90 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Comparative Merits of the Italian, 

 Black, and Hybrid Bee. 



I see in the American Bee Journal 

 during tlie past year, many articles written 

 on tlie superiority of the Italian bee for 

 honey-gathering. 



Bee-keepers' meetings throughout the 

 country still continue to discuss this sub- 

 ject. In nearly all these writings and dis- 

 cussions, a large majority unite in claim- 

 ing superiority as lioney -gatherers for the 

 Italian bee. 



Having kept bees for the last ten years, 

 more as a source of pleasure and pastime 

 than for profit, I have been an impartial 

 but not indifferent observer of the habits, 

 disposition, and honey-gathering ability 

 of the Italian, black, and hybrid bee. 



As a result of my observation I would 

 submit the following short statement. 



During the ten years I have kept bees, I 

 have had some of each of the above 

 uamed varieties ; a larger portion however 

 has always been pure Italian. 



The Italian bee is superior to the Black 

 in the following particulars, viz : 



1st. In gentleness of disposition. 2nd. 

 In graceful form, size, and color. 3d. In 

 adhering to the combs when being hand- 

 led. 4th. In storing honey close around 

 and in the common cerder or brood nest. 

 5th. In gathering up and using wax, lying 

 about the apiary. 6th. In defending their 

 h'lte against the encroachments of moth. 



The Black bee is superior to the Italian 

 in the following particulars viz : 1st. In 

 ability to withstand a greater degree of 

 cold during winter. 2nd. In being less 

 liable to abandon their hive in the spring 

 on account of weakness of numbers. 3d. 

 In maintaining their strength during an 

 abundant hone^^-gathering. This is 

 undoubtedly owing to the queen 

 promptly dcpositiug eggs in the cells as 

 fast as the young bees emerge. 4th. In 

 building neic combs either in boxes or 

 frames for surplus honey. 5th. strong 

 texture of wings thereby enal ling this 

 member to last as long as the life of the 

 bee. 6th. In rearing broods two or three 

 weeks later iu the fall ; thus enablhig 

 them the better to get through the winter. 



As the Hybrid partakes more or less of 

 the Italian or tlie Black, so will the char- 

 acteristics of the one or the other as above 

 enumerated be manifest. 



Hybrids that 1 regard as the best in my 

 apiary, are descended from Black mothers ; 

 and were obtained in this way : A Black 

 queen was fertilized by an Italian drone. 

 From the eggs of this queen were reared 

 Hybrid queens and wliere these young 

 queens became fertilized by Italian drones. 



I have Hybrid colonies the most satisfac- 

 tory. 



Therefore if we wish to secure in a col- 

 ony, gentleness, beauty of form, size, col- 

 or, etc., and good defenders against moth; 

 ability to withstand cold, maintain their 

 strength during bountiful honey-gathering, 

 and build combs for surplus honey, secure 

 these Hybrids. ■ I obtained more than three 

 times as much box honey from these, as I 

 did from any of my pure Italians last sea- 

 son. 



To obtain a large yield of surplus hon- 

 ey from the Italians, the extractor must 

 be used. 



They will not build combs readily in 

 boxes or frames, for the reception of sur- 

 plus, but instead will deposit the honey, 

 when the flow is abundant, in the brood 

 combs and forstall the queen. 



My Hybrids above described will build 

 combs as readily as the Blacks, and give 

 nearly as much box honey as the extract- 

 or will from the Italians. 



My advise would be to any one wishing 

 to secure extracted honey only, to keep 

 pure Italians ; because they are the most 

 agreable to handle, and this has to be 

 done very often during the season in using 

 the extractor. 



If you want to obtain large amounts of 

 surplus honey' partly in boxes and partly 

 extracted, keep the Hybrids. ( Second 

 generation from a Black mother is best.) 



If you want to secure box honey only, 

 ( a less quantity than you can obtain from 

 the Hybrids,) and do not want to handle 

 your bees often, and do not mind being 

 frequently and unceremoniously stung 

 when in the apiary, keep the Black bees. 



Camargo, 111. J. AV. McKlnley. 



Improved Breeding- 

 etc. 



-Queen Raising, 



May it not be an important fact in the 

 improved breeding of liees that more par- 

 ticular attention should be paid to the 

 proper manner of raising queens ; and 

 this brings up a question upon which 1 

 with many others would gladly be enlight- 

 ened. 



Has any of our numerous queen breed- 

 ers observed any dilference between queens 

 raised from an old queen, say three or four 

 }'ears, and those raised from one in her 

 first year. In looking over the various 

 volumes of our old Journal, I see but lit- 

 tle that lias a direct bearing on the point. 

 Among poultry breeders it is now pretty 

 generally coiiceeded, that the largest and 

 most healthy chickens arc the product 

 not of the pullet, but of the older hens. 

 Such is contended also to be the case in 



