THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



15 



less dead bees, on the alighting 

 boards around the hives and on the 

 snow during the entire winter. 



Last fall I had a small colony 

 that was made up late in the sum- 

 mer and which went into winter 

 quarters with less than one quart' 

 of bees. I marked that colony 

 " to die." Occasionally, I would 

 give the hive a slight rap to see if 

 they were all right ; they wei'e sure 

 to respond every time. They pos- 

 itively refused to succumb or give 

 up the ghost ; and to-day, although 

 they are slightly reduced in num- 

 bers, they are vigorous and intent on 

 doing some business the coming 

 season. "Well, why is it that this 

 small colony came through success- 

 fully, while some stronger ones 

 died ? Simply on account of having 

 a queen that is a queen in every 

 sense of the word, one that is hardy, 

 strong and vigorous, and bred 

 from a strain 1 have described. 

 Now, such a queen will do from 

 which to breed. 



I have selected queens of this 

 class from which to breed the com- 

 ing season, and would not think of 

 breeding from one that had not 

 brought her colony through the 

 winter in good condition. I have 

 some strains of Italians that have 

 done this completely and satisfac- 

 torily ; but I have no bees that are 

 so hardy as the hybrids produced 

 by crossing the Holy Lands with 

 the Italians, which meet all the re- 

 quirements requisite to successful 

 wintering better than any other race 

 or strain extant. 



It really looks as though the 

 comino- bee would be developed by 



crossing the bees of these two 

 races. The light Italians are beauti- 

 ful, gentle, and fine honey gatherers, 

 and they are the race for the 

 southern or warmer,climate, rather 

 than for our New England or 

 northern states. They do not win- 

 ter as well as the dark Italians : I 

 believe all admit this. When I 

 say dark Italians, I do not wish 

 this to be construed to mean, as 

 not handsome because they are 

 dark ; on the contrary, they are 

 very beautiful, while the light 

 Italians are more of a straw 

 color. 



Bees that will winter well out of 

 doors or in the cellar, are those 

 that possess every desirable quality 

 as honey gatherers. The summer 

 stand is the proper place to winter 

 bees, and when the right strain is 

 developed we can winter them 

 as successfully as we can our cattle 

 and with as little trouble. Now, 

 my friends, do not go into the 

 " fancy bees" too deeply ; secure 

 those which contain the largest 

 number of the desirable and essen- 

 tial requisites which ensure the best 

 results. When you have secured 

 such, or developed a strain which 

 contains the previously described 

 qualities (and you certainly can 

 produce them by careful selection 

 and breeding), then shall we have 

 solved the winter problem, and 

 have the coming bee. 



Wenham, Mass. 



