half
inch thick \\\i\\ fixed distances. I em-
])hasize this purposely', because I be-
lieve that this is one of the secrets.
I could not discover that any of the
beekeepers who had used fixed dis-
tances with top bars five-eiuiilhs of an
inch thick and an inch wide, in that
section of country, had used honey-
boards. No, a honey-board was a
thing that none of them had ever tried.
With no burr-combs, what need had
they of thein? Now, if I am able to
judge correctly, with fixed distances
we can have thinner top-bars ; but
with hanging-frames and no arrange-
ment for automatic spacing, in order
to do away with burr-coinbs there must
be thicker top-bars. I examined into
this matter very carefully all through
this trij) ; and since my return home
I feel confirmed in what J have said
above in regard to the presence or ab-

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

165

sence of burr-combs, their cause and
prevention.

I am well aware that I have given
some flatterino- testimonials for the
Qiiinby s\-stem. I am not sure, liovv-
ever, tiiat beekeepers generally would
not like the oi)en or moval)le sides.
The hive looked a little top heavy also,
and a good many beekee|)ers incline
toward the shapely appearance of a
tiling as well as its practical utility
with the two combined."

The Bay State Hive.

Tliere, friends, I told 3'ou these same
things a good many years ago, and not
only pointedout to you tlie advantages
of tlie closed end frame hive, but of-
fered for sale one of the best hives
now in use.

Now tiiat this subject is opened up
anew, I have no doubt that thousands
of l)eekeepers will adopt the closed-
end frames.

We need not mention again the fact
that tiie Bay State iiive has a closed-
end frame, nor need I mention all its
good points. As we have added many
new readers to our list the past year,
we will, for their benefit, give a brief
description of the Bay Stale Hive.

Fig. 1 represents the bottom-board,
l)roo(l-chami)er and one section-case
from wliicli the side-boards have been

Fig. 1.

removed, tluis exposing the interior
of the brood-nest and the four outside
sections C C C C in the case. Tlie
frames are held in place by two iron
rods D D, which pass through tiie
end of the side-boards of the brood-
chamber, thus clamping the frames
solidly together when the thumb nuts

are set up. When necessary to move
a colony of bees in one of the Bay
Slate hives there are no frames to nail
nor can the frames get out of place in
any event. The section case is com-
posed of six bi oad-frames ; each hold-
ing four one-pound sections, or twenty-
four sections to the case. A wood sep-
arator is used between each two frames
or five to eacii eight sections. Like
the brood-nest, the six broad-frames
of the section case are held together
by an iron rod which runs through the
centre of the case, as shown in the il-
lustration. All the twenty-four sec-
tions may be put on or removed from
the hive in a body, and if desirable,
the rotl can be removed and any one
of tl>e broad-frames taken out singly.
The case is also reversible whicii is an
important feature in any hive. I know
of no way by which the sections can be
tilled with lioney without popdioles,
and fastened so nicely on all sides the
section as by reversing at the proper
time. Now this can be done so quickly
and quietly with this section-case that
there is little or no disturbance to the
bees. There is just a bee-space (three-
sixteenths of an inch) between the
section-case and the top-bar of the
brood-frames ; and the bees build no
brace-combs between nor between the
top bars of the frames. Another point
which can be claimed for no other
hive is the fact that the queen has
never been known to enter and deposit
eggs in any section cases used on the
Bay State Jlioe, and no queeu-exclnder
is used. Can the same be said of any
other hive? The section-cases can l)e
tiered as high as is practical as the
passage ways are continuous. We
have tiered them successfully as high
as four cases, at one time. When a
case of sections is added, the one put
on first is reversed and the new case
placed directly on the frames, thus
bringing the empty sections the near-
est to the brood-nest. There is no
hive in use whereby the sections can
be placed so near tlie brood as can be
done in the Bay State Hive. The ex-

166

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

perieiiced beekeeper will appreciate
this last mentioned advantage.

As a winter-hive tiie Bay State has
no equal ; and as a hive to bring bees
to the swai'niing point early in the sea-
son (and this means i)r()fit to tlie bee-
keeper, as no colony of bees is ready
for business that is not in a condition
to swarm so far as point of number
is concerned), the Bay State stands
first aniong the hundreds of dilTerent
styles of hives now in use.

Fig. 2, in which is represented the
Swarm-hiver and two Bay State hives,
shows the hive ready for winter with
the winter case on. Thei'e is a space
of nearl}' two inches between the win-
ter case and the brood-chamber. Tiiis
space in the fall may be filled with
chaff, or other heat-retaining material.
We never pack this hive as l>ees winter
perfectly without any packing what-
ever. Just as tiie bees commence to
carry pollen in, in the spring, is the
proper time, in our opinion, to pack a
colony to secure the best results. A
heavy duck mat and a cushion six inch-

Fig. 2,

es thick, filled with chaff, or hay cut to
length of about two inches, is all the
winter-packing a colony needs to be
wintered well in the Bay State Hive.
This hive weighs, all complete, but
thirty-five pounds. Anyone can lift
them, bees, stores and all, with ease.

We claim for the Bay State Hive
all the desirable features that can be
combined in one hive.

Prices : one hive, nailed and com-
plete, which includes every part, S3. 00.
In the flat per half dozen, $il5.00.

As we desire to place them in the
hands of a large number of beekeep-

ers the coming winter, the hives will
be sold at the following extremely low
figures :

One hive complete, $2.75

By the half dozen in flat (shipped
direct from the factory at Jamestown,
New York), $12.50

This will include one hive, nailed,
as it would be impossible for anyone
who had never seen one of the B.S.
hives to nail them up properly with-
out a model to work by.

These hives are sawed so accurately
that anyone can put them up even if
the only tool he possesses is a ham-
mer.

The lumber used is of the very best.
No cheap work or lumber is our motto.
We ha\ e sold thousands of these hives
and all have given good satisfaction.
The Bay State hive has been in use six
seasons.

Packing Hives for "Winter.

In a recent issue of Gleanings, A.
I. Root says: ''I do not believe that
any hive will become popular that is
made with the intention of removing
the j)acking or winter covering in sum-
mer time."

Why use any packing at all in win-
ter in double- wall hives? I claim that
doul)le-wall hives will winter bees
much better without packing of any
material.

Do you appreciate what an easy
thing it is to test the matter? Just
place from twenty- five to fifty colo-
nies of bees on summer-stnnds in
double-wall hives. Let each alternate
hive be packed between the outer and
inner walls with chaff or any other
material. I will bet ten to one that
the colonies not packed will winter
the best, build up the quickest in the
s|)ring and do the best in every way.
Try it, ye advocates of packing hives
for winter. As this is the season for
preparing hives for M'inter, why not
test the matter at once.

The Benton Mailing Cage.
"As the essential leatures of 1h
cage we have been using for the p ae

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

167

season were borrowed iVoin the above,
we have decided to credit friend Ben-
ton S50.00 for what the l)ene(it his ex-
periments have been to us." A. I.
Root in Gleanings.

Mr. Benton is deserving all the
credit and cash given liini b\^ Mr.
Root for the shii)inng cage which is de-
scribed in a late issue of Gleanings.

But, friend Root, how is it tliat you,
in your beneficence, do not remember
the fellow who invented, or first pre-
pared the proper food for the mailing
cages? To him belongs the credit of
malviug it [possible to send bees and
queens long distances by mail. Of
what eartiily use would the Benton
cage be witiiout tiie i)ulverized or pow-
dered sugar and honey food?

The Benton cage without this food
would be about as worthless as a
Langstroth hive without hames.

The person (who can name him?)
who first prepared the new food for
queen cages, is as much of a benefac-
tor to beekeepers as is Mr. Langs-
troth who gave us the movable-comb
hive.

Mr. 1. R. Good first mixed granu-
lated sugar and honey, but that was a
poor food for shipping cages, and not
as good as a sponge and honey. I found
that the bees would use the honey,
and leave the dry grains of sugar to
rattle about the Ciige, which would
catch in the screen wire used for ven-
tilating the cages, thus stopping out
all air and killing the bees in some
cases ; where powdered or pulverized
sugar and honey are used, tlie bees
consume nil, and none is left to rattle
in the cage.

Is this a new idea ?

Of all the devi(;es that have been
suggested to retard or restrict brood-
rearing after the honey season is over,
it seems to nie that the following
method is the most practical and ef-
fectual.

When Brother E. L. Pratt was last
here we discussed this point at some
length. In the first place both had

had the same experience in one line.
When the honey season was over, our
hives were full of honey ; but before
the fall harvest the combs were al-
most eutirel}' bare of stores.

Then there is another thing in this
connection that is peculiar, to say the
least. Those colonies that had but a
small amount of stores at the end of
the honey harvest were in as good
condition at the first of September as
those that had j^lenty of stores early in
the season. Well, now we have come
to the conclusion that at the end of the
honey flow another season, we shall
remove neLirly all the honey fiom the
brood combs, and thus compel the
bees to make their own living from
day to day. In my opinion there will
at all times be sufficient honey in the
combs to take the bees through a week
or more of dull weather.

It strikes me that this plan for re-
tarding brood-rearing and also in
economizing the consumption of stores
will be successful. If necessary to
feed back in the fall, the honey will
be on hand for the purpose. This, it
seems to me, will be better and
cheaper than to i)urchase and feed su-
gar to winter the bees on.

An old friend visits the Bay State Apiary.
Rambler — you all have heard about
this mysterious fellow. He is the
funu}' man whose articles are published
in about every issue of Gleanings.
His ramblings have mostly been out-
side New lilnglaud. However, a few
weeks ago he got over the line into
New P^ngland and roved about this
part of the conntiy considerably. It
took Rambler some fifteen or twenty
minutes to look the big stale of Rhode
Island over, and, before he was aware
of it he hail slipped out of that little po-
tato patch and found himself in Mas-
sachusetts. Once in old Mass., he
soon found his way to the Bay State
Apiarv. Well, as it was about dinner
time Mr. Rambler was invited in. We
had no sooner got well under way, when
some one says ''there's a man in the

168

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

yard." Sure onougli, there was a man.
It was Bro. E. L. Pratt, and we in-
vited liini in to dinner and introduced
liim to Mr. Rambler. "How do you
do, Mr. Rambler ?" says Bro P. By
and by Bi-o. P. cang;ht on and saw the
joke. Well, we settled the dinner and
then we settled some other things.

