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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



March 22, 1906 



introducing them with a view to having them displace the 

 " old and tried " Italian bees in this country. 



Of course, bee-keepers, like progressive farmers, horti- 

 culturists, etc., who are ever on the lookout for new and 

 better varieties of animals and plants than they now have, 

 are looking for a better bee. And this is commendable. 

 But it is always well, in such matters, to " make haste 

 slowly," lest after expense and experiment only disappoint- 

 ment result. 



What the American Bee Journal desires to do is to place 

 before its readers both the pro and con information on this 

 subject, and then they* after due care and consideration, 

 must decide for themselves as to what they think best to do 

 concerning the matter. 



We wish here to reproduce something about Caucasian 

 bees that appeared in Gleanings in Bee Culture recently, 

 written by Messrs. D. E. Lyon and Frank Benton, both of 

 whom seem to be entitled to speak with some degree of au- 

 thority on the subject. It reads as follows : 



Concerning Caucasians — Characteristics, Markings. 



For some time the writer has been much interested in 

 reading various criticisms concerning the new Caucasian 

 bees. A careful reading of the testimony thus far offered 

 convinces me that a number of writers have expressed 

 themselves on the basis of hybrids and purely-mated Cau- 

 casians. My visit to Washington last spring convinced me 

 that in the above-named race we have a valuable acquisi- 

 tion to the present races of bees. My experience with them 

 the past season has but confirmed me in the estimate of 

 them then formed. 



I can not but believe, and I have good reason for so 

 doing, that a number of adverse critics of this race have not 

 had the Caucasians in theirpurity ; and yet, in spite of this, 

 the testimony as to their gentleness has been of universal 

 character, showing that a dash of Caucasian blood in other 

 races is a boon of inestimable value. 



If this be true of a hybrid with just a trace of Caucasian 

 blood, how much more gentle can we not expect the pure 

 stock to be ? 



The first objection we hear raised against Caucasians is 

 that they are so gentle that they allow themselves to be 

 robbed, and do not repel their enemies with vigor. In an- 

 swer to this I would say that such has not been the case 

 with the strain of Caucasians I possess, for by several try- 

 ing tests I have proved them to be good defenders of their 

 homes. In the early fall I purposely opened a colony of 

 Caucasians, and in a little while about SO robber-bees were 

 flying over the frames ; and when they would fly too near, 

 the Caucasians would repeatedly jump up to them and try 

 to catch them ; and when they would succeed in getting 

 one, the way they would ball and try to sting it was a cau- 

 tion. And yet, while all this was going on I was constantly 

 lifting out the frames without veil, gloves, or smoke, and 

 not the first Caucasian attempted to sting me, even though 

 they appeared quite vicious toward their enemies. 



To test them further I caught a grasshopper and held 

 it on the top of their frames, and immediately they covered 

 it ; and in order to save its life I shook the bees off and sent 

 the grasshopper on its way. 



I can not think of any other test that would prove their 

 ability to defend their homes. 



The other objection we hear is that they are so much 

 like the black bees that even an expert often can not dis- 

 tinguish them ; and in answer to this I would say it is a 

 question of being absolutely certain of having the real 

 thing 



The three bands which, in my strain of Caucasians are 

 so distinct, are of the pronounced light gray, which, with 

 the slight shade of orange on the abdomen, make it easy to 

 tell these bees from the blacks. 



I think I have fairly met the only objections against this 

 race, and would reiterate what I have often said — namely, 

 don't condemn them without really knowing them ; for the 

 real Caucasians, purely mated, are just the reverse of what 

 their opponents charge them with being. 



They are a trfle smaller than the Italians, and have the 

 oriental type form of the Cyprians ; and as honey-gatherers 

 they have with me done just as well as the Italians, and 

 much better than many colonies of that race. 



If Mr. Frank Benton were in this country he would 

 have something to say in defense of this race, adding his 



testimony to that already given by Dr. Phillips, to the good 

 qualities of this noble race. Just before he sailed abroad 

 he sent the following letter to the writer concerning the 

 qualities and markings of the Caucasians, and in his ab- 

 sence I submit it as his estimate and defense of them : 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Apiculture. 



Washington, I). C, March 25, 1905. 



