386 ITALIAN HONEY BEE. 



sire informati Qn of the qualities of this beautiful and industri- 

 ous race. 



S. B. PARSONS. 

 FLUSHING, L. I., Sept. 27th, 1860. 



LETTER FROM REV. L. L. LANGSTROTH. 



I have three colonies (artificial swarms) to which Italian 

 queens were given in June. All of the common bees appear 

 to have died ; and if we may judge from the working of these 

 colonies, the Italians will fully sustain their European reputa- 

 tion. They have gathered more than twice as much honey as 

 the swarms of the common bee. This, however, has been chiefly 

 gathered within the last few weeks ; during which time, the 

 swarms of common bees have increased but very little in weight. 

 The season has been eminently unfavorable for the new swarms, 

 (one of the very worst I ever knew) and the prospect is, that 

 I shall have to feed all of them except the Italians. 



L. L. LANGSTROTH. 

 August 24th, 1860. 



LETTER FROM DR. J. P. KIRTLAND. 



In your last letter, you expressed a wish to hear from me 

 the result of my experience with the Italians, etc. 



FIRST. Their disposition to labor far excels that of the 

 common kind. From the earliest dawn of day to the arrival 

 of evening, they are invariably passing in and out of the hive, 

 and rarely suspend their work for winds, heat, or moderate 

 showers at times when not a solitary individual fcf the com- 

 mon kind is to be seen. Two hours, each day, their labors 

 are extended beyond the working time of the last named kind. 



SECOND. Power of endurance, and especially of resisting 

 the impression of cold, they possess in a marked degree. Since 



