228 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



per. By the time of the year 1913 most of the bhu'k blood was 

 worked out, and in that year, wlien 1 obtained the worhl's 

 record for the highest average of sections from as many as 

 72 colonies, it had come to pass that my best yields were from 

 colonies having three yellow bands. 



lilPORTANCE OP SELECTION. 



The queen being the very soul of the colony, I hardly con- 

 sider any pains too great that will give better queens. The tirst 



Fiij. 79 — Sitjiers of Sections Blocked Up. 



tiling is to select the queen from which to rear, for generally 

 all rearing will be from the same queen, whether for the home 

 apiary or for an outside apiary. The records are carefully 

 scanned, and that queen chosen which, all things considered, 

 ajjpears to be the Iiest. The first point to be weighed is the 

 amount of honey that has been stored. Other things being 

 equal, the queen whose workers have shown themselves the best 

 storers will have the preference. The matter of wintering will 

 Ijretty much take care of itself, for a colony that has wintered 

 poorly is not likely to do very heavy work in the harvest. The 

 more a colony lias done in the way of making pre)iarations for 



