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STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



through the sujjer and without separators between. This colony was fed 

 less than a pound a day. 



These supers were examined every day and progress noted. At first 

 the bees began on the drawn and scarcely touched the thin. Later on 

 these conditions were reversed, and the bees showed a marked preference 

 for the thin. In Nos. 2 and 3 the supers were removed before they were 

 entirely filled, and in these the drawn was ahead. Had No. 3 been fed as 

 heavily as No. 1, it probably would have shown a preference for the 

 drawn. In each super there were twelve sections of drawn and twelve 

 of thin. The results of the test are tabulated below: 



Per cent of honey in the thin foundation 96.46 



Per cent of honey in the drawn foundation 95.51 



Per cent of wax in the thin foundation 3.54 



Per cent of wax in the drawn foundation 4.49 



A great many queens were bred for the purpose of testing the question 

 whether a strain of bees could be produced which should be characterized 

 by long toiigues. The tongues of several bees of each colony were meas- 

 ured and were found to average as follows: Black, 4.2 m. m.; Hybrid, 

 4.9 m. m.; Italian, 5.2 m. m. One colony of Italians had tongues measur- 

 ing 5.3 m. m. The drones from this hive were allowed to fiy at will and 

 all the others kept down. As a result, we have one queen the tongues of 

 whose progeny measure 5.41 m, m. This result is very encouraging and 

 leads us to continue the experiment. 



Respectfully submitted, 



JOHN M. RANKIN, 



Apiarist. 



