and Us Economic Management. 35 



however, he has all the stock he requires, no objection can be 

 made to the sole use of this race where comb-honey alone is 

 sought for. 



Though, generally, the hives are less populous than those of 

 other kinds, these bees have many 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, con- 

 sisting of the yellow varieties. TheSe remarkable pe:culiarities 

 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 admixture 

 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 act 

 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 



c ,? 



