THE GENESEE FARMER. 



47 



MANAGEMENT OF HONEY BEES. 



Italian Honey Bees. — Much has been said during the 

 last two years in regard to Italian bees, which were intro- 

 duced into the United Status as being preferable to our 

 native bees. There are no families of these bees for sale, 

 but they are propagated by the sale of Italian queens only, 

 at prices ranging from $S to $10 each. 



My opinion has often been asked in regard to the value 

 of these over our common bees, but I have been unable to 

 reply from my personal experience with them ; yet I think 

 my opinion of them will be found, in the end, to be nearly 

 correct. 



In the first place, on the introduction of these Italian 

 queens I was suspicious that speculation was at the bottom 

 of it. I sought all the information that could be obtained 

 in regard to them, read all the rural publications, heard 

 all the arguments in their favor, from that day to this, and 

 still my opinion is that there is quite as much Jiumbug in 

 Italian queen bees as there are merits over the native 

 species. 



It may be said, with some show of plausibility, that in- 

 asmuch as I have had no practical experience with these 

 bees, my opinion is not entitled to much respect. To this 

 I reply, that I profess to be a pretty correct studier ot 

 human nature, and to be able to detect humbugs, in many 

 cases, without any positive proof of their demerits. I rea- 

 son in this wise: How does it happen that a species of 

 honey bee should have been in existence in Italy for cen- 

 turies, far superior to our native bees, which are the same 

 as all others in Europe except the Italian stock, and yet 

 none of the writers on the honey bee in Europe during tho 

 past hundred years have alluded to that species as being 

 worthy of culture? Indeed, it is not mentioned at all by 

 any of the modern English, French and German authors, 

 which is a significant fact, that this species is of no par- 

 ticular value. 



Again, it seems to me to be hardly possible for so valu- 

 able a species of honey bee, as it is pretended they are, to 

 have reraaiued wholly unknown to the best apiarians of 

 the old world, and the new, till the year 1860. 



Being deeply interested in the profits accruing from the 

 •abors of honey bees, I should have been one of the first 

 purchasers of these Italian queens if I had been led to 

 believe that they were any better thau others ; and in giv- 

 ing my opinion ou them, I do not say that I am infallible, or 

 that possibly I may not be mistaken ; but the whole thing 

 does really look suspicious, and if I can do the public any 

 good by warning people of humbugs, I think that I shall 

 be considered engaged in a laudable business. Some 

 years ago, on the introduction of the famous, or rather 

 infamous Diosooria Bat-ata, or Chinese yam, I did sdl I 

 could to put the public on its guard; and I have good 

 reasons for believing that there are hundreds of people 

 who are indebted to me for not having their pockets 

 heavily taxed for an article not worih receiving as a gift. 



I have noticed that the laudations (puff's) of Italian bees 

 come from parties who have queens for sale. I scarcely 

 Bee a word in their favor from disinterested sources. But 

 still, as I said above, I may be in error, and these bees 

 may be all that is claimed for them. 



Ten dollars, these times, will almost buy a cow, and to 

 pay that sum for a queen bee, and a few workers which 



can, at best, be only half-breeds, is what I think the read- 

 ers of the Genesee Farmer will be slow to do. It these 

 bees are valuable, they will be rapidly propagated, aud in 

 a few years the price will be down to a reasonable sum, 

 when bee keepers will be able to obtain them at their 

 actual value. 



It is said that the Italian bees are larger than our native 

 varieties, more hardy, stronger, aud are able to gather 

 honey from some kinds of flowers from which the com- 

 mon bees are excluded. It was originally said that they 

 could extract the honey from red clover blossoms, but I 

 notice that this assertion is contradicted. If tkey can 

 reach the honey in that variety of clover, I shall be in- 

 clined to withdraw a large portion of my disparaging 

 remarks in regard to them. 



How Far do Bees Fly? — The question is frequently 

 asked, " How far do bees fly in search of honey?" There 

 are instances in which they go three or four miles, when 

 the weather is Warm and no winds exist to obstruct their 

 flight ; but the average range of a family is in a radius of 

 about three miles diameter. If we could place a hive 

 of bees in the centre of a desert or sandy plain, three 

 miles in diameter, I do not think that they woulc? be able 

 to gather honey enough to survive, even if a great supply 

 were to exist at tho usual season on the immediate bor- 

 ders of said plain. 



In consequence of the flight of bees being thus restrict- 

 ed, it is possible to overstock any district, in the same 

 manner as a farmer can overstock a pasture with cattle. 

 I consider about, one hundred families enough to stock 

 any location, where no other bees exist within a mile and 

 a half of the apiary. In some places, this number will be 

 too large where the bee pasturage is poor, but in the best 

 districts one hundred hives can be profitably kept, even 

 if a few other small apiaries exist in the vicinity. 



It is surprising to see what a vast quantity of honey 

 might be gathered in any State if we had a sufiBcient 

 stock of bees, properly distributed. I have no doubt that 

 enough honey is lost every year, for the lack of bees t» 

 gather it, which, at fifteen cents per lb., would pay the 

 entire expenses of our government in ordinary times. 



Clinton, X. Y. T. B. MINER. 



« I ■! 



Keeping Eggs in Ashes. — Some time ago, I read 

 in the Genesee Farmer of eggs being found in an 

 ash bed, where they had been kept for two years, 

 and when found were as nice as when fresh laid. 

 The writer thought it would be well for some of 

 your readers to try the experiment and give the 

 result. Well, thought I. it looks reasonable, and 

 how much labor it will save of greasing (which 

 was my usual successful way of packing). So I 

 packed my eggs in nice, clean ashes, and it was but 

 little work, at the same time telling my particular 

 friends how cheaply I was going to keep my eggs. 

 When Thanksgiving came, eggs brought a good 

 round price, and now was the time to sell; but 

 when I came to break my eggs to try them, they 

 looked as though they had been partly boiled, and 

 they were well saturated with lye. My neighbors 

 have had the same luck. Who shall we lay our 

 loss to? I would like to knriw how your corres- 

 pondent succeeded in packing his eggs. Will ha 

 please write and let us know? mes. a. j. e., At* 

 mada. Mieh. 



