THE AMERICAN' APIGULTURIST. 



23 



they produced bees so yellow that I 

 could not tell them from Italians and 

 as they were excessive swarmers I quit 

 raising them. 



Now under the present state of 

 things as the Italian is bred to-day, 

 with all the variation there is in their 

 color markings and characteristics, is it 

 not true that tlie term '-Italian bees," 

 have but little or no meaning? and if 

 so, is it not time we had some stand- 

 ard, souie particular markings, color 

 and characteristics to breed for and 

 and expect in a race of bees with a 

 given name? Perhaps the greatest 

 difficulty to overcome would be to get 

 a sufficient number of queen breeders 

 to agree on wliat should be the partic- 

 ular color, mirkings and characteristics 

 of such a bee. I don't think there 

 would be much difference of opinion as 

 to what the characteristics of the ideal 

 bee should.be. I think tlie greatest 

 difference of opinion would be as to 

 what particular color and markings, if 

 any, the ideal bee should possess. 

 Some would no doubt claim the color 

 has little to do with their nature and 

 character ; while others would assert 

 that it has a great deal to do in the mrt- 

 ter. I would be one among the latter 

 cla5s. I have lo ^g contended that the 

 color aid mirkings have nearly, if not 

 all to do in ('e mJing tlie nature and 

 cliaracteristics of bees. I have mrde it 

 my special study for some years in re- 

 gard to the c )lor and markings as a 

 means of deciding the character or 

 qualities of bees. I believe it possible 

 for an expert in the matter to judge of 

 their character simply bv examining ih^ 

 color and markings, and do it as easily 

 as a phrenologist can read the charac- 

 ter of different persons. I think tliere 

 should be some standard given that we 

 might all adopt — American Italian 

 bee, one tliat would possess all the de- 

 sirable qualities with a certain well-de- 

 fined color and marki igs, so they would 

 be known from all others by these col- 

 ors and markings. I may, in a future 

 article give description of my ideal bee. 



Waynesburg, Pa. W. S. Vandruff. 



Well, friend Vandruff, you as well as 

 a large numl:)er of prominent beekeep- 

 ers have got around to the opinions 

 expressed editorially in the Api concern- 

 ing the original yellow bees. The Api 

 expresses no opinions inconsistent with 

 facts and experience — wild absurd state- 

 ments and opinions are not what bee- 

 keepers desire or relish,. The people 

 guilty of these things are those who 

 have tried to prove without properly 

 investigating or considering the matter, 

 that the Italian bee is a fixed race. 

 Your article is important as it indicates 

 you have given thought and study to a 

 matter that bears upon one of the live 

 subjects of the present time. — Ed.] 



YELLOW BEES IN CARNIOL.V. 



By referring to the A. B. J. for Au- 

 gust 8, iSSS, or British B. /. for Au- 

 gust 23, 1888, you will find a letter from 

 Mr. Frank Benton, in which he says : 

 'T have yet to see an apiary in Carni- 

 ola where yellow-banded bees do not 

 exist. 'I'here is, in this race, a tinge 

 of yellow blood .that creeps out every 

 now and then, do the best one may." 

 He gives aho the testimony of two other 

 persons, that bees with orange or rusty 

 red bands had always existed all over 

 Carniola. Mr. Benton also gives other 

 information on this matter in the B. B.J. 

 for Sept. 20 and Nov. i, 18S8. E. L. 

 PKArr. 



Brothers Qnigley, Green, Robinson and 

 others are especially invited to read tlie 

 above carefully, and comment thereon. 



If nricli more evidence comes to liand of 

 tlie exist;ence of yelloAV bees in Carniola, 

 1 sliall begin to thinlv after all I did not 

 d!j such a smart thing in developing the 

 goMen Carniolaiis Well it.does l)cgin to 

 look as though my opinion concerning 

 the original yellow bees is about right. 

 It looks too. :is though any one sodisposed 

 ctm pi-ndiici' -olden Carniolans without 

 interuiixiiig lli ■ i-aces. 



I shall be glad to publish in the An com- 

 ments on the above from any of the gen- 

 tlemen whese names are mentioned here- 

 ■\vith. I expect the day is not far distant 

 Avhen all the above-named friends will take 

 sides with me ou this question. — Ed.] 



