Superiority of Italians. 261 



CHAPTER XL 

 Italians and Italianizing. 



The history and description of Italians have ah'eady 

 heen 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- 

 TDility, 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 Jar 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 Kim to give 

 these points undue importance, in forming his judgments, 

 then his conclusions may be wrong. Faulty management, 

 too, may lead to wrong conclusions. 



