54 A Modern Bee-Farm 
THE BLACK, OR NATIVE BEES, 
are still cultivated in many apiaries ; their newly-stored 
combs are beautifully white, and therefore comb-honey 
produced by them commands a good sale. They are not 
so prolific as other races, and hence do not give as much 
surplus, and consequently are of little use in an apiary 
where increase is desired; indeed, I can assert as a fact, 
the bee-keeper who expects to build up a large and 
prosperous apiary from black bees alone, will be certainly 
disappointed. Among others I knew of a_ prominent 
bee-keeper who was going to build up a large’ apiary of 
native bees because he was certain there was no better 
kind. His expectations have been dashed to the ground, 
and now he proposes to rely on “ foreign” admixture, 
which he already finds superior to natives. It will be 
found more profitable to introduce some foreign blood,: 
both for ensuring larger yields and because of the added 
vitality, helping to avoid disease. 
To Perpetuate their Working Qualities, 
I have found it necessary to breed from a queen of the 
native kind, crossing with a yellow drone; the act of 
crossing in itself adds greater energy ; while the disposition 
is received from the male side. For instance, a queen of 
a mild strain mating with a drone from a vicious colony 
throws workers which almost invariably turn out to be 
irritable. Again, I have had queens produce workers that 
the average bee-keeper would not attempt to manipulate 
under any kind of intimidation ; and yet the daughters of 
such queens allowed to mate only with drones from stocks 
known to be easily handled, have given workers that one 
could do anything with. a 
I have found many black bees more irritable than any I 
have ever had, even rushing from the hive to attack a 
