No. 4.] BEE KEEPING. 425 



among the hives unless the hive itself is disturbed, when 

 the}^ become the fiercest and most persistent of fighters. 

 They protect thch- hives better than other races from bee 

 moths, robber bees and all other intruders ; but on this 

 account they have gained a reputation for viciousncss in 

 handling, which, from my own experience with stock ob- 

 tained directly of Mr. Benton, I think they do not deserve. 

 They were easily reduced to subjection with smoke, and 

 could often be handled without it. In point of prolificness, 

 the C3'^prians are truly phenomenal. My experience Avith a 

 single swarm docs not permit me to speak in general terms, 

 but I introduced the queen in a very weak coh)ny in June, 

 and by the middle of July it had become a veritable volcano 

 of bees, swarming daily and persistently, in spite of cutting 

 out of queen cells and the removal of numerous extra queens. 

 A large amount of honey was evidently produced, but it 

 was practically all used for rearing bees, and no surplus was 

 obtained from this colony. At present writhig I cannot 

 recommend Cyprian bees for Massachusetts, but further ex- 

 periment may change this opinion. 



With regard to the newly introduced Caucasian bees, Mr. 

 Benton writes, under date of July 6, 1904 : " I feel pretty 

 safe in callino- the Caucasians a valuable addition to our 

 races of bees. They are industrious, prolific, and the gen- 

 tlest of any bees with which I am familiar, not even excc})t- 

 ing the Carniolans. They have w^intered successfully in 

 comparison to other races in the latitude of Denver, Col., 

 and have not here [Washington, D. C] shown themselves 

 inferior in Avintering qualities to ordinar}^ strains of Italians. 

 We may thus hope for good reports in the near future."' 



Much attention is now being devoted to discovering or 

 breeding a strain of bees with tongues long enough to reach 

 the nectar in the flower tubes of red clover. In 1900 the 

 A. I. Root Company ofiered a prize for the bees having the 

 lono-est tono-ues. This was awarded to Mr. J. P. Moore of 

 Morgan, Ky., whose bees w^(n'e found to have tongues meas- 

 uring -^q\ of an inch in length. (Ordinary bees measure 

 but i^Q.) This length of tongue enables the bees to secure 

 nectar from most of the flower tubes of red clover, and tluis 