By and by Mr. Rambler brought
out a little black liox and said lie
wanted to take a few views of some
things he saw in the B. S. Ai)iary.
As we were [nitting n[) the last ship-
ment of queens Rambler thought that
a good subject to show up. Of course
I liad to take a prominent part in that
little act and so I prepared for the oc-
casion, which was no small job. How-
ever, the necessary preparations were
soon made. Mr. Rambler pointed the
"bull's eye" of that little black box
towards us — click ; "all right," said R.,
"I've got it." Well, that was done
about as quick as lightning.

When brother Rambler gets ready
we will give the readers of the Api
the result of that little click.

Rainltler spent about four hours with
us. We enjoyed his visit very much.
Though we had to talk about as rap-
idly as some women when they meet,
I guess we went pretty- much over the
whole ground.

About ourselves.

Well, friends, if you really desire
to know all al)Out us, you can get all
the information by sending for the
American Bpb Journal of Oct. 11,
page 6S1. It is all pretty good and
coi'rect, except on one point. Oin-
complexion and our eyes are not dark ;
that is, if we know ourselves when
we view our phiz in a glass. Our
skin is quite light, and our eyes of a
light blue color. Brother Pratt must
have been here on a dark day.

By the way, reader, when you send
for a co[)y of the American Bee Jour-
nal, why not, at the same time, enclose
ten cents aud get the Illustrated Home
Journal three months? We receive
this publication each month, and find

its columns filled with choice and in-
teresting reading.

Rhode Island apiculturist station.

We have received the advance
sheets of the Apiarian's report of the
R. I. Apicultural Expei-imental sta-
tion. The report contains the result of
wintering bees in a cellar as well as
winteringon the summer stand. Spring
feediug to stimulate brood rearing was
another expei-imeut that Mr. Cushman
tested to some extent.

Concerning dr}' sugar feeding, Mr.
Cushman says :

It is well suited to the manage-
ment of out apiaries, where l)ut occa-
sional visits are ma le, and in ail cases,
though possibly in a dry country not
so effective as syrup feeding, saves
tlie trouble of making syi'up and the
time requii'ed in its dtiily distrilnition,
while the danger of the disastrous re-
sults of occasionally omitting the daily
ration is avoided. Instead of dry su-
gar, moist sugar like good grades of
molasses and C sugar are best, but the
former should Hist be well drained.
This, placed in a feeder where the heat
and moisture are confined, is slowly
licked up or li(}ui[led by the bees. The
rapidity with which this is done de-
pends upon the heat and moisture in
the hive. By placing an enamelled
cloth, enamelled side down, over the
frames in place of the porous cover-
ing, the loss of moisture, so desirable
in freezing weather, may l)e lessened ;
while by removing the warm cushions
or quilts from part of its surface, con-
densation rf moisture takes i)lace upon
the enamelled surface beneath and fur-
nishes water to promote more rapid
work. The sugar may be placed in
an ordinary- syrup feeder or wrapped
in cheese cloth and laid over the
frames, but the arrangement we pre-
fer and use here is similar to Mr.
Simmins' pattern and consists of a
hollow dummy, having the same length
and depth as the brood frame, and a
similar top bar and a movable side
that does not reach the top bar by \

THE AMERICAN APICULTURJST.

169

inch. This is filled b}' removino- the
side, while the space at the top allows
the bees access and but little esca[)e
of heat. If the inside space is more
than an inch wide, comb will be built
therein. 'J'iiis mode of feeding is not
only 8uital)le for spring stimulation
but is invaluable in a poor season to
l)revent starvation, for queen rearing,
for building ni) luiclei and working for
increase or drawing out foundation,
as well as for i)romoting brood rear-
ing after removing what is in some lo-
calities the only honey crop of the
season. By using soft can(iy of best
granulated sugar it ma^' be made to
piece out scanty stoi'es in the fall.

When in the production of comb
hone^y, duniinies are needed to lill
space in brood chamber of new swarms
the_y may be made from these unused
feeders by nailing on the movable sides
so as to exclude the bees.

A practical ex[)eriraent in the use
of artificial heat to promote brood
rearing, has been successfully con-
ducted, the details of which will be
given at a later date, when additional
residts shall have been siiined.

O. R. Coe of Windham, N. Y., is
intending to send a carload of be 'S
to the Alfalfa regions, hoping theieby
to put them in a locality where l)e?s
will not have to contend with the
spring troubles of our eastern cli-
mate. The idea is a good one, but
must be expensive.

If I\Ir. Coe is successful with this
experiment, no doubt many other
large beekeepers will do the same
thino- another season.

I believe we never received so many
orders for queens so late in the season
as were sent us this year. ISome over
two hundred orders were received af-
ter Sept. 25. We regretted very
much that we could not fill all that
came in. The long, wet spell of
weather, from Sept. 8 to Sept. 19, was
the cause of spoiling a good many
queens.

Just before the dull weather set in,
we had introduced a large number of
virgin queens and nearl}^ all should
have been fertilized the next week.
When clear weather came the queens
were too old to become fertile.

Five-banded bees.

It looks to me as if the gun we dis-
charged at those five-banded bee fel-
lows, not only wounded, but killed
one of them. A Mr. Ilearn wrote the
editc r of the Review as follows :

Will you please allow me space
to reply to Mr. Henry Alley in the
"Ahkrican ApicuLTUiasr" for Sept. 1.
On page 138 he says, "We can shovv
handsomer yellow Carniolan worker
bees than any of those western fel-
lows can of the five-banded Italians,
and what is more, the color of our
Carniolan bees is not produced by
in-breeding as is the case with the
five-banded Italians."

I think that it is but fair that our
side of the case should be heard.
There has been a grea,t deal of stuff
in the bee journals in the last twelve
months by parties who are pretend-
ing to be opposed to the four and five-
banded golden Italian bees. Even
some of our prominent editors said
such bees did not exist, but after we
sent a sample of the four and five
banded workers to them, they gave
it up like men, so we are certain that
some of our bee friends "talk too
fast."

We can't imagine how Mr. Alley
conhl know how handsome bees we
have, or that we pi-actise in-breeding.
I know that in-breeding is not prac-
tised with me more than is necessary
to keep in view four distinct charac-
teristics, viz. : honey gathering, pro-
lificness, gentleness, and color. How
I have succeeded in these respects,
hundreds of teslinionials are on file
to show.

P^ditor Hutchinson added the fol-
lowing footnote to the above :

"At the Exposition we showed the

170

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Hearn stiaiu of Italians, and se-
cured first premium on them. At
the Mich. State Fair, these bees to-
gether with those shown by Mr.
Timpe, were left out in the cold en-
tirely, the jnd>;e claiming that they
had too many yellow hands. He said
that one characteristic of the Italian
bee is three yellow bands — to have
more than this would bar them out
just as soon as to have less. We
shall not ex|)ress our opinion here,
but should be glad to hear from
others, particulai-ly from Prof Cook.
Can an Italian bee have more th;iu
three yellovr I)ands? If so, ought it
to count against it when com[)eting
at fairs?"

Mr. Hearn says he cannot imagine
how we know as to his manner of
breeding queens. I will tell him.
We know that there is but one way
to produce those five-banded bees and
that is by inl)reeding. Our expe-
rience and ol)servations in queen-
rearing the past thirty years has taught
us all we know as to how very yellow
bees are |)roduced. Does not Mr. Hearn
acknowledge the fact of the manner
he produces the color when he says
he practises in-breeding to produce
four points, and color is one of those
fine points?

Mr. Hearn proposes that we both
send Prof. Cook a queen and a pound
of bees and let him decide which do
the best. Just as though that would
settle anything ! How foolish to pro-
pose such a way of settling an impor-
tant question like this. I am willing
for my thousands of customers to de-
cide the matter.

The judges at the Mich. State Fair
did just right in leaving out five-
banded bees ; that is, if they were en-
tered as pure Italians. Who ever saw
a five-banded vvoiker bee from an im-
ported queen. Mr. Hearn in breed-
ing out the true color of the Italians,
also breeds out the honey-gathering
qualities as well. 1 do not l)elieve
Mr. Hearn can show a testimonial
from any one he has sold his five-

banded bees to that says his bees are
good lioney-gatherers. Trot 'em out,
Brother H.

I will tell you what I knovv about
your five-banded bees, brother Hearn.
A prominent beekeeper who purchased
queens of you said that your bees
are as handsome as any in the world,
but so far as gathering honey, he had
just as lief have so many flies.

While vve are discussing handsome
queens and bees, let me call vour at-
tention to the testimonials below from
Mr. Thralls on this page.

Why, brother Hearn, at the Rhode
Island State Fair, there were some
ten or twelve large and small colonies
of Italian bees. The colony that did
the best that year and which were
the handsomest bees, had a queen
which was reared in the Bay State
Apiary. Don't put up the $100
friend H. I know you wotdd lose it.
How ba<l I shoidd feel when reach-
ing out my hand, to scoop it in.

^pkulturlst IllaU-Bo^.

"Would not take $10 loi" his queen.

B'acksville, W. Va.
Mil. Alley: I enclose an order for four
queens if yon have tliein on hand. They
are for parlies wlio insist upon my gettiii'^
tliein from you. Do you want to know
why tliey want them from your apiary?-
I will tell you. I had a colony of bees on
exhibition ;it a fair that wei'e reared from
a queen you sent nm .June 20, 18'.)0. They
are the most l)pautiful bees our people
ever saw. The queen I would not sell for
$10. I showed her to a man who has kept
bees for thirty years. " Why," said he,
"she is superb, I never saw such a queen
bee in all my life." I tell you. friend Al-
ley, this is the expression of every one
who saw that queen.

Samuel Thr.u:.ls.

The admiration of all, it seems. We
will not brag of the number of testi-
monials we have of this kind. Just
watch tlie Api and they will appear
sooner or later.

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

171

They know how to improve their time.

Stratford, Out., Canada.
I")eauSik:- 1 was very much pleaspcl
with llie queen you sent me hist June.
Her workers are very beautiful and vvliat
is Ijetter still they know how to improve
their time.

G. W. Panton.

"Who were the dealers?

'Melvalp, Maryland.
Henry Alley: Herewith find $1.50 for
your valnal)le paper and a dau<ihter of
your .$100.00 queen. Please send me a
frood queen as 1 have bought queens of
three otlier dealers and in each case the
queens were worthless.

O. Pahkkk Baker.

The Self-hivers a grand success.
Maileawan, N. Y.
Mr. Am.ey: — Your magazine you sent
me was handed to one of our best l)eekecp-
ers. He was nuich pleased with it. He
sent and jrot some of your Self hivers.
They are a grand success.

H. W. Avis.

€^ucrw Department.

Queen-rearing.

"The queen business is rather new to
me. I have never attempted to fathom
its mysteries, preferring to trust to others
to rear them for me until I get posted
on other things.

