98 OCCUPANTS OF THE HIVE: 
better to prevent breeding them in the first place, as' the food 
provided in rearing them together with the labor of the nurse 
bees is all lost. Combs composed largely of drone cells should 
either be used as extracting combs above a queen excluder or else 
rendered into wax and replaced with sheets of foundation. The 
productive bee-keeper can ill afford to divide his profits with 
useless drones. 
RACES Ol BEES 
Italians.—While there are a considerable number of races 
of bees, those conmmonly known in this country are all that need 
be considered in a work of this kind. First and foremost among 
them may be mentioned the Italian, which is generally recog- 
nized as the most valuable under the conditions of this country. 
These bees have become so widely distributed in imany parts 
of the country that together with their crosses, commonly spoken 
of as hybrids, they are about the only bees to be found in many 
localities. 
There is considerable difference in the appearance of the 
various strains of Italians. The three banded strains are usually 
regarded as more desirable, although the goldens are highly 
regarded as well. 
Pure Italians are usually very gentle, are more resistent of 
disease, especially European foul brood, than other races, and 
also repel the wax ieth much more effectively, 
These bees have been tried wider so many conditions, by so 
many bee-keepers all over the country, that they may well be 
regarded as entitled to first place in popular esteem, 
‘Cyprians.—For a time the Cyprians were quite the rage. 
They cme from the island of Cyprus. They resemble the Ltal- 
jans, but are much more diffeult to control. In fact they are so 
cross that inost: bee-keepers have dixecurded them, and queeus of 
this race are seldom offered for sale, 
Common Black or German Bees.—This seems to have been 
the original stock first imported into America, and whieh became 
