THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 



341 



In this paper I wish to call special attention to late mating 

 and restricted mating weather. 



The following table gives an analysis of the results of the 

 1908-1909 matings at Ripple, showing the effects of season and 

 weather at the time of mating on the percentage of pure matings. 



Season 



August 28 to 

 Sept. 12 



Proportion of matings (P) producing over 75 per cent golden work- 

 ers. Those producing less than 75 per cent are designated "M." 



Free mating 

 weather, 70° 



to 75° 



Semi restricted 

 mating weath- 

 er, 65° to 70° 



Restric ted 

 mating weath- 

 er, 62° to 65° 



19 P to 2 M 

 90 per cent 

 pure 



Total 



19 P to 2 M 

 90 per cent 

 pure 



Ignoring periods in which the figures were too few to be of 

 value, it is seen that there is a steady rise in the percentage of 

 pure matings from 14 per cent in free mating weather in July to 

 90 per cent in restricted mating weather in the period August 28 

 to September 12. 



To separate pure matings from mismatings, it was assumed 

 that all that produced over 75 per cent of goldens were pure. 76 per 

 cent of the queens classed as mismated produced varying propor- 

 tions of goldens up to about 70 per cent- It was believed that most 

 of these had been mated by hybrid drones from neighboring col- 

 onies that had become more or less hybridised as the result of six 

 or seven years of breeding goldens at Ripple. 57 per cent of the 

 matings classed as pure produced varying proportions of inter- 

 mediates up to about 20 per cent. Some of these were probably 

 goldens that had been chilled during development. 



For further particulars of the Ripple experiments see the Brit- 

 ish Bee Journal for December 1909. 



The inland climate of Kazabazua is characterized by ample heat 

 in summer, and frequent periods of moderate heat occur until quite 

 late in the autumn. Restricted mating weather is therefore not 

 experienced except to some extent in the autumn. This, however, 



