Read before the N. E. Convention. 



Races of Bees and Different Crosses. 



JULIUS HOFF3IAN. 



Ever since the introduction of the 

 gentle and industrious bees of Italy by 

 the great master, Dr. Dzierzon, intelli- 

 gent bee-keepers of Europe and this 

 country have labored to improve their 

 bees by breeding as well as by introduc- 

 ing different races. 



It is well known that great differences 

 are found in productiveness and dis- 

 position among colonies of the same 

 apiary, even when belonging to the 

 same race. We also know that these 

 differences exist among the several 

 races of bees. This fact being estab- 

 lished, the bee-keepers of to-day will 

 have to take advantage of it in trying 

 to procure the most profitable bees. 



I will first consider the improvement 

 with a certain race of bees, which I be- 

 lieve to be of the highest importance. 

 When bees increase naturally (that is, 

 by swarming), the best colonies will first 

 be ready to swarm, and rear young 

 queens, which will generally cross with 

 the drones from, other good colonies, 

 as such will naturally produce drones 

 earlier and more numerously than less 

 prosperous ones. This is entirely dif- 

 ferent when we do not allow our bees 

 to swarm and compel them to raise 

 queens ; great skill and experience will 

 then be required to keep our bees from 

 degenerating ; we ought, therefore, to 

 imitate nature, for it is only in this 

 way, by crosses between our best colo- 

 nies, that we can procure the most 

 profitable bee, and even improve nature. 



The improvement of our bees by for- 

 eign races is another important point 

 that we gain over nature, as we can 

 take advantage of the good qualities of 

 the bees we import from distant coun- 

 tries, and reduce the qualities which 

 are not desirable. This will be accom- 

 plished by cross-breeding different 

 races, wmich will lead us to the much 

 discussed question oi which is the best 

 race of bees V In reviewing the differ- 

 ent races of bees, I will try to give their 

 respective good and bad qualities as 

 they appear to me, and with as few 

 words as possible. 



I will begin with the common black 

 bees, the native bee of Germany and 

 England, which at present is predomi- 

 nant in this country. This bee has some 

 excellent qualities ; their queens are 

 long-lived and hardy, and the comb 



honey produced by them is the nicest 

 in appearance that we get. Credit is 

 also given them for working on buck- 

 wheat better than Italians. 



Next I will mention the Italian bee. 

 Their appearance is so well known that 

 I will omit describing them. The Ital- 

 ians are now generally acknowledged 

 to be more industrious and gentle than 

 black bees. In time of scarcity they 

 will work on flowers which black bees 

 will not notice ; in consequence, they 

 store more honey. They defend their 

 hives better than blacks against robbers 

 and the moth. In handling them they 

 are more quiet, and do not leave their 

 combs as blacks do, which enables us 

 to find the queens much easier; the 

 light color of their queens also aids us 

 in this last point. They have, however, 

 one bad quality ; they cease brood rear- 

 ing too early m the season, and gener- 

 ally go into winter quarters weak in 

 numbers. 



The Carniolan or Krainer bees are 

 not much different from the common 

 black bee, they are a little more gray 

 in color than black bees, and are said 

 to be more gentle, but ther swarming 

 propensity is very great. 



The Egyptian bee has been imported 

 to Germany, and, after a thorough trial, 

 it has been found worthless for honey 

 production. 



Lastly, I will mention the Cyprian 

 bee, which was imported by Count Kol- 

 owrat, in 1S72. into Austria, anil is now 

 fast becoming the preferred bee in 

 Austria and Germany. As the Cyprians 

 have been described in the Bee Keepers' 1 

 Exchange and in the American Bee 

 Journal, I will now only give in short 

 their prominent qualities as known to 

 me by information and partly by my 

 own experience. Although more beau- 

 tiful than the Italian, they are not as 

 lazy as most of the bright-colored Ital- 

 ians, but are a very industrious and 

 vigorous race. One of their most prom- 

 inent characteristics is the rapidity with 

 which thev carry on breeding in the 

 spring. Mr. E. Ililbert, of Prussia, 

 the well known discoverer of the foul 

 brood remedy, said the following at the 

 last Bee Keepers' Convention held at 

 Prague: " I will admit the [talians to 

 be more gentle, but this is the only point 

 in favor of the Italians. In all other 

 good qualities given to the Italians, the 

 Cyprians not only equal them, but sur- 

 pass them greatly. A Cyprian colony 

 will never, even iii our cold climate, go 

 into winter quarters so weak in num- 

 bers as the Italians, nor will they come 

 out so weak in spring. One very good 

 quality of their queens is their longev- 

 ity as compared with Italian queens. 



