THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



In 1885 I imported a Carniolan queen, and 

 at once supplanted every Italian queen by 

 daughters reared from the imported Carnio- 

 lan. During the next three years I imported 

 a large number of Carniolan queens, of se- 

 lected stock only, and each year re-queened 

 my whole apiary, which has, for several 

 years, averaged fifty colonies. My course 

 indicates my preference. 



I discarded the blacks because of their 

 restlessness when being handled, and their 

 inability to defend themselves against the 

 moth. I condemned the Syrians and Cypri- 

 ans because of their irritability. Italians 

 are gentle, industrious, quiet when handled, 

 moth proof, and prolific; but I have not 

 found the Carniolans lagging behind in any 

 of these good qualities; in fact, they are 

 more gentle and industrious. Especially do 

 they get out earlier, and find the honey be- 

 fore any other variety of bees gets there. 

 There is not half the trouble with robbing in 

 a Carniolan apiary, In my experience with 

 Italians, robbing was often very annoying; 

 sometimes almost uncontrollable. I don't 

 know whether it is because Carniolans are 

 afraid of getting hurt, or because they de- 

 fend themselves better, but I do know there 

 is greater freedom from robbers. Carnio- 

 lans do not swarm any more than Italians, 

 use less propolis, and make whiter combs. 



OxFOBD, Pa., . Feb. 14, 1889. 



Carniolans and Italians — Crosses Needed for 

 Comb Honey — An Explanation, 



CHALON FOWLS. 



JHE QUEEN breeder may prefer a 

 \^ variety of bees that is very gentle, and 

 quiet on the combs, but the man who 

 i-aises comb honey for his living, is 

 after bees that make the most and whitest 

 comb honey, even if they are a little firey. 



I have had all of the three varieties men- 

 tioned, both pure and crossed. The Carnio- 

 lans I have not /</ //•/// tested for honey, as 

 the last three seasons have been too poor, but, 

 there are some other points I have noticed. 

 The bees are very quiet on the combs, like 

 the best Italians, but arc easily shakm off; 

 not over prolific; and no more inclined to 

 swarm than many colonies of Italians and 

 hybrids in my yard. In one point I think 

 they excel the Italians, and that is in hardi- 

 ness. I do not believe they would cross well 

 with blacks; as I once had an untested Carni- 

 olan queen whose bees evidently had a dash 

 of black blood in them, and they were the 

 worst bees to boil out of the hive that I ever 

 saw. 



As to the Italians and their crosses, I will 

 say that, for building fine looking comb, a 

 cross with black or Carniolan blood seems 

 best; but I would insist on having the dark or 

 leather colored Italians to breed from. I 

 have had light, straw colored Italians, that 

 were jierfecflij wurthlcss as honey gatherers. 



In reply to your foot note on jjaL'e 24, I 

 will say, I was thinking of wintering the 

 bees on their summer stands, and the little 

 combs would be new, and I think nld combs 

 essential. 



By the use of the queen-excluding honey- 

 board the "labor'" is next to nothing, and I 

 save the "expense" of buying bees in the 

 spring. 



I mentioned that two of the little combs 

 would just fill an L. frame, simply to show 

 people that they could tnj them, and could 

 save the combs in case they did not like 

 them. 



Obeblin, Ohio, Feb, 27, 1889. 



The Adjustable Case for Open-Side Sections. 



OLIVEE FOSTEB. 



MS THE Review very kindly offers 

 space for a reply to the objections 

 brought against the Adjustable honey 

 case, I will be brief and candid. 

 With regard to the bee-space, it may be 

 that, since recent developments, the advan- 

 tages of a horizontal space between the tiers 

 of sections outweigh the objections, but I am 

 satisfied that my bees do better work with 

 the least possible separation between their 

 combs; therefore I think that, if we admit the 

 bee space, nothing in the shape of wooden 

 slats should be added to this space; and, to 

 diminish the deposit of propolis, the supports 

 ui)on which the sections rest should be as 

 few and as small as practicable. 



I have used the Adjustable case with such 

 a bee-space and nuw make them so when 

 desired. 



As for the clamp, it is now found unneces- 

 sary, and indeed useless, except when first 

 filling the case with sections. Aside from 

 this once clamping, I have handled the last 

 two crops of honey withont the clamp, and 

 have never had a section drop out. Some 

 large honey producers do all the pressing by 

 hand. 



I do not thing that my case is better for 

 open-side sections than anything that can be 

 invented; and I invite criticism and im- 

 provement, but think the latter has not yet 

 been offered. 



Mt. Veenon, Iowa, 



Feb. 22, 1889. 



The Carniolans and Their Good Qualities. 



C. L. FISHEE. 



fF EVERY bee-keeper would give the 

 Carniolan race of bees the fair trial that 

 I did, in the same yard with Italians, 

 blacks, and their crosses, they would be 

 compelled, in truth, to rei)ort the superiority 

 of the Carniolans. With me. they are the 

 surest to winter, and less liable to dwindle 

 in the spring. They build up very rapidly in 

 spring, and are ready for the earl.\ lioney 

 flow: they enter the sections readily and 

 work in them through the honey season, 

 often neglecting to supply themselves with 

 winter stores. 



They proved their honey gathering quali- 

 ties in the past poor season, giving a fair 

 surplus, while the other races gave none. 

 They caj) their honey very white, even the 

 dark grades, and leave their sectioi.s cleaner 

 than do the other races. Tliey are very gen- 

 tle and cover tlie combs well while lieing 

 handled. They are as good as Italians to 



