THE PRINCIPLES OF BEE BREEDING. 19 
liarity of the district. Accordingly these constitutional properties 
disappear or are lost by lapse of time, by removal to a different 
locality, and thus subjecting the insect to other climatic influences 
and other conditions of management or pasturage. Hence, it is 
obvious that for the production of an improved breed mere varie- 
ties are of very subordinate account. At the same time, however, I 
contend that the production of an improved breed of general value 
— that is, one equally suited to all parts of an extensive country— 
is an impossibility. On the other hand, I am clearly of opinion 
that, for each particular district possessing marked peculiarity of 
climate and pasturage, an improved breed specially suited to those 
conditions may be produced. And in this aspect, the existing 
varieties of the honey bees are of high significance and value. 
The meaning and extent of the idea expressed by the term race 
have long since been settled by science. The term embraces a 
certain amount of external corporeal markings, among which are 
size and color. When the bees of any extensive region, or even 
of a limited district, are found to be strikingly distinguished by 
their large or small size, by the color and quality of their pubes- 
cence, or of the tint of their dorsal bands, from the common type 
of the honey bee — assuming as such, for the present, our common 
black bee, we are warranted in designating them as a distinct Jari- 
ety or race ; and that each variety or race has its own distinguishing 
constitutional characteristics is generally known. 
Iam not of opinion, however, that in order to produce or im- n 
prove breed, recourse must necessarily be had to the foreign races 
which have been introduced among us, though it is often alleged 
that we should, from the start, have availed ourselves of them, and 
have endeavored: thus to originate an improved breed. But had 
that course been adopted, we should hardly ever have reached a 
satisfactory result. The pure races would have disappeared under 
our hands long before we could have succeeded in substituting an 
improved breed for them. It was much wiser to labor primarily to 
secure an ample stock of pure races, while at the same time the 
peculiar characteristics of each were assiduously studied. And 
now that both these points have been attained, we are placed în a 
position favoring and furnishing means and facilities, for the orig- 
ination and production of an improved breed. 
Permit me now to communicate the results of a series of experi- 
ments, all of which had for their object to ascertain the principles 
which should guide and govern us in the endeavor to produce and 
