like our domestic bees, only make use 

 of the same very infrequently, and then 

 only when provoked in a high degree, 

 and who are unable to fly into a passion 

 like that mentioned above. As is well 

 known, the Carniolan and Italian bees 

 are the most gentle. 



The first combines with its gentle na- 

 ture a great inclination to swarm ; the 

 latter, extraordinary industry, great 

 ability in resisting robbers, and plenti- 

 ful honey gatherers, in which it is even 

 superior to our domestic bee. 



The advantages of the introduction 

 of foreign races of bees are not only to 

 be found within their inner good quali- 

 ties and superiorities, but also in their 

 color-markings generally. The color of 

 the dress is of but little importance 

 when compared witli the ability to per- 

 form. But in bees the colored bands or 

 marks are of no small importance. 



A Hungarian bee-keeper explains, in 

 his correspondence, that he thought the 

 principal advantage of the Italian bee 

 was the very light color of the queen, 

 which facilitated finding her ; but much 

 further advantage exists in the fact that 

 the more or less pure queens can be dis- 

 tinguished from each other by their 

 lighter or darker coloring, which is 

 shown by the following instance : To 

 strengthen several colonies at my apiary 

 in Carlsmarkt, having become much re- 

 duced during the winter, I took a num- 

 ber of bees from several strong colonies 

 at my apiary at Bankwitz, and put them 

 together into a small transportation box. 

 Arrived at home, I made the unpleasant 

 discovery that I had also shaken off a 

 queen. The temperature being cool, 

 the operation had to be performed with- 

 out loss of time, and as I had gone into 

 none of the hives as far as the brood- 

 chamber, the usual abode of the queen, 

 I had no idea that the queen could be 

 upon the combs I had taken out. What 

 was to be done V To what hive did this 

 queen belong, as I had taken bees from 

 4 or 5 ? Out of this dilemma I soon ex- 

 tricated myself. Of those hives from 

 which I had taken bees, 2 contained 

 pure Italians, 1 nearly so. and only 1 

 contained mostly all black bees. I was 

 at once convinced that this queen, be- 

 ing pretty dark, belonged to the latter 

 hive. My supposition was conlirmed. 

 Going to the apiary next day, I found 

 the hive in question indeed queen less. 

 She was returned, was received joy- 

 fully, and the mistake I had made, and 

 which might easily have occasioned the 

 loss of a good colony, was rectified. 



When the queen of a swarm falls to 

 the ground, or on returning from her 

 bridal trip she strays into the wrong 

 hive, she can be safely rescued from the 



bees closing around her, or if she drops 

 to the ground unnoticed, when lifting 

 the frames from a hive, she can be found 

 again. How important it is to be able 

 to recognize at once to what hive she 

 belongs, needs no comment. With only 

 one race of bees this becomes very diffi- 

 cult. But having to do with one other 

 at the same time, and especially with 

 the strikingly differently colored Italian 

 race, then one has so many distinctive 

 marks to go by, not only on account of 

 their size and the form of their bodies 

 besides, but also because they are lighter 

 and darker in coloring ; that among a 

 not too large number, a queen that has 

 been seen once can almost certainly be 

 recognized again, and if found away 

 from her home, she can be placed back 

 where she belongs. 

 Carlsmarkt, Germany. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Fertilization in Confinement, Etc. 



W. W. BURNET. 



I have been w r aiting to hear from 

 some one who has tried the Hasbrouck 

 method for fertilization in confinement. 

 Is it possible no one has met with suc- 

 cess ? I made several attempts ; cut a 

 hole in the head of a barrel, tacked 

 glass over, placed a queen and drones 

 inside, and as far as the queen was con- 

 cerned it worked well, for when placed 

 in the sunlight every queen I experi- 

 mented with fiew nicely. Some would 

 alight on the glass awhile, and then 

 take wing and circle round and round 

 the barrel, but the drones would not fly, 

 obstinately crawling on the bottom. I 

 noticed one queen, that I left in the bar- 

 rel at least half an hour, fly down re- 

 peatedly to the drones and then back to 

 the glass. Now, I am certain if the 

 drones had taken wing the experiment 

 would have succeeded. It may be, 

 some one else has met with better re- 

 sults, and I would be glad to hear their 

 experience in the Bee Journal. 



I desire to return my thanks to you 

 and the many friends who sent me 

 remedies to assist me in my fight with 

 the ants, I intend to place all my hives 

 at least a foot from the ground, and 

 either place the legs in pans filled with 

 water and carbolic acid, as Prof. Cook 

 suggests, or else wrap rags around them 

 saturated with tar. I find with hives 

 placed on boards near the ground, the 

 ants have a fine, dry place to harbor un- 

 der the hive, and they utilize it. 



One of our most successful apiarists, 

 Mr. Ole Olesen, leaves us this fall for 

 Florida, to engage in the business there. 



