942 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 15 



comprehend fully this subject let us take 

 another illustration— one we are all familiar 

 with : 



In an early day the potato-plant bore seed 

 freely; but men continued to cultivate them 

 from tubers, until now the tendency to pro- 

 duce tubers at the expense of seed has been 

 so intensified that it is almost impossible in 

 some varieties to obtain seed; yet no one 

 will argue that the potato of to-day is in any 

 way inferior because it does not produce 

 seed; for all know that it is just the oppos-iie. 



Look again at the wild maize, or Indian 

 corn, with its flat cob and only an occasional 

 kernel here and there, not in rows, very un- 

 gainly in looks, and then at some of the va- 

 rieties that have been developed from it. 

 This is a good example of what can be done 

 by careful selection. Now in regard to bees : 



Conditions and operations have tended to 

 breed certain races in certain lines for al- 

 most centuries, as in the case of the gray 

 Carniolan. They have encouraged swarm- 

 ing so long in Carniola that in some in- 

 stances it has become very prominent. The 

 black or German bee no doubt at one time 

 was one of the best of races; but their 

 mode of procuring honey by the brimstone- 

 pit resulted in destroyii g the best colonies, 

 and the continual breeding from the more 

 inferior ones has greatly affected their off- 

 spring. But, we say, what has all this to 

 do with control of increase? Very much in- 

 deed; for in order to control swarming suc- 



cessfully all these things must be taken into 

 consideration; and remember that the hive 

 or method that will prevent in one case may 

 have little or no effect in another. 

 Madison, Wis. 



«»« 



PROF. H. A. SURFACE AND HIS STUDENTS 

 IN BEE CULTURE. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



The illustration below shows a view 

 taken of Prof. Surface and his class at the 

 State College of Pennsylvania. The apiary 

 where this picture was taken is located in a 

 little grove a short distance from the college 

 grounds. It is at this yard where the pro- 

 fessor has been conducting various experi- 

 ments along practical and scientific lines. 

 It is here, too, where he took his students 

 to make demonstrations and at the same 

 time instruct them along the lines of prac- 

 tical management of bees. 



On one of these occasions, apparently, a 

 kodaker was present and secured the ac- 

 companying picture. Prof. Surface is in the 

 foreground, pointing out the queen on the 

 frame he is holding, to his other queen (at 

 his right) who at the moment looked up, 

 scarcely repressing a smile, while her hus- 

 band with intense seriousness is evidently 

 oblivious to the kodaker's presence. 



We had expected to have Mrs. Surface 

 sing for us at the field-day meeting at Jen- 



PROP. SURFACE AND HIS STUDENTS IN APICULTURE. 



