1887 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



o4H 



ITALIANS. CARNIOLANS, HOLY 

 LANDS, AND CYPRIANS. 



WHICH RACE IS THE BEST, AND UI'ON WHA'C ClU 

 TEKION SHOULD WE BASE OUR .lUDOMENTSV 



'E notice that tlie difl'erent races of bees 

 have their ehiimpions, and undoubtedly 

 they think tliey are really siii)erior to the 

 pure Italians. Now, if these claimed jioints 

 of superiority over the Italian bee can be 

 niaiiituiiied by actual practice, then we must ai'- 

 knowledge the Ftalian bee is in the background; and 

 the ne.vt point to arrivi- at is, >vhich of the other 

 races stands at the head, all points considered? It is 

 claimed for the Carniolans, that they are the 

 most g-entle of all bees, do not gather i)ropolis, are 

 excelled by none as honey gatherers, are better 

 nurse-bees, breed up earlier in the spring and later 

 in the fall. The champions ot the Holy Lands have 

 about the same story to rep( at, and the advocates 

 of Cyprian superiority will tell us, "If we know 

 how to handle Cyps they are just as gentle as any 

 other bees;" and some even go so far as to say they 

 handle theirs without smoke, but do not say wheth- 

 er the bees make them smoke for so doing or not. 

 The great majority tell iis that the Italian bees are 

 the best— first, last, aiui nlways, and with that class 

 we stand; but we are ready and willing to accept 

 some other bees instead, whenever their superiori- 

 ty is shown. Can breeders of anj' other race of bees 

 show such yields of honey as have been produced 

 by Italians? Will not the Italians breed up as ear- 

 ly in the spring as need be, if they have been win- 

 tered as they should be? And, again, will not the 

 Italians breed up just as late in tlie fall as the sea- 

 son will really warrant them in doing? Is it any 

 e.xtra quality, when any race of bees will breed ex- 

 cessively in season and out of season, as it is claim- 

 ed the Carniolans do? and is it any point of superi- 

 ority when we say they will not gather propolis? If 

 so, why is it, and how is it? A breeder of Holy 

 Lands states one point where his bees are better 

 than the Italians, and we certainly believe it, if it is 

 true; and that is, the Holy Lands never sting any 

 one when they are astray, but the Italians are 

 guilty of constantly prodding it to a person if he 

 gets near them when astray. It is not perfectly 

 clear to our mind just what is meant by the word 

 "astray "when used in this connection. Is it the 

 bees or the bee-keepers that are liable to get astray? 

 We fear greatly that it is the bee-keev>ers who are 

 guilty of such actions; and perhaps a real good 

 healthy half-dozen Italians would do much toward 

 bringing them back to the path of rectitude. But, 

 letting this all pass, is there any one foolish enough 

 to keep bees because they do not sting, or because 

 thej' do not gather propolis? or because they are 

 very prolific? We think not. We keep bees because 

 we get our bread and butler by so doing, and for 

 the pennies to lay aside for a rainy day; and now if 

 there is any race of bees that will furnish us more 

 bread and butter, and put more pennies in our 

 jjocket, they are the very bees we are looking for, 

 and the ones we want to hear al)out. 

 Rochester, <)., .July 5. 18s7. M. W. Shki'HEUD. 



Friend S., we think your remarks are right 

 to the point. We keep bees for the pennies 

 they may bring us. That race which, from 

 its superior merits, can give us the most 

 pennies is the one destined sooner or hiter 

 to be our clioice. From our own experience. 



as well as from tlie multitude of reports 

 which pass oiu' eyes, we never yet have 

 found a race of bees wiiicli would produce 

 viore pounds of honey than tlie justly prais- 

 ed Italians. That race of bees which will 

 make a decided increase in our honey-tnop 

 from year to year will very soon crowd 

 themselves among us. As long as the large 

 majority stick by the daughters of sunny 

 Italy, and their crosses, and so few, com- 

 paratively, say any thing in favor of the oth- 

 er races, we must concede the pahn to the 

 Italians. 



MUTH-RASMUSSEN'S SUPER-SPRING. 



VARIOUS MATTERS. 



TN your foot-note to my article, p. 46(5, you ask; 

 la! "Are we to understand that one spring is all 

 ^v you use to each division-board?" Yes, certain- 

 ■*■ ly. One spring is enough. The springs are 

 quite strong, and it requires even some little 

 force to push them down into place, if they are prop- 

 erly adjusted to the space between the division- 

 board and the super. Experience will soon teach 

 what tension is necessary. A button-hook might 

 perhaps do to draw the spring with (I have not tried 

 it), but it would be too small and short for replacing 

 the spring. This can, however, be done by pressing 

 with a small Hat stick (as the side-piece of a brood- 

 frame), or any other flat implement you may hap- 

 pen to have at hand, on top of the loop of the spring. 

 I find that it hurts my hand to try to force the 

 spring down without some such aid. The button- 

 hook, if strong enough, might be carried in the 

 pocket; but as my hands, when at work with the 

 bees, are always more or less sticky with honey and 

 propolis, I avoid as much as possible putting them 

 in the pockets, and prefer having all the re()Uired 

 implements in the tool-box, which I carry around 

 with me. 



To avoid misunderstanding, let me say to the 

 readers of Gi^eanings, that in my original draw- 

 ings I had represented the spring in the position 

 which it occupies in the super. If you will turn the 

 page around, so that the eye of the hook is up, you 

 will have the correct position— and I think a better 

 view— of the spring. 



In my written explanations I therefore called the 

 arm A " horizontal," which it will always be, when 

 in use. The engraver has, however, turned the 

 spring over on its side, and to correspond with this 

 position the editor calls the arm A " perpendicu- 

 lar." Yet in the second column he uses the word 

 " horizontal" twice. Here is where the misunder- 

 standing might come in, as if the "horizontar' arm 

 and the "perpendicular " arm were two ditterent 

 parts of the spring, while in reality they are one 

 and the same thing. 



Now let me object a little to your objection. While 

 you admit that the device is quite ingenious, and 

 perhaps the best thing that can be devised for the 

 purpose, yet^ you cry out. " A little complicated," 

 which is only a slight variation of your usual ex- 

 pression, " Too much machinery." Something must 

 certainly be used to keej) the frames close together, 

 and what can be more simple and etfectual than a 

 spring which will adjust itself to slightly varying 

 distances? Vou must acknowledge that it is a 

 great way ahead of wedges, and also that it is much 

 (juicker adjusted than screws. The space it occu- 



