616 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1. 



The next is that of a tumbler, and the last 

 that of a carrier pigeon. The two lower heads 

 represent breeds that have descended from 

 the wild type represented in the head above. 

 One has a beak only about half, and the other 

 once and a half as long as its ancestor's — a va- 

 riation of nearly an inch. Now, if the beak 

 of a bird can be changed by man, can not the 

 tongues of bees be lengthened also ? 



PIGEON SKUttS. 



" It is an interesting fact in this connection, 

 that, while a great deal of attention has been 

 given to improving hives and boxes, supers 

 and sections, frames and foundation, and 

 every thing connected with bees, more than 

 eight hundred patents having been issued dur- 

 ing the last twenty-seven years on such im- 

 provements alone, yet how litile thought, com- 

 paratively, has been given to improving the 

 bees themselves beyond that of color ! It is 

 true we have introduced a number of new 

 breeds during the last forty j'ears, each claim- 

 ed to be better than any other. I think it is 

 now generally conceded that the Italians are 

 as good as any ; still, some prefer black bees 

 or black with a slight mixture of Italian blood. 

 Yet one of their most maiked characteristics 

 is their variability, as I think any one who has 

 bought queens from different sources will tes- 

 tify. Indeed, the Italians as imported seem 

 to be a breed formed by nature or climate, 

 without being improved in the least by the 

 hand of man. While horses, cattle, sheep, 

 hogs, dogs, fowls, and almost every thing do- 

 mesticated by man, are being constantly im- 

 proved, how little thought has been given to 

 improving our bees by carefully selecting the 

 best from which to rear our queens from year 

 to year ! Why should not a bee-keeper take 

 as much interest in improving the produc- 

 tiveness of his bees as the flock-master does 



his sheep, or the dairyman his cows ? What 

 would be thought of a man going into dairy- 

 ing who should build his barn with every 

 modern improvement, and secure the most 

 approved utensils, and then go out and buy 

 his cows without regard to the quantity or 

 quality of milk they would produce? " 



" They would call him a fool over our side 

 of the hill," said Whitty, " or something not 

 much more complimentary." 



How much more he would have said I don't 

 know, for Esquire Fullam came along just 

 then, driving a cow ; and, hearing a few words 

 about improved tools or utensils for dairying, 

 began : 



" That is so. One needs the best barns and 

 apparatus for dairying, and ours is the first 

 State to invent and adopt them. But then it 

 is even more important to have improved 

 cows. I have just sold this cow, and am driv- 

 ing her to the station, because last year she 

 did not give me over two hundred and fifty 

 pounds of butter. I tell you, our State is a 

 great place for dairying when you have im- 

 proved cows and apparatus, and all the con- 

 veniences. To-day the cattle are feeding upon 

 a thousand hills, cropping the sweet green 

 grass. I tell you, our State makes the high- 

 est-colored and finest- flavored butter in the 

 world. It is a good place to live in too. I 

 tell you, we have a great State." 



[I would explain that this article, or, rather, 

 this series of articles, was written several 

 months ago, and it appears that Uncle Lisha 

 has preceded us in all the later developments 

 which were given prominence in our last issue. 

 Uncle Lisha offers us a good deal of encourage- 

 ment. Now, then, we wait with special inter- 

 est the report of the Michigan Experiment 

 Station touching on the subject of the com- 

 parative lengths of bees' tongues. If there is 

 a marked variation it certainly lies within our 

 power to make the variations greater. Let the 

 short tongues be where thev are, but make the 

 long tongues longer. — Ed ] 



ITAI^IAN BEES, CARNIOLAN BEES, AND FOUH. 

 BROOD. 



"Good morning, Mr. Doolittle. I came 

 over this morning to have a little chat with 

 you about three things which interest me 

 much just now. The first is about the Italian 

 bees which I read so much about. Will you 

 please give me a description of this bee, as I 

 do not see what I wish along this line in the 

 bee-paper which I take? " 



" Well, neighbor Jones, I hardly know what 

 you wish under what you term as a ' descrip- 

 tion,' but I will venture to say that this bee 

 belongs to one of the yellow varieties, to which 

 also belong the Cyprians and Syrians." 



