1881 



GLEAXIJ^GS IN BEE CULTUilE. 



ni 



MARKING OF HYBRIDS, ETC. 



As I have seen so much about the test of Italian 

 bees, I would like to give my experience. Wc 

 bought two colonies of Italian bees three years ago 

 last spring. The next spring we had four: and, al- 

 though there were no other bees within two or three 

 miles of them, there were a good many jet-black 

 liees among the new swarms. As we supposed that 

 hybrids would have one or two bands, we were a lit- 

 tle puzzled. I wrote you about it, but got nothing 

 satisfactory in repl\-. Increased to eight swarms 

 the next season. Some swarms were almost entire- 

 ly black .jet-black blacker than any black bees I 

 ever saw, with now and then nice three-banded bees 

 among them. Some were mostly yellow bees, with 

 but a few black ones; others wore plain three-band- 

 ed, with a jet-black tip; and, bear in mind, the pure 

 black, and yellow and black ones have no downy 

 rings at all. I don't know any thing about one or 

 two banded bees; I do not find them; but, for rob- 

 bing, these bees arc A No. 1. Inless honey is quite 

 plenty, they arc on hand with their liills whenever 

 or wherever a hive is opened. Now, when I have a 

 young queen begin to lay. I watch and examine 

 when the brood begins to hatch; and if the bees are 

 all yellow, I call her pure: and if I see one or two of 

 the little fellows that have just crawled out of the 

 cells, that do not show any yellow at all, t pronounce 

 her hybrid. We bought an imported queen of you 

 a year ago last spring, and another last summer. 

 Their progeny, I notice, have the rings of down as 

 well as the yellow bands. As I hu\c never heard 

 nor read about hybrids being black, and as I have 

 had no opportunity to see any other hybrids than 

 my own, I would like to know if they are always so, 

 nr if ours are an exception. Mrs. P. P. Cobb. 



Middleville, Barry Co., Mich , Nov. 8. 1880. 



The explanation is, my friend, that hy- 

 brids are so very diverse in tlieir markings. 

 In some cases, the bees will nearly all take 

 after their male parent, to such iin extent 

 that a yellow (jueen may produce bees al- 

 most entirely black. In the same way. a 

 pure-black queen (mated Avith an Italian 

 drone, of course K may produce very finely 

 marked Italians, or, at least, the greater 

 part of them. By noticing a great number 

 of hybrid stocks, you will see how unlike 

 they are in markings. One queen will pro- 

 duce, uniformly, two-banded bees ; another, 

 all kinds of bees, from one band up to three, 

 and some bees entirely black : or. as you 

 say, Ijlacker than any common bees. This 

 saine law of mixed races is seen in fowls and 

 all kinds of animal life, and even in the hu- 

 man family. Nature always --sports"" more 

 or less in shades of color ; but where there is 

 a cross of two races, then she seems to de- 

 light in cutting up all kinds of pranks and 

 unexpected antics, if I may be allowed to so 

 express it. 



DO WE WANT BROOD LATE IX THE FALL? 



The question is, "Is it or is it not, a desirable thing 

 that queens should continue laying until very late 

 in the fall?" When preparing colonies for winter, it 

 will always be found that some of them have more 

 brood than others, and generally less honey; while 

 others are in the opposite condition. As to just 

 which condition is the best at that time of the year, 

 there seems to be considerable to be said on both 

 sides. Is not this late breeding unseasonable? and 



is it not an expenditure of mature bees and of win- 

 ter stores which is not compensated for by a corres- 

 ponding increase ot young bees? or will the young 

 bees produced at this time be an element of strength 

 which will be needed during the winter and early 

 spring which is so soon to come? If breeding is ex- 

 tended into cold weather, will not the central cells 

 be occupied with brood to such an extent that there 

 will not be room for winter provision? and vfili not 

 winter, when it comes, find the colony unprepared 

 for winter? Is it best, or is it not best, that bees 

 should stop breeding as soon as the yield of honey 

 ceases? This question is practical and important, 

 and seems t<> be one which should be taken into con- 

 sideration when making selections for breeding 

 stock. A. li. Weed. 



Detroit, Mich., Nov. 5, 1880. 



I presume there will be a diversity of opin- 

 ion in the matter, friend W.: but as for my- 

 self, give me the bees and queens that will 

 raise brood at any or at all times of the year. 

 I will take care of the supplies and the young 

 bees. Now let us hear from others. 



BEE talk; lazy bees. 



^itw, friend Novice, does it not disturb your quiet 

 repose somewhat, to even contemplate such a sub- 

 ject? That part of animated nature, the honey-bee, 

 that upon so many well-fought battle-fields has just- 

 ly earned the title of -'busy bee," and now, at this 

 late date, to apply the epithet lazy bees, is more than 

 I can stand. I will give you one volley of experience 

 on this subject, and then leave it for those who arc 

 interested to ponder over, before abusing our (Jod- 

 given pets by calling them lazy. 



I had a colony of nice Italians last spring that was 

 strong in bees; and when other colonies were storing 

 honey, this colony was not gathering enough stores 

 to keep up the consumption in the hive. Here, now, 

 said I, is one of these lazy colonies that I have been 

 reading about in Gleanings. I decided, in my own 

 mind, that I would not keep any queen that would 

 produce such workers, and so I opened the hive with 

 the intention of cutting off her head and givins- 

 them another queen; but when I got a glimpse of 

 the inside of their home I changed my mind very 

 quickly; for I could see clearly, or, at least, to my 

 satisfaction, where all the trouble was. The queen 

 that I had condemned to be executed had that hive 

 filled from shore to shore with brood, and it took so 

 many bees to hover and nurse the young brood that 

 field laborers were scarce. What was to be done? 

 Well, here is just what I did: instead of killing that 

 large and beautiful queen, I took away two combs of 

 brood, and hung combs containing honey and pollen 

 in their places. I then picked out two more combs 

 of hatching brood, and hung them on the outside of 

 brood-chamber; by this process I soon crowded the 

 queen on to five or six combs instead of ten, and had 

 the satisfaction of seeing, in a short time, as good a 

 working colony as I had in the apiary. 



Bloomdale, O., Nov. 10, '80. K. B. Bobbins. 



"N^ery good, friend R. It is true, we should 

 go slowly in condemning any queen to de- 

 capitation ; but what are you going to do 

 with the statements from tnis next brother 'r* 

 Head : — 



REPORT OF HONEY CROP OF 1880. 



Bees have done so little in this section of country, 

 that it is almost Impossible to find any one besides 

 myself who got any surplus honey from their bees. 



