3 
parts of this province are isolated elevated valleys, surronndet by high 
sterile mountains, where the pure blood of the Carniolan bee remained 
undefiled by foreign blood intermixtures. These bees in every respect fully 
equally the strain raised in Upper Carniola. 
The immense prolificness of The Carniolan Alpine bee illustrates 
Mr. Gerstung, expert and writer on apiculture, in the following manner: 
»A small swarm of Carniolan Alpine bees, received on May 16. developed 
so rapidly that at the end of June ten frames (40” X 25” comb surface) 
were. closely with comb and brood covered. The swarm gave a virgin 
swarm weighing 6 pounds net — from 35—40.000 bees. Adding to this 
number 10.000 bees that did not leave the hive with the swarm, and the 
ones being busy on the flow, taking further in consideration that only 
three weeks after the arrival of the bees, the first hatched reached the 
flying stage — then we come to the conclusion that in 20 days 50.000 bees 
were hatched from eggs the queen has laid. Nearly equal to this number 
we must count the eggs in the brood cells at the time when the swarming 
occured. All this gives us the fact that the queen in the time from May 16. 
until June 27. (day of swarming) at least has laid 100.000 worker eggs 
-- averaging 2500 daily. As in the first three weeks, on account of the 
smallness of the colony, only half of this amount the production of eggs 
may have been, the maximum daily egg production must have been not 
less than 4000.« 
Yea, the Carniolan Alpine bees are undoubtedly the most. prolific 
breeders, the most severe winters they stand well and in the spring they 
breed rapidly up. Every child and woman can manipulate them without 
fear of being Stung — such is their gentleness. They sting only in self- 
defense by being roughly handled. Further advantages they offer to the 
beekepeer are: they make very little propolis, are exceptionally good comb 
builders, and finish and cap the combs very white. The good qualities of 
the Carniolan bee, once known, will make this race of bees the most fa- 
vorite among all others. Let us here mention that for queen rearing purposes, 
the Carniolan Alpine bee cannot be surpassed. At the time of swarming, 
50 and more queen cells in the colonies can be found. 
It is no exageration or wanton braggadocio if we here express the 
conviction, that the »Bee of the Future« in The U. S. and other young 
countries in the world, will be a new and superior strain of bees, and the 
main parts of her excellent qualities: industry, hardiness, prolificness and 
gentleness — she will have derived from the Carniolan Alpine bee. 
What bee laid the foundation of the Caucasian gray bee and the 
excellent bee now reared in Swiss? 
Were not the mothers of these offspring years ago, through many 
decennaries, imported from Carniola? 
Most certainly they were. 
