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first bees were shipped from San Jose to Hawaii. The three 

 i>est known of the races in the United States are the ItaHans, the 

 Black or German, and the Carniolians. In recent years the 

 Caucasian breeders are claiming good qualities, for this race 

 especially that of gentleness. Among other races are the Egyp- 

 tian, Syrian and Cyprian. 



The Carniolians are natives of Austria and resemble the Black 

 or Gennan bees closely in appearance. They show somewhat 

 more distinct bands and are rather a grey bee. Their friends 

 claim for them gentleness and prolificness of queens, good comb 

 builders and honey gatherers, that they winter well and build 

 up early in spring under adverse climatic conditions, all of 

 which claims I consider well founded from my own experience. 

 Their tendency to swarm is even stronger thani with the Blacks, 

 and I find it rather more difficult to unite swarms of this race 

 than either Italians or Blacks. The only real objection I can 

 offer to Carniolians and their crosses between Black and Italian 

 is that they swarm badly ini comb honey production. 



No other bee is ,so largely bred and kept for honey produc- 

 tion in the United States by progres'sive bee-keepers as Italians. 

 The first living Italian bees were landed in this country in 1859, 

 and since then mtay importations have been made. They vary 

 in color from bright golden to a very dark shade known as 

 leather colored. In disposition, they are gentler and more easily 

 handled than Blacks though none claim they lack ability to 

 sting if thoroughly angered. They are generally considered 

 better honey g'atherers than the Blacks but hardly as good comb 

 builders. Some comb honey producers prefer the Blacks or an 

 Italiain. cross as they, as a rule, cap the honey so as to give it a 

 whiter appearance, though there are some strains of Italians 

 that excel others in this respect of producing white honey. For 

 the production of extracted honey, it is very doubtful if there 

 is any bee superior to them, especially in a climate where the 

 season is a little longer than ours and where the bloom of 

 flowers is a little later in the season. 



In justice to the Blacks, I wish to say that so far as my own 

 observation and experience goes, in Aroostook county, they 

 have not proven superior to our common bees. I have tried 

 in a limited way the Golden, three banded and leather colored 



