260 



THE AMERICAN APICULTVRIST. 



interest taken in bee culture we give 

 the remarks of Mr. Downer, a mem- 

 ber who favored a bill excluding 

 black bees from the above island, 



Mr. H. E. Downer, in moving the 

 second reading, said tliis measure was 

 of considerable importance to those 

 interested in bee culture and to the res- 

 idents of Kangaroo Island. Tlie Cham- 

 ber of Manufactures was so impressed 

 with the advisability of introducing 

 and keeping pure the breed liuown as 

 the Italian or Ligurian bee that, at their 

 request, and that of some other people, 

 his honorable colleague tabled a motion 

 in the matter, and when he had ac- 

 cepted a position in the Government 

 the task devolved on him (Mr. Downer) 

 of moving the second reading of the 

 Bill. He was assured by those who 

 had paid great attention to the matter 

 that the Ligurian had great advantages 

 over the ordinary black bee. It was a 

 distinct species which for many cen- 

 turies had been cultivated in Italy, and 

 was celebrated for its great power of 

 collecting honey, and for its quietness 

 and docility. The drawback to having 

 both sorts of bees living in the same 

 district was that they mixed very read- 

 ily, and the result was a combination, 

 which, although an improvement on 

 the black be,e," yet had several disad- 

 vantages which rendered a fusion of 

 the two races extremely undesirable. 

 While the Ligurian bee was very ami- 

 able and quiet in its disposition, tlie 

 hybrids showed a high degree of com- 

 baliveuess, and attacked a.ny person or 

 animal who approached their hive. 

 The Ligurians gathered more honey, 

 and what was a great advantage in a 

 new country, they had larger families 

 than the others. The question of the 

 desirability of introducing the Ligurian 

 bee being settled, the next point was 

 to find some locality suited to th«ir 

 culture, and where the race might be 

 kept pure. Such a place was Kangaroo 

 Island, both by its distance from the 

 mainland and the trees and plants which 

 grew there, and whose tlowers would 

 form excellent food for the bees. Al- 

 ready a good deal was done in the way 

 of importing bees from Italy, and in- 

 asmuch as tliey could not be carried 

 a longer voyage than about thirty days 

 without considerable loss. Kangaroo 

 Island would form a useful depot for 

 the culture of the bee, whence the other 

 Australian colonies and New Zealand 

 could draw their supplies of pure stock. 

 Mr. Bonney, who was a well-known 



authority on the sulDJect, had supplied 

 him with some notes, in which he co- 

 incided with these views. The only 

 other question to consider was whether 

 the exclusion of the black bee from the 

 island would be an injustice to any of 

 the residents. As a member for the 

 district he would be the last to do this, 

 and the result of enquiries made by 

 himself and others was that the only 

 black bees they had been able to trace 

 was one swarm, which had since been 

 removed through the action of the 

 Chamber of Manufactures, which sup- 

 plied a swarm of Ligurians to the 

 owner. He therefore believed that at 

 present there were no black bees on 

 the island. The lirst clause prohibited 

 the breeding or importation on the 

 island of any but Ligurian bees. The 

 second clause gave power to a police 

 officer, on the authority of a justice of 

 the peace, to enter on any place where 

 black bees are supposes! to be and have 

 them removed. Clause three imposed 

 a penalty of not less than £10 or more 

 than £50, with a term of imprisonment 

 of not more than a month, for intro- 

 ducing other bees. On reconsideration 

 he would ask the House in committee 

 to strike out the penalty of not less than 

 £10, because it was a high fine for a 

 first offence, and he would ask them to 

 do the same with regard to the power 

 to commit to prison. 



The Hon. T. Playford, speaking as 

 one who had grown and sold honey and 

 wax twenty years ago, could say that 

 what we wanted Avas a superior sort 

 of bee. The Ligurian was superior in 

 size and honey-storing qualities, but 

 when introduced into a country among 

 the black bees the two mixed, and the 

 hybrid was a very vicious bee indeed. 

 What we further wanted was a spot 

 where the Ligurian bee could be kept 

 pure, and whence supplies of the stock 

 might be drawn to the mainland. Kan- 

 garoo Island was a very good place for 

 the experiment, as it was understood 

 that it was almost, if not entirely, free 

 from the common black bee. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWEBS. 



QUESTIONS BY A READER. 



1. What advantages has a deep 

 frame over a shallow one regarding 

 wintering, breeding and lioney storing? 



2. In your opinion is not a plain, 

 simply constructed hive the best for 

 the average beekeeper? 



3. Is not a hive that will take but 



