THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



59 



[Translated for tUe Bee Jonrnal. 



Six Theses on Bee-Culture. 



1. Bco-cuHurc is not properly or scientifi- 

 cally aclvtmccd bj'- restricting ourselves to breed- 

 ing, in its purity, any one natural race or 

 variety, liowever valuable it may be in itself, 

 and tliougli its good qualities be not overrated. 



2. The ultimate aim of a truly rational bee- 

 culture should be to produce, breed, and establish 

 an imprnved race or variety. This may be done 

 by availing ourselves of the tendency to varia- 

 tion observable in the natural races ; and giving 

 them such direction as will conduce to combine 

 and perpetuate valuable traits, qualities, or 

 characteristics. 



3. In making selections for breeding pur- 

 poses, we should not permit ourselves to be 

 governed or guided exclusively by any preju- 

 dices or prepossessions existing in our minds 

 or those of others, in favor of the supposed 

 superiority of any existing natural race or 

 variety, nor by the fine exterior appearance of 

 any individual bee, but solely by an unbiassed 

 appreciation of its productive qualities. 



4. We should hence reject all rules and prin- 

 ciples of breeding designed simply to secure 

 mere purity of race, or the unadulterated per- 

 pituation of any particular variety. 



5. Hence, also, we should not foster an ex- 

 clusive attachment to or preference for any 

 one of the existing natural varieties of the honey 

 bee, such as has hitherto circumscribed the 

 eflbrts of the more intelligent apiarians, kept 

 them moving in a wrong direction, and prevent- 

 ed them from making any advance towards that 

 most desirable object — the origination and es- 

 tablishment of an improved race or variety. 



G. Aware, now, of these facts and of the 

 mistake committed, let the subject be taken in 

 hand anew by those who perceive and appre- 

 ciate its importance ; and by applying the prin- 

 ciples of scientific breeding which led to such 

 astonishing results in other branches of rural 

 economy, a similar triumphant result may pos- 

 sibly be achieved in the rearing of bees. 



PcsTSCRiPT. — The foregoing theses were ac- 

 companied by the following note : — 



"Enclosed I send an article, respecting the 

 the publication of which j^ou will decide. There 

 is nothing new in what I thus desire to say to bec- 

 cullurists ; but it is certainly high time that the 

 principles of breeding which have long since 

 been established and so advantageously pursued 

 in the case of domestic animals, should also be 

 applied to bce-ctilture. 



it has always seemed to me inexplicable that 

 the splendid results attained by English cattle- 

 breeders, as well as the teachings of Nathusius, 

 RufF, and others in Germany, could be so utterly 

 unheeded by bec-cidturists, and that, in view 

 of the coustaut activity manifested on every 

 hand by breeders of cattle, sheep, and SAvine, 

 there should be no real bee-breeders found any- 

 where. Is it not surpassing strange, in these cir- 

 cumstances, that those who raise bees, should 

 confine themselves to simply multiplying stock, 

 pertinaciously adhering to the one idea that suc- 

 cess in their pursuit is to be attained solely by 



anxious efforts 1o secure purity of breed or race ? 

 It certainly cannot be alleged that the principles 

 of breeding relied on in the case of beasts and 

 birds are wholl}' inapplicable to bees; that the 

 tendencies to variation are less in bees than 

 in other creatures; or that l)reeding for the quality 

 of productiveness encounters greater dilliculty 

 in them than in other domestic animals. Why, 

 indeed, should there be greater or more insupe- 

 erable difllculties met with in bee-culture, when 

 breeding for productive qualities than for exter- 

 nal markings or mere physical conformation?" 



A. Patzsuke. 



m 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Mr. Editor: — The German in New York 

 city who advertises gloves for sale, for gentle- 

 men, of bucks-leather — The Yankee who lost 

 the umbrella belonging to a lady, made of silk 

 — Mr. Quinby's pui)il who put up a wren box 

 by thrusting a polo into the cavity of a head 

 that formerly contained the brains,— and the 

 correspondent to the Bee Journal, who informs 

 your reader's that he has used mullein stocks, 

 (instead of mullein tops) for bee-bobs, are sup- 

 posed to be brothers by one father, whose 

 understanding is perfectly develed up, and whose 

 vfii'e''s dedinatiins have always been cotnjnled 

 with nis own and son's. His house, as de- 

 scribed by Mrs. Partington, is situate upon a 

 y erdant prodiviiy, in the rear of which is located 

 his rtp^7«^•7/ of a hundred bees. In front of it, 

 (the house) there is a painted Pizarro — a pebbled 

 lemonade slW aiound it, and the water lor the 

 use of the family, comes rushing from a never 

 fiowing source of water through a gutta percha 

 anecdote. Jasper Honeysuckle. 



Mullein Grove, August 25th, 18G7. 



P. S. My queens don't lay yet, fori do not 

 find any egg shells before the hives. J. H. 



[For the Bee Journal .] 



North-Western Bee-Keepers' Association. 



Are there to be any Bee-keeping Conventions 

 this year ? Could they not be made profitable ? 

 It seems to me that much good might result from 

 them. 



An effort is being made to have a Bee-keepers' 

 Convention at Lyons, Iowa, at the time of the 

 State Fair. The Fair will be held at that point, 

 during the first week of October. The jioint is 

 excellent for a large attendance of bee-keepers 

 from both sides of the Mississipi)i. 



Correspondcuce is being had with many prom- 

 inent bee-keepers throughout the Wist, and 

 those heard from so far, are decidedly in favor 

 of the Convention, promising attendance and 

 participation in the discussions. They are all 

 practical and intelligent bee-keepers, and enough 

 will unquestionably be present, to make tiie 

 discussions interesting and profitable. This is 

 not to he a Slate convention, but a permanent 

 organization of the bee-keepers of the great 

 North- West. The design is to have semi-an- 

 nual gatherings, if possible, at the most advan- 

 tageous points. But if they cannot be had so 

 often, then we shall have to be content with one 

 Convention each year. M. M. Baldridge. 



St. Ch.\kles, (III.) 



