234 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



otherwise wonld be, for she wears an apron that covers 

 all the dress except the sleeves (Fig. 84). This apron is 

 made of denim, and has two large pockets. It is made 

 after pattern No. 3,696 of the Butterick Publishing Co. 

 To cover the sleeves of her dress, she uses a pair of white 

 sleeves fastened together by a strap sewed to each sleeve 

 across the back, a similar strap in front being sewed to 

 one sleeve and buttoned to the other. The wrists of 

 these sleeves are sewed to the wrists of her gloves, and 

 ripped off whenever it is necessary to wash either gloves 

 or sleeves. For convenience, several pairs are kept. 



QUEEN-REARING BREEDING FRO:\I BEST. 



My sole business with bees being to produce honey, 

 I am not particubr to keep a popular breed of bees, only 

 so far as their popularity comes from their profitableness 

 as honey-gatherers. I am anxious to have those that are 

 industrious, good winterers, gentle, and not given to 

 much swarming. For some years I got an imported 

 Italian queen every year or two. Then for a good many 

 years I preferred to rear from queens of my own whose 

 workers had distinguished themselves as being the most 

 desirable. The chief thing considered was the amount 

 of honey stored. Little or no attention was paid to 

 color, and unfortunately no more to temper. So I had 

 bees that were hybrids, hustlers to store, but anything 

 but angels in temper. Then, beginning with 1906, I in- 

 troduced quite a number of Italian queens, in the hope 

 that among them I might find one as good as my hybrid 

 stock, without so much ill temper. The hope was not 

 realized, but continued effort may bring success. 



IMPORTANCE OF SELECTION. 



The queen being the very soul of the colony, I hardly 

 consider any pains too great that will give better queens. 

 The first thing is to select the queen from which to rear, 

 for generally all rearing will be from the same queen, 



