THEIR SUPERIORITY. 109 



tamed by him in any previous year. The season there was very 

 favorable, and in the fall there was an unusual abundance of 

 buckwheat pasturage in his neighborhood." — Ed. American Bee 

 Journal. 



Mrs. E. S. Tupper, of Brighton, Iowa, a noted "Western 

 writer on bee culture, says : "In the summer of 1863 I had but 

 two Italian stocks to commence with. One of these stored one 

 hundred and ten pounds of honey, besides giving me three arti- 

 ficial swarms ; the other gave me two swarms and stored ninety- 

 six pounds of honey j and all the swarms but one, partly filled 

 several boxes each. I had, that same season, fifty-six colonies 

 of common bees, all of which were divided, but not one of which 

 stored a pound of honey, though in the same kind of hives and 

 treated in a similar way with the Italians. That season it will 

 be remembered was very poor. 



" In the summer of 1864, 1 averaged from nine Italian colonies 

 one hundred and nineteen pounds each. The greatest yield from 

 one hive was as follows : one full swarm taken from it the fif- 

 teenth of May; honey taken in boxes through the season, one 

 hundred and fifty-six pounds, besides four full frames from which 

 to rear queens ; the swarm from it stored eighty pounds in a 

 cap, and on the fifteenth of July threw off a very large swarm, 

 which filled its hive, and stored several pounds in boxes. Thus 

 we have two hundred and thirty-six pounds of box honey, be- 

 sides two extra large colonies, from a single hive, not reckoning 

 the frames and partially filled boxes. I do not think a colony 

 of the common bee ever did as much in the best season ; if so, 

 let us have the record." 



