:{2 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



FchriKirt) 



for me to ]>econie enthusiastic over a 

 queen; but when a colony shows a nrirked 

 superiority over 6ix» others in the same 

 apairy. it is a rare thinjj;." 



In view of th'^ foregoing, it is not al all 

 diflknilt to appreciate the senlinient l)e- 

 hind this ])aragra])'». which constitutes a 

 l^art of the same article: 



"This subject of superior slock is now 

 to me the most interesting of any con- 

 nected with the business." 



We beleive that al no time wi'ihin the 

 history of modern bt-e-keeping has so 

 much attention lieen paid to the improve- 

 ment of our stock as duriuu; the past year 

 or two. A number of years ago a great 

 deal was said about ■'the coming bee," 

 and ])ossible methods of imprn\ ement in 

 our slock : but llu- developments of the 

 ])resi.-ul lime ai)j)ear lo have taken tangible 

 form, and bid fair to evolve strains vastly 

 su])LTior to those of the past. This is as 

 it should l)c: and every ])erson interested 

 in bee-culture sliould emulate the example 

 of IMr. ISIcIulyre, by carefully noting the 

 superior traits of thoroughbred stock, 

 which will numifest itself in individual 

 cases, and ])er])e uate these desirable 

 (jualities by breeding from the queens 

 that have thus surpassed the others. 

 These superior traits (piite frequenth- are 

 observed in liybriil slock, but it is noi al 

 all certain that a liybrid molher will tran.s- 

 mil to her daughters the excellent points 

 which she herself may have possessed. 

 In breeding from a Ihoroughbied queen 

 , she will bL- more likely to dui)licate her- 

 self. 



.\RK Wlv URIiTHKICX? 



.Xpis dors.ita has a faithful adherent in 

 the .American l'.ee-Keei)er Referring 

 lo I)r M;isou's connnents in the Hee- 

 Keepers' Review, ii is not di.scouraged by 

 Ihf re])orls ihal come as lo the failures to 

 domesiicate the b g bee in other countries. 

 It says: "What .Australia, Holland or 

 China may want in relation to this matter 

 is of no concern lo .America. In .Australia 

 the i)aranu>unl (juestion is. "not lo secure 

 more honey, l)ut rather to develop a 

 market for that already on hau I and now 

 coming in." So ihe .American Bee Keej)- 



er can understand that Australians may- 

 not want to have more honey gathered. 



After all, does not the bee keeper in 

 Australia think, "I'd like lo have my crop 

 of honev increased as much as possible, 

 but 1 don't care to have the entire output 

 increased in proportion?" And will the 

 American Bee-Keeper name the bee- 

 keeper in this country who doesn't think 

 exactly the same thing? — American Bee 

 Journal. 



That there exist am-ong us those who 

 seek only to enhance their personal gai^n 

 for the time being and to discourage 

 ]niblic interest and competition, is probab- 

 ly a fact that is to be deplored. Bee-keep- 

 ing shall never be jjlaced upon sub.stantial 

 fof)ling which it is destined to reach 

 through the influenct- of such persons: 

 and one who would silently meditate as 

 above quoted would be vainly groveling 

 in the shadow of his own selfi.shness, 

 thereby upsetting the ideas and thwart- 

 ing the wiser jilaus of his fraternal friends 

 who are working for his own good. 



(_)ur industry is yet in its infancy, and 

 while, to some, our views may appear 

 visionary, we hope the younger genera- 

 tion now li\ing ma}- see the pre.sent an- 

 nual production of honey in the I'luted 

 Stales increased five fold 



"Calamity?" Not at all! Just such a 

 condition of affairs is obviously necessary 

 to awaken an a]5preciation of the great 

 possibilities of our iudustrv, and arouse 

 the latent i)o\ver t)f ils half hearted adher- 

 ants to the work of multiplying by ten 

 the present demand for pure honey. 



There may be, 'in . ///.v/y^r/Zir, "those wdio 

 thus view our industry from the bottom 

 of a well; but the fewer their numbers in 

 any and all'countries the lighter will be 

 the labors of the vastly greater number 

 who are striving earnestly to establish the 

 culture ot Ihe honey-bee among the rec- 

 ogni/.eil, imporlanl ami profitable indus- 

 tries i>f the world. 



Australia is today forced to devote some 

 altenlion to the one branch nuist neglected 

 in our business — Ihe development of the 

 market — and while the "crushing over- 

 ])roducliou" may b.;; regarded as a cala- 

 mily, our only fear is tliat the present 



