32 



AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



February, 



better do so, and indeed 1 am getting themselves and that the uniformly 



into better shape each succeeding year large honey crops will show it. I 



to do this. hope to have the opportunity to test 



I am afraid that there always will be his bees in comparison with common 



some difference between different col- haphazard-bred bees as to this. 



onies as to the amount of honey they 

 store. It depends some on the way 

 they survive the winter; for it must 



[ hope there is that great difference 

 in bees as we find it in poultry. I 

 have Langshan and Hamburg stock, 



be said that we cannot as yet bring for example and the Hamburg's pro- 



our bees through a winter with that 

 degree of certainty and uniformity, 

 that is possible with sheep, horses, 

 cattle and domestic fowls. When we 

 are able to winter our bees perfectly, 

 when we can foretell when and what 



duce many more eggs. In other words 

 they produce the same number of 

 eggs (not the same bulk however) at 

 1-2 the cost, and the profits are great- 

 er accordingly. If bees will do the 

 same we ought to look after that 



the honey season will be,- when we matter, but so far I have not found 



know just in what condition the bees that difference. I am inclined to be- 



ought to be and are able to "get" Heve. that with ten pounds of black 



them there, then I think with good bees picked up at any farm house, I 



queens, young queens, the yields will 

 become more uniform. x\s matters 



can produce pretty nearly as much 

 honey as with ten pounds of the ad- 



stand now, it is not a very serious vertised strains. I propose to inake 

 drawback that colonies do not come the test by shaking these bees into 



through the winter absolutely uni- 

 form, as to strength. We are apt 



empty hives, in the same locality, dur- 

 ing the same season, at the same time. 



thus to hit it with a part of them and The bees must come from populous 

 it gives us a better opportunity to colonies and have good queens, not 



treat them as we wish. If we had to 



shake every colony on the same day, 



we would be in the same predicament 



as the man with a large peach orchard, 



all of one variety, some would have to 



"go to the dogs." 



P. S. — Since writing the foregoing I 



liave been at the Bee-Keepers' meeting 



of the New York State Association, . , , , , 



„„ J ., ^, . r .1 • at tins meetmg that he had stock, 



and it seems that some of the promi- ^ ■ ir j i 



failing queens. In order not to be 

 too hard on the Italians I might give 

 them one or two frames less in the 

 brood chamber; and if I had Carnio- 

 lans 1 might deem it best to enlarge 

 their broodnest by one or two frames 

 above what the Blacks have. 



Mr. S. D. House made the claim 



nent members do not exactly agree 

 with all I have said in the above, and 

 I will add here, as nearly as I can 

 remember what struck me most forci- 

 bly. 



Mr. Geo. B. Howe ably handled 



that would reproduce itself, and that 

 he could pick out the daughters and 

 grand daughters of a certain queen in 

 his yard by the larger number of su- 

 pers on their hives! I am glad of 

 this. I envy any bee-keeper that has 

 such a gold mine, and I hope these 



the subject of "breeding good bees." men will propagate their strains of 



He does not seem to care for color bees and improve them, fix them, 



or purity, but wants a thoroughbred and by so doing bless all bee-keepers, 



stock that will reproduce itself. He I would not want to discourage any 



holds that by careful breeding the one in attaining anything as worthy 



honey bee can be greatly improved, as this, or trying to. However it 



Says he has bees that will reproduce seems to me that the progress we can 



