

STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 113 



red clover don't seem to worry them at all, but my best 

 yield has nearly always been from colonies that have a little 

 mixture from the black bee. I don't know whether to en- 

 courage breeding from a mixture or not. 



Mr. Longsdon — I would like to hear from Mr. Muth 

 on the long-tongued-bee business. | 



Mr. York — Do vou want long-tongued bees, Mr. Muth? 



Mr. Muth — My friend in the rear is afraid that Jl may 

 Stir up a hornets' nest. May I hear the question again? 



Mr. York — Do the so-called long-tongued bees work to 

 much extent on red clover? 



Mr. Muth — I believe I spoke to a gentleman this morn- 

 ing at the breakfast table, who said he had had bees for 

 many years, and I plead guilty of advertising the long- 

 tongued red clover queens, and I will say for the others that 

 I believe they are all quiet, because we all have red-clover 

 workers, but they want the poor common workers to under- 

 stand that Ithey have bees with longer tongues. I believe 

 they are stuffing something down us that is not so. I believe 

 in calling things facts. When we have a customer come 

 in and ask whether our bees' tongues are longer than any 

 others, I will quote them just like this gentleman here. J 

 believe you have hybrid bees, to tell you the truth, that pro- 

 duce as much honey as the bees from $2.50 queens. 



Mr. York— Whose? 



Mr. Muth — Those that are advertised. We sometimes 

 pay $10 and $15. I paid $10 for one queen some three or 

 four years ago. I wouldn't part with it for anything. It 

 might be because I paid $10 for her, but there are others that 

 are very fine, but long-tongued bees are one of the things — 

 I believe when a man tells you his bees have longer tongues 

 than anybody else's, I think that is a little bit too much. 

 I don't believe it all. I have Carniolans, hybrids and blacks 

 that I see produce just as much honey. 



Rev. McCain — May I not ask if these tongues have not 

 been measured? I have been reading some of the bee- 

 books in the last two years, and I have seen some party giving 

 the length. I must plead ignorance, but the book says they 

 have been measured, and they gave a picture of the relative 

 length of these tongues. I wanted to see if they actually 

 measured these tongues with a micrometer. 



Mr. York — I notice that Mr. McCain is asking us a 

 question, and giving us a chance to answer. Most preachers 

 don't give us a chance to answer ! 



Mr. Smith — If it is a good idea to breed for long tongues, 

 why wouldn't it be a good idea to breed for short stingers? 

 The argument holds just as good. 



Mr. Abbott — Things are not always what they seem 

 That's the gist of it. 



Mr. York — A stinger always is!. v - ." 



Mr. Moore — I believe Mr. Abbott is wrong on this idea 

 of breeding out the stinging propensity. All right, do that 

 if you please, and have all the neighbors' boys and town boys 

 eat your honey. It is my idea not to breed the stingers 

 out, but teach your bees to respect the members of the family 



i>_ i^ ••*. 



