THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



finish to the delicious, velvety 

 cream-colored combs so deftly fin- 

 ished up by the Italian workers. 



Every well informed apiarist 

 (as to the natural history of bees) 

 knows that the Italian race is a 

 " thoroughbred" of nature ; hence 

 it carries the blood of nearly all 

 the races in its composition. 

 Viewing the case from this stand- 

 point, it is hardly reasonable to 

 suppose that the accidental combi- 

 nation of blood in this race is per- 

 fect to the exclusion of all other 

 races. 



The Cyprian is also a thorough- 

 bred of nature, as I have found by 

 careful observation in breeding 

 them. The chief points of differ- 

 ence between the Cyprians and 

 Italians consist in the former car- 

 rying a greater proportion of the 

 blood of the fiery Egyptian and a 

 lesser proportion of the common- 

 place German race. 



The Cyprians are the smartest 

 race of bees known to modern 

 apiarists, in spite of the prejudice 

 against their irascible temperament. 



This fact alone exposes the ab- 

 surdity of the claims of some to 

 develop a superior race by infusing 

 a greater proportion of the weak 

 German blood into the composi- 

 tion of the Italian. 



I have found by systematic test 

 that the high temperament of the 

 Cyprians can be lowered to any 

 point desired — as a general result 

 — by mating with Italian drones, 

 and the fierce temperament of the 

 Cyprians can be imbued in the 

 progeny of tlie Italian queens by 

 mating with Cyprian drones. 



These facts open up a field of 

 the widest research to the progres- 

 sive breeder. 



Christiansburg, Ky. 



MAKING HASTE SLOWLY. 



By W. G. Phelps. 



It not unfrequently happens that 

 I receive from persons letters simi- 

 lar in purport to the following, cop- 

 ied verbatim from a portion of one 

 just read. The italics in this letter 

 are mine. 



Nov. 20, 1883. 

 Dr. Phelps, Galena, Md. : 



Deak Sir, 



''I have an idea of engaging 

 in the bee business, and should I 

 do so it will be on a large scale. 

 Now, I know nothing tvJiatever about 

 the business, and wish to get all 

 the information I can. Will you 

 oblige me therefore, "by giving" 

 the best mode for managing a col- 

 ony for bees," etc., etc. 



Of course, I aim to give each 

 inquirer all the information in my 

 power, but the very best advice 

 for them is to maJce haste slowly. 

 By making haste slowly the 

 mere novice will hesitate well 

 before investing his capital in 

 50 or 100 colonies of bees, one-third 

 of which may prove feeble stocks, 

 simply from the fact of his igno- 

 rance in purchasing. The experi- 

 ence of any beekeeper of miy note 

 has ever been that a limited number 

 of colonies pay proportionately 

 far better tiian large apiaries. The 

 beginner must necessarily manip- 



