16 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



dysentery is a fact too well known to be 

 disputed. Ventilation, or warmth, have 

 notning to do with it, because they are set 

 in their straw hives in the same rows with 

 the other hives, and the ventilation and 

 warmth is the same for all. This is a clear 

 proof that " Novice" is right in saying that 

 the nature of honey has much to do with it. 



A Question, I should be glad to know — 

 Does any bee-keeper's experience in warm- 

 ing his bee house, during a cold season in 

 April, with his hives on the shelves, advise 

 such treatment ? Will any one give his ex- 

 perience on this matter in the Bee Jour- 

 nal ? 



Will Gallup and Adair gives us a report 

 of their apiaries with their 4 ft. hives ? 



Wequoick, Wis. Joseph Duffeler. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bees in Aroostook Co., Me. 



We have had a very poor season for bees 

 in this county, the past summer; and the 

 causes are very obvious. Last winter there 

 was but very little snow and in consequence 

 the spring fi'osts pulled up and killed all 

 the white clover which is usually abundant 

 in this vicinity, and from which our "little 

 pets" gather the most of their honey. 

 Leaving them not much else to gather from 

 except the blossoms, which are not very 

 plenty in this section, and dandeloin. They 

 were prevented from gathering honey from 

 them by the excessive rains, which Icept up 

 a continual spatter all through the months 

 of May and June, leaving nothing for them 

 to gather until they got at a species of gol- 

 den rod, from which they gathered a small 

 amount. Very few colonies have gathered 

 enough to winter on. Scarcely a hive has 

 swarmed, and the hives on an average are 

 lighter than they were last spring. Hund- 

 reds of colonics will swarm tlie coming 

 winter if not fed. 



This county lias been, for the last ten 

 years, the honey garden of Maine. But this 

 year we are having a big share of "poor 

 luck." If we keep our bees on "luck," 

 this winter, I am convinced we shall lose 

 most of them. It is so strange that those 

 who keep bees do not iufonn themselves on 

 bee culture, when they have a chance to 

 take a paper like the American Bee 

 Journal, that will repay them the sub- 

 scription price every month, and scarce a 

 volume since it was established but would 

 pay a bee-keeper to lay by at five dollars 

 each, for future reference. 



Houltou, Maine. K. S. Torrey. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Breeding Peaceful Hybrids. 



After carefully studying the natural his- 

 tory of the bees for soiiu^. time I have come 

 to the concliisiDU tliat the disposition of the 

 workers (U'pciids altogether on the drones, 

 and that tliere can be a cross made be- 

 tween the Italians and blacks, which will 

 firoduce a race of bees as gentle as the pm-e 

 talians. 



I began bee-keeping with a few stands of 

 Italians and hybrids; the latter being the 

 progeny of Italian (lueens which had mated 

 witli black drones. These I found to be 

 very cross, which is the reiiorted experience 



of all who have kept them. The Italians 

 were, as represented, gentle. 



Last year, some of the old Italian queens, 

 whose worker progeny were hybrids, wer© 

 superceeded and the young queens that, 

 were raised from them mated with Italian 

 drones. This spring I found that the pro- 

 geny of these queens had wintered better; 

 also that the queens began to lay earlier, 

 and were more prolific, and consequently 

 were the first to raise drones and become 

 strong enough to divide. These hybrids, 

 unlike the others, were as gentle as the Ital- 

 ians. Several of my young Italian queens 

 which I raised this summer have mated 

 with drones which are the progeny of these 

 queens, and the workers from this cross are 

 also gentle. 



I have never owned any black bees, but 

 observing my neighbors, I find tliat the 

 pure blacks are always cross compared with 

 the Italians, but the progeny of a black 

 queen which has mated with an Italian 

 drone is gentle. 



Thus i conclude that the worker bees 

 which are the progeny of an Italian queen, 

 a hybrid queen, or a black queen which has 

 mated with an Italian drone, are gentle. 

 Those who are the progeny of an Italian 

 queen, or a black queen wliich has mated 

 with a black drone are cross. Those which 

 are from an Italian queen and a hybrid 

 drone are gentle. 



I have not hail a chance to make any ob- 

 servation concerning the disposition of bees 

 that are from a hybrid queen which has 

 mated with a hybrid drone, but if my con- 

 clusions that the fighting qualities of the 

 workers depend on the drone are correct, 

 they will be as gentle as those of an Italian 

 queen which has mated with a hybrid 

 drone. N. A. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



My Experience. 



Messrs. Emtors : — I am not in the habit 

 of writing anything for publication, but as 

 I am deeply interested on the bee question, 

 perhaps a word from me would not be 

 amiss. I am now 64 years old ; have been 

 raising bees since 1S49 ; but my love for the 

 little insect, whose life is so suggestive of 

 industry and wisilon, is unabated. Last 

 winter I lost between .'ttiSOO and .S.5()0 worth 

 of bees. Since that time, the season has 

 been better, and I have averaged !jp25 to the 

 hive. Have been raising the Italian bees 

 for 4 or 5 years. Am well pleased with 

 them. I see them very busy sometimes, 

 when the black bee is idle. I have sold the 

 Italian bees for $-iO, when the black bees 

 could have been bought for.'if.?. I have been 

 using the Langstroth hive since 1S5G, and 

 think it the best I have ever seen. 



Your JouKXAL is invaluable. I have 

 been a subscriber to it from its infancy up> 

 to the present time. Its visits are like the 

 visits of an old friend — always welcome. I 

 wish you success. John C. Daugiiekty., 



Owingsville, Bath Co., Ky. 



Always have the cheerful rays of the 

 morning sun full upon your hives ; but con- 

 trive to throw a shade uiK)n their front for a 

 tew iiours in the nudille of the day, when 

 the weather is very hot. Such a shade will 

 be grateful to yoiu- bees. — Nutt. 



