1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



.51 



it may be sometimes to see how the 

 bees pack it away on their legs, which 

 can be easily seen while they are at 

 work on the meal. I would invite all 

 those who do not think that the above 

 will pay to try a few colonies, and see 

 if they do not change their minds. 



The Best Bees to Have. 



BY JNO. F. GATES. 



There has been a great deal of dis- 

 cussion of late with references to the 

 different races of bees, juding from 

 the evidence given. It looks as 

 though each race had excellent quali- 

 ties, and perhaps this is true, but has 

 any one race got all the good qualities 

 that a bee should possess in order to 

 be profitable ? That seems to be the 

 question that is not yet settled, and 

 perhaps wont be for sometime to come. 

 In order to get all the truth in any 

 matter, it is quite true that we should 

 not be hasty or take extreme ground 

 on any side of the question, for this 

 of itself lends proof that we are not 

 well established in our views. We 

 may all be very honest in our views 

 and dicisions, and yet be very far from 

 the truth, and this fact should teach 

 us that it is quite wroug to hastily 

 accuse any one, be he queen breeder 

 or not of selfish motives or dishonesty . 

 Lively discussions and examinations 

 of each others views are good , and will 

 aid us in our progress. Positive as- 

 sertions and contradictions do not do 

 so much good, but tend to drive us 

 farther apart. We could write a great 

 deal more about what we don't know, 

 than we could of what we do^know. 

 Experience is a good teacher, and he 

 who possesses it is already taught how 

 little he knows. A great deal can be 

 truthfully said for and agaiust/'mixed 



races of all kinds of animals ; it all 

 depends on what we want the animals 

 for. If we want a race horse we breed 

 for that purpose, if for heavy work, 

 we breed from heavy stock, if for farm 

 work, then the medium weight are 

 bred. With cows too we breed for 

 different purposes as is well known, 

 but the great object is to get cows that 

 will make money. Very often we get 

 the best stock by crossing our breed 

 with another. This has been my ex- 

 perience with all animals, but it should 

 not be done carelessly, but with good 

 judgement and with an aim in view. 

 After studying the different qualities 

 of each race and forming our calula- 

 tions, if we are careful we can im- 

 prove by crossing, no matter if it be 

 horses, cows, hogs or sheep, and why 

 should it be different with bees? Of 

 course after a queen breeder has work- 

 ed for years to establish his business, 

 it is quite natural for him to be care- 

 ful of that business and protect it, and 

 why should he not ? Perhaps his anx- 

 iety to succeed often prompts him to 

 over-estimate the good qualities of his 

 variety. But as a general thing he is 

 honest in his opinion, and I think we 

 should not be too hasty in judging 

 him. We are not forced to buy that 

 which we do not want. If we create 

 a demand, can the man that supplies 

 that demand lawfully be blamed right- 

 fully ? I think not. So two, we have 

 a lawful and moral right to not only 

 study these questions, but also to bring 

 before each other our opinions and 

 judgement based on facts, even if they 

 seem to rebut those of the queen 

 breeder. My long experience and care- 

 ful observation has certainly proved 

 to my own satisfaction at least, that a 

 cross between Italian bees and our 