Would not bother you at this season
if I could make out when to expect
queens to hatch from the egg. You
say on page 221, queens will emerge in
sixteen days from eggs ; again, on pnge
250 (observatory hive), you say in four
days cells will be sealed, eight days more
they hatch, making twelve days. Now
what can I depend on after removing a
queen from a full colony ?"

Eggs, if let alone in the hive, will
hatch between the third and fourth day
after being deposited in the cells. Now,
when eggs are removed from the hive,
the maturing process is more or less
retarded, so we allow some twelve hours
for that, and call it four days. When
the eggs are placed in a queenless col-
ony the bees will not, in all cases, im-

mediately commence to feed the larva
for a queen, and here is still a litde more
loss of time. For this reason we give
the following time from the day the egg
is laid to the hatched queen : One hun-
dred hours, or four and one-fourth days
before the cell is started ; two hundred
hours, or about four days more, the cells
will be sealed ; and in just eight days
from the moment the cells are sealed
the queens will emerge ; that is, pro-
vided the cells were reared in a strong
colony and kept at a proper tempera-
ture all the time.

Now the best way for you to know
when to look for the first queen or
queens, is to know when the cells are
sealed, and reckon just eight days from
that time. You need not expect nor
look, for a queen sooner, if the cells
were started from eggs.

Our Premium List.

In addition to premiums offered
subscribers on another page we make
the following :

To any one who will send us three
new subscribers beside their own, we
will mail free one queen every w^ay
equal to the one described on page 1 70,
by Mr. Samuel Thralls. 'I'he queen
will be sent between June 15 and Jidy
15.

Any one who Avill send one new
subscriber with their own (two in all)
will receive one of our droue-and-
queen-controUers free, by mail.

To any subscriber w^ho will send two
new subscribers with their ow^n we will
mail a copy of Thirty Y^ears among
THE Bees tree.

If you desire to get one of our Bay
State hives complete, send us twelve
subscribers. The hive will be deliv-
ered to the express here.

For five subscribers we will mail
free one Bingham and Hetherington's
2^ inch smoker ; or for one new sub-
scriber with your own, we will mail
one of our fumigators such as we use
for introducing queens.

172 THE AMERICxiN APICULTURIST.

Thirty Years Among the Bees.

BY HENKY ALLEY, WENHAM, MASS.

EIGHTY PAGES. BOUND IN PAPER, BY" MAIL, 50 CENTS.

This work gives ttie author's thihty yeAhs' experience witli bees, and, also, a full
descripliou of the best and latest methods for reaiin,i>' queens iu full colonies, while a
fertile queeu still has possession ol'tlie coinbs. A pracLical nieihod for rearing queens
above a queen-excluder and by queenless colonies is also given.

Threk thousand copies of TiiK Bkekkepeks' Handy Book, giving our methods
for rearing queens were sold. Tlie work has been rewritten and is now entitled
"Thiuty Yeahs among the Bees."

Every part of the business of leiiring queens is minutely described, and in such a
clear and practical way that even the novice can make queeu- rearing a success.

THE BEEKEEPERS' DIRECTORY.

This is another work that should be in every beekeeper's library. It gives you all
the practical pakt of ijeekeeping. Mr. Dooiittle gives his method of "phepaiung
bees for the harvest;" Dr. G. L. Tinker, "how ro winter bees." In fact, the
directory contains all the practical information that one need possess in order to
make beekeeping a success.

Price by mail, cloih, 75 cents; paper bound, 50 cents. The above books, paper
bound, will be sent by mail for $1.

Address,

HENTKY ^LLEY.

Lancaster, Sept. 13. 1890.
Mr. E. L. Pratt, Pratt Bee Farm:

Dear Sir:— The. two Cavniolan Queens you sent me were both s.ifel.v intiorluced and are now filling
the combs with brood. They are tlie two largest queens in mv yard I I am really proud of them.
I extend my Ihauks for sending me such line queens and espeoially for the prompt shipping.

UespectUilly,

Joseph Eibel.

The above is a fair sample of the hundreds of unsolicited testimonials showing the
value of the queens rearid in our yards the past season.

We have a book giving our new system of Nuclei Management, which we send by
mail for 10 cents.

We also have two little books : one on Queen-Rearing, the other on Honey Producing,
at 5 cents each, by mail.

Send for circular giving full descriptions of a beautiful Golden Carniolan Queen and
a wonderful Italian Queen, also Pure Non-stinging Carniolan Queens and Bees. We are
the most extensive breeders of this wonderful race. Over 300 hives devoted to queen-
rearing.

BEE HI'VES-

AU kinds of Bee Hives, Honey boxes, Comb Foundation and Beekeepers' Implements
furnished promptly at lowest prices. Send for free price list.

PRATT BEE FARM, BEVERLY, MASS.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Alley's Drone-and-Queen Trap.

SIXTY THOUSAND IN USE.

Prevents swiirms IVom decamping aiul destroys
all useless drones.

R. L. Tavlor ol' Lapeer, Midi., President of the
Intei'national American I5eekeeper»' Association
has tills to say of the trap :

*'Tlie dvortp-fnitl-qiieeit trap I find n}i. in-
dlspensahle eon I'eiiifncf. I n/ionld feel Uho
a dtirU on. <lfij l<i nd ivithout it. It staves me
LABOIt and prevents ANXIETY."

PRICES.

One trap, by mail, $0.(;5

Six, ill flat (one made seven in all) 2.110

Twelve '• '• " " thirteen '" '• a .oO

APICULTURIST one year and sample trap, 1.10
Addre.ss,

HENRY ALLEY.

Wenham^ Mass.

IMPORTED QUEENS.

In May and June, each, . . . . $2 00
In July and Aiignsi, eai'h, . . . . 1 SO
In September and October, each . . 1 40

Money must be sent in advance. No guarantee
on shipments by mail Queens sent by express
(8 at least), wiiich die in transit, will be replaced
if returned in a letter.

CHAS. BIANXONCINt, Bologna, Italy.

THE CA]SrAE)IA.]Sr

GLOBE BEE- VEIL

By Mail for $1.00.

.^ A center rivet holds 5 spring-steel
I , cross-bars like a globe to support the
bobinetVeil. These button to a neat
brass neck-band, holding it tirraly.

It is easily puttogother; notrouble
to put on, or take off. An absolute
protection against any insect that
flies. Will go over any ordinary
sized hat; can be worn in bed with-
out di'^com fort; fits any head; does not obstruct the
vision; folds compactly, and can be carried in the
pocket: in short, it is invaluable to any one whom
flies bother, mosqultos bite, or bees sting

For sale at the oflice of tlie Ai'ICUltukist.

22n(lAiii]nal Price List °|;/i5?."'^"' ''^''''^

My fljuii niuiiiai line jjibu .i„(i H.dy Land liees,
Queens and Nuclei Colonies (a specialty): also
Supplies— will be sent to all who send their names
and addresses. H. II. ISROWN,

Light Street, Columbia Co., Pa.

5-9-90 Mention the American Apiculturitit.

The Beekeeper's Directory.

A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeejiers' Directory," and contains a
classified list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays ami hints regarding the
successful management of the apiary. It is '•com-
piled by Henry j\lley, Weuham, Mass." It con-
tains UO pages, one-half of which are devoted to
names and addresses of beekeepers, and the
other half to the practical hints mentioned above,
including Mr, Alley's " method for rearing queens
in full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of the combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Bee Journal.

Bee Jonril Poultry Jomal

EDITED BY O. A. JONES.

75 cts. per Year.

EDITED BY W. C. G. PETER.

75 cts. per Year.

These are published separately, alternate
weeks, and are editeil by live practical men, and
contributed to liy the best writers. Both Jour-
nals are interesting, and are alike valuidile to the
expert and amateur. Sample copies free. Both
Journals one year to one address $1.

Until June \xt we will send either Journal on
trial trip for 6 mos. for 25 cts.

THE D. A. JONES CO., Ld.,

I3EBT03Sr, OJSTT.

WINTEE, PRICES

FOR SUPPLIES OF ALL KINDS AT THE

BAY STATE APIARY

are twenty per cent lower than
dnring the busy season.

HENRY ALLEY.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

PRICES OF SUPPLIES

— AT THE —

BAY STATB APIARY,

IDee-Hives.

We offer only tlie B;iy State hive for sale.

One hive in the flat S 8.00

Six hives" '• " 15.00

Twelve ' " 27.00

All parts of the Hive are incliifleil in tlie above,
frames, tections and all liut i)aintan(i nails.
Sections.
One-piece sections per 1,000 $+..^0
" •• 500 2.50

" " " " ]00 .60

Laiigstrotli Frames.
Material lor (hanging) frames for Standard L.

Hive per 100 $:5.00

The flames we use ai-e so constructed that ihe
bees will not build comb between or over tliem
at the top. nor fasten tlie section case and frames
together, as is tiie ca.'^e when the comuion top
bai is useil.

IVailingr liloclc for Frames.
No one can do good work at nailing frames
■without a )'ro])er board to nail them on. AVecan
send one, l>y express, tliat will do ihe work nicely

price, 50

Comli Foundation.
We can supply the best brands at manufactur-
ers' i)i-ices, and ship diiect to our customers frdni
the neaiest factory. We also keep a quantity in
stock to till smallorders.

1 to 10 lbs., for brood (rames 55 cts. per lb.

1 •' '■ " " sections ()0 " " "

We keep in stock but one dimension of brood-
foundaiion 17i x 7 inches. This is laige enouirh
for any L. I'rauie and is just riglit for the IJay
State frame.

I»erfoi'atecl Zinc
This we can supply in any quantities, shipped

with other goods, per foot 12 cts.

Ifseut by mail, add 10 cents per foe a fur postage.
H:oney Extractors.

THK E. 1'. LinVIS & Co. KXTKACrOR,

No. 22. 28 inches in diameter, 25 inches

hiirli, 2-fiame for any size up to

Vlh X U); room for 25 lbs., honey

below reel, and the bestextractor

ever made for $10 00

We sell this size only as it is the most conven-
ient to use of any found in use. This extractor is
adaiited to any fiame in use.

Tloney Ttnives.

Root's knife, by exiness, 70

•' " by mail, 75

I?ee Veils.

The veil has n rubber band which draws the top

togelher; it is then placed over any hat and

drawn until the elastic is over the hat band.

Common net, by mail, 35

(Smolcers.

Bingham & Hetheriugtou's only.

By mail. $1.75; by express, $1.50

Queens and Full Colonies.
Queens.

Prices.

