396 



Foreign Races of Bees. 



A paper on Italian bees, by Mr. James 

 Heddoii, was then read. Mr. Koot moved a 

 vote ot thanks for this valuable paper. Mr. 

 Heddon was a practical apiarist and his 

 chanj^e of views in favor of Italians was a 

 powerful argument in their favor. 



Dr. S. P. Parsons, of Flushing, L. I., by 

 invitation of the President, addressed the 

 Convention. He said he was surprised to 

 bear men speaking of importing queens still 

 from Italy. If he wanted a good queen, he 

 would prefer a 40tb or 50tli cousin of some 

 of those he had imported at first. He had 

 two regrets about his connection with Italian 

 bees— one was, that he lost about $1,000 by 

 his enterprise, aiid tlie other was, that he 

 did not have an opportunity once of letting 

 his bees loose on a New York mob. During 

 the draft riots in New York, one of the lead- 

 ers of the mob sent him word, that, as he 

 was one of the original abolitionists, they 

 were going to pay bim a visit. He gave his 

 men orders to carry bis bees and set them 

 upon the edge of a verandah about 1.5 feet 

 from the ground, and when the mob came 

 near to kick them over, when he expected a 

 rare enjoyment in seeing them scatter the 

 crowd. But the ferry stopped running, and 

 the fun was spoiled. He was requested by 

 the Government, during a tour in Italy, to 

 investigate the bees of that country. He did 

 so. and purchased 24 colonies for himself, 

 from which but one queen and a handful of 

 bees in one hive survived the voyage. Just 

 then he had a visit from Mr. Langstroth, 

 who took the remnants in band, and nursed 

 them up into a prosperous colony. His last 

 sales were of 800 queens. 



It was moved and seconded, that a vote of 

 thanks be tendered Dr. Parsons for his in- 

 teresting address. Carried unanimously. 



The President regretted that Mr. Lang- 

 stroth was not present to meet his friends, 

 and re-read the cominunication from him. 



Dr. Parsons paid a very graceful tribute to 

 the character of Mr. Langstroth, and his 

 devotion to the science and culture of bees. 



Mr. Betsinger moved that Mr. Langstroth 

 be cordially invited to attend the next meet- 

 ing of the Association, and that his expenses 

 be borne by the Society. Carried. 



Dr. Smith, who had traveled extensively 

 in Asia and Africa, spoke about bees of 

 those countries, and his interest in the sub- 

 ject from his youth. He many years ago 

 wrote a little book on bees. He knew more 

 about the bees, than of the different races of 

 bees. He had kept them in the heart of 

 Boston, where they niade a great deal of 

 honey, which he once exhibited at Horticul- 

 tural Hall, but most persons were skeptical 

 about it, and he lost n-putation for veracity. 

 ANo kept them at the Quarantine grounds, 

 and found them peaceable generally. They 

 were sometimes made angry by the too near 

 approach of uncleanly persons. The per- 

 spiration of some persons is offensive to 

 them. There is a small, stingless bee in 

 Brazil, that builds its cells in little cups like 

 an egg cut transversely. When the ants are 

 rearing brood, the ant bear leaves them and 

 climbs the trees and feeds upon these sting- 

 less bees, which gives the ants a chance to 



increase in numbers. One of these colonies 

 was once brought to Boston, but it was 

 so preyed upon by various enemies that it 

 dwindled away. In the Holy Land, about 

 Bethlehem, there are many bees. They are 

 kept in earthen pots made of clay unbaked, 

 placed horizontally in rows, sometimes 206 

 in range. It is, in truth, a land of milk and 

 honey. The honey is of great excellence. 

 At every step you tread ui)on flowers. The 

 honey is obtained by taking it out of the 

 end of the cylinder. Bee-culture is very 

 rude in Turkey. In Africa they are not cul- 

 tivated, but are found in trees. In rocky 

 portions ot Greece the bees build in rocks^ 

 and the honey is often secured by raking it 

 out of the crevices. The honey is some- 

 times poisonous, and the poisoning of Xen- 

 ophon's soldiers has been banded down. 



Mr. Shearer gave in full the origin of tang- 

 ing bees, as connected with the birth of Ju- 

 piter. 



Untested Queens. 



Mr. Alley said that he sent out as good 

 queens for $1.00 as he had done lor $2.00 or 

 $2.50. 



Mr. King thought it was an injury to the- 

 business to send out untested queens. 



Mr. Porter thought if Mr. Alley and others 

 could furnish good queens for $1.00, the 

 matter ought to be left to the laws of trade. 



Rev. Shearer wislied the teims" dollar 

 queens " " warranted queens " and "tested 

 queens" defined. 



Mr. Alley replied that a "warranted' 

 queen" was one reared from amotber whicb 

 produced three-banded workers and which 

 he warranted to be good. A " tested queen" 

 was one he knew to be good. 



The President defined a dollar queen to 

 be an untested queen, and be thought no 

 Italian queens ought to be sold before l)eing 

 tested. 



Mr. Oatman said he had bought many 

 queens from whose colonies he had obtained 

 no surplus, and that he did not secure any 

 till he had bought queens that had beea 

 tested and known to be good. 



L. C. Koot offered the following: Resolved 

 that we as an Association advise beginners 

 to buy only tested queens of reliable breed- 

 ers. 



Mr. Nellis thought that the dollar queen 

 biTsiness was so well established, that it 

 would be hard to break it up. People 

 wanted cheap queens under various circum- 

 stances, and as long as there was a demand 

 for them it would be supplied. He had 

 spoiled his stock by the introduction of im- 

 ported queens. Many queens brought from 

 Europe were unfit to be put into a hive. He 

 will not import any longer, but will breed 

 up a strain that suits bim. 



The Kesolution was then put to a vote 

 and carried unanimously. 



Mr. L. C. Root then read a paper entitled 

 " Hints to Beginners." 



Dr. Trimble. Will any one take appren- 

 tices ? it is stated that even one day spent 

 with a practical man in the working season 

 would advance one very much, and might 

 be all he would need as a stepping-stone to 

 success, while others might with advantage 



