130 ITALIAN BEES. 



to ten, and reported that she was meeting with per- 

 fect success. 



A gentleman in Rhode Island purchased of me a 

 swarm of Italians in the spring of 1883. They 

 gave him in June and July of that year, two fine 

 young swarms, and eighty pounds of lioney in glass 

 boxes. 



In the spring of 1882, a gentleman in Maine 

 purchased a swarm of Italian bees of me, and that 

 season they gave him five large swarms. The}- 

 were managed with a view of securing as many 

 swarms as possible, as the gentleman wished an in- 

 crease of swarms rather than surplus honey. 



Every one who has a place to set a hive of bees, 

 w^ould derive great pleasure, as well as profit, in 

 keeping Italian bees in Controllable Hives. They 

 are so docile, so very industrious and so beautiful 

 in color, that one finds real pleasure in their care. 



Some of my friends claim that the honey collected 

 by the Italian is of better flavor and a nicer qualitj- 

 generally, than that collected by the common bees ; 

 and this may be the case in some localities, where 

 there are certain varieties of flowers accessible to 

 the Italians, but not accessible to the natives, the 

 latter being smaller ; yet in my location I see no dif- 

 ference in the quality of the honey collected by the 

 two varieties, but a great difference in favor of the 

 Italians, in the quantity collected. 