Untested queens, each $1.00

Selected " " 1.25

Te^ted " " 1.50

Extra breeding queens, the best we have,

each, 3.00

Our untested queens are sent out before any of
tlndr brood liati-hes. 05 per cent will piove to be
imrely mated. Safe arrival and purity guaranteed
in all cases.

Carniolan queens and bees at the above prices.
Our strain of this new race of bets cannot be ex-
celled.

Full Colonies.

We consider eight frames well tilled with brood
and covered with liees a full colony. Prices of
such in B. S. hive, including one set of sections,
$12.00. Piircliasers to pay express charges. Safe
arrival guaranteed.

Fourth Edition of tlie

Beekeejieis' Haiiciy Book, or Thirty Years
among the bees. 75 pages, with illus-
trations, by mail 50

Qvieen-rearing Apparatvis.

Beekecjieis who rear queens, whether by the
Alley method or by any other, .■-hould have the
apparatus here described. The Swaijmisox and
QUEEN-MJRSERY are articles that no person who
rears queens ought to dispense with.

By Uning the swarmbox a large colony of bees
can be conliiied a long time or transported safely
hundreds ot miles. It is a very useful ai ticle
aliont ilie apinry at all times diirmg the season.

Sent only by express, iirice. $1.25.

When ii" colony swarms audit is desirable to
preserve the queen-cells, and no nuclei are at
hiind, the Queen-nursery in such cases will be
loiiiul invaluable; the cells <!an be jilaced in them
and they need no further care for a week or more.
Virgin or lei tile queens can be kept in the nurs-
ery for several weeks. We have soM a large
number of queen-nurseries in years past.

The following articles are aNo used in rearing
queens, a full description of which can be found
111 our work upon queen-rearing.

Express. Mail.

Queen-nursery (of 21 cages) $1.25 $1.60

S warm-box 1.25

Ferlilizinghive (complete) 50

Kumigator lor using tobac.co 25 ..SO

Coiiefeedcr 15 .20

To make the lot complete, we put in each
package one (Irone-andqueen-traji. one cojiy of
Thiktv Years among ihe Bees, and send all
by express for $1 .50

All tliese articles can be i>acked in Mie swarm-
box and sent safely by express or freight.

Brooms for ISrusliing Bees
fi'om Combs.

We find a small " corn-l>rooin" best for this
purpo?e as it does not injure or irritate the bees,
ami will do the work better and quicker than
anything else u>ed for the pur|)ose.

1 broom, by mail 25

1 " byexpress 20

HO^V TO REMIT MONEY.

Remit by registerefl letters, cashier's check or
express orders. If sent by money orders or
)iostal notes, have them made pa .'able at the
Salem, iMass.. P. O. 3Iake all n mittaiices pay-
able to the order of the American Aticultc-

RIST.

Address,

HENRY ALLEY,

^fenham, Essex Co., Mass.

Tr2E * mw^M * ^PieniiTu^iST.

A JOURNAL FOR THE NOVICE AND EXPERT IN BEEKEEPING.

Published Monthly. Subscription Price, 75 cts. per Annum.

HENRY ALLEY,

Editor.

VOL. VIII.

WENHAM, MASS., DECEMBER 1,1890.

NO. 12.

Entered, at I»ost-ofH.ce as second-class matter.

®l)e (2Elritor'0 Slepartment.

Kead this and then subscribe for the Amer-
ican Apiculturist.

Desiring to increase the subscription
list of the Amekican Apiculturist,
we make the following unusual liberal
offer : We will mail tJie above paper
from Nov. 1, 1890, to Jan. 1,^ 1892,
and to each subscriber will be mailed
one copy of our new book, on queen-
rearing, " Ihirty Years Among the
Bees" also a copy of the Eeekeepers'
Directory, all for the small sum of
$1.2o. Here are 350 pages of solid,
practical facts concerning bee culture,
at a cost per page at less than ^ of a
cent.

The two books contain all the in-
formation on beekeeping any one need
possess from purchasing the first col-
ony of bees to producing honey by
tons and rearing queens by the thou-
sands. Every part of bee culture is
treated in a practical and thorough
manner by one who has had thirty
years' experience m beekeeping.

The Apiculturist has been issued
monthly the past eight years and is
considered by competent and experi-
enced beekeepers as one of the most
practical publications devoted to bee-
culture.

With this issue closes Vol. viii of
the AaiERiCAN Apiculturist. To our
numerous subscribers and friends we
return thanks for the aid rendered us
in increasing our list. We hope the
Api has been so conducted that we
shall still merit a continuance of your
friendship and hope to receive a re-
newal of the subscription of every
reader, and also, that each subscriber
will send us one or more new names,
to be added to our list.

Please read the liberal offers for re-
newals and new sub.scriptions.

Bees as advertisers.

While passing a drug store in the
city of Salem, Mass., our attention
was called to a small hive of bees in
the window. On inquiring of the
clerk, I was informed that A Honey
Cough Remedy Company located iu
Brooklyn, N. Y., had sent out about
12,000 such hives to advertise their
remedy.

I examined the bees and found them
in fine condition ; not a dead bee in
the hive. In my opinion, tliis arrange-
ment will greatly aid the beekeeper in
the sale of honey and perhaps do much
towards stimulating the bee business.

(173)

174

THE AMEBIC AK APICULTURIST.

CoiTcspouLrmcc.

Purity of Italian Bees.
Geo. F. Robbins.

Ever since reading the last Api, I
have been wanting to reply to your
statement of opinion as to the mark-
ings of Italians. 1 do not know
whether j^our yellow Carniolans are
Caruiolans or not. 80 far as they
alone are concerned, 1 only know what
Frank Benton, Dr. Morrison and
others say, that Carniolans should
show no yellow. I can not prove
that you are mistaken so far as they
are concerned ; but, in the light of
what you say about Italian bees, 1
am inclined to agree with the above
authorities. I certainly do not be-
lieve that Italians will degenerate
into blacks. Do you mean to say
that if left to themselves, Italians
would go back to blacks in disposi-
tion and habits as well as in color?
You know there is a marked differ-
ence in the nature of the two breeds.
Then why could not blacks by selec-
tion be bred up into Italians or a bee
with all the characteristics of Italians ?
]f you mean in markings alone such a
change would take place, then I
would say that my experience goes
to sliow that one of the strong traits
of Italian blood is to propagate and
perpetuate its own color, 1 have
known the time when, judging by
traits and pedigree so far as 1 could
know them, I had but one or two
colonies of pure Italians. Nearly all
my bees would show what is, I be-
lieve, universally regarded as the dis-
tinctive markings of Italian bees, i. e.,
three golden yellow bands. I never
saw a hybrid stock that I was sure
was a hybrid, i. e., half black and
half Italian, that did not show plainly
and uniformly those three yellow
bands, while the progeny of a queen
reared from one of these stocks and
mated with a black drone will show
every shade from an Italian yellow to
a pure black with the yellow prepon-

derant. I know it is generally taught
that the three gold bands are invari-
able markings of Italians. But I be-
lieve it is also agreed among bee ex-
perts that the inalienable traits of
Italians are gentleness, a disposition
to adhere to the combs, and a gener-
al quiet demeanor, while hybrids are
reputed among the most cold-blooded
and persistent stingers in the world.
Blacks, on the other hand, will run,
hang in festoons to the combs, drop
off, and scamper around generally.
By those traits, largely, but not al-
together, do I judge of the stock of
my bees. I say not altogether for it
was a chapter or two from my expe-
rience that first led me to my conclu-
sions as given above. A year after I
commenced beekeeping, with all black
bees, I bought two colonies of Ital-
ians. From one of these I proceeded to
rear drones and from the other queens.
The progeny of every one of these
queens, with one possible exception,
showed uniformly those three gold
bands. In my verdancy I supposed
when the progeny of the first ones ap-
peared that those queens were purely
mated, but when they all looked alike,
with seventeen colonies of black bees
and two of Italian in my own yard
and not another Italian in the coun-
try, so far as I have ever known, how
could it be? And how they did love
to gouge me ! My ! It makes me shiver
yet to think of it. I could give fur-
ther experieuce in the same line, but
I have given enough I think. I am
convinced that, so far li'om Italians
losing their distinctive colorings un-
less careful selection is practised,
Italians will transmit their colors more
or less down through the generations
of mixture with black blood.

I am nearly convinced of another
thing which I cannot prove so satis-
factorily to myself. 1 believe queens
are usually fertilized some tlistance
from the hive, or else drones from a
distance meet them nearer home. In
fact, drones and queens alike are dis-
posed to seek mates at a distance from

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

175

Lome. I heard an old bee-man say a
few months ago tliat he believed that
drones would congregate at certain
places and queens would meet them
there, from the fact that he had at a
certain place several tinies heard the
roaring, (h'one lii^e hum. I have read
other evidences to the same effect.
Of course it is understood that, if it
is so, this is nature's method of pre-
venting in-and-in breeding. I cer-
tainly would not want to warrant a
queen if there sliould be blacit bees
within four miles of my apiary, even
though a majority of my queens sliould
mate witii drones born in the same
apiary. You, no doubt, are certain
that your Carniolan queens were
mated with drones from your own
apiary. Thougli I know not all the
circumstances yet I doubt it. The
siin[)le fact that you are certain need
not convince me. You ought to iiiiow
better than I, and you may be right,
but I cannot but doubt that yon can
properly be sure there were no for-
eign drones in your vicinity when tlie
queens, from which your yellow Car-
niolans came, were fertilized.
Mechanicsburg , III.

LSee reply under Notes and Comments.]

Italian bees.
Are they the most beautiful?

Dr. G. L. Tinker.

The Itaban bee when crossed with
otlier races ma}^ be bred into a great
variety of colored and marked bees.
Wide extremes in the color of the yel-
low and black bands and in the color
of the hairs of the body are easily
produced. The yellovv bands may
vary from a deep orange red to a
light lemon yellow. The black may
vary from a light brown to a deep
glossy black and the color of the hairs
from rusty red to yellow and a i)ure
white.

But no such wide range in these
colors and markings can l)e made bv
select breeding of the pure Italian

bee. A cross with the Cyprian will
give the deep orange red, the all red
abdomen of the drones, queens and
workers with red liairs all over and
complete obliteration of the black
bands seen on the Italian bee. These
bees also buihl their combs and cap
them like the Cyprians, also they pre-
sent the well known water-soaked ap-
pearance.

