40 A Modem Bee-Farm 



Though, generally, the hives are less populous than those 

 of other kinds, these bees have several valuable qualities. The 

 young commence work outside at a much earlier age than the 

 yellow races ; they have great conservative energy, and a given 

 number will produce and maintain a much larger amount of 

 heat than the same number of any other race. Here is the 

 sole reason why these bees are always more ready to take to 

 the supers and .are better comb-builders than others, though 

 they may be occupying the same space with less than half the 

 population. This I have observed for many years past with 

 colonies standing side by side with the yellow races. For the 

 same reason a Winter cluster of black bees is not so densely 

 packed as one of the same size consisting of the yellow 

 varieties. These remarkable peculiarities have not before 

 been mentioned, and possibly never observed by other writers ; 

 but here is shown the very best of material for laying the 

 foundation of a vastly improved strain of bees — starting with 

 a race which has immense vitality ; but requiring the ad- 

 mixture of foreign blood to get (i) greater laying powers in 

 the queens, (2) a better disposition, and (3) to eradicate their^ 

 inclination to cease storing while honey is yet to be gathered 

 towards the close of the season. 



To Perpetuate their "Working Qualities 



I have always found it necessary to breed from a queen of the 

 native kind, crossing with Carniolan or yellow drone ; the ^ct 

 of crossing in itself adds greater energy ; while the disposition 

 is received from the male side. For instance, a queen of a 

 mild strain mating with a drone from a vicious colony I have 

 noticed throws workers which almost invariably turn out to be 

 irritable. Again, I have had queens produce workers that the 

 average bee-keeper would not attempt to manipulate under 

 any kind of intimidation; and yet the daughters of such 

 queens allowed to mate only with drones from stocks known 

 to be easily handled, have given workers that one could do 

 anything with. 



