ITALIAN BEES. 4] 
was among the very first to secure Italian queens; reared 
from the first imported stock in 1860, and subsequently 
imported them himself. Probably no other bee-keeper, 
at that date, took more enthusiastic interest in their 
cultivation or pursued his experiments with less prejudice 
for or against them, than Mr. Quinby. 
Being associated in business with him for five years, I 
received the benefit of his most careful experiments and 
observations. 
We bred Italians largely for the trade, for which purpose 
we had stock that equalled any in America. We also 
operated for honey, each season, from 200 to 400 colonies 
comprised of both natives and Italians, as well as hybrids 
of all grades. If there are any tests to which we did not 
repeatedly subject them, I am unable to imagine what 
they may be. + 
With the benefit of this experience, then, let us con- 
sider some of the various excellencies claimed for them. 
Larger and More Beautiful.—It is an easily verified 
fact, first noticed by Dzierzon, that the size of the cells 
in which Italians and natives are reared, is the same, and 
it must naturally follow that the bees themselves cannot 
differ perceptibly in size. 
Our attention has been forcibly called to this point, 
when we have shipped Italian bees to parties who were 
disappointed because they were not larger; and I have no 
doubt that they also failed to meet expectations in regard 
to their boasted superiority in color and beauty. Yet, 
I consider this point of beauty one to be appreciated. 
When the young Italians are flying thickly in front of 
their hive on a sunny day, I pronounce them truly beau- 
tiful. 
More Prolific.—This I have demonstrated to my satis- 
faction. The Italian queen deposits her eggs more com- 
pactly in the combs than does the native. This is so 
evident, that I usually have no trouble, when a card of 