The same general character of bee
can be developed from a cross with
the Syrian, the color being a light
lemon yellow instead of a deep red.
The Albinos or white-haired bees
are the result of certain crosses of the
imported Italians having well mai'ked
traces of the blood of the black or
G-erman bee. The first imported Ital-
ian queen I got some ten years since
produced white-banded workers and
very dark white-haired drones, and it
was from the drones of this queen and
her daughters that my strain of Al-
bino bees was originated; the drones
being crossed upon the daughters of
a fine Syrian queen. Some of the
daughters of this imported queen were
almost black and a black strain of
bees could undoubtedly have been
bred from her. As my first crosses
were made late in the season when no
other drones were in existence I could
hardly be mistaken in the results.
From these crosses I got many white-
haired yellow-banded bees, and many
that would pass for the average hy-
brid from the same queen. Continu-
ing the cross by selecting the white-
haired yellow-bainled queens it was
not many years till the ty|)ical white-
banded Italian marked bee was pro-
duced, the direct descent of the moth-
er stock being Syrian. These bees
have been several times crossed with
noted strains of Italians until after
eight years of breeding I have my
present stock of Syrio- Albinos.

That white-haired bees have been
originated from the im|)orted Italian
bees by other breeders is certain and
it is just as certain that from the same
imported queens a black strain of bees

176

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

could have been produced. Tlie Ital-
ian bee lias a trace of black blood in
it that can be bred to a black strain
as easily as the yellow blood in ti)e
Carniolans can be bred to a pure yel-
low strain.

The Italian bee, though not a pure
race, has certain well known mark-
ings. It has three yellow bands and
three glassy black bands on the ab-
domen, and the color of the hairs on
the body varies from yellow to white.
At the present time the most noted
breeders in this country are breeding
the white-banded Italian bee and con-
sider them not onl}- the most beauti-
ful but the best workers. Such are the
celebrated stock of Mr. Alley, Mr.
Gary and others who are breeding
the finest Italian bees. In appear-
ance they are so nearly like my Sy-
rio-Albinos that I would defy anyone
to come into my apiar}^ and tell one
from the other.

I have called my new strain the Sy-
rio-Albino, to distinguish it, but have
steadily bred to the standard type of
the Italians, so that I may make nevv
crosses at any time and introduce new
blood without getting a lot of mon-
grel bees as the result.

Recently I have made several cross-
es with Mr. Gary's Italians producing
as fine and regularly marked bees as
were ever bred. And I expect to be
able another year to make the same
splendid crosses with Mr. Alley's in-
valuable strain, as the queen he sent
me (a daughter of his famous one hun-
dred dollar queen) is of the white-
haired variety of Italian^ and pro-
duces beautifully marked white bred
bees.

Why it is that we have queen breed-
ers who are breeding a so-called Ital-
ian bee with markings and coloi'ing
different from the recognized standard
of the Italians, some breeding all red
bees, some four and five yellow band-
ed and some with solid yellow abdo-
. mens is a mystery to me, for every
cross with the standard Italians will
produce as irregularly marked bees

as any hybrids. Then these highly
colored bees are confessedly produced
by in-and-in breeding, are mostly un-
dersized and scarcely any of them are
capable of producing a choice article
of comb honey, their really valuable
qualities being sacrificed in attaining
the one object of color.

As to the matter of beautiful bees
I fully agree with Mr. Vandruff who
gives his views in a very able commu-
nicalion io \\\q American Bee Journal
(see page 602) . He says ^'I think this
breeding for extremes of any color
by our queen breeders is a great mis-
take. The more tiiey run to the ex-
tremes of very yellow or very white
or black the less good qualities they
possess. I am well satisfied it results
in deterioration in size as well as in
many other good qualities and is a
failure in getting a beautiful bee.

Neio Phila., Ohio.

Introducing queens.

Joshua Bull.

On the 16thof last August Ireceived
from the Bay State Apiary two of the
brightest yellow Italian queens that I
ever saw. They were large and fine ;
and if color counts for anything they
are superlatively beautiful.

To introduce one of them, I re-
moved the old queen from a colony,
and placed the cage containing the
new queen above the frames and al-
lowed the bees to liberate her by eat-
ing out the candy, according to direc-
tions sent with the cage, and in about
one week she commented laying. This
is a very simple way of introduction,
and no doubt would prove successful
in most cases. But when a colony is
in just the right condition for it, there
is a still more simple and expeditious
way, which is attended with less un-
certainty, and saves time in getting
the queen to la3'ing, as I will endeavor
to show through the method by which
I introduced the other one of those
two queens mentioned above. It

THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST.

Ill

was as follows : I went to a colony
■which has a virgin queen, and toolc
away the virgin, and immediatel}^ let
the laying queen loose upon the combs
right among the bees; they received
her kindly and at once commenced to
caress her, and she appeared just as
contented and happy as though that
had been her native liome. 81ie com-
menced laying in a very fevv hours,
and in just twenty-one days from the
time she was put into the hive her
young bees began to hatch quite free-

I would not recommend this method
of introduction only in cases where
the queen to be removed is a virgin
queen, and when such is the case tliis
is the most simple and easy way im-
aginable, and I believe it to be well
nigh inrallil)le. I have practised it
for several years with perfect success
in every instance.

The ap[)earance of a la3Mng queen
in their midst, in place of a vii-gin, is
in such perfect harmony with tlie nat-
ural course of events tliat it does not
seem to arouse an}' suspicion among
the bees. Although tlie odor of a fer-
tilized queen may be different from
that of a virgin, nevertheless tliat
change of odor is just what their in-
stinct teaches them to expect as the
next development of their virgin
queen, and therefore insures the favor-
able reception of the strange queen ;
being greeted as the sovereign of the
colony she at once feels at home and
contented, and will usually proceed
forthwith to the fulfilment of her
queenlj' duties.

There may not be anything in this
that will be new to the readers of the
Api, but I do not remember of ever
having seen this mode of introduction
recommended, except in an article
written by myself several years ago,
which was published in the Canadian
Bee JournaU vol. 2, pages 908-909.
I prefer this method when circum-
stances will admit of it ; partly because
of its simplicity and certainty of suc-
cess, but principally because I believe

that queens introduced in this way
are invariably more cordiall}' received,
and consequently they prosper better.
On the other hand, it sometimes hap-
pens that queens introduced by other
metho Is, and under diff"erent condi-
tions, altliough their presence is toler-
ated, yet they are looked upon with
suspicion and treated with cold indif-
ference if not actually tortured by the
bees; and if anything goes wrong, or
the hive is disturlied, tliey appear to
hold the queen ac(;ountal)le for all of
their trouble, and she lives in jeopardy
of her life all the time, and therefore
la3's but sparingly if at all. I have
known instances where the bees would
ball their queen every time the brood
nest was disturbed for a month or
more after being introduced.

I believe that if the facts were fully
known, that many of the com[)laints
that we hear of about queens being
injured by confinement in the mails,
would be found chargeable to the
above named cause and nothing else.

Seymour, Wis.

Small hives and their management.

Z. S. Hawk.

Isn't the editor of the Apicultur-
iST getting to be a little bit radical in
his views regarding the proper size
of hives? Here he is, now, advocat-
ing an 8-frame hive with a capacity
of about 7 L frames. According to
all theory that is about 3 L frames
too small, and our editor, this veter-
an of thirty years in the apiary, ought
to find himself going into the harvest
with nucleus colonies and meeting
dire disaster for want of the proper
number of bees. But no such ill luck
attends him and after due trial of
such hives he has the courage to pro-
claim his faith. That's right, friend
Alley, and I am with you in your be-
lief in hives that do not take in all
out-doors. And right here I will tell
you a little of my experience the past
season.

178

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

I had in my yard a number of col-
onies ou eight frames each, the frames
being 7 inches deep by 16| inches
long. This gave to each of these col-
onies just .SOU square inches of comb.
They were not fed an ounce or re-en-
forced with frames of brood or honey,
and they never saw more than h>00
inches of comb at any time in their
lives. Now for results : One colony,
blacks, stored 72 pounds of bass-
wood in sections in two weeks ; an-
other stored and capped 48 pounds
and filled another . super of 24 sec-
tions about half full during the same
time ; another gave 48 pounds and
others all the way down from those
figures to nothing. The advocates of
large hives will say that I would have
had a much larger crop if 1 had used
larger hives and raised more field bees.
But I wouldn't have had any crop at
all. In the same yard with the small
hives stood a dozen hives of 1250
square inches comb capacitj^. These
received the same care as the small
hives, but they gave me practically
nothing, and two 10-frame L hives
gave me a bushel of bees, each, but
not a pound of hoiie3\ The colonies
in the small hives placed themselves
in splendid conditiou for winter, but
those in the large hives would have
been short of stores had there not
been a fair flow of nectar a short time
before frost.

The colonies mentioned above as
giving such good returns were not
new swarms, but old colonies that had
been wintered in the small brood-
chambers. The season was so poor
that new swarms barely filled their
frames with comb and honey.

Now if I were compelled to use a
brood-chamber of a fixed size the year
around, I would want it to contain
1200 or 1400 square inches of comb,
but nothing would tempt me to use
such a hive in Iowa. When the
spring is favorable it is no very diffi-
cult matter to have a double storj^ of
my hive nearly full of bees and brood
at the beginning of the honey har-

vest. Then if a swarm issues, as is
very apt to be the case, it is hived ou
starters of foundation in a single
brood-chamber, a queen-excluder and
the sections are placed in position, the
new swarm placed on the old stand,
all the bees shaken out of the mother
colony that can be spared and the
work is done. After such treatment
the mother colony is not inclined to
cast a second swarm and in a short
time its bees may be crowded into a
single story and given a case of sec-
tions. The spare combs may be given
to a colon}' that is being run for ex-
tracted honey.
Audubon, Iowa.

Profiting by experience. Success

in bee-keeping under adverse

circumstances.

A. C. TVRKELL.

Friend Alley : This date (Oct. 16,
1890) finds us at the close of the lion-
et' season in Nebraska, but little more
to be done in the apiary except to
tuck the l)ees snugly under warm quilts
for their long winter's nap.

If we have not been able to add to
their stock of knowledge we are con-
firmed in our belief as to the proper
methods to adopt to produce the best
results in our own locality.

As was the case last year we have
had to contend with drought and the
serious diawbacks incident thereto ;
but profiting by experience and knowl-
edge gleaned in former dry seasons,
and by cultivating various honey
plants, I am happy to report that in
consequence thereof I have been so
fortunate as to take up more than
three times as much lione}' per working
colony as any beekeeper in the state
judging fiom reports made at a sort
of experience meeting held at the
state fair at Lincoln, Sept. 10. I
will not again weary your readers with
a long essay concerning the benefits
to be derived by preparing pasturage

TEE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

179

for bees, as I have heretofore given
my views at length on that subject.
I am satisfied upon tliat point, and
that is sufficient for me, and otliers
can profit Ij^^ my experience or let it
alone, as best suits their individual
cases.

