Superiority of Italians. 261 
CHAPTER X7, 
ITALIANS AND ITALIANIZING. 
The history and description of Italians have already 
been considered, so it only remains to discuss the subject . 
in a practical light. 
The superiority of the Italians seems no longer a mooted 
question. I now know of no one among the able apiarists 
in our country who takes the ground that a thorough bal- 
ancing of qualities will make as favorable a showing for 
the German as for the Italian bees, though I think that 
the late Baron of Berlepsch held to this view. 
I think I am capable of acting as judge on this subject. 
I have never sold a dozen queens in my life, and so have 
not been unconsciously influenced by self-interest, In fact, 
I have never had, if I except two years, any direct inter- 
est in bees at all, and all my work and experiments had 
only the promotion and spread of truth as the ultimatum. 
Again, I have kept both blacks and Italians side by side 
and carefully observed and noted results during eight 
years of my experience. I have carefully collected data 
as to increase of brood, rapidity of storing, early and late 
habits in the day and season, kinds of. flowers visited, amia- 
bility, etc., and I am more than persuaded that the gen- 
eral verdict, that they are superior to the German race, is 
entirely correct. The Italians are far superior to the Ger- 
man bees in many respects, and though I am acquainted 
with all the works on apiculture printed in our language, 
and have an extensive acquaintance with the leading apia- 
rists of our country from Maine to California, yet I know 
hardly a man that has had opportunity to form a correct 
judgment, that does not give strong preference to the Ital- 
ians. The black bees are in some respects superior to the 
Italians, and if a bee-keeper’s methods cause him to give 
these points undue importance, in forming his judgments, 
then his conclusions may be wrong. Faulty management, 
too, may lead to wrong conclusions, 
