132 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Now, add to allthis the stubborn fact that 

 California, in 1884, sent to tlie markets of 

 Europe, thousands of tons of honey at an 

 average of less than 5 cts. per lb., and we 

 will nave soiue crude idea of what our 

 honey will soon have to compete with in 

 the markets of the world. 



Thos. G. Jfewmau (Ills.) remarked 

 that Manitoba could not be favorable 

 for bee-culture — the season was too 

 short and there was a lack of honey- 

 producing flowers. 



Mr. Wallace ( Ontario jsaid that he 

 fully agreed with Mr. Pettit's paper 

 and mentioned the fact that the Can- 

 ada honey exhibit at Toronto was the 

 largest ever made in America. 



The Secretary read the essay of 

 James Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich., as 

 follows : 



VARIETIES OF H0NEY-BEE8 — POINTS 



OF SUPEKIORITY AND INFERIORITY 



CONSIDERED. 



In giving you my conclusions, upon 

 the above subject, conclusions formed 

 from continued careful experiment 

 with German and Italian bees, of the 

 various strains, and observation and 

 conversation with friends who have 

 experimented with Cyprians, Syrians 

 and Carniolans, I will say that I be- 

 lieve that all these so-called races 

 should properly be divided into two— 

 the brown and yellow bees ; of which 

 I believe the Italian and German 

 represent the best of the two classes. 



I find that great radical differences 

 in points of character are not found 

 between Cyprians and Syrians, or Ger- 

 mans and Carniolans, but between the 

 brown and yellow bees, of whatever 

 name they may be called. Now, if one 

 race or the other possessed all points 

 of superiority, and the other none of 

 them, any discussion regarding " best 

 bees," would be a thing of the past ; 

 but as it is a fact that points of supe- 

 riority and inferiority, are about bal- 

 anced between the races, it leaves a 

 wide field in which the apiarist may 

 well use his judgment and tact. 



I think all practical honey-producers 

 will admit that the following points of 

 differentiation between the two races, 

 not only illustrate more radical differ- 

 ences, but points of more importance. 



Let us mention of the yellow bees, 

 the following valuable points of superi- 

 ority : 



1. Protection of their home against 

 enemies. This characteristic is of 

 greater value to the novice than the 

 specialist ; or, those living in the South 

 gaining no assistance from severe 

 winters. 



2. As a rule, they have a longer pro- 

 boscis. This point is of advantage in 

 such locations as, at certain times of 

 the year, abound with flowers which 

 have many nectaries too deep for 

 honey-bees. 



While it is more or less correct to 

 say that the Italians stick better to 

 their combs, are more courageous, will 

 remain in any new location better, 

 are less liable to quarrel when differ- 

 ent colonies are united, though fiercer 

 in disposition, are less liable to sting, 

 because they are less liable to take 

 wing, that tne queen is more readily 

 found, etc. — all these are minor points, 

 and even the second, can hardly be 

 called a major point. 



Now, let us see about the brown- 

 German bees: 1. They are superior 

 comb-builders, making wax more 

 readily, of better color, capping over 

 their combs quicker and whiter, leav- 

 ing a space between the honey surface 

 and cap which not only much improves 

 the appearance but enhances the price 

 two or three cents per lb., securing a 

 more ready sale with that advance, 

 and enables the honey to bear a humid 

 atmosphere for a considerable time, 

 without any material deterioration. 



The foregoing was of not so much 

 importance 12 and 1.5 years ago, when 

 the honey supply was unequsu to the 

 demand and buyers came hundreds of 

 miles to secure our crop— let it look as 

 it might, if it was only " honey ;" but, 

 in these days, it is to me the most im- 

 portant point of superiority to be 

 found with any race of bees. 



2. They are much less inclined to 

 swarm. This is an important trait, 

 especially to the larger special pro- 

 ducer; also to any who cannot give 

 their apiaries close attention. Either 

 because they have too many apiaries 

 for the help employed, or too few colo- 

 nies in one apiary to afford them con- 

 tinual attention. 



Minor points of superiority are, that 

 they build the most worker comb and 

 straighter (some may wonder why I 

 call straight worker comb-building a 

 minor point ; because of the other- 

 wise, wise and general use of full 

 sheets of comb foundation ; but in 

 cases where such are not used, this trait 

 of the brown German bees is a major 

 point, greatly in their favor), enter 

 surplus receptacles more readily, in 

 cases where the apiarist has bad com- 

 munications thereto, are more easily 

 shaken from the combs (sometimes an 

 advantage and sometimes not), and 

 are more sensibly affected by the loss 

 of the queen. (This aids us in many 

 manipulations.) 



