18 THE PRINCIPLES OF BEE BREEDING. 
What is the value of mixed breeds of bees produced by crossing 
the Italian, the Egyptian, the Carniolian or Heath Bee, with the 
common Black Bee 
‘On the general subject of bee breeding thus introduced, but 
with incidental reference also to the production of improved 
breeds, Mr. Vogel, an experienced and accomplished bee keeper 
and breeder, of the Province of Brandenburg, in Prussia, who 
probably has more diversified, practical and experimental knowl- 
edge of it than any other apiarian, submitted the following re- 
marks : 
-~ If we carefully consider the topics embraced in No. 1 of our 
programme, we shall recognize, as the substance of them, this 
query, “‘Is it possible to produce an improyed breed of bees? 
And if so, what are the principles of breeding which we must 
adopt?” 
I do not deny that on this question I shall speak with a certain 
degree of complacency, for that which I have to communicate is 
not derived from the indulgence of an idle fancy, but is based on 
observations made at the hive— the only sure, living, and pure 
source of apistical science. 
In a discourse on the production of an improved breed of bees, 
we have to fix clearly in our minds the distinction between variety 
and race, for the two ideas are not unfrequently confounded, or 
used in a very arbitrary sense. The idea of variety includes a cer- 
tain amount of constitutional properties. In bees there are among 
others, good or bad temperaments, swarming propensity or the 
want of it, disposition to build drone comb, etc., etc. Allow me to 
include all such constitutional properties under the general term 
characteristics. Variety, accordingly, is based on the character- 
istics. Corporeal markings, size and color, do not come into con- 
sideration in determining the idea of ‘ variety.” If the bees of any 
particular district are distinguished by a marked propensity for 
swarming; or by any other special characteristics, we are warranted 
in designating them as a“ variety.” Thus, in my estimation, the 
heath bees of Luneberg, those of Lower Austria, etc., etc., are 
simply new varieties of our well-known black bee. The peculiar 
constitutional properties which characterize varieties are rooted in 
the psychical or spiritual nature of the insect, and are elicited by 
the kind or quality of the pasturage, by particular modes of man- 
agement, by diversity of climate, or some other dominating pecu- 
+ 
