170 
THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
The hay is valuable for cattle, but as it is 
cut for this purpose early, that lessens its 
value for honey. 
The seed should be scattered plentifully in 
the winter months, so that it may settle into 
the soil with the spring rains and germinate. 
It will grow on any soil ; there are 60 pounds 
to the bushel, and 25 pounds to the acre will 
be sufficient. It is said that this valuable 
grass was brought into Greece from Persia 
nearly five hundred years before the Christian 
era. It came to California from Chili, but it 
is now largely cultivated in England, Prance, 
and other parts of Europe, and gives great 
satisfaction as a forage plant. 
Alfalfa will be a prominent crop in all places 
where the winters are not too severe. The 
power to withstand great heat and dryness 
comes from the long, searching tap-roots, 
which are sent deeply down in the soil and find 
moisture which is inaccessible to other less 
energetic plants. 
ME. SIMMIES’ NEW BEE BOOK. 
(From Canadian Bee Journal.) 
A Modern Bee Farm, and its Economic 
Management,” is the title of the latest addi- 
tion to beekeepers’ literature, and is written 
by Mr. Samuel Simmins, an extensive English 
honey-producer and queen-breeder. Many of 
us have his valuable pamphlet (before men- 
tioned in these columns), and those who found 
that a treat will not be disappointed in this 
his latest production, 
As the title implies, he tells us what he does 
and how he does it in the great Sussex 
apiaries, and it seems to me that beekeepers 
must be few who canuot find something new 
as well as interesting in the book. 
The author tells us in the preface that 
practical beekeeping is his subject, and that 
with few exceptions the instructions given 
are based upon the writer’s twenty years’ 
experience in the apiary. That he has learned 
more by his failures than by his successes, as 
in the endeavor to overcome his difficulties he 
has brought out his most important methods 
of management. He believes the man who 
can give the subject close study and applica- 
tion, and finds himself adapted to the under- 
taking, may safely invest his money, and 
receive better returns than from many other 
occupations of the present day. 
The book is not in any sense an encyclo- 
pedia of modern bee-knowledge ; the author 
simply gives the methods found to he most 
economical and practical. 
Under ‘‘Bee-Culture as a Profession,” be- 
ginners are advised to first serve a couple of 
years in some well-established apiary, instead 
of keeping a few colonies and gradually in- 
creasing the number. Time and money will 
be saved, better plans formed, and success will 
be more certain. The amount of capital re- ! 
quired is considered, and the various expenses 
estimated. Five hundred pounds, or about 
2,500 dollars is considered necessary to 
properly commence the business with 100 
colonies. 
Much valuable advice is given on the sale of 
bees and queens, and under the manufacture 
of appliances beginners especially are advised 
to steer clear of the business of selliug sup- 
plies,_ In the economy of the hive, the sup- 
pression of drone-production is a step toward 
the prevention of swarming. 
The chapter on “ The Varieties of Bees,” is 
equal to anything I have seen on the subject. 
Blacks or Natives are highly valued because 
they are well adapted to the production of 
comb-honey ; and when the beekeeper has all 
the colonies he requires, no objection can be 
made to the sole use of this race when comb- 
honey alone is sought for, although he men- 
tions further on that pure Blacks cease storing 
quite a month sooner, and are frequently 
troubled with wax-moths, while the foreign 
varieties never are. 
It is claimed that Blacks have great con- 
servative energy ; that the young commence 
work outside at a much earlier age, and a 
given number will produce and maintain a 
much larger amount of heat than the same 
number of any other race, That here is the 
sole reason why these bees are always ready 
te take to the supers, and are better comb- 
builders than others, though they may he 
occupying the same space with less than half 
the population. That here we have the heat 
material for an improved strain of bees ; and 
that by the admixture of foreign blood we 
may get greater laying-powers in the queen, 
a better disposition in bees, and eradicate the 
inclination to cease storing honey toward the 
close of the season, while it is yet to be 
gathered. 
He advocates breeding from Black Queens 
crossed with Carniolan or Yellow Drones, 
Cyprians preferred to Italians. Black or 
Syrian Drones should be vigorously excluded, 
He says that Italians store honey and draw 
out foundation later in the season than 
Natives, as well as gather more honey ; also 
they are more gentle, but their comb-honey 
is not quite so good, and they are not as good 
comb-builders, are slow to enter supers, and 
quite useless for queen-rearing purposes. 
That Carniolans, of all pure races, are the 
best. “ all-purpose boj,” although not quite 
equal to the Cyprians as honey-gatherers ; are 
the most gentle of all, and best for beginners. 
He thinks they were at one time a cross 
between the Cyprians and Germans, and the 
color reverted back to that of the majority. 
That Cyprians are destined to lake the lead 
among the yellow races ; though not suitable 
for the production of comb-honey, they are 
very active honey-gatherers, of great beauty, 
and (with him) extremely docile. Their body 
is smaller than the native variety, and unlike 
the Italian workers, opens to a fine point. 
