THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST. 



53 



A FAMILIAR TALK ABOUT HEK CUL- 

 TURE FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH 

 NEW AND OLD BEEKEEPERS. 



Bee culture is a subject tbat can be 

 discussed without wearing out or grow- 

 ing old, and it does not in the least tire 

 those engaged in keeping bees, even if 

 much of tlie bee talk is a rehash of some 

 of the old subjects. On this basis I 

 pro|)Ose to touch upon many old points 

 and theories as connected with bee- 

 keeping. First, a word about the dif- 

 ferent races of bees. 



In the list comes the first race im- 

 ported, that of the common, or German 

 bee, which came across the ocean in the 

 seventeenth century. This race was 

 considered good until the introduction 

 of tlie ItaUan bees. Well, the old races 

 of black bees are not to be despised by 

 any means. They have done us good 

 service, l)Ut notwitlistanding this, their 

 utter extinction is not far in the future. 

 Even now it is difficult to find a pure 

 colony of black bees. 



TUIC ITALIAN BKES 



are getting the start, and are by most 

 beekeepers considered much superior 

 to the old German or black bees. The 

 Italians have made a good record and 

 one that recommends them to all who 

 desire a first-class race of bees. The 

 true Italian bee does not haveyf?'^ yel- 

 low bands. Three bands are all that 

 can be claimed. When yellow bees 

 show more than the last named number 

 of bands, they are called "sports" and 

 many consider that the excess of bands 

 is a sure mark of deterioration in the 

 healtli andgatliering qualities of the bee. 

 The darker strains are stronger, hardier 

 and much better lioney gatlierers. 



The three-banded leather-colored 

 strain of 'Italian are the favorites with 

 all large honey producers and the prac- 

 tical beekeeper. While the flashy ad- 

 vertisements of the five-banded Italians 

 rope in many of the unsuspecting bee- 

 keepers, they soon learn from well paid 

 experience that the all-yellow Italians 

 are worthless, except for a bee to look 

 at ; old beekeepers have found it so. 



The beginner and inexperienced 

 should consult the experienced bee- 

 keeper on points that will prove of im- 

 mense value to him. By the way, don't 

 call on one of those old box-hive bee- 

 keepers for information who tell you 

 that bee papers are a humbug and use- 

 less. Call on those who read several 

 bee papers ; these are the intelligent and 

 successful beekeepers" of the present 

 time. Tliough the latter class may dis- 

 agree as to which is the best hive, or 

 which is the best strain of bees, yet such 

 people are the ones who are i:)Osted on 

 all important points of bee culture, and 

 they are able to give the beginner scne 

 good sound advice, and will save him 

 much time and money in the end. 



A WORD ABOUr OTHKR RACKS OF BEES. 



American beekeepers have tested the 

 Cyprian, Syrian and some other new 

 races of bees, and all have been found 

 lacking in the desirable qualities. Now 

 we are about to test another new race — 

 the Funics. All I have to say here con- 

 cerning these bees is let us test them, 

 and if they do not come up to the other 

 races on a majority of the desired qual- 

 ities, then drop diem. It will be time 

 to cry them down when they have been 

 tested and found wanting. 



QIEKXS, WHAT THKY SHOULD BE. 



It may be claimed that one's success 

 in beekeeping may be owing to the hive, 

 the strain of bees, the method of win- 

 tering, the peculiar constructed brood 

 frame in use, or, in fact, to a good 

 many things best known to himself ; yet, 

 success in beekeeping must be credited 

 largely to the vigor and ability of the 

 queen to rear a large family of workers 

 ftdl of activity and a disposition to work 

 from sunrise to sunset when the weatlier 

 is favorable and there is plenty of nec- 

 tar in the flowers. The inexperienced 

 beekeeper does not know there is such 

 a vast difference in the quality of queen 

 bees. All queens are queens to be sure, 

 that is, they are females and capable of 

 laying eggs. But while one queen will 

 lay 5,000 eggs in a day, there are others 



