229 



This shows that we were perfectly right 

 in preferring this golden bee to the lazy 

 black bees, which Virgil, in his day, so 

 much praised. These characteristics 

 present the principal differences be- 

 tween Italian and German bees. The 

 Italian race is by far the best, accord- 

 ing to my judgment. 



Herr Klimke : As an apiarist and 

 importer of bees into Silesia, since 

 1867, 1 find the Krainer bee t'he best 

 race under all circumstances. It will 

 cross well with other races, but best 

 with the Italian. It is the most in- 

 dustrious as a honey-gatherer— is gen- 

 tle, and works with more diligence. 



Herr Hilbert said that perhaps no 

 race of bees could be said to be the 

 best under all circumstances — so much 

 depends upon treatment, climate, coun- 

 try and the taste of the apiarist. Each 

 race have some good traits of character, 

 and will gather some honey. If we 

 look for utility instead of fancy color, 

 the German bee is beautiful. I do not 

 desire to condemn the yellow bees ; on 

 the contrary I admire them greatly ; 

 but I think it useless to go to the ex- 

 pense and trouble of obtaining them, if 

 economical profit is what we desire. It 

 is inexpedient to spend large amounts 

 of money in acquiring Italian, Cyprian 

 or other fancy queens (which are often 

 of questionable purity), as many have 

 a passion for doing in our country. 

 This may be called an acute disease of 

 apiarists, which may become as dis- 

 astrous to improvement as is the dis- 

 ease of foul-brood ! Many a poor fel- 

 low who throws his money away for 

 such, would act more wisely to spend it 

 for personal or family comforts. For 

 this reason I never offer to sell queens, 

 and I have serious doubts of a man who 

 will give 20 or 30 marks for a Cyprian 

 queen, unless he is anxious to get rid of 

 his money. If a man is able to do so, 

 comfortably, he might procure a queen 

 to improve his stock ; but the improve- 

 ment of the race of bees is a difficult 

 matter, and is usually only successfully 

 accomplished by a breeder and dealer 

 of queens and bees. But the apiarist 

 who wants to keep bees for the money 

 to be obtained from the sale of his 

 honey, should depend upon the revenue 

 he may obtain from a careful and judi- 

 cious management, rather than upon 

 obtaining different races of bees. In 

 improving the race, queens produced 

 by the best colonies should be selected 

 to mate with choice drones of another 

 race. Cyprian bees use their sting 

 more readily than the Italians. Any 

 one not sensitive on this point will be 

 much pleased with them, for with this 

 exception they have all the virtues of 



the Italian race. They are also hardier 

 and do not dwindle away in the spring, 

 as Italians do. They increase and 

 swarm more readily than the latter, and 

 are so warlike that they will with ease 

 conquer any colony of Italians. For 

 this reason they cannot be united with 

 any other race. The Egyptian race of 

 bees are quite useless. In attempting 

 to improve the races of bees, we should 

 have an eye to utility, by periodically 

 adding new blood or crossing with a 

 hardier race like the Cyprians. 



Herr Budiegizki, of Bohemia : My 

 experience as a stock raiser, proves 

 that any race of animals will degen- 

 erate, if obliged to remain excluded 

 from others. Importing the different 

 races of bees has been highly beneficial. 

 This was the happy idea of Dr. Dzier- 

 zon, who made it possible for the intelli- 

 gent apiarist to thus " cross " their bees 

 and infuse new blood into them. This 

 has been a great benefit to the bee 

 culturist. 



From the Bee-Keepers' Magazine. 



Do we want a Co-operative Journal? 



G. M. UOOLITTLE. 



I was much surprised in reading the 

 report of the N. E. B. K. Association, 

 in the March number of the Magazine, 

 to see the resolutions tending toward 

 the establishment of a new bee paper. 

 No bee journal could besuccessfulhi con- 

 ducted on the plan as given in 'these 

 resolutions. One of them says, "The 

 columns of this co-operative bee jour- 

 nal are to be always open to contribu- 

 tors." This would give the editor of 

 such a journal no control whatever, and 

 he would be obliged to admit all quar- 

 rels into said journal, and all language, 

 however indecent or abusive it might 

 be, or else the journal must go down at 

 once. Now an editor should always 

 have the right to say what shall go into 

 his paper, and what shall not ; for with- 

 out this power, his hands are tied and 

 the publication is a failure. 



Next we find that this journal must 

 be "managed for the sole interest of 

 the honey producer at all times, and 

 disinterested nxro tea;/ in the manu- 

 facture or ««/('<)!' suppliis for the apiary." 

 This would please me much and would 

 be just what I would like, but, the 

 question is— can a bee journal conducted 

 on these principles be self supporting ? 

 I answer No. Why not? For the 

 simple reason that the price would have 

 to be so high, to make it pay, that but 

 few would take it. Perhaps 300 would 

 be willing to paj $3 or $4 each for such 

 a journal, but the majority would say, 



