106 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 14 



An illustration of this occurred about 1906. E. R. Root discovered 

 one of his colonies of bees working on red clover when all other colonies 

 were doing nothing. Investigation showed that the tongue length of the 

 bees of this colony was twenty-three one-hundredths (23-100) to twenty 

 four one hundredths (24-100) of an inch ^V'hile the tongues of ordinary 

 bees are sixteen one-hundredths (1(3-100) of an inch to seventeen one- 

 hundredths (17-100) of an inch in length. This particular sport colony 

 degenerated back to the nornial stock, although an attempt was made to 

 save the long-tongue character. (E. R. Root, Jour, of Heredity, Vol 7, 

 No. 1, Jan. 191G. Page 46). 



The solution of this problem requires a knowledge of bee behavior 

 and of the morphology and physiological reactions of the generative 

 organs. The data of real value which are now available are meagre and it 

 is apparent that a successful solution of this problem necessitates a very 

 large amount of further study and investigation. 



When we are able to definitely control queen beematings, there will 

 then be available for genetic or heredity studies an animal offering 

 probably greater opportunities for results than has the fruit fly, Droso- 

 phila. This one possibility alone would be worth more to the people of 

 the United States than all the honey produced in this country. 



About 1800, F. Huber, in France showed that the queen bee is mated 

 in the open air, on the wing, and that this fertilization may last for 

 several years. 



In 1745 Bonnet described parthenogenesis in plant lice. About 1845 

 Dzierzon in "Eichstadt Bienenzeitung" stated his theory that drone 

 bees develop from unfertilized eggs. 



The movable frame hive invented about 1851, Italian bees introduced 

 from 1861 on, the honey extractor about 1860, comb foundation about 

 1857, a practical bellows smoker about 1865, and great crops of honey 

 secured from bees created such an interest that the American Bee Journal 

 began its publication in 1865 during the Civil War. 



It was soon apparent that it was difficult to keep pure the Italian bees 

 or any of the other races being introduced, Carniolan, Caucassian, and 

 Cyprian especially, because of the almost universal presence of common 

 black or German bees within a mile or so of any conveniently located 

 queen breeding apiary. The desire also developed to produce breeding 

 stock of the different races of bees, emphasizing gentleness, honey gather- 

 ing qualities and color markings. 



From 1870 to perhaps 1900 the dream of beekeepers as noted especially 

 in the American Bee Journal was to control the mating of the queen so 

 that races and strains could be kept pure and desired qualities obtained 

 and propagated. 



