280 AGRICULTURE 



never live over winter and are usually killed by the workers 

 during the fall. But the queen may live for several years. 

 When a queen becomes old or exhausted, a new one takes 

 her place and the life of the colony goes on steadily. 



Producing select hives of bees. The best kinds of bees 

 have been developed in Italy. Among these are the Ital- 

 ian and the Carniolan bees. In some respects the latter 

 are the best bees known. By placing a single fertile 

 queen of one of these choice kinds in a hive of common 

 bees, it will happen that in a few weeks or months all of the 

 bees in the hive will be of her kind because she lays all 

 of the eggs. This is the way colonies of choice bees are 

 produced. Such queens are raised for sale by some bee- 

 keepers and can be sent long distances by mail. 



Honey-producing plants. For the best results with bees 

 it is important that there be an abundance of good honey- 

 producing plants in the vicinity of the hives. Among the 

 best plants for this are some of the clovers, alfalfa, vetches, 

 and many of the common fruit trees. Sweet clover, which 

 grows wild and which is also cultivated on lime soils in the 

 Southern states, is an excellent bee plant. Many of the 

 wild flowers and weeds are sources of abundant honey- 

 supply. Cotton, cowpeas, and buckwheat are good. The 

 magnolia, palmetto, tulip or yellow poplar, and sourwood 

 are valuable sources of supply. Before undertaking bee- 

 keeping on a large scale the surrounding plant life should 

 be carefully studied. Desirable honey-producing crops may 

 be grown to help out the natural sources of supply. 



