THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



139 



Bee Journal, or Mr. Langatrotli's writings on 

 the subject, Icnows arc certuiu indications of 

 mixed blood." 



Relative to the m'lrktngs as settled by the best 

 European apiarians, I would ask lolio they are, 

 and it)]ii',n it was s^ctllcdf Where it was, and just 

 how, and wliat it was? About going into busi- 

 ness before becoming acquainted with all these 

 things, it may be attributed to the same cause 

 that makes D. M. Worthingtou assume to be 

 uni])ire in this matter, evlilently with borrowed 

 experience, as is indicated by liis rel'erence to 

 tlie Bee Journal and Mr. Langstroth. I think 

 I have seen a tlescription of pure Ijees from Mr. 

 Langstrotli, a little at variance with Prof. V. 



How to know "certain indications of mixed 

 blood" by reading the Bee Jouknal or Mr. 

 Langstroth, is not quite clear to me. By Avhat 

 aiUhoritj' arc they constituted judges? Where 

 did they become so? I do not wish to deny them 

 any qualification which their long experience 

 has given ; but, before I am willing to take any 

 opinion of their's as law, as knowledr/e, I must 

 understand very many points on wlxich it is 

 based. 



We talk about the purity of breeds of horses, 

 of cattle, dogs, fowls, and bees. How many of 

 these pretenders can give a rational idea of what 

 it is? How many have ever thought of the ori- 

 gin of breeds of any kind? We are told that 

 there is a district in Italy surrounded by impass- 

 able barriers— to bees— in which this variety is 

 foaud. I would enquire, how they originated? 

 Were they created at the beginning of all things? 

 Or grown out of the black bee by peculiar sur- 

 rounding influences continued for centuries; or 

 the result of a cross of two or more varieties — 

 perhaps the Egyptian and blacfe: ? Whatever 

 the origin, we huve proved a modification in 

 color of queens, if not bees, in the first genera- 

 tion. Cross tiie Italians with our black bees, and 

 we have a mixture — half the progeny black; the 

 other, beautiful Italians. What would be more 

 absurd than to judge of their purity by color? 

 Take all the black ones from a colonj^ of hybrids, 

 and exhibit only the bright ones, and what shall 

 prevent these color judges from being deceived? 

 Cattle arc called pure when you go back but lew 

 generations without a cross. Can any breed be 

 pure but by in-and-in breeding, from the last 

 cross? Could we take the hybrid progeny of our 

 bees, and breed from the same strain — selecting 

 the two opposite colors— for a few thousand 

 generations without a mi.xture, would we not 

 have a new breed distinct and fully established, 

 and would not every branch be e(iually pure, 

 though variable in color, whether brown, j^ellow, 

 or even black? And under similar influences 

 each mother might transmit an exact copy of 

 herself for many generations. Now if there is a 

 place where our Italian bets have been perpetu- 

 ated for a period further back than history 

 reaches, is it not ceitain that whoever obtains 

 stock from that district, or direct descendants 

 from them, will have the utmost purity, let tlie 

 color be what it may? By all this, 1 am not en- 

 deavoring to show that ouf bcind on the \vorkers 

 is a test aU-siifficient, but on the contrary that | 

 p.0 one text is sufficient — not even three distinct 

 rings. 1 claim to have as pure, as high colored, ' 



bees as were ever imported, and when I describe 

 them, endeavor to do it as it is. When I use the 

 word distinct, I mean distinct. I have some 

 bees — that are probably ft cross of two importa- 

 tions — that when they fust fly, show not only 

 three yellow rings, Init a series of rings, tlie 

 whole length of the abdomen, of a color not dis- 

 tinctly yellow, but sufliciently near for some per- 

 sons, who use glasses a little green, to describe 

 as all yellow. I have others that on all ordi- 

 nary occasions, show three distinct ring.s, but 

 some of them, when ihcy first leave the cell, whea 

 they have been stung, or the abdomen is con- 

 tracted by cold, or when very old, the three 

 rings are so nearly blended, that I cannot call 

 each distinct in sight, although I know they are 

 really separate. It seems to be forgotten, that 

 to show three yellow rings distinctly, they 

 must alternate these with, and show rings of 

 another color, just as distinctly. 



Relative to disposition, I think I should find 

 more to agree with me when they come to have 

 the same experience. I transfer a great many 

 from wood to straw hives — both black and Ital- 

 ian — in the fall, and back again in the spring. 

 I also ship a great many by railroad, that require 

 extra packing, and handling of combs to secure 

 safety, at the most irritable season. The very 

 bees that I find quiet in the working season, are 

 often cross now — it is the rule instead of the ex- 

 ception. Were my experience limited to fifteen 

 or twenty hives in the working season only, it 

 might be diSerently reported. 



Did it ever occur to Prof. V. and Mr. W. that 

 when they show clearly, that I have no pure 

 Italians, that they make Mr. Langstroth as well 

 as many others, rascals ! I have bought queens 

 of Mr. L. several different times, tested queens, 

 paid him his full price. I received them, and to 

 prevent any mistake afterwards, clipped one 

 wing. He was not to send them to be tested by 

 me — to see what they they were — but such as he 

 already knew to be pure. He visited me, saw 

 the progeny, at least of one, and pronounced it 

 beantiful. I have described candidly, and now 

 am I to be persuaded by such men, that Mr. L. 

 is not to be depended upon — sending out spurious 

 articles for genuine. It is too much like swind- 

 ling, for me to t)elieve. 



i would say, in conclusion, that if Prof. V. 

 would carefully read over a portion of the arti- 

 cle on page 10, and imagine that I had. written 

 it, as applied to himself, he would have in sub- 

 stance what I would say here, should I prolong 

 this further. M. Quikby. 



St. Joiinsville, N. Y. 



[For the .\inciicau Bee Journal.] 



Bees and Beekeeping in Virginia. 



Mr. Editor : — Enclosed you Avill find two 

 dollars for the "American Bee Journal," 

 with which I am much pleased; and it would 

 have aflbrded me additional pleasure if I could, 

 with this communication, forward you a long or 

 even a short list of subscribers for the Journal, 

 as every owner of bees should subscribe for and 

 read it. 



Beekcepingj however, is at a very low ebb in 



