39 



the moth where black bees are kept should alone suffice to relegate this 

 race to the back woods. 



The Italian bees have been popular since their introduction in 1860. 

 They are a large, light-colored bee, readily distinguished from the black 

 by having at least the first three bands of the abdomen j-ellow or leather- 

 colored. They are quiet and gentle and hence easily manipulated. 

 They cling to the combs, when these are lifted from the hive and thus 

 the queen may be readily found at any time. In I'esistance to bee moths, 

 prolificness, honey production and other valuable qualities, the Italian 

 bees are seen to be far sujierior to the blacks. The race has so long 

 almost monopolized the attention of pi'ogressive apiarists that a number 

 of superior strains have been produced by careful breeding and selection. 



The Carniolan bees were imported from the Alpine province of 

 Carniola in 1884. They are large ashy gray bees with silvery white 

 hairs, very beautiful and gentle. Professor Benton calls them " ladies' 

 bees," and they are especially recommended to beginners or children. 

 Carniolans cap their honey extremely white, they winter best of any 

 race, they do not tolerate the moth in their hives, they are industrious, 

 working especially well on late flowers, and they are verj' prolific. 

 About the only questionable quality of the Carniolans is said to be their 

 excessive swarming, but this may be largely controlled by proper shad- 

 ing and by giving plenty of room in the hives. 



The Cyprian bees, introduced from the island of Cyprus, are a small 

 slender bee with three bands of the abdomen yellow above and all the 

 segments, often to the tip of the abdomen, yellow undei'neath. They 

 are industrious and energetic and hold the record over all other races 

 for honey production, 1,000 pounds having been secured from a single 

 swarm (spring count) in a season. They may often be observed actively 

 at work while other bees are " loafing." It is said that they never molest 

 anyone passing or working among the hives unless the hive itself is 

 disturbed, when they become the fiercest and most persistent of fighters. 

 They protect their hives better than other races from bee moths, robber 

 bees and all other intruders, but on this account they have gained a 

 reputation for viciousness in handling, which, from my own experience 

 with stock obtained directly of Mr. Benton, I think they do not deserve. 

 They were easily reduced to subjection with smoke and could often be 

 handled without it. In point of prolificness the Cyprians are truly 

 phenomenal. My experience with a single swarm does not permit me 

 to speak in general terras, but I introduced the queen in a very weak 

 colony in June and by the middle of July it had become a veritable 

 volcano of bees, swarming daily and pei'sistently in spite of cutting out 

 of queen cells and the removal of numerous extra queens. A large 

 amount of honey was evidently produced, but it was practically all used 

 for rearing bees and no surplus was obtained from this colony. At 

 present writing I cannot recommend Cyprian bees for ISIassachusetts, 

 but further experiment may change this opinion. 



With regard to the newly introduced Caucasian bees, Mr. Benton 

 writes, under date of July 6, 1904. "I feel pretty safe in calling the 

 Caucasians a valuable addition to our races of bees. They are Indus- 



