578 



AMERICAN. BEE JOURNAL. 



However, in a hanging-frame only 7 

 inches deep, which I use, I prefer to 

 space and fix the frames by a very light 

 form of the Van Deusen metal corner, 

 as it spaces exact 1% inches from center 

 to center, and does not interfere with 

 the ease with which the frame may be 

 taken from the hive. It is, therefore, 

 my opinion that between these two 

 methods the public need not look further 

 for a practical means of keeping the 

 Langstroth frame in its place. The 

 preference, then, must be given to brood- 

 frames with open end-bars. — Read at the 

 Ohio State Convention. 



New Philadelphia, Ohio. 



Propolis, Blact Bees, Etc. 



ALLEN LATHAM. 



I was much surprised to see the query 

 on page 444, about propolis. I wanted 

 to ask the querist why he did not find 

 out for himself. However, when a well- 

 known apiarist replies to this question, 

 that bees carry propolis in their honey- 

 sacs, I am no longer surprised at the 

 question. Is it possible that there is a 

 bee-keeper of a year's experience who 

 has not seen a worker carrying propolis 

 — has not seen such a worker with its 

 propolis-covered legs stuck together ? It 

 is one of the commonest sights in July 

 and August. Who has not seen the 

 bees carrying paint, varnish, and even 

 wax in that same way ? 



VALUE OF BLACK BEES. 



I hope that the "blacks" will find 

 hearty supporters. I am glad that there 

 are so many bee-keepers coming forward 

 to uphold this race of bees. In my mind 

 there is no question but that the blacks 

 are as good as the Italians. The Ital- 

 ians are prettier. If the Italians seem 

 superior to the blacks at present, it is 

 because more attention has been paid to 

 the breeding of them. Why not; breed 

 the blacks? 



It is certainly true that this much- 

 abused race of bees is more ready to en- 

 ter the sections, and will produce better 

 looking honey. I never had a colony of 

 Italians which would give me well-filled 

 sections of white comb. I think that we 

 can ill-afford to ueglec^t the black bees, 

 if we keep them for no other purpose 

 than to cross with the pretty Italians. 



•JUDGING BEES AT FAIRS. 



Messrs. Trego, on page 421, give 

 what is to me an unsatisfactory " scale 



of marking." Thirty per cent, for 

 " size " is too much. It is difiBcult in the 

 first place to give good judgment upon 

 the size of bees. Two bees of equal size 

 may seem unequal if one be partly filled 

 with honey. I should rather leave size 

 out altogether, than to count it so much. 

 If the queen is to be considered at all, 

 she should have more than 10 points ; 

 also the style of comb and hive, if to be 

 considered at all, should be considered 

 of more account. 



IMPORTANCE OF GOOD DRONES. 



Mr. Teflt, on page 420, gives a sug- 

 gestion as to the value of drones in a 

 hive where queens are reared. This 

 seems to me a very important matter. I 

 confess to know nothing about it. I 

 wish that we might have the opinions 

 of queen-breeders upon this point. 



Cambridge, Mass. 



Me Italian aM lie BM Bees. 



FRANK ARNOLD. 



I have had ten years' experience in 

 bee-keeping, and had Italian bees for 

 five years. I gave them a pretty good 

 test, and am in favor of the Italians ; 

 for honey-gathering I found them far 

 superior to the blacks. 



On page 450 is an article by H. C. 

 Farnum, wherein he says that in his 

 experience with Italians, he finds they 

 are not an inferior race of bees, far from 

 it, and says that the blacks are ahead 

 in honey-gathering in his location, es- 

 pecially when honey is scarce. 



This is contrary to my experience ; 

 when honey is scarce, the Italians are 

 far ahead, but when honey is coming in 

 rapidly, I did not notice so great a dif- 

 ference, but by no means were the blacks 

 ahead, even the hybrids are superior to 

 the pure natives, and occasionally I find 

 a colony of hybrids that are equal to the 

 best of pure Italians in honey-gathering 

 qualities ; but I do not like them on ac- 

 count of their vindictiveness. 



With the Italian and native bees there 

 must be a great difference in the various 

 localities, and the only difference I can 

 see in such localities is the different 

 honey-plants on which one race of bees 

 works better than the others. In other 

 respects, such as wintering, I do not 

 notice so great a difference. 



Native bees usually breed latest in the 

 Fall, and Italians earliest in the Spring. 

 This is probably caused by the Italians 

 filling their brood-chamber chock-full of 



