454 THE ITALIAN BEE. 



begun to build any new comb. " Not only," says Mr. 

 Eadlkofer, " are the Italian bees distinguished by an earlier 

 awakened impulse to activity and labor, but they are re- 

 markable also for the sedulous use they make of every 

 opening flower, visiting some on which common bees are 

 seldom or never seen. They have also demonstrated their 

 superior agility in self defence ; nay, they would not tolerate 

 the presence of other bees on comb that had been strewed 

 with flour for their common use. In all these respects the 

 palm of superiority must be awarded to the Italian bee." 



An attempt was made last year by Mr. Wagner, to import 

 this valuable variety of the honey-bee ; unfortunately the 

 colonies perished on the voyage. Another attempt will be 

 made to introduce them, so as to have them in season for 

 operations, the ensuing Spring. 



The great obstacle to its more rapid diff'usion in Germany, 

 has been the difliculty under which even their most experi- 

 enced Apiarians labor, in keeping the breed pure. From 

 Mr. Wagner's letter it will be apparent that to bee-keepers 

 on the old plan, the possession of an Italian queen could only 

 serve to gratify their curiosity, as it would be next to 

 impossible for them to multiply from it a pure breed. 

 To those, however, who by using frames or slats have the 

 command of each comb in a hive, such a queen might be 

 made very valuable. By means of my non-swarmer, a whole 

 Apiary, however large, may in a single season have all its 

 colonies supplied with genuine Italian queens, all produced 

 from a single one, and this can be accomplished not only 

 with much more certainty, but with far less labor than is re- 

 quired by the German plan. As this is a subject which may 

 soon be of great practical importance to our bee-keepers, I 

 will give a brief sketch of the plan which I propose, for 

 multiplying Italian queens. 



