PRINCIPAL SOURCES. 



401 



blossom at all times. The Italian bee seems to bf in advanc-o 

 of other races, in this respect, and so-called ^'red-clover 

 queens" have been bred and offered for sale. The attempt is 

 praiseworthy, but we must not lose sight of the fact that 

 traits of this kind are verj- slow to become fixed and we 



•- .^-*^>-?^ 



Fig. 156. 



ALFALFA OR LUCERNE. 



(From Vilmorin-Andrieux. Paris.) 



should beware of too much enthusiasm. Very' fugitive prog- 

 ress will probably be made for a long time, before anything 

 fixed is secured. 



Bee-keepers may ascertain for themseh'es the comparative 

 length of tongue of their bees, by the help of a very simple 



