14 
a little practice will become easy, and as the opening and manipulation 
of hives in securing honey, etc., is equally simple and attended with no 
greater risks, it is safe to say that almost anyone can, with perse- 
verance and the exercise of due caution, learn to manipulate bees with 
perfect freedom and without serious risk of being stung. 
HOW TO AVOID STINGS. 
Stings can be avoided, first, by having gentle bees. If no other 
point of superiority over the common brown or black bee than that of 
gentleness could be fairly claimed for some of the races introduced and 
some of the strains developed in recent years, it would still be worth 
while to get them on this account alone. When the fact of superiority 
in several other important points is considered also, there should be no 
further question as to the advisability of procuring them in preference 
to the common variety. The beginner is advised never to think of 
doing otherwise. No one likes stings, and even the veteran who affects 
insensibility to the wrath of his 
charges will find his interest and 
pleasurein them much increased by 
replacing blacks and their crosses 
with better varieties. Nor is this 
merely to gratify a fancy or for convenience alone. 
If, by reason of the stinging qualities of the bees kept, 
an examination for the purpose of ascertaining the con- 
dition of a colony of bees becomes a disagreeable task 
to the one who cares for the apiary, little things neces- 
sary to the welfare of the colonies will be postponed or 
omitted altogether and the apiary will soon present a 
neglected appearance, and the actual profits will be affected. 
Of the races already in general cultivation, Carniolans are the gen- 
tlest, although Caucasians, more recently introduced from south- 
eastern Russia and only now being put on sale, are by far the least 
inclined to sting of any bees, and may be handled at all times without 
resorting tothe protection of a bee veil, and generally without smoke, or 
at most a very slight application of smoke. Some strains of Italians 
equal in gentleness average Carniolans, but in general the race native to 
Italy is by no means as gentle as that found in Carniola, Austria, and the 
Caucasians are much to be preferred for the beginner. In case these 
gentler races are not easily procurable he need not hesitate, however, 
to undertake, after adopting due precautions, the manipulation of 
pure Italians. . 
In crossing well-established breeds the males of a gentle race should 
be used, otherwise the workers of the cross may vary greatly in tem- 
per, especially in the first few generations. Only careful selection 
59 


Fic. 1.—The Bing- 
ham bee smoker. 
