388 ITALIAN HONEY BEE. 



opinion as to whether the recently imported Italian 

 bees will prove really superior to our common native 

 bees, or not. They are being rapidly propagated and 

 diffused over the country ; and to secure this result, 

 the main effort is now directed. Another season will 

 be required to determine "their merits. The fact that 

 so many of our oldest apiarians have considerable 

 confidence in them, argues well in their favor. We 

 have watched their multiplication from a single swarm, 

 and if the rate of increase be as great at other points 

 to which the queens are being daily dispatched, it will 

 not take long to fill the country with them if such I 

 a consummation be desirable. Below we give an ex- 

 tract from a letter, dated August 10th, written by 

 Mr. E. A. Brackett, the well known sculptor, who is j 

 an enthusiastic amateur in bees also. His suggestion . 

 in regard to improving bees, by care in selecting 

 breeding queens, is worthy of attention. All kinds 

 of domestic animals have been brought to a much 

 higher standard, by special care in breeding. Why 

 may not our common bees be in like manner improved ? 

 No attention has been given to this subject, so far as 

 we know. Let some one of our bee-keepers try the 

 experiment. 



" Who knows but that in a few years, we may get a 

 race of bees that shall rival the humble bee in size, 

 and in ability to extract sweets from a large class of , 

 deep-tubed flowers, such as the red clover, and others, ; 

 which are now useless for the common honey bee. 

 We hope those who undertake the enterprise, will re- , 



