384 ITALIAN HONEY BEE. 



successful. We have thought it might be interesting 

 to bee-keepers, and many who intend to be, to hear 

 relative to the genuineness of his stock. But with- 

 out relying solely upon his statements in regard to 

 the intrinsic merits of his own hobby, we give the 

 experience of others, in the shape of letters, entirely 

 reliable and conclusive." 



LETTER FROM A. J. BIGLOW. 



EDITOR CULTURIST : Knowing that you have taken a deep 

 interest in the propapation of the honey bee in California, I 

 have taken the liberty to address you on the subject of the 

 Italian bee. I am on a visit to the Atlantic States, to satisfy 

 myself whether they are actually superior to the common bee. 

 I am fully satisfied that they are. I find a greater difference 

 between them and the common kind, in their appearance, than 

 I expected. The Italians are truly beautiful, to one who is an 

 admirer of the industrious little insect. There are two or three 

 parties who have imported the Italian bee from Europe ; but, 

 as far as I could learn, there are only two queens in this country 

 that are direct from the mountains of Italy, where the black 

 bee is not known ; they are in the hands of Mr. S. B. Parsons, 

 of Flushing, N. Y. I have procured a few queens of him, and 

 shall use every effort in my power to try and get them through 

 safely to California. For their capacity to gather honey, I 

 refer you to Mr. Parsons' statements, and others to whom he 

 refers. 



A. J. BIGLOW. 



NEW YORK, Sept. 28th, 1860. 



