THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
WHY SOME BEE-KEEPERS PREFER 
BLACKS TO ITALIANS. 
JAMES A. GREEN SUMS IT AI.L UP. 
Until three or four years ago it seemed that 
the superiority of the Italians over the common 
bee of our country, variously known as the black, 
gray, brown, or German bee, was conceded by 
nearly all who had given them a fair trial, 
especially in the production of honey as a business. 
Within that time, though, some of our most 
prominent honey-producers have declared that 
they prefer the German race to any other race in 
its purity, while admitting that a cross between it 
and the Italian is an improvement. Some of 
their reasons for this preference are old, while 
others are the result of new conditions by which 
all bee-keepers are not influenced. Those who 
are not, may do well to consider these reasons 
before deciding to follow the example of their 
possessors, successful though they may be. 
In the first place, I believe that nearly if not 
quite all who prefer the black bee and its crosses 
are producers of only comb honey, or, at least, 
advocate the securing of most of the crop in that 
shape. That the Italians are superior for ex 
traded honey, is, I think, unquestioned. The 
apiarist, then, who expects to produce principally 
extracted honey, need interest himself no further 
as to the comparative merits of the two races, as it 
is conceded that the Italians are better for him. 
Two points of superiority are broadly claimed 
for the black bee. First, that it will more readily 
enter the surplus receptacles, especially if not 
close to the brood. Probably there is some truth 
in this, or it would not be so strongly insisted on ; 
but I have never observed any difference worth 
mentioning ; and with proper management I 
know there is practically none whatever. 
Second, it is claimed that the blacks produce 
whiter comb, which will be more desirable, and 
in these times of close competition will sell better 
than that made by Italians. Without stopping to 
argue whether good taste would prefer a marble 
white to a white just tinted with cream, I will 
say that, in my humble opinion, to claim that 
any honey ever produced by black bees would 
resent a more saleable appearance than some 
have been taking off within the past few days, 
made by yellow Italians, is to make a hypercritical 
distinction which is entirely imperceptible to the 
general buyer. Of course, there is a difference in 
this respect. I have had Italians, all of whose 
honey had to be graded as No. 2, at 2 cents per 
pound less than that of colonies alongside, just 
because of its dark and watery appearance, due 
simply to the way it was capped. Such queens 
are promptly superseded. Whiteness of comb 
stands high in the list of qualities for which I am 
breeding, and its realization is much more desir- 
able than yellowness of bees, though I am working 
for that too. 
The two points referred to are the only ones in 
which the blacks may be fairly claimed to be 
superior to the Italians under ordinary manage- 
ment. When we consider their positive defects. 
the Italians easily bear off the palm under such 
management. With certain systems of manage- 
ment, though, these very defects of the blacks are 
so utilised that they become aids to manipulation. 
The black bee is easily frightened, and readily 
driven off the combs by smoke or other means. 
They are also easy to shake from the comhs. In 
handling “hives instead of frames.” a system that 
must come more and more into use these qualities 
are valuable ; and, if the frames are not so easily 
handled as the ordinary style, highly desirable. 
Their regard for the queen is much greater, and 
all points of their behaviour toward her more 
marked, making it easier for an expert to judge of 
the condition of the inside of the hive by the 
appearance of the outside. 
The blacks are not so liable to fill up the brood- 
chamber with honey, thus crowding the queen. 
This is a very desirable feature when contraction 
is practiced. This very quality, though, is apt to 
bring them out in the fall with an empty brood- 
chamber. Some consider this an advantage, 
though I think most would prefer bees that look 
ahead a little more, and do not require to be fed 
every fall. Of course, if the fall honey is not 
suitable for wintering, which is probably the case 
at limes in some localities, it is best that there 
should be as little as possible below. 
To sum up, if you are producing comb honey 
exclusively, on a large scale, practicing contrac- 
tion, handling hives instead of frames, and 
wintering on sugar, blacks may suit you best ; 
but under other circumstances, and for an ‘ all- 
purpose” bee, the Italian is preferable. 
James A. Green. 
Dayton, III., Sept. 25, 1888. 
— Roots Gleanings. 
SECURING COMB HONEY. 
F. A. Snell. 
To secure a good yield of comb honey in good 
marketable shape, many points have to be 
looked after. The first essential is a good hive. 
The second is a good strong colony at the open- 
ing of the honey season. Free communication 
between brood and surplus departments, also on 
one side of the surplus receptacle to the other 
under every row of sections, and when sections 
are tiered up free passage from bottom to top 
rows. The sections should in all cases given 
bee space between outside sections and the inside 
of case. The first sections put on should, we 
think, have partly drawn combs to induce an 
early start in the surplus department. All 
sections later put on should have full sheets of 
foundation. By following the above require- 
ments we get our sections very nicely and 
evenly filled so we have no trouble in crating. 
If no bee space is given oti the outside section* 
at top and bottom very many of such will be 
poorly filled on the outside and unfit to sell with 
otherwise nice sections. We use no honey board 
of any kind, ami have no use for such. The 
queens hardly ever enter the surplus depart- 
ment — not to the extent of one per cent. This 
is probably owing to the depth of the frame, 
