PRINCIPAL SOURCES. 401 



blossom at all times. The Italian bee seems to be in advance 

 of other races, in this respect, and so-called "red-clover 

 queens" have been bred and offered for sale. The attempt is 

 praiseworthy, but we must not lose sight of the fact that 

 traits of this kind are very slow to become fixed and we 



Fig. 156. 



ALrALFA OK LUCEHNE. 



(From Vilmorin-Andrieux, Paris.) 



should beware of too much enthusiasm. Very fugitive prog- 

 ress will probably be made for a long time, before anything 

 fixed is secured. 



Bee-keepers may ascertain for themselves the comparative 

 length of tongue of their bees, by the help of a very simple 



