DECEMBER 15, 1916 



1173 



that variety of bee which is found to 

 be the dominant one of their respective 

 countries. I think that, in the case of some 

 countries, if only a fraction of the et^ort 

 that has been expended on importing, pro- 

 ducirg, and maintaining non - dominant 

 varieties had been applied to the gradual 

 improvement of the dominant variety, 

 greater progress would have been made 

 than has been made in those countries up 

 to the present time. . 



But this question is not only one of im- 

 proving the bee, and, thereby, beekeeping; 

 it is one, perhaps, of saving beekeeping 

 from partial disaster. Many plants and 

 animals are now more subject to disease 

 than their less cultivated progenitors were. 

 Why is this? It is not a condition that we 

 should regard as unavoidable in the cul- 

 ture of jjlants and animals. I think it i? 

 due to carelessness in not letting nature 

 have more of her own way. That is, it is 

 due to an insufficient application of the 

 slow and natural method of elimination, to 

 too much selective propagation and in- 

 breeding, and to a mistaken degree of hy- 



bridization, thereby breaking up the hered- 

 itary constitution of the organism. So it 

 may be in regard to bees. Many beekeep- 

 ers in the Britisli Isles would give up all 

 tliought of improved strains if oilly they 

 could get a bee that would live at all. It is 

 ])robable that the reason why Isle of Wight 

 disease is so bad here is that the dominant 

 race has been thus broken up by intercross- 

 ing with foreign varieties, thus producing 

 hybrids and mongrels of weak constitution 

 which cannot resist what is, perhaps, only 

 an old-standing bee-disease. 



If this policy, which we may call the 

 dominant bee policy, is correct, how can it 

 be carried out? It can be only paitly done 

 by legislation prohibiting the importation of 

 bees; for no doubt selected non-dominant 

 strains could be maintained in some coun- 

 tries indefinitely, tho the number of such 

 strains would certainly be reduced. In ad- 

 dition to legislation it would be neressary 

 for beekeepers to co-operate thru their as- 

 sociations in cultivating and improving the 

 doininant variety only. 



Acacia House, Beverley, England. 



MICHIGAN STATE BEEKEEPERS' CONVENTION 



BY E. R. ROOT 



It is impossible to give a detailed report 

 of this convention, on account of the limit 

 of our space ; and we can do little more, 

 therefore, than give some of the important 

 points brought out in the discussions. 



Mr. David Running, one of the best bee- 

 keepers in the state and in the United 

 States, made a most excellent presiding 

 officer. He not only understood the fine 

 points of discussion but took particular 

 pains to draw them out. In some cases he 

 kept the speaker upon the platform, after 

 delivering his address, so that those who 

 desired to do so could ask him questions. 

 This feature, apparently original with Mr. 

 Running, added no little to the value of the 

 address, and at the same time drew out 

 points overlooked or not thoroly understood. 

 The general character of the papers was 

 of the very best, and credit is due to Sec. 

 F. Eric Millen for the excellent program 

 which he prepared. 



HOW MUCH MORE COMB THAN OF EXTRACTED 

 CAN BE PRODUCED? 



Some of the beekeepers held that they 

 could produce a half more of extracted — 

 some nearly twice as much. The question 

 received more than ordinary attention for 

 the reason that extracted honey appears to 

 be going up while comb honey is going 



down. Whether one could afford to pro- 

 duce comb honey in view of the rising 

 prices of extracted was a fair question to 

 ask. The general feeling seemed to be 

 that both comb and extracted should be 

 produced, but more of the latter, as it is 

 not wise to put all our eggs in one basket. 

 Moreover, there are some colonies that do 

 better for extracted, and others better for 

 comb. 



STRONG OR MEDIUM COLONIES FOR THE PRO- 

 DUCTION OP COMB HONEY. 



Practically all of those present taking- 

 part in the discussion agreed that the 

 strongest colonies in the spring are not 

 necessarily the best for the production of 

 comb honey, for the reason that they are 

 inclined to swarm before the actual honey- 

 producing season comes on. On the other 

 hand, medium-strength colonies are at about 

 the right strength by the time the honey- 

 flow opens up, and are, therefore, less in- 

 clined to swarm. 



COMB HONEY WITHOUT SWARJIING. 



Mrs. Wilber Frye, of Sand Lake, Michi- 

 gan, was pronounced by Pres. Running one 

 of the most successful coinb-hotiey pro- 

 ducers in the state. She was called to the 

 platform and asked to give her method of 

 producing honey. It will not be possible 



