ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



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I have improved the gentleness consid- 

 erably over the black bees; but where 

 I find a breeder that recommends the 

 Cyprian and gets them mixed up with 

 other bees, they are a very cross bee. 

 I know this by experience. I went to 

 a Cyprian colony and I know by ex- 

 perience they will sting. If we will 

 stick to the Italian bees, I claim that 

 the gentleness is considerably better 

 than it was ten years ago. 



Mr. Victor — In answer to Mr. J. Q. 

 Smith, as queen-breeder, I would like 

 to say that the first thing I consider is 

 selecting a queen-mother with the 

 honey-gathering qualities first; looks 

 next, and gentleness for the third place; 

 and I will say that I used to breed 

 three different strains of Italians, that 

 I called improved Italians; then home 

 bred Italians, and then the goldens^ I 

 decided the goldens had nothing but 

 looks, and I quit th^m, and since then 

 I have bred the 3-banded Italians, and 

 I think I have better results in queens 

 and honey-gatherers also. 



New Blood or New Strain. 



"I hear our queen-breeders talk about 

 new blood in bees. Do they mean new 

 strains?" 



Pres. Dadant — I think that can be 

 answered by yes. 



New Blood Annually. 



"Is it necessary to introduce new 

 blood annually?" 



Mr. Hatch — I would like to speak a 

 little on that point; it seems to me the 

 honey-bee should be just as capable 

 of improvement as any other stock, but 

 as I know invariably we cannot always 

 control them like other stock, so it takes 

 a long time. Now in the matter of 

 gentleness, I have handled them some, 

 and I have proven that entirely to my 

 own satisfaction, and I don't believe 

 that anyone can contradict it, that too 

 close breeding would give bad results, 

 and I believe the same thing would hold 

 in bees; and I believe, as I said, these 

 things may be done on account of the 

 bees mating in the air, not under the 

 bee-keepers' control. I don't know 

 whether I ought to say that it takes a 

 good while to improve them, but I will 

 say that I have better bees than I had 

 several years ago. 



Mr. Hilton — Now, is it necessary to 

 introduce at all? But I believe I get 



the best results by introducing a new 

 strain annually. The gentleman last 

 upon the floor has made the matter 

 very plain, that it is best not to keep 

 bees to close breeding. Then, if it be 

 true, is it absolutely necessary that we 

 introduce new strains annually? 



Mt. Anderson — I am here for what 

 information I can glean. I think this 

 is a matter of importance, and I am 

 not satisfied. Now, the question arises, 

 if you have a strain of good bees, is 

 it necessary to introduce new blood to 

 that strain of bees? Now, there is the 

 point I would like information on; I 

 would like to hear from queen-breeders. 

 Some say if you have got one stock 

 of good bees, keep it pure, neither breed 

 nor introduce another blood. Is it best 

 to keep the strain of blood as you have 

 it, if it is good, or is it better to cross 

 it? 



Mr. Victor — I think it necessary to 

 introduce new blood in an apiary an- 

 nually; it is necessary in a wild state. 

 Bees in their wild state seldom swarm. 

 I say that it is necessary to introduce 

 new blood, even if it is from the same 

 stock. 



Mr. Chambers — According to my ex- 

 perience it is necessary to introduce 

 new blood. You will always increase 

 vitality by doing so. 



E. J. Atchley — These questions come 

 up at all our bee-meetings, and I think 

 they should be argued very carefully as 

 they come up. I think much depends 

 upon whether it is necessary. If we are 

 producing honey alone, and not breeding 

 queens, I would introduce new blood 

 only when I find my bees getting 

 down. In some apiaries it is nec- 

 essary to introduce new blood every 

 year, and in others it is not necessary; 

 it is owing to the locality; it is owing 

 to the kind of honey that is produced, 

 whether extracted, or comb honey, and 

 different things that come up in dif- 

 ferent apiaries; but it is quite necessary 

 for any bee-keeper who is expecting to 

 make a living to look to his queens and 

 bees. When they begin to go down it 

 is time to introduce a good strain of 

 blood, . but as long as they are up to 

 the standard it is not necessary. 



J. Q. Smith — Mr. President, the gen- 

 tleman that has just spoken has voiced 

 my sentiments. I don't think it is nec- 

 essary to introduce new blood every 

 year, you might do worse; but if you 



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