Frequently of late the "Wiley lie"
has appeared in different papers, and
the same has been copied in some jour-
nals by those who siiould be in better
business, and every time I read such
scurrilous items I wonder why (even
if it were true) other evils of greater
magnitude are not declaimed against.

I am reminded that I was in dan-
ger not long ago of losing my entire
apiary, when the bees found a mess of
stuff ivept for sale by one of our lead-
ing grocers and called "sugar drip"
(or some high sounding- name) which
he had thrown out at his back door.
After filling up with it and before they
were able to leave the spot thousands
perished.

Did the leading papers throughout
the country under large display lines
caution the dear people against buy-
ing adidterated syrup? Not to my
knovvledge ; neither did the grocer.

If it were a fact that comb is made
of parafflne and filled with artificial
honey, I'll wager any amount that the
contents would not poison bees or
prove so injurious to tlie human stom-
ach as the vile stuff that killed my
bees; and I very much doubt if one
of the great leading newspapers would,
in the interest of humanity, publish
anything derogatory to the firm man-
ufacturing the so-called "sugar di'ip,"
especially if it were a wealthy corpo-
ration.

The press with seeming eclat con-
tinue to injure the poor but honest
beekee[)ers, honest from force of cir-
cumstances if for no other reason, as
they cannot profitably adulterate or
manufacture comb-honey by such scan-
dalous reproductions and warmed up
re-hash of the Wiley lie, but the adul-
teration of nearly every manufactured
article of commerce goes on with

scarcely a word of protest, and none
are found to refute the charge.

Yea, veril}', we are a peculiar peo-
ple, past finding out.

In my next I will give my metliod
of building up weak colonies in the
fall, how 1 prevent increase, and why
I do not seriously object to brace-
combs, all of which is not entirely
original, but good enough to bear rep-
etition, I think.

Madison, Neb.

Can swarming be controlled?

E. L. PUATT.

It lias been the aim of many inven-
tors to contrive a plan whereby swarms
can be controlled and drones kept from
flying without interfering with the
flight of the bees in the least and, at
the same time, giving ample ventila-
tion to the strongest colony.

B}' the use of a tiap, in combination
with a queen-excluding honey board,
this end will be accomplished to the
satisf:iction of all.

It has been proven time and time
again that excluders do not interfere
with the free passage of the bees but
successfully hinder the queen from
entering any parts of the hive where
applied.

A common zinc excluder is attached
to the bottom of the hive and raised
from off the bottom board in the or-
dinary manner to make an entrance
under the same.

Another entrance is made above by
removing one-half the binding about
the zinc at the end.

Upon this is set the hive in the or-
dinary way and an Alley trap or swarm-
er is applied to the upper entrance.
The lower entrance is left open its full
length.

The major portion of the working
force will make its exit through the
upper entrance and trap, while their
returning sisters, heavily laden with

180

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

honey and pollen are passing under
the trap and tiiroiigli tiie excluder in-
to tlie hive.

One will see at a glance that the
ventilation by such an arrangement
is complete. There is no faltering at
the entrance on account of the out
rushing of the bees that have just de-
posited their loads.

By this arrangement the bees are
forced to make their entrance se|)arate
from their exit and considerable time
is saved to them thereby. Ventilation
is perfect with or vvithout the trap or
swarmer and there is no interfering
caused by fanners, hangers-on, etc.,
as with the single long entrance. The
grand rush is successfully handled in
a common-sense way while [)erfect
ventilation is doubly aided.

The only ai-gument in opposition to
the Alley Trap or 8\varmer has been
that the bees are hindered in passing
the metal.

By the above arrangement this ob-
jection is entirely overcome. Any per-
son using a hive with loose bottom-
board can demonstrate this fact to his
entire satisfaction. As a swarm con-
troller the tra|)s have never been ques-
tioned. Give them a trial and be con-
vinced.

Beverly, Mass.

Notes and comments.

IlENRV ALLEV.

In this issue, Mr. Bull gives his ex-
perience in introducing a fertile queen
at the time a virgin queen was removed.
I can say that the plan will work suc-
cessfully in every case, as it has been
practised in the Bay State Apiary
more than twenty-five years. If friend
B. will look over the bee-papers pub-
lished a good many years ago, 1 am
quite sure he will find the same thing
in some of our articles. He will also
find that I saiil that a virgin queen
can be removed and a fertile queen be
introduced at once with perfect safety ;

but a. virgin queen could not be intro-
duced at the time a fertile queen was
removed ; the colony must remain
queenless three days before such _a
thing is attempted.

As Mr. Bull says, a good many
queens are lost in introducing. I
mailed three queens to a customer in
the state of Pennsylvania, last season.
He lost two of them in trying to in-
troduce them. He then wrote me that
my queens were not suital)le for that
climate as the bees would not accept
them, and he wanted no more. D.
F. is about all the reply I can make
to such a fellow as that.

Eight-frame hives.

I am glad that one prominent and
well-informed beekeeper can endorse
all we have said al)out eight-frame
hives. Friend Hawk's article, which
appears in this number of the Api is
a most interesting one and full of good
points.

It really looks novv as though the
advocates for eight-frame hives will
soon be in a majority ; at any rate the
manager of the Bay State Apiary finds
himself on this point in good company.

I have several cortls of ten-frame
hives piled up in my yard and froui
which I have taken the bees. The
ovvners do not seem to call for them ;
we guess the}^ have no further use
for such large hives.

I have had had several new cuts
made of the Bay State closed-end
frame hive, which will be shown in the
January Api. This hive is going to
have a boom the coming seas(ni as
prominent beekeepers have discovered
the fact that it has real merit and is
the coming hive.

Italian bees.

The readei's of the Api should not
fail to read Dr. G. L. Tinker's article
on page 175. Friend T. does not write
as much for the bee publications as
we wish he did ; but when he does
write, his articles are of great value
and Importance to beekeepers.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

181

There is somethins: that induces Dr.
Tinker to write for the press, besides
the five dollars he may get for the
trouble. For this reason his coiumu-
nications on bee culture are of great
value. Now this thought brings us to
another subject that is agitating the
minds of some of those who write for
bee periodicals.

Paying for copy.

Well, didn't our remarks and com-
ments given in a recent issue of the Api
wake up several sleepy fellows?

I said that most of those articles
found in the bee-papers and for which
the authors were paid five dollars each
were not as good, or as valuable, as
many that have appeared in the Apr,
and for which we were charged little
or nothing. I did not wish anyone to
understand that all articles found in
the bee journals were included in this
charge. There are many valuable ar-
ticles in nearly all the bee-papers, and
then there are some that it seems to me
the authors feel as though they must
fill up with wind what they lack in
ideas, and that they must sny some-
thing in order to stretch the article to
a certain length for tlie money prom-
ised for the work.

I have seen articles that filled three
columns that were totally devoid of
all information or valuable ideas.
Had the editor who used them not
been short of copy or had not prom-
ised the writer several dollars for the
article, it would no doubt have been
reduced to about a dozen lines or
thrown into the waste basket.

Since I took charge of the Apr,
there have been three of our friends
who have said that they did not care to
furnish more copy without being paid
for it. Well, they are good writers,
but I had to let them drop out as we
couldn't afford to pay much for copy.
The time is not far distant, however,
when we can afford to be more liberal
with our friends who send us articles.
The Api has more than paid expenses
the past two years, and the prospect

is that it will pay much better another
year.

Don't fail to read the January, 1891,
issue and note the improvements in
its make-up.

Do the Italians deteriorate? Markings of
Carniolans, etc.

Our friend Robbins takes us to task
for our remarks as given in a recent
issue of the Apr concerning the liabil-
ity of the Italians to deteriorate. Af-
ter having a word or so about the color
and markings of the Carniolans, I will
try to convince friend R. that our po-
sition and opinions heretofore ex-
pressed in these columns, concerning
the races and their markings are about
correct.

Yes, I know that Frank Benton,
Dr. Morrison, Brother E. L. Pratt and
a good many others have said that the
Carniolans should show no yellow
bands. Yet, some of these well-known
gentlemen are honest enough to tell
their customers that they cannot rear
Carniolan queens whose worker pro-
geny will not show more or less yellow
bands. I do not know that any of the
above mentioned parties claim that
they can, or ever have reared very
many of what are considered 25Mre Car-
niolan queens. It has been found
impossible to rear pure or typical Car-
niolan bees here in this country. I
know as well as friend Robbins and
others that the Carniolan bees should
show no yellow bands.

On this point, it seems to me, I
have given friend R. some good ideas.
Now, I will see what I can do about
the Italians. I shall try to show that
the Italians are not a fixed or distinct
race of bees, and that they are hy-
brids even in their purest state.

I do not know how extensive friend
Robbins' experience has been with the
Italians ; but I do know that he has
a wrong idea concerning their purity
and markings. I have found in my
thirty years' experience in rearing Ital-
ian queens that beautiful bees and
queens cannot be reared except by the

182

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

utmost care and selection. By select-
ing only the best in all cases can what
we call purity be maintained in propa-
gating the race of Italian bees. On
the other hand, the most careful se-
lection in breeding of the Carniolans
will not prevent them from sliding
back to yellow bees.

Why is this? Simply for the rea-
son that the Carniolan bee is the orig-
inal yellow race, while the Italians
were crossed in and bred up from the
Carniolans. It is conceded by all
that the fiure Italian bees are very
gentle and docile. The same is said
of pure Carniolans. Well, now isn't
it reasonable to suppose that the Ital-
ians inherit this trait of gentleness
from the Carniolan blood? It seems
to me they do, though I may be mis-
taken.

Yes, friend R., I do mean to say
the Italians will not only degenerate
in color, but in all other traits as well.
They will run back in a few years to
almost pure black bees, and be just as
ugly and worthless after awhile as
black bees.

I can take the purest Italians and
in a fevv generations work them back
to almost pure black liees, and by in-
breeding, too. All that need be done
to accomplish this is to select tl>e dark-
est queens and mate them to the dark-
est drones of the same stock.

Don't you think it can be done,
friend R. ?

Any old breeder of queens will not
doubt this statement for a moment.
Then, again, I can take this strain of
black bees, bred down from pure Ital-
ians and in the course of half a dozen
generations breed them back again
to beautiful golden Italians.

To the question, '■'•Wh}' could not
black bees by selection be bred up in-
to Italians or a bee with all the char-
acteristics of Italians?"

That thing is impossible unless there
was some yellow blood in the black
bees a good many generations back.
If black bees have the slightest tinge
of yellow blood, it is an easy mat-

ter to breed them up by selection to
Italians. By continually selecting the
yellowest queens and drones and mat-
ing them the strain would soon return
to pure Italians again. Isn't this
perfectly plain to you, friend R. ?

