ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



183 



the Honey Grop," by Mr. George B. 

 Howe, Black River, N. Y. 



Mr. Howe — ^What I am about to say 

 has been repeated in the Bee-Keepers' 

 Review, only a little differently. It is 

 not what I shall say, but what I have 

 done that you should look at. 



SELECTION IN BREEDING TO" IN- 

 CREASE THE HONEY CROP. 



In trying to impart to you one of 

 the most essential things in apiculture 

 and yet the most neglected, for we 

 have been told that it was impossible 

 to improve the honey bee, I often 

 wonder what reason anyone has for 

 such an idea. We all know what has 

 been said on the subject, and yet a 

 few years in selecting and breeding 

 not only contradicts, but proves be- 

 yond a doubt that it was all theory. 

 Theory is all right, used a^ it should 

 be, but facts are what we want. In 

 my breeding I have been led by facts, 

 not by color or any other hobby. 1, 

 wish that my most beautiful bees 

 w^ould produce for me as much honey 

 as the other less standard stock. 



The old theory is that it matters 

 very little what drone a queen mates 

 with, if she has a good mother. I 

 have the proof that it does make all 

 the difference in the world, if you 

 wish the very best queens. Just 

 stop and think seriously about this. 

 Does not every breeder of animals 

 put as much dependence on the male 

 in breeding? You will find that he 

 does, and more. 



It is a wonder that we have as good 

 honey-gatherers as we have. And let 

 me explain just why it is so. It is all 

 in the law of the nature of bees, for 

 the strongest drone is pretty sure to 

 mate with the queen. You all know, 

 or should know, that in years past 

 our very best honey-getters were 

 ruthlessly killed with sulphur fumes, 

 because they made the most honey. 



I find after years of records of . tho 

 best queens that I could rear or buy, 

 it was the colonies that were very 

 dark, some showing only two yellow 

 bands unless filled with honey. So 



I have found that colonies with bees 

 too yellow, or too dark or black were 

 not the largest producers. 



There is a standard in color to go 

 by, and it never has yet failed with 

 me. . In all fancy stock there is so 



much to sacrifice for beauty. Now, 

 then, it is an easy matter to select 

 a good breeding queen. Rear a few 

 queens from her; and if the average 

 is high and even, she is a good breeder. 

 Otherwise she should not be used. 



; LONGEVITY IN BEES. 



There is one way to prove this trait 

 in your bees, and that is in the work- 

 ing season. It will surprise many 

 to know that ten days, or even five, 

 on a bee's life means many dollars 

 in the bee-keeper's pocket. Don't 

 think that if your bees winter per- 

 .fectly that they have this trait. Test 

 it in the working season. It is the 

 only sure test. Be sure that every 

 queen-mother has this trait. Also j-our 

 drone-mothers. 



HEREDITY. 



Here hangs our success or failure 

 in selecting a breeding queen. Never 

 use a queen just because she is a 

 wonderful honey producer. Test her 

 to know that she produces her desir- 

 able traits in her daughters. Not 

 every queen is a breeder; very few, in 

 fact, that are what they should be; 

 but I find that in being led by facts, 

 and not by any theory, I am gaining 

 in getting more good queens. I put 

 great stress on my breeding queens, 

 whose bees show vitality to fly in 

 the rain and when it is cool. Also 

 they should have long wings. Some 

 Italian bees carry as much as a third 

 more honey than the black bees. Bear 

 in mind these trivial things — as they 

 v.'ll look to many bee-keepers, — for 

 they are of vital importance, and 

 should not be overlooked. 



Remember, any bee will gather and 

 store honey when there is an abund- 

 ance of nectar in the flowers, but in 

 selecting my breeders I prefer a poor 

 season. Then we surely know that 

 when they store a good surplus in 

 such seasons she is worth the price. 



Any one can easily tell when bees 

 have the most desirable traits, with 

 a little patience. Longevity you all 

 know. Certain colonies will have as 

 many bees in the hives as other colo- 

 nies, that have a third more brood. 

 Furthermore,! those same colonies 

 keep their numbers steadily increas- 

 ing, while the other colonies come to 

 a standstill. If you will take a frame 