Rev. D. Everett Lyon : — I have your letter of March 21, asking 

 about Caucasian bees. I can give only the main points in the charac- 

 ter of this race, having had it under test on a comparatively small 

 scale for two year6 past. I knew the race, however, by general rep- 

 utation while I was in Europe and the East. The reports in the 

 European journals at that time were just as may be noted regarding 

 Carniolan6 in this country — quite contradictory; and as I had numer- 

 ous other races under test in those years, I did not undertake a prac- 

 tical test of these bees until year before last. As I obtained in the 

 autumn of 1902 three Caucasian queen6, I had full colonies of the 

 race with which to begin the season of 1903. Through additional im- 

 portations of queens direct from the Caucasus, in Russia, I have fur- 

 ther verified the observations which were made on the first lots ob- 

 tained. 



The most striking quality possessed by these bees is their remark- 

 able gentleness. It is not equaled by any other race with which it ha6 

 been my good fortune to meet. As a rule, no smoke will be needed at 

 all in their manipulation, or, at most, a single whiff passed over the' 

 tops of the frames is quite sufficient to take away all sign of resent- 

 ment. Under ordinary conditions the hives may be opened in any 

 manner one chooses, at any time of the day, and the frames even 

 roughly removed, and all manner of manipulations made without the 

 necessity of resorting to smoke, and with no protection to hands or 

 face; nor will a single bee offer to sting. The only time that pure 

 Caucasians resent intrusion is when robbing has taken place and the 

 hive is rudely jarred on a cool morning. At least such has thus far 

 been my experience with them. 



I can not say that they have shown remarkable qualities as honey- 

 producers, but have thus far merely held their own fairly with the 

 average of Italians and Carniolans. The same differences exist be- 

 tween individual colonies, as is the case with Carniolans and Italians, 

 so that a selection in breeding as rigid a6that to which the Italians 

 have been subjected, would undoubtedly give strains of Caucasians 

 that would fully equal or exceed the best Italians or Carniolans. The 

 race is not very uniform in its markings. In this respect, in fact, it 

 hardly equals the Carniolans, the yellow or rusty red bands cropping 

 out constantly. There i6, however, a peculiar marking which enables 

 one to recognize Caucasian blood quite readily after he has acquired 

 some skill in the matter. The dark color is of a peculiar dull leaden 

 gray, and gives the bees a very ringed appearance. You have doubt- 

 less noticed Carniolans or blacks which have fallen into water-troughs, 

 crept out, and become partially dried. These might be taken to re- 

 semble in color the Caucasian workers, as you will notice that the 

 dark rings around the body show more distinctly when the fuzz is 

 dampened. True Caucasians are slightly smaller-bodied than Italians 

 or Carniolans — in fact, have the type form of the oriental races. The 

 queens vary somewhat, as do the Carniolans, from a golden orange 

 yellow to a black color, inclining, however, more to the dark type — 

 dark bronze being rather typical. The drones are very black, and 

 considerably smaller than Carniolan drones. The race is a very pro- 

 lific one, and the workers seem active and evidently keen-scented r 

 since they find sweet6 that are left exposed quite as soon as do bees of 

 any race. 



I have formed a very excellent opinion of these bees, and believe 

 particularly that they will form excellent crossing material with the 

 Cyprian race. We need males of a gentle race to mate with the 

 queens of any or all of the oriental types ; and I think in the Cau- 

 casians we have a type that will coalesce with the Eastern races. 



Frank Benton, 



In Charge of Apiculture. 



Miscellaneous 

 Hetps * 3 terns 



^ 



Mr. C. P. Dadant, President of the National Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, made this office a pleasant call on March 

 9, when in Chicago on business. Mr. Dadant has the un- 

 usual distinction of being one of the leaders in bee-keeping 

 in both America and Europe. And it might be difficult to 

 tell on which side of the Atlantic the name of Dadant is 

 best known among bee-keepers. 



Apiary of H. A. Doty.— When sending the picture, 

 Mr. Doty wrote thus : 



The photograph of my apiary was taken from the cham- 

 ber window of the dwelling-house looking northwest. This 

 apiary has quite a little history connected with it. The 

 bees have been kept near here for the last 10 years. About 



