104 First Annual Report. 



THE ITALIAN OR LIGURIAN BEES 



Are conceded by all to be far superior to the black bee above described, 

 although they do not differ essentially in conformation, yet for profit and 

 amiability are a great improvement. In color they are a beautiful golden 

 hue. The worker when pure has three distinct bands about the body ; the 

 color and bands being the test of purity. The queens are more fertile and 

 prolific, depositing their eggs earlier in the season; swarm oftner and earlier 

 when noi interfered with; protect themselves from robber bees and moths 

 more effectually; carry in more honey, gathering from the small variety of 

 red clover and some other plants whose cells are so deep that the common 

 bee cannot reach the nectar distilled in the bottom of the flower cups ; will 

 not sting upon as slight provocation, and can be handled more easily. They 

 are stronger and more hardy, and live longer, although performing more 

 labor. They are also more industrious, often going to the fields in very 

 unfavorable weather. 



TO PRESERVE PURITY OF STOCK. 



Many object to Italian bees from apprehension of their becoming hybrid- 

 ized on account of black bees being kept in their vicinity; but the fact of 

 their throwing off swarms more frequently and earlier in the season, would 

 easily obviate that trouble. Both queens and drones are more active and 

 agile than the common kind, and from this fact would usually encounter one 

 another; besides the wings of both queens and drones are finer than the 

 common kind, and the sounds produced in flying are clearer and higher- 

 toned, hence, they are readily able to distinguish each other when on the 

 wing. 



REARING ITALIAN QUEENS. 



All practical bee-keepers have a way of their own of rearing queens. I 

 would recommend the use of a small hive or nucleus, as they are termed. 

 They are made about six or eight inches long, five inches wide and six 

 inches deep, inside measure, with ihree miniature comb frames each. If 

 your whole apiary is Italianized, and all the bees are the same for an extent 

 of three miles around, there will not be much difficulty in obtaining purely 

 fertilized queens, but if such is not the case, some of the following methods 

 may be adopted to secure the desired result; either the rearing of drones 

 early in the spring, before the black drones make their appearance, or late 

 in the season, after they have been destroyed ; otherwise the manner of 

 double working them will have to be resorted to. 



If the apiary is large, perhaps the last named method would be the most 

 practicable; as it would be almost impossible to obtain the desired results by 

 either of the others, unless in the hands of an experienced operator. The 

 manner of double working them is very simple. It is merely raising all the 

 queens you may desire for the whole apiary, from a queen of undoubted 