When swarming, these bees alight 

 sooner and with more certainty, than 

 Italians ; a swarm hives more readily, 

 they can be driven more easily, heed- 

 ing the admonitions of the smoker 

 more promptly, etc. 



I do not doubt the wisdom of choos- 

 ing the pure Italian bees, by those who 

 live in the South, and make extracted 

 honey a specialty ; but for those who 

 live in the North, and produce comb 

 honey (which I think more profitable 

 wherever the bulk of the crop is light 

 colored), the pure, brown-German bee 

 is radically my preference over any 

 Italian, Cyprian or Syrian, or crosses 

 between them. 



You may ask what of my crosses V 

 This strain of bees I have been work- 

 ing some six or seven years, hoping to 

 combine the best and most essential 

 points of character of the brown Ger- 

 man and leather-colored Italian bees. 

 I am forced to admit that my success 

 has been only partial. I consider this 

 strain to-day ahead of all other bees, 

 as a general-purpose bee, i. e. to be 

 kept in an apiary where both comb 

 and extracted honey is produced as a 

 crop. But where one is running ex- 

 clusively for comb honey, we (my stu- 

 dents and self) last season came to the 

 unanimous conclusion that while we 

 preferred this strain, to pure Italians, 



(of which we had many colonies) we 

 yet preferred the pure, brown-German 

 bee to all, for the production of comb 

 honey as a specialty. In this cross I 

 have succeeded, to my satisfaction, in 

 retaining the valuable characteristics 

 of the Italian bee, but not so well in 

 retaining those of the pure German — 

 so very valuable to the producer of 

 comb honey. 



While I am willing to pit colony for 

 colony of this strain, against an equal 

 number of Italians, for steadfastness 

 to the combs and its consequent be- 

 havior ; longer-tongue, and consequent 

 honey-gathering qualities, and faith- 

 ful protection of their home against 

 all enemies, I cannot truthfully say 

 that they will compare favorably with 

 an equal number of colonies of the 

 pure-brown Germans for the valuable 

 comb-honey and non-swarming quali- 

 fications, as above stated. 



New conditions and demands, force 

 us to different fixtures. In many 

 things, I find that what was best 15 

 years ago, (and would be to-day, were 

 conditions the same) are not best for 

 the present. I am convinced that 

 there is going to be a turning back- 

 ward from the yellow to the brown 

 bee. We are as yet little acquainted 

 with the Carniolans ; should it prove 

 that this strain is equal to the Ger- 

 mans (if nothing more), the change 

 would likely be done by introducing 

 them. 



Purchasers of queens prefer some- 

 thing new ; venders prefer the new 

 prices. This branch of the darker 

 race is already being praised (above 

 the Italians)for the same qualifications 

 possessed by the brown Germans. It 

 is however further declared that they 

 excel all in good nature ; but what, to 

 me, more than off-sets that, is an ac- 

 companying admission that they are 

 as bad or worse than the Italians 

 about swarming. My great objection 

 to the swarming impulse, is its hinder- 

 ance to the perfection of a system 

 for managing out apiaries without at- 

 tending them continually, that we 

 may with profit produce the cheap 

 honey of the future. 



To conclude I will say to all, think 

 these things over and digest them well 

 before you invest money in queen 

 bees. Ilave there not been many dol- 

 lars invested (and honestly to, at both 

 ends of the deal) that have never been 

 re-realized ? 



Mr. Wallace (Ont.) said that the 

 native bees capped the honey so that 

 it was whiter— and he thought that 

 they gave it a double capping. 



Paul L. Viallon (La.) said that he 

 could manage either race of bees, but 

 it must be said that in good seasons 

 they would gather honey about the 

 same, but in poor seasons the Italians 

 came out very far in the lead. 



O. F. Bledsoe (Miss.) said that bee- 

 culture with Italian bees meant mod- 

 eiTi bee-keeping— movable frames, etc. 

 With black bees, it was the very 

 opposite. He disagreed with Mr. 

 Heddon's essay. 



Dr. Hodgson (S. C.) remarked that 

 the minor points mentioned by Mr. 

 Heddon were major ones— and his 

 major points were butminorones. The 

 Italian bees are infinitely superior to 



