The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-25
Traffic I'm Queen Bees.
New York Post

New 1Ork POSt.
OF the many orders for queer things re-
ceived by New York exporters from vari
Gus quarters of the globe perhaps none is
more interesting than an occasional reouest
for queen bees. Such orders come princi-
pally from the West Indies, and. inasmucb
as the commission merchant is generally
called upon to handle the honey and wax
produced there by the progeny of these in
sects, he finds a safe business investment
tx shipping the bees. even though they
form no source of profit in themselves.
Queen bees are reared in the West and
South, in the districts where clover is album
dant, and the industry is by no means in
significant. Ohio is large breeding center.
There is one firm in Medina which has 500
colonies devoted to the rearing of high
class honey bees, besides a factory i'm
which are manufactured the hundred and
ore things used by the up-to-date bee
keeper.
There are many grades of queen bees
and the breeder must thoroughly UNDER
stand the highly organized insects if he
expects to produce vigorous, healthy stock
that can be depended on to gather honey
in large quantities. To this end he selects
for mothers none but honey queens USUALLY
imported(-queens whose progeny have ex-
celled all others in the apiary. In placing
his order the buyer is requested to specify
whether he desires a red clover" or a
honey" queen. The first mentioned stock
is bred for red clover, while the last named
will show up well during an ordinary honey
flow from clover, Eastwood and other flow
ers. The prices vary according to the
grades. An INFESTED queen costs 81, a test
ed queen s., and those called select breeding
queens bring So and $3.50 respectively and
an 'etxra select" one year old, is worth
SO Imported Italian queens furnished by
the best breeders of that country are the
ones usually sent TO the West Indies and
they are thoroughly tested in the Western
apiaries before shipment. They cost from
So to s. each, but common Italian queens.
bred in this country from pure imported
stock, can be bought at lower figures -
nor later than Nov pPHed Peaore t may i i
a certain amount of luxury. being shipped
in ventilated boxes containing one or more
roomy apartments. and the postage to all
parts of the United States and Canada is 1
cent. All the cages, as they are called
are provisioned with special bee candy
| so that the queen may never go hungry
and the export cages In addition, with a
small portion of sealed honey. The honey
and the prepared food make a satisfactory
combination and 80 to 20 per cent. Of the
| queens are delivered alive. no matter what
| length the journey may be. Bees for ex-
port travel In cages larger than the or
| linary size and come to New York through
! the mails or by express, afterwards 60
| ing to their West Indian destination, not
| in a mailbag. but under the care of the
Queen bee; deliver quick" and postmen,
| expressmen and ships officers follow the
instructions faithfully.
Cuba, Jamaica and Santo Domingo are
| the islands to which the greatest num-
Der of queens are sent, and it is from
| there that New York receives the bulk of
its imported honey. Last year more than
| 1900 packages-tierceS. barrels and tins
were received here, and as a fierce will
hold 10 gallons a barrel fifty and a tin
something less than twenty gallons, il may
be seen that the merchant is amply re-
| paid for the trouble he takes in supplying
| the orders for queens.
There are various grades of imported
honey. the quality depending on the kind
| of flowers from which ii is extracted.
| Where bees feed the flowers of the to-
| bacco plant honey is dark and contains a
| slight flavor of tobacco. but in some parts
/ CT Cuba the apiarist grows fields of certain
| flower producing plants. and from these the
tiny workers extract an excellent syrup.
| All of Ii. however contains dead bees and
| other foreign matter and must be clarified
| after its arrival. Ii goes through the hands
/ of the broker here to large grocery houses,
| tobbers and confectioners. and when the
| New York market is dull the surplus is
| shipped in bond TO Germany and Holland,
1 these countries consume even more per
/ capita than the United States. InNiermany
honey cakes" are weil-known article OF