264 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



breeds or varieties of bees with each other. 

 For years back, in fact, ever since 1 have 

 given this matter proper thought, it has 

 seemed to me wrong to cross the different 

 kinds of bees with each other. By cross- 

 breeding we are just as Ukely to get the 

 bad qualities of both breeds in the 

 cross as to get the good ones; in fact, the 

 cross is more likely to inherit the bad 

 qualities of the parents than to inherit 

 the good ones. I believe that about all 

 the general improvement in our bees that 

 has so far been made has been attained 

 by taking one variety and improving it 

 by selection, without any cross-breeding 

 whatever. 



I am of the opinion that if the superb 

 Italian bee had been taken and bred for 

 all the desirable qualities in a honey bee, 

 by careful and scientific selection, that 

 we would now have closely approximated, 

 if not secured, the ideal bee. I have of- 

 ten thought of the breeding of the Span- 

 ish merino sheep into the American me- 

 rino breed. When our breeders secured 

 stock of the former they commenced to 

 improve the breed; and the improvemetit 

 so advanced that, after a time, only a few 

 years I think, the improved breed had be- 

 come so much superior to the old, that 

 importations of the latter ceased. In 

 time the celebrated American merino was 

 developed; being far in advance of the 

 original breed from which it was bred. 

 This was done by careful and proper se- 

 lection in the right direction; and, I think 

 without the introduction into the new 

 breed of a drop of blood from an}' other 

 breed. In the same manner let us breed 

 up to the highest desirable standard the 

 beautiful Italian bee — the grandest of all 

 varieties of honey bees. 



When bees are cross-bred to improve 

 the stock, there is no certain way of 

 knowing if the crosses are pure or not; 

 and new blood could be infused into them 

 without it being known, and to their in- 

 jury. This objection is insurmountable 

 unless some way can be found to 

 fertilize the queens other than the natu- 

 al wa's". Different strains of honey bees 



can be produced having one or more 

 special features. Thus, one strain could 

 be produced especially to secure extract- 

 ed honey; mere honey gathering being 

 its particular feature; the comb building 

 feature being undeveloped. Another 

 strain could be produced that, besides 

 having honey gathering as its special 

 feature, would also have comb building 

 as a special feature. This would be the 

 bee for the comb honey producer. Still 

 another strain could be produced with 

 the special feature of beaut}- — the bee for 

 the bee fancier. 



Although beauty is not one of the 

 most important qualities of a honey bee, 

 still, it is an important one and one that 

 cannot be ignored or neglected in breed- 

 ing the ideal bee. We all admire beauty. 

 It is an important factor in human enjoy- 

 ment. Life without it would be an ex- 

 istence hardl}' worth possessing. We fail 

 to appreciate fully what a blessing it is, 

 because we see so much of it. This world 

 was created in besLuty. Over the whole 

 earth was spread the mantle of beauty; 

 over the moimtains, and the valleys, the 

 hills and the plains, and over the might}- 

 deep. We see the firmament arched with 

 the rainbow of beauty. At night the 

 moon sheds its mellow light of beauty; 

 and the heaven is decked with "starry 

 gems " of beauty. The "orb of day" 

 rises in beauty, passes westward, bathing 

 the earth in the sunshine of beauty, and 

 sinks behind the western hills in beauty 

 — often in the most resplendent beauty. 

 There is, too, the beauty of the animal, 

 vegetable and mineral worlds. Beauty of 

 form, beauty of shape, and beauty of col- 

 or. Beauty is not only external, but it is 

 also internal. There is beauty of struct- 

 ure, beauty of function and beauty of 

 action. Endless beauty. Indeed, "beau- 

 ty lingers everywhere. " Let us then 

 give beauty the prominence it deserves. 

 Let us have its brightening and refining 

 influence. We need its companionship 

 through life to cheer us, to brighten us 

 and uplift us. We can perform our la- 

 l)ors more easily when surrounded by 



