THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



255 



third generation from an imported 

 Carniolan mother, unless crossed by 

 the Itahans, will resemble the blacks 

 so nearly that only the expert can 

 detect the difference. 



It is our aim to rear at the "Api" 

 Bee Farm only queens of the best 

 races. We consider the Italians 

 and Syrians, and their crosses the 

 best, for all purposes. The Syrians 

 are the smarter, more energetic and 

 hardier of the two races. It is said 

 that the Cyprian when mated to the 

 Carniolan produce a fine strain of 

 bees. The latter race are very gentle 

 in disposition, and when crossed with 

 the former transmit that good qual- 

 ity to their worker progeny, thus pro- 

 ducing a very desirable strain of bees. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



WHAT A WOMAN CAN DO WITH BEES. 



Bees in my locality wintered well 

 where they had been properly cared 

 for, but owing to the excessive rains 

 and long-continued cool weather in 

 the spring they consumed what win- 

 ter stores were left over in brood- 

 rearing without being able to gather 

 more ; consequently much of the 

 brood was torn down and destroyed, 

 and the drones were all killed. Yet, 

 despite all this management, many 

 of the little workers died of sheer 

 starvation, and that, too, with thou- 

 sands of flowers in full bloom all 

 around. It is just as essential that 

 the weather be propitious for the se- 

 cretion of honey as that there should 

 be flowers in which the nectar may 

 secrete. The hives being thus de- 

 populated is it any wonder that the 

 honey crop is a partial failure ? This 

 also explains why there have been 

 so few swarms this season. Every 

 colony that has Italian blood in it 

 speaks for itself, when you come to 

 take off your surplus honey in a sea- 

 ton like this. I have taken over loo 

 pounds per colony from several of 

 my best Italians, while from a few 



common stocks that I have, I have 

 not taken a single pound. This is 

 also the case with a neighbor living 

 just across the street from me. My 

 bees up to date have averagerl thirty 

 pounds per colony. I had forty- 

 eight colonies to begin with this 

 spring ; have an increase of only ten. 

 Thus you will see that I have taken 

 1440 pounds of honey. I have this 

 day (July 21) fixed two hives for 

 queen-rearing and am determined 

 not to be satisfied or stop trying until 

 every bee in my yard is pure Italian. 



I want to say to everybody that is 

 interested in bee culture, or that is 

 likely or liable to be stung, never pull 

 the sting out, as by doing so, because 

 of the peculiar construction or forma- 

 tion of the sting, you push the virus 

 or poison into the flesh, thus causing 

 great pain ; whereas, if you will scrape 

 the sting out with a knife you also 

 scrape the poison out, thus relieving 

 the pain at once : I then blow a little 

 warm smoke on the place from a 

 smoker, and the trouble is ended. 



This morning (July 22), while go- 

 ing to a neighbor's house I passed 

 through a few acres of cotton, upon 

 which I found hundreds of bees 

 busily at work. All of these were 

 either pure Italian or hybrids ; not a 

 single native bee could I see. After 

 reaching my neighbors I looked 

 through her four colonies of native 

 bees, and not a pound of surplus 

 honey was to be found. There have 

 only been a few pounds taken from 

 one colony this season, and, judging 

 from appearances, there will not be 

 any more. 



Mrs. Sallie E. Sherman. 



[By request of Mrs. Sherman we 

 give place to the above. It shows 

 what a woman can do at keeping 

 bees, and also, the superiority of 

 the Italian bees. Our lady readers 

 will be pleased to know that Mrs. 

 Sherman has promised to become a 

 regular correspondent to the " Am- 

 erican Apiculturist".] 



