332 



October, 1915. 



American liee Journal 



occupied, the flora with approximate 

 dates of blooining of the different 

 plants, the methods of wintering with 

 dates concerning the confinement of 

 colonies in cellar, data of winter losses 

 and spring losses, apiary management, 

 and a very exhaustive review of dis- 

 ease conditions. 



Possibilities of cooperation among 

 beekeepers are shown and emphasized, 

 queen-rearing advice is given, and a 

 number of letters produced showing 

 the sentiment of beekeepers through- 

 out Wisconsin as to the progress 

 achieved, the usefulness of hive inspec- 

 tion, the possibility of help by the State 

 University and the question of profit- 

 ableness of beekeeping in Wisconsin. 



From the maps contained in the 

 work we see that some 18 or 19 coun- 

 ties on the north side of the State are 

 still practically vacant as far as bees 

 are concerned, so that there is plenty 

 of room for more beekeepers. 



From the statements made we glean 

 confirmation of several facts already 

 advanced by noted apiarists; that bass- 

 wood is an irregular honey-pioducing 

 tree, yielding nectar only about two 

 years out of five ; that aster honey often 

 causes winter losses ; that it is inad- 

 visable, as a rule, to preserve queens 

 over two years old ; that stimulative 

 feeding is profitable in locations where 

 a positive lull exists between the 

 blooming of early spring flowers, etc. 



According to the reports given in 

 this booklet, about 86 percent of the 

 progressive beekeepers in Wisconsin 

 winter their bees in the cellar. The 

 loss of bees throughout the State from 

 wintering and spring dwindling is 

 given at 15 percent for the past five 

 years. It is shown that the most of this 

 loss, amounting to about $100,000 could 

 be avoided by proper methods. 



The United States census honey- 

 crop report for Wisconsin in 1910 is 

 quoted, the amount of honey being 

 approximately 3,754,000 pounds; but 

 this is exclusive of the products har- 

 vested by beekeepers located within 

 the limits of cities, no attempt having 

 been made by the Census Bureau to 

 secure this. 



From the above, the reader may judge 

 of the interest to be produced by Mr. 

 France's work. The University of 

 Minnesota made a wise selection in 

 employing him for apiary work. 



Riviera, I stated that the bees on the 

 south side of the mountains, in Liguria, 

 are not pure Italians. But I was un- 

 able to establish the line where the 

 division between the Italian and the 

 common bee is fixed. Mr. Fiana, the 

 young apiarist whose portrait is given 

 in our August number under the uni- 

 form of a lieutenant, was kind enough 

 to make enquiries of noted apiarists in 

 Liguria, to secure for me the desired 

 information, and sent to me a letter 

 from a honey producer of the Ligurian 

 Alps, Mr. V. Oreggia. This not being 

 sufficiently explicit, I took the pains to 

 write this gentleman for further en- 

 quiry. 



The reader will perhaps wonder why 

 I did not ascertain this interesting 

 question while in Italy. The trouble is 

 that when we travel we can take only a 

 very narrow path. Besides, the line 

 separating the two different races of 

 bees must be over mountains well-nigh 

 inaccessible to them. Such is the case 

 between Switzerland proper and Italian 

 Switzerland, for north of the Swiss 

 Alps the bees are black, while south of 

 them are found as pretty Italians as 

 anywhere in Italy. The reply of Mr. 

 Oreggia confirms my expectations. On 

 the west end of the south slope of the 

 Ligurian Alps, which continue the 

 chain of the Apennines, the bees are 

 of the common race. North of this 

 chain, in Piedmont, about Limone, 

 Cuneo, Mondovi, Alba and Turin, the 

 bees are of the yellow race. But on 

 the east end of Liguria, among moun- 

 tains that end precipitously at the Medi- 

 terranean, the bees become yellower 

 and yellower until the pure race is 

 found at Genoa or east of there. I can- 

 not do better than give a full transla- 

 tion of the letter received upon this 



subject from a man who is acquainted 

 with both sides of the Ligurian Alps, 

 and owns apiaries there from which he 

 produces large crops of honey. 



Tavoi.e. PortoMaurizio. Italy. July I6.I0IS. 



rjear Mr Dadiint :—Ovj\nz to the war. your 

 letter of May 2<; was received after a delay, 

 with the two last numbers of your splendid 

 Journal. I thank you. In a conversation 

 which I had with Engineer Capponi. he had 

 already mentioned your visit and the publi- 

 cation of your trip, which had pleased him 

 greatly. 



Concerning what you desire to know. I be- 

 lieve I can furnish you the most positive 

 information, for I keep bees and have often 

 occasion to do apiary work in the zone in 

 question. 



The chain of mountains which separates 

 Piedmont from Liguria forms also the divis- 

 ion between the two races of bees, but only 

 up to a certain point, for, as I have had the 

 pleasure of mentioning it to Mr. Plana, the 

 yellow race is also found on the Ligurian 

 slope, and from Genoa towards the center 

 of Italy the race is always pure Traveling 

 from time to time through that country I 

 will make it a point to ascertain the precise 

 spot where there is a mixture of the two 

 races and will advise you of it. I have api- 

 aries situated on both slopes of the moun- 

 tain chain, and particularly at Limone (on 

 the Piedmont slope' and at Vievole (on the 

 Ligurian slope). These towns are at an alti- 

 tude of iiiDo meters. 3500 feet, and at present 

 one can go from one to the other by train, 

 through a tunnel, in 2u minutes, a distance 

 of 9 kilometers or thereabout. Well, in 

 Limone, the race is pure Italian, and it is 

 also true of all other localities in Piedmont. 

 This may be ascertained in hundreds of 

 different localities, and among them are the 

 towns which you mention. 



While enquiring of resident farmers with 

 the intention of locating apiaries and in- 

 specting the bees, I have observed hundreds 

 of colonies and have never been able to find 

 a single common bee in Piedmont The peo- 

 ple of that province know no other race. 

 Being at Limone a few years ago, my opin- 

 ion was asked concerning the question 

 whether the bees on the south slope were 

 cross, I replied in the affirmative, and ex- 

 plained that the reason of it was that the 

 bees on the Ligurian slope were of the com- 

 mon race and the difference in behavior 

 was due to the difference in race. 



ViTTORio Oreggia. 



It may interest the reader to learn 

 that Mr. Oreggia is the inventor of a 

 circular honey section, which he has 

 called " lune di miele " (honey moon), 

 which has brought him a number of 

 premiums and notices through his ex- 

 hibits at different expositions. We will 

 probably publish a picture of them. 



Purity of Italian Bees in Italy 



In the May number of the Bee Jour- 

 nal, page 1G2, in giving an account of 

 our visit to San Remo, Italy, on the 



A PAKT OK THE LIGURIAN ALPS THAT SEPARATE THE COMMON 

 BEES FROM THE ITALIAN IN LIGURIA 



