140 THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



Here is a characteristic that must not be overlooked. You will 

 never find that colony where the cjueen scatters her brood up with 

 the leaders in the fall. She must fill her combs solid with brood 

 and be prolific enough to keep them so. Such colonies are less 

 inclined to swarm, contrary to theory. We find that colony at work 

 early in the morning and late at night, and if there is nectar in the 

 field they are not hanging around you every time you open a hive. 

 Oh, no, they are so busy they don't seemingly Jiazr time to think of 

 robbing. 



STBONO, VIGOROUS FI.VERS. 



Now note these bees as they leave the hive. They are away 

 like a flash and when they return they enter the hive so quickly 

 that you can not catch a field bee unless it is cool or windy. I wish 

 to be understood that I am talking about field bees, for young bees 

 will always mark their location. They will work in cool weather 

 or when it rains. Throw sawdust at the entrance and see how 

 quickly those bees will carry it away, while some colonies seem 

 indifferent to it. This shows vigor and vigor in the right direction 

 is what we have got to have for good results in honey production. 



Again, note the wings of your bees. You will soon learn that 

 there is quite a noticeable variation in different colonies. 



I would like to call 3'our attention to the load of honey, that is, 

 the size of their honey sacks. Catch the bees in a honey flow, kill 

 the bee, dissect her and you will find some strains of Italians carry 

 one-third more honey to a load than some black colonies do. You 

 can compare the size of the honey sacks and prove whether or not 

 I am right. Then note if the colony daubs up every thing with 

 propolis. Stop and think what this one trait costs the comb honey 

 producer. Some colonies gather double the amount of propolis that 

 other colonies do. This can be reduced one-half in breeding by 

 selecting the colonies that do not show this bad trait. 



Bear in mind these trivial things, as they will look to many 

 bee-keepers, for they are of vital importance and sliould not be 

 overlooked. The color factor in bees is a great guide to go by; that 

 is, to a certain extent. If your bees have been bred pure for genera- 

 tions then you are sure of the color factor. I wish my most beau- 

 tiful bees would make the most honey. I am not blind to beauty. 

 But I find after years of records of the best queens I could rear or 

 buy, it was the colonies that were very dark, some showing only 

 two yellow bands unless filled with honey. So I have found that 

 colonies with bees too yellotv or too dark or black were not the 

 largest producers. 



BSEEDXSrO PURE ITA.I.IANS THAT WERE BI.ACX. 



Several years ago the writer thought he could breed pure Ital- 

 ians that were all black, with all the characteristics of the Italian 



