I regret very much to have to say that few if any of the supply dealers are sending out queen-traps that are of any value. About all who use the traps have an idea that they can improve its construction. Few of these people realize that all those supposed improvements were tested in my yard years before they ever saw the trap. Yet many of these useless and needless improvements have been attached to the trap by those who are selling them, rendering the trap almost worthless. An improved queen and drone-trap is illustrated in fig. 16. This trap is so constructed that no bees are destroyed by smothering. The trap does not clog and the bees have a clear and easy way through it, in and out of the hive. Three sides are covered by perforated metal, thus affording abundance of ventilation to the hive at all times. The trap prevents any bees from decamping either before or after a swarm has issued or has been hived. When a swarm issues, all that need be done is to move the hive the bees issue from to a new location, and put an empty hive in its place; take the trap and place it at the entrance of the new hive; the swarm soon returns, and while the bees are running in, draw the top slide to release the queen, and she will enter with the bees. Then stand back and see the swarm rush in pell-mell and take possession of the hive. Whew! what fun on a hot day to have all this work done without any effort on your part; no climbing trees, fretting, worry or loss of bees. Last season I saw a trap in Boston that was put up by one of the largest supply dealers in the world. I was amazed when informed that any man who ever kept bees would send out such a thing. The dealer who had it called it the “Alley” trap. I said I invented the Alley trap, but I would not own up as the inventor of a thing like the one in question. I have not dealt in the traps for many years. But I am so disgusted by what I have seen of the worthless things manufactured by other people, I shall take up the manufacture of them again. Fig. 17 represents old style trap. BROOM FOR BRUSHING BEES The first year I had bees I found that feathers were not just the thing with which to brush bees, so a corn broom, such as is used for clothing was utilized, but not until more than one-half the broom was cut out. With a sharp knife cut out nearly two-thirds of the straw material just under the binding. Then when the bees are brushed off the combs none will be destroyed if any are half way in the cells. This kind of a brush is called the “Coggswell broom.” I greatly mistake if I did not sell the Coggswell Brothers of Groton, N. Y., the first broom they ever used. The one I use and the so-called Coggswell brush are quite different. There is stock enough in the Coggswell to make a dozen of the kind used by me. See Fig. 18 for illustration of broom. [Illustration: Figure 18] POINTS IN QUEEN-REARING