128 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



points, and this would cause a ret- 

 rograde in more practical merits. 

 But time has shown that Jerseys with 

 black points have not frequently 

 enough been inferior dairy cows to 

 very much lessen the value of that 

 particular strain of the breed. 



I might mention many other ex- 

 amples, but I will content myself 

 with a few. No fowls have been 

 bred more particularly for markings 

 than the various breeds of Games ; 

 yet their pugnacity of spirit remains 

 unimpaired. 



The Dark Brahmas have also been 

 bred with an eye to the most rigid 

 accuracy of color, and yet they are 

 still as large, as hardy and as profi- 

 table as they ever were. Bantams 

 have suffered the breeding down of 

 size and hkewise the establishment 

 of rigid standards of markings with- 

 out losing that comical, self-suffi- 

 cient bravery that has always char- 

 acterized them. And so it is with 

 the yellow races of bees. It does 

 not follow that any connection ex- 

 ists between their color on the one 

 hand and their valuable qualities on 

 the other. But nature, in some mys- 

 terious way that shows forth in its 

 effects upon all animals and plants, 

 has in Italians and Cyprians, Syri- 

 ans and Palestines, bred their yel- 

 low color conjointly with traits that 

 render them most valuable to man- 

 kind. 



Why cannot we in applying the 

 aid of science to nature continue 

 hkewise and, instead of separating 

 points that we find joined together, 

 strive to blend beauty and profit still 

 more harmoniously by breeding for 

 both at once? In my opinion, a 

 practical and beneficial result of the 

 discussion of this question would be 

 realized in the establishment of a 

 queen breeders' association with 

 membership wherever queens are 

 raised in America. The object of 

 this association would be to secure 

 uniformity of purpose and action 

 among dealers and producers. 



Some standard as a test of purity 

 and of distinction between races be- 

 ing much needed, such an association 

 of breeders could establish a correct 

 and generally recognized one. Im- 

 provements in certain directions up- 

 on races as we find them can result 

 from proper breeding. 



Such a body, by securing concert, 

 would insure system and enhance 

 success ; and the time would more 

 surely come when bees, the progeny 

 of American reared mothers purely 

 mated, would be better than those 

 from imported queens. 



The matter of breeding for prac- 

 tical qualities and looks conjointly 

 could be regulated, and also the 

 much mooted question of rearing 

 cheap queens could be settled ; for 

 such a body of breeders would have 

 a dignity attaching that would give 

 its discussions weight. It is need- 

 less now to enter into details of 

 constitution and of means of secur- 

 ing authority among its membership. 

 I will only say in conclusion that, 

 such associations already exist, not 

 only in the breeding of animals and 

 fowls, but also in the improvement 

 of special breeds of the same. I 

 believe, that a geneial association 

 of queen breeders, or separate or- 

 ganizations for the different races 

 would be productive of good re- 

 sults to both dealers and patrons. 



Gonzales, Cal. 



For the American Apiculturist. 



HAVE WE LEARNED AS 



YET ALL THERE IS TO BE 



KNOWN IN REGARD TO 



APICULTURE? 



By J. E. Pond, Jr. 



Mr. James Heddon in his new 

 work on apiculture (which by the 

 way I do not now propose to criti- 

 cise) has given the public what he 

 claims to be a new system of bee- 

 keeping ; and also describes what he 