I cannot agree with 3'ou, friend R.,
when you say that one of the strong
traits of Italian blood is to perpetuate
its own color. My experience has
been exactly opposite. Don't you
know, friend R., that the queens sent
us from Italy are almost black? Such
is the fact. We reared a luimber of
young queens last August from im-
ported mothers sent us by Bianconcini.
Some of the queens were as black as
any black queen we ever saw ; yet,
when mated to our handsome drones,
these young queens produced beautiful
bees. Had these queens been mated
to dark Italian drones, the worker bees
would be about the same in markings
a common hybrids. You see it was
selection that produced the beautiful
yellow-banded workers.

The disposition of the Italians va-
ries greatly. The color or breeding
seems to have nothing to do with gen-
tleness and docility of bees of any
race. Circumstances and treatment
have much to do with forming the dis-
position of any race of bees.

I had a colony of pure Italians that
I thought the most gentle bees in the
world. At the proper season they
cast a swarm. While I could handle
them without smoke or protection be-
fore swarming and get no stings, they
required a good deal of smoke to quiet
them after swarming. They are pure
Italians. How do you account for
that, friend R. ?

I agree with you, friend R., in the
statement that '-the Italians will
transmit their colors more or less
down through the generations of mix-
ture with black blood." If you will
read our article again which you critjy
cise you will notice we said that the
3^ellovv markings would not wholly
run out ; "there would be a few bees
in each colony that would show a

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

183

narrow yellow-band." But " more
or less" exactly covers the point we
made.

I do not think queens are fertilized
far from the apiary. I am not a be-
liever in the ''four mile" theory to in-
sure i)urit3'.

The old man who saA's drones con-
gregate at certain places is right. They
do; that is in and over the a|)iHry in
which tlie young queens are located.

Some twenty-five years ago I was
strolling on tlie hills some tvvo miles
from my apiary and that distance from
any bees. It was in the forenoon of a
fine June day ; just such a day as bees
gather large amounts of hone}'. This
roaring as of bees in the air was heard.
I spent about an hour trying to find out
what the roaring was, but all to no pur-
pose. No bees could be seen in the air,
and although we roamed about in a ra-
dius of half a mile the roaring contin-
ued. Then again it could not have
been drone bees as drones do not fly in
the forenoon. This same roaring can
be heard on any pleasant June day.

Now about warranting the purity of
bees and queens. We warrant all our
queens and have always done so, even
when theie were fifty colonies of hy-
brid and black bees within half a mile
of our apiary; little or no complaint
was heard from my customers of im-
pure queens any more than there is
now, and there are no black bees with-
in four miles of our yard.

All tliat is needed to insure purity
is plenty of pure drones in the same
yard with the young queens.

I regret we have not the space for
more extended remarks on this point,
and in conclusion we respectfully re-
fer friend R. to Dr. Tinker's article on
another page of this issue."

Uniting bees.

"If I had four small colonies," says
a correspondent in the American Bee
Journal^ " that I wished to unite, I
would move them together, and let
them get well established in their new
location before disturbing them. I

would move them in the evening, afte^
all the workers had returned from the
fields, and put grass or straw in front
of the hive entrance, so that they
could not leave as usual ; a board in
front, to bump their heads against,
will cause them to notice a change in
their location."

I would do nothing of the kind. If
I had colonies that I wished to unite, I
would do this : When the brood had
all hatched out the combs, I would
take the bees into the bee-room, give
them some tobacco smoke and then
brush all from the combs into what
we call our swarm-box. I'his is a
box with wire cloth bottom and a
movable cover which is also covered
with screen wire.

Here 1 would let the bees remain
queeuless three days ; then dump
them down in front of the hive they
are to occupy and let a queen run in
with them. By this method the bees
would not quarrel, and few if any
would return to the old location.

Of course the bees will need feed-
ing while confined in the box. As every
one knows how to feed bees under
such circumstances 1 will not mention
it here.

^piculturlat ilTaU-Bo;f.

Six fine queens.
Harru'ttsviUe, Ont., Can.
Mil. Alley : I received tlie six queens
all ill good order. They are flue ones.
Send $3 for three more.

Edwin Lewis.

A large queen.
• Wdah, Cal.

Mr. Alley : The queen I got from you
is the largest aud most prolific oue that
we have. Her bees are flue.

C. C. Thomas.

Highly recommended.

Santa Anna, Cal.
Mr. Alley: Herewith find ,f 1 25 for
one Italian queen. A neighbor has been
getting his queens from you and speaks
very highly of them.

G. S. Fox.

184

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Bee notes from Texas.

Otto .1. E. Urban.

When I read the article, " Intro-
ducing Queens" in September issue
of the Api, I h.id a colon^^ in my
yard that killed two queens for me
while introducing by the cage system.
I thought if Mr. Alley can introduce
his queens by using tobacco smoke,
I can too. I had just received a fine
queen from Mr. Alle}' that morning.
I fired up my bee-smoker and mixed
smoking tobacco vvith the wood ; took
my queen, gave the bees a few whitfs,
opened the cage and " let her go Gal-
lagher," I said. Her majesty marched
in and I smoked more afterwards.
Next morning I found her busy at
laying eggs. I think I shall never
introduce in cages again.

Bees are doing well in this country.
Mr. Alley writes me under Sept. 16,
"If it ever stops raining I will send
the queens you ordered. This is the
eighth day in succession tiiat it has
rained." While writing this for the
Api (3 o'clock p. m.) I see the air
filled with young bees in my apiary,
enjoying the warm sun, and tlie old
foragers come in heavily loaded with
honey and pollen, making their hives
heavier every day. Such a thing as
feeding for winter we know nothing
about here except in extraordinarily
poor seasons.

Another incident I want to tell you
about. Have you ever seen a queen
that kept ten Langstroth frames full
of brood? I have one of that kind
in my yard. I use the ten-frame
Langstroth hive and she keeps tiie
brood-chamber chock f«ll of brood ;
the bees are of the prettiest kind,
very gentle and industrious.

I shall make this queen raise me a
lot of young queens next season, I
think she is as good a one as I can
get for a bee mother.

Thorndale, Texas.

A pointer for Mr. Hearn.

Mr. Hearn seems to think that I
am the only person who comi)lains of
the color of five-banded queens. His
attention is respectfully called to an
article which ma^^ l)e found in a re-
cent issue of the American Bee Jour-
nal and from which we take the fol-
lowing :

"My observation and experience the
past ten years in purchasing and
testing queens from all the principal
queen-breeders have led me to the con-
clusion that but fevv are pursuing the
right course to produce the l)est bees.

A few years ago the Albinos were
all the rage and I have tried many
different strains of them ; but I find
that the breeders of these bees seem
to have nothing in view but the white
bands of hair and have neglected to
preserve the three yellow bands, so
that many show but yellovv on the
third band, and not as they should on
the first and second.

Latterly, it seems that the golden
Italians are having a boom, and I have
tried different strains of these bees,
also ; and I find the same fault with the
breeders of these bees, as with the
Albinos — they seem to be sacrificing
all other colors for the golden yellow,
I have had bees of this strain that had
four or five yellow bantls, with noth-
ing on them but yellow, not even a
streak of black on the edge of the
bands, and the hair as yellow and so
nearly the color of the bands that one
could scarcely tell there was any hair
on tiiem — and some call them beau-
tiful bees ! Now, the i<lea of a plain
yellow bee, or a plain white, or black,
or any other one color making a beau-
tiful bee, is not in accordance with
my ideas of a beautiful bee. As some
one has said, " I want a ringed,
streaked, siriped, and all color bee,"
with a beautiful, flashy contrast of
color.

My experience with different colors
and strains of bees is, that the very
yellow bees do not cap their honey
white. I had one colony in particular

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

185

the past season that did tlie worst
cappings I ever saw ; it was not tit to
put on the niarlvet at all, as the cap-
ping looked as if completely water-
soaked. They build too many burr-
combs, make too much use of proi)olis,
are not quiet enough and some strains
are too small.

As to Albinos, as a strain, by most
breeders they are rather too small and
have not yellow enough left on them ;
but they have more good qualities
than the very yellow bees; they cap
their combs whiter, but many of them
are too much inclined to build burr
combs.

My experiments show that neitlier
an extreme of white, yellow or black
in a strain of bees, gives the best re-
sults as to good qualities. I have
found that bees possessing the most
good points have all the colors above
named, beautifully combined. The
hair is light-colored, the first three
bands orange to light orange color,
with a fine line of rich, gloss}' black
on their edge, and the last three bands
a glossy black, with white rings of
hair. Bees with such markings are
always so far as I have observed vei-y
beauliful, and possess more good qual-
ities than an}^ other color on markings
than I have experimented with.

Markings for best characteristics.

For the benefit of those wishing to
experiment on this line of color, I
will give the particular markings that
I have found to give the best character-
istics, as well as great beauty :

The three yellow bands should be
orange color — not too dark, but rath-
er light, 3-et not too light ; these bands
should not be all yellow, as in the case
of man}' of the golden Italians, but
should have a fine line of g'loss^^ black
on their outer edge.

The fourth band on many of the
bees shows slight traces of 3'elloAV on
their sides, extending and gradually
lessening until on the top there is
none to be seen, and, this is as much
yellow as any bee should have on the

fourth band, in my opinion, to possess
the most desirabk^ qualities ; the rest of
this band is a deep glossy black, with
a large ring of light-colored hair. The
fifth and sixth bands are of this same
glossy black, with the light ring of
hair on the fiftli.

I find that bees with these markings
are huge, very prolific, and possess
all the desirable qualities of a perfect
bee. In short, they have great win-
tering qualities, are very large, pro-
lific, quiet and beautiful, enter the
sections readily, aie not excessive
swarmers, not disposed to use an ex-
cess of propolis, build few l)urr-combs,
and are as fine comb-builders as I ever
saw, capping their honey very white.

I would like to hear from others, on
this color question in bees. Do not
understand me as sayingthatthese par-
ticular colors combined are the cause
for these superior qualities — I only
mean to say that I have observed that
bees with these markings seem to pos-
sess these qualities in a marked degree,
and this strain that I have had under
my observation for the past seven
years, having always gone ahead of
my own bees that have been made up
from all the noted strains of this con-
tinent, of all extremes of color, only
goes to prove to me that there must
be something in a proper combination
of these three colors.

I think this breeding for extremes
of any color by our queen breeders is
a great mistake. The more they run
to extremes of very yellow^ or very
white or black, the less good qualities
they possess. I am well satisfied it
results in deterioration in size as well
as in man}' other good qualities and is
a failure in getting a beautiful bee."

