THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW, 



43 



tnent run through the entire system of ani- 

 mated nature, but in her communal rela- 

 tions as against the individual, besides 

 the fact of parthenogenesis, places the 

 bee on a basis decidedly her own. 

 WHAT THE HKl-:-KEEl'KR HICTTER NOT 

 ATTEMPT. 



It is also to be noted that we are igno- 

 rant as to whether or not a great many of 

 the existing variations are due to slight 

 mixtures ot blood from other distinct 

 varieties. Nor can we say how far color 

 is correlated to other qualities, or what is 

 the effect of manipulation. In view of 

 these facts I think it wisest not to recom- 

 mend the average bee-keeper to attempt 

 to do something about which he cannot 

 be well posted; but on the other hand to 

 keep at least one colony supplied with 

 drones not closely related to his other 

 colonies; so if nature wants toinbreed she 

 can, but she will not have to in order to 

 get purely mated queens. 



In this connection I would respectfull}' 

 recommend to him who wishes to improve 

 his bees by breeding, the reading of my ar- 

 ticle in the August Review. It may seem 

 complicated at first, but I think, with a 

 little study, it will he found intelligible; 

 and let me say that in comparison to even 

 the fundamental requirments of inbreed- 

 ing, it is as arithmetic is to the higher 

 mathematics. It will also be noted that 

 in that aiticle a method is given by which 

 Mr. Getaz' objection to the introduction 

 of outside blood can be practically over- 

 come by using it in comparatively small 

 quantities after careful tests. 



CONTINUED INBREEOING CAUSES DIMIN- 

 ISHED VinOR, FERTII^ITV AND SIZE. 



In Mr. Getaz' Article, page 362, he 

 says, in reference to the fecundity of the 

 Bales cattle suffering, "It is hardly to be 

 supposed that the inbreeding in itself was 

 the cause of the trouble." This is evi- 

 dently Mr. Getaz' own statement, as I 

 cannot find any authorities that do not 

 ajjree upon continued clo.se inbreeding 

 usually causing diminished vigor, fertility 

 and size. He furtlier slates "If so, it 



would have manifested itself in the Jer- 

 seys, I'Viesians and other milking breeds, 

 as well as in the Shorthorns." Mr. Getaz 

 ignores the fact that I have shown it to 

 be the case in reference to Jerseys, and I 

 have not only hid anexcalleut opportu- 

 nity of judging here, but have also visited 

 the Island of Jersey and have seen the 

 conditions prevailing there. Further- 

 more, I have had no interest in breeding 

 Jerseys for several years, and I am not 

 prejudiced for or against them, and there- 

 fore have no business reasons for adding 

 to or subtracting from the whole truth, 

 even if it were natural for me to do so. 

 Professor Thomas Shaw is a great modern 

 authority, and I take pleasure in quoting 

 from his excellent work on Animal Breed- 

 ing. 

 TESTIMONY OF AN EMINENT AUTHORITY. 



In-and-in breeding, when carried too 

 far will produce along with other evils; 

 loss of size, delicacy of constitution, and 

 general deterioration. 



That in-and-in breeding tends to great- 

 er delicacy of constitution is evidenced 

 ill the much greater frequency of tuber- 

 culosis and other diseases in the descend- 

 ents of annuals that have been long in- 

 bred. Among the Shorthorn types none 

 h ive been more persistently inbred than 

 the Bites families, and it would probably 

 be correct to say that in no other class of 

 Shorthorns is tuberculosis so frequently 

 found. In-and-in breeding has also been 

 carried to a great length among certain 

 families of Jerseys, and in these the ten- 

 dency to tuberculous affections has been 

 quite pronounced. It has further been 

 noticed in the delicacy of the calves of 

 highly inbred females. The mortalit\- 

 among them is much larger than among 

 calves of cows not thus inbred. It may 

 not be easy to substantiate these state- 

 ments in the absence of figures collected 

 from the facts, but belief in their correct- 

 ness aiiijug intelligent breeders is so gen- 

 eral as to influence them when purchas- 

 iuLf animiis of either of the classes 

 named; nor is it to be understood that 

 they apply to any but families that have 

 been long and persistently inbred." 



THE BEE-KEEI'IvR BETTER LET IN- 



BREIvDING .\LONE. 



I'util we can get a belter idea of just 

 what position the bee occupies in the 

 scale of animal life, it will not be possible 



