dtctu Ijusbaninrn. 
> 0 * C c 5 
II. S. RANDALL, LL. D., EDITOR, 
Op Corti.akp Vu.i.agk, Cobtt.an n County, Nkw York. 
CLASSIFICATION OF MERINOS 
At N. Y. Statu Fair.—A Prejudiced Viewing 
Committee. 
We have received Resolutions signed by 
some of the most respectable breeders of 
American Merinos, in Western and Central 
New York, censuring and protesting against 
the action of the New York Slate Agricul¬ 
tural Society “ in bringing together two dis¬ 
tinct varieties of Merinos bred for different 
purposes—each valuable for the purpose for 
which it is bred—to compete \vith each other 
at the recent State Fair held at Utica;" “ in 
placing all tine wool sheep together in one 
class, and giving the coarse wool or mutton 
sheep us many classes as there are varieties 
existing to any considerable extent in I Lie 
country 5 ” in appointing a Viewing Commit¬ 
tee members, or a member, of which was, no¬ 
toriously, strongly opposed to American as 
compared with Silesian Merinos, and a mem¬ 
ber of which openly and in disrespectful terms 
denounced the former at the Fair, and before 
acting on the [hewing Committee ; and in re¬ 
gaining that individual on said Committee, 
after the last-named facts had been laid be¬ 
fore the Executive Committee of the So¬ 
ciety. The protest states that “ a number of 
pens of American Merinos were passed by 
and not examined" by the Committee— 
though one of their number made every pos¬ 
sible effort “ t.o have justice done to all par¬ 
ties.” These resolutions are signed by Gid¬ 
eon Pitts, John P. Ray and W. W. Ray 
of Houeoyo, Ontario Co.; F. Fellows of 
Clifton, Monroe Co.; Peter Martin and 
George F. Martin of Rush, Monroe Co.; 
John Pierce of Ogden, Monroe Co.; and 
James M. Thomas and 8 . M. Thomas of 
Cuba, Allegany Co., A. F. Wilcox of Man¬ 
lius, Onondaga Co., and Davis Cossit of 
Onondaga, Onondaga Co., have desired us 
to add their signatures to the others. 
We have taken the liberty of giving the 
substance of the paper, instead of giving it, 
at j)resent, entire, because it furnishes the 
names of the individuals 011 the Viewing 
Committee, whose action Is censured, and 
cites the objectionable language alleged to 
have been used by one of them; and we 
think it will be better, if not fairer, to hear 
both sides at the same time, provided the al¬ 
legations are denied. For this purpose, we 
shall forward those allegations, by letter, to 
the party implicated. 
We Imve long known that the fine wool 
interest of the State — or at least that por¬ 
tion of it, comprising a vast majority of the 
fine wool breeders in tbe State and United 
States—bus been but very slightly represent¬ 
ed in the Executive Committee of the Slate 
Agricultural Society, But we have at¬ 
tributed this to circumstances which indi¬ 
cated no design to ignore or discourage the 
breeding of the prevailing and favorite va¬ 
riety. We have believed the Committee to 
be generally made up of intelligent, high- 
minded and liberal men—anxious to do jus¬ 
tice to all industries—far too just and dis¬ 
creet to attempt to throw the sword of 
Bkenntjs into the scale between rival varie¬ 
ties of any kind of stock. We unfortunate¬ 
ly lmve no premium list of the late Fair on 
hand. If the Society merged all Merinos in 
a single class—making different classes of 
the long wools, for example, which are far 
less widely separated in their uses and pro¬ 
ducts—we think it was a grave mistake, 
made doubtless without any improper mo¬ 
tives, but without sufficient consideration. 
With such a classification, the selection of 
the Viewing Committee would, in nine cases 
out of ten, determine the decision on the 
merits of the rival varieties (supposing both 
equally good of their kind) in advance, lie- 
cause a committeeman sufficiently acquaint¬ 
ed with sheep properly to act in that capac¬ 
ity would of course have a previously 
formed preference between the varieties. 
Were this otherwise, how could any View¬ 
ing Committee decide justly between varie¬ 
ties where there was an essential variance 
in the object and supposed profit of breed¬ 
ing them ? Would it be proper to merge 
Short-Horns and Ayrshiresin the same class 
of cattle? Yet there is not, for utilitarian 
purposes, a greater difference between them 
than between American and Silesian Meri¬ 
nos. In all such contests between different 
varieties or breeds, it is virtually those who 
appoint the Viewing Committees, however 
impartial they may intend to be, instead of 
those Committees themselves, who decide to 
which variety the victory shall fall. This is 
a prerogative which, iuour judgment,should 
never he exercised, intentionally or unin¬ 
tentionally, by the Executive Committee of 
any Agricultural Society. 
The allegation that the Executive Com¬ 
mittee of the State Agricultural Society re¬ 
tained, in the committee on fine wool sheep, 
a member who it bad been shown to them 
had, in advance of bis official action, con¬ 
temptuously denounced American Merinos, 
must, we trust, rest on some error or misap¬ 
prehension. The matter may have been 
brought before one or two members of the 
Committee, who, burned by their official 
duties, may have thus decided, with little re¬ 
flection. But we cannot believe that the 
body of the Executive Committee, had the 
facts been placed before them and clearly 
made out, would have retained such a com¬ 
mitteeman. It might have been awkward 
to remove a well known gentleman from a 
Viewing Committee. A hint that liis resig¬ 
nation was desired would have been suffi¬ 
cient, if he was a man of cither pride or deli¬ 
cacy. If we err in the above hypothesis of 
explanation — if the Executive Committee 
had the facts shown to them as claimed, and 
refused to take any action in the premises— 
we have no hesitation in saying that they, in 
our judgment, committed as manifest, a 
wrong as would a court which refused to set 
aside a juryman who had both formed and 
expressed an opinion ns to the merits of the 
case he was empaneled to try. 
THE WOOL AND WOOLEN TARIFF. 
Mr. James Dobson’s Reply to Edward 
Harris. 
Phii.adki.phia, Pa., Sept. 