1 could not give a better descrip-
tion of the Italian bees reared in the
Bay State Apiai-y than ]\Ir. VandrufT
has done in describing his. I heartily
endorse and agree with Mr. V. in all
he says concerning the markings of
what we call pure Italian bees.

All the desiraljle qualities of the
Italians are sacrificed for color.

186

THE AMERICAN APICULTURTST,

Thirty Years Among the Bees.

Below I give A. I. Root's opinion
of this book :

"Tliis is tlie title of a new i)ook,
written b}' Henry Alley, of Wenliam,
Mass. It contains 80 large pao^es, and
is full of good tilings. In fact, we
are ashamed to say that we did not
even know that friend Alley had got
his queen-rearing down to such per-
fection, for this is what the new book
deals with priiici[)ally.

Toward the latter end of the book
there are a great many good things ;
for instance, how to find a fertile
queen ; how to warm a small bee-
room economically ; best fuel for
smokers, and several other items that
smack pretty strongly of long expe-
rience."

Brother Root is a little behind the
times in some cases. There are, how-
ever, upwards of 50.000 beekeepers
in the world that discovered the fact
that queen-rearing was brought down
to nearly perfection at the Bay State
Apiar}' some twenty-five years ago.

A splendid oflFer.

We have just received from the fac-
tory five lumdred drone-and-queen
traps. If any one is disposed to pui'-
chase them at this time we shall sell
half dozen in flat, one made, seven traps
in all, and give the purchaser an indi-
vidual right to manufactui'e the trnps
for his own use for the small sum of
$3.00. If you wish one dozen traps(13)
and individual right, we will ship them
for $4.00. Those who [jurchase fifty
traps for $10.00 will get an individual
right to make 100,000 or an unlimited
number of tra[)s for their own use.

Now let me tell you something all
of you, or many of you, do not know
about ; at least nine out of every ten
persons do not. Do you know that
you can sell any or all the traps you
purchase of us in any place in the
United States where the territory is
not sold ? You can come into our town

and sell these traps if they were pur-
chased of us in the first place.

Now if we sell you one dozen traps
(13) you can sell every one of tliem
for 50"ceiits each. This will be $6.50.
You then have the right to make all
you can use in your own apiary.

Those who have an individual right
to make the traps, can obtain the ma-
terial for them from their nearest deal-
er. A person who owns a right to use
and manufacture a patented article has
tlie right to get his goods manufactured
just where he selects. So you see it
will pay you to purchase an individual
right in any case, as b}' so doing you
can more than save the price of it in
express charges on one dozen traps.

A Meeting of Beekeepers in New Eng-
land.

A meeting of New England Bee-
kee[)ers will be held at Ploughman
Hall, 45 Milk St., Boston, Mass., Dec.
13. Mr. E. L. Pratt of Beverly,
Mass., will read an essay upon Bee
Culture. All beekeepers are invited to
attend.

Another bee-paper.

The W. T. Falconer M'f'g Co., of
Jamestown, N. Y.^ will commence the
publication of a bee-i)aper about Jan.
1,1891, called the "Am. Bkk Kkkper."
Let them come. The more of them
the better for all hands except those
who publish them.

Gum elastic roofing.
This article is advertised in another
column. It strikes me that it is one
of the best things for caps of beehives ;
also for bee-houses. Try it.

They are beautiful.

Fayetleville, Tenn,
Mr. Am.ky: — Last queen recoived in
good condition. The l)ees are beautiful —
no idlers among them.

Jno. Spiers.

THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST.

A one-hundred-dollar Italian queen bee.

Bear in mind that each subscril)er
to the AncuLTUKiST is entitled to
one of the l)e.st queens reared from
our one-hundred-doUar queen, by
remitting seventy-five cents when
the queen is wanted.

This queen now has one of the
finest colonies of bees we ever saw.

She is strictly pure, good dispo-
sition, and working qualities that
cannot be excelled by any bees in
the world.

to such the Beekeepers' Advertiser
will be mailed. All the yearly ads.
which appear in the Api will be in-
serted iu the new paper without addi-
tional charge. This is one of the
best advertising mediums extant for
supply dealers.

By this means we shall reach thou-
sands of beekeepers who do not read
any bee-paper.

To new bee-papers.
The Beekekpers' Advertiser is a
four-[)age quarterly that will be issued
from the office of the Apicultuhist.
The first number was sent out Nov.
15. This paper will not be sent to
our subscribers as it is made up
largely from matter taken from the
Apioulturist. We get the names
each year of several thousand bee-
keepers who do not read the Api, and

Supply dealers have found that it pays to ad-
vertise in thu Apk^ultuuist as our well-lilled
columns amply testify. We liave lound tliat ad-
vertisements are rea(l and f;enerally answered by
those who send for sample copies. We get calls
by each mail for liom twelve to fifty copies of the
API, We mail tliein at once. Besides, our friemls
are continually sending us names of live beekeep-
ers; to sucli. a specimen copy is at once mailed.
This IS why it pays to advertise. Hundreds of
new Ijeelicepers read the Afi each week.

Individual rights to manufacture the drone-
and-queen trap.

So many beekeepers desire to make the drone-
and queen trap that we shall offer one trap by
mail, and tlie right to make and manufacture theia
for one's own use, for the small sum of ^L.'iO.

If any one desires to make the bee-escapes, the
same as is used in the traps, and tlie same things
as are used for bee-escapes for getting bees,
out of sections, we can lurnish tlie tools for $3.00
They can be sent by mail for 25 cents extra.

Lanccister, Sept. 13, 1890.
Mr. E. L. Pratt, Pratt Bee Farm :

Dear ^jr.— The two Carniolan Queens you sent me were both safely introduced and are now fllling
the combs with brood. They are the two largest queens iu mv yard 1 I am really proud of them.
I extend my thanks for sending me such fine queens and especially for the prompt shipping.

RespectUiUy,

Joseph Eibel.
Tlie above is a fair sample of the hundreds of un.solicited testimonials showing the
vahie of the queens reared in our yards the past season.

We have a book giving our new system of Nuelei Management, which we send by
mail for 10 cents.

We also have two little books : one on Queen-Rearing, the other on Honey Producing
at 5 cents each, by mail.

Send forciix-ular giving full descriptions of a beautiful Golden Carniolan Queen and
a wonderful Italian Queen, also Pure Non stinging Carniolan Queens and Bees. We are
the most extensive breeders of this wonderful race. Over 300 hives devoted to queen-
rearing.

All kinds of Bee Hives, Honey bo,\es, Comb Foundation and Beekeepers' Implements
furnished promptly at lowest prices. Send for free price list.

PRATT BEE FARM,

X.I. _fcr* lE^ -A^ T T.

BEVERLY, MASS.

THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST.

Alley's Drone-and-Queen Trap.

SIXTY THOUSAND IN USE.

Prevents swarms IVom decumping and destroys
all useless drones.

R. L. Tavlor of Lapeer, Midi., President of the
International Ameiican Beekeepers' Association
has this to say of the trap :

"The dronc-and-qiieen trap I find an in-
dispeiisiihle conveiiient^e, I xlionld feel like
a dtieli on. dry land tvithnttt it. It saves ine
ZiABOR and prevents ANXIETY."

PRICES.

One trap, by mail, $0/)5

Six, in fliit (one made seven in all) iJ.OO

Twelve '• " " " thirteen " '• 8.50

APicuLTUKiST one year and sample trap, 1.10
Address,

HENRY ALLEY.

Wenliam. Mass.

IMPORTED QUEENS.

In May and June, each, . . . . f 2 00
In July and August, each, . . . . 1 80
In September and October, each . . 1 40

jVIouey must be sent in advance. No guarantee
on shipments by mail. Queens sent by express
(8 at least), whicii die in transit, will be replaced
if returned in a letter.

CHAS. BIANCONCINI, Bologna, Italy.

THE CANADIAN

Bee Journal

EDITED BY O. A. JONES.

75 cts. per Year.

Poultry JoiirD3l

EDITED BY W. C. G. PETEH.

75 cts. per Year.

These are published separately, alternate
weeks, and are edited by live practical men, and
contributed to liy the best writers. Botli Jour-
nals are interesting, and are alike valuable to tlie
expert and amateur. Sample copies free. Botli
Journals one year to one address $1.

Until .June 1st we will send either Journal on
trial trij) for 6 mos. for 25 cts.

THE D. A. JONES CO., Ld.,

GLOBE BEE-VEIL

By Mail for $1.00.
A center rivet holds ,5 spring-steel
, cross-bars like a globe to support the
bobinetVeil. These button to a neat
.^ brass ncck-banci, holding itfirmly.
Itis easily puttogeiher;notrouble
to put on. or take off. An absolute
. protection against any insect that
[ flies. Will go over any ordinary
sized hat; can be tvyirn in bed with-
out discomfort; fits any head; does not obstruct the
vision; folds compacily, and can be carried In the
pocket: in short, it is invaluable to any one whom
flies bother, mosquitos bite, or bees sting

For sale at the office of the AncuLXURiST.
EXCELSIOR

INCUBATOR

simple, Perfect nnd 8e1f-'ReeuInttngr4

Hundreds in successful operation. Guar-
anteed to hatch a larger percentage of
fertile eggs at less cost than any other
hatcher. Sand 6c. for Illus. CatalogudJ

GEO. H. STAHL, Quincy. Hi.

The Beekeeper's Directory.

A new book is on our desk. It is entitled "The
National Beekeepers' Directory," and contains a
classified list of 2,000 beekeepers of the United
States and Canada (including about 200 supply
dealers), with essays and hints regarding the
successful management of tlie apiary. It is "com-
piled by Henry Alley, Wenhani, Mass." It con-
tains 14U ii.iges, one-half of which are devoted to
names and addresses of beekeepers, and the
other half to the practical hints mentioned above,
including iMr. Alley's " melliod for rearing queens
in full colonies, while a fertile queen has posses-
sion of tlie combs.'' Price by mail, $1.00 bound
in cloth. — American Bee Journal.

WINTER PRICES

FOR SUPPLIES OF ALL KINDS AT THE

BAY STATE APIARY

are ten per cent lower than
dnring the busy season.

HENRY ALLEY.

ROOFING

GUM-ELASTIC ROOFING FKLT cost only
$2 00 per 100 square feet. Makes a good roof
for years, and anyone can put it on. Send stamp
for sample and full particulars.

Gum Elastic Roofing Co.,
39 & 41 West 13i{oadway, New York.

Local Agents Wanted.,

-90-3.

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