812 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Avell as to stick to pure blood with its more 

 fixed character. 



So I don't think it's fair to compare Ital- 

 ians with hybrids that I had polished up to 

 shine their brightest. A better way is to 

 compare pure Italians with pure blacks. It 

 is not an easy thing' to do that now, at least 

 for me, for I have not seen a colony of pure 

 blacks in many a year. But years ago there 

 was no ditficulty on that score. I began with 

 blacks of the purest character, and there 

 was no danger of contamination, for only 

 blacks surrounded me. My first Italian stock 

 was from Mrs. Ellen S. Tupper, Washing- 

 ton, Iowa, afterward for a time editress of 

 The American Bee Journal. Afterward I 

 got Italian colonies from Adam Grimm, 

 Jefferson, Wis., later known as the man who 

 started a bank with his bee-money. That 

 gave me a chance to compare blacks with 

 Italians. The Italians were away and awav 

 ahead. That's one of the things I know, 

 and know for certain. 



Having introduced Italian blood, in my 

 ignorance I did what many another is doing 

 to-day — left the bees to their own devices in 

 the matter of breeding. I did, however, get 

 an imported queen from Italy now and 

 then, and afterward began building up the 

 strain of hybrids that did so well. 



Now please let me get myself on record 

 straight. I do not believe blacks are better 

 than hybrids, and for permanent results I 

 doubt the wisdom of getting in the least 

 taint of black blood. If I had it to do over 

 again (and this is the part of what I have 

 said that some overlook) I would stick to 

 the purest Italian blood every time. 



But, having established a strain that was 

 ahead of any thing else I knew of, why did 



I make so radical a change as to weed out 

 all the black blood, or nearly all? Just one 

 thing made me change. In making selection 

 for breeding I had ignored every thing but 

 the one factor — the gift of storing — and 

 along with that I had developed a strain so 

 full of vieiousness that they seemed to con- 

 clude that they could run the place alone, 

 and had decided that they would run off the 

 place every thing not provided with six legs. 

 My assistant protested bitterly that, after 

 having labored for years to build up a strain 

 that would do such good work, I should 

 throw it all away and begin with — I didn't 

 know what. But I said I'd rather have less 

 honey and not be obliged to move. So for 

 some years the weeding process has been go- 

 ing on, and now I have mostly Italians. 



I got stock from The A. I. Root Co., 

 from Doolittie, and from Italy, and I sup- 

 pose the stock I now have is a blend. I can- 

 not answer the question where to get best 

 Italians. For all I know there are many 

 who have excellent stock. 



I may be asked how my present compares 

 with my previous stock. I don't know. It's 

 hard to make a comparison between two 

 things several miles or several years apart. 

 But I've kept up breeding from the best, 

 and I think I have some pretty good work- 

 ers. And it may be well to say that last 

 year I seemed to get best results from the 

 yellower bees. But it isn't certain that will 

 be so next year. 



Just one thing I want to urge. If you 

 are not satisfied with your stock, get the best 

 you can, and count that only a beginning; 

 the important thing is to continue persis- 

 tently breeding from the best. 



Marengo, 111. 



ANOTHER GEEAT SWAMP BEE PASTURE 



BY G. W, HAINES 



The editorial, page 570, Aug. 1, on the 

 big swamp or marsh land gives a good de- 

 scription of a large swamp near my apiary, 

 only it is ten miles long and from two to 

 five miles wide. It is so marshy for a dis- 

 tance of eight miles that a team cannot cross 

 except in the winter on the ice. A large 

 creek runs through the center the whole 

 length, and this affords good fishing. In 

 early spring it overflows and makes a lake 

 as the water goes down. It is gi'eat bee 

 pasture. In early ppring many wild flowers 

 and acres of willow start the bees breeding, 

 in fine shape. During clover bloom they do 

 not seem to work that way. After clover 

 bloom there is a line of bees that way until 

 frost cuts off everv thing. 



You give a good description of all honey- 

 plants found here; but you do not brag 

 enough of the button-bush, as you call it. 

 We call it here " button-ball," as the bloom 

 and seed are as round as a ball. It comes 

 in bloom in Augiist, with buckwheat. The 

 bees start for the buckwheat-fields in all 

 directions in early morning. At about 11 

 o'clock they usually leave the buckwheat 

 and start for the big swamp. On the but- 

 ton-ball they seem to work all day. It is a 

 sight to see the whole apiary of 225 colo- 

 nies working in one direction. 



A man stopped one day and told me all 

 the bees I had were running away down in 

 the big swamp. On several occasions I have 

 seen bees that I was satisfied were mine 



