FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 219 



the time of the year 1913 most of the black blood was worked 

 out, and in that year, when I obtained the world's record for 

 the highest average of sections from as many as 72 colonies, it 

 had come to pass that my best yields were from colonies having 

 three yellow bands. 



IMPORTANCE OF SELECTION. 



The queen being the very soul of the colony, I hardly con- 

 sider any pains too great that will give better queens. The first 



Fig. 79. — Supers of Sections Blocked Up. 



thing is to select the queen from which to rear, for generally all 

 rearing will be from the same queen, whether for the home 

 apiary or an outside apiary. The records are carefully scanned, 

 and that queen chosen which, all things considered, appears to 

 be the best. The first point to be weighed is the amount of 

 honey that has been stored. Other things being equal, the 

 queen whose workers have shown themselves the best storevs will 

 have the preference. The matter of wintering will pretty much 

 take care of itself, for a colony that has wintered poorly is not 

 likely to do very heavy work in the harvest. The more a colony 

 has done in the way of making preparations for swarming, the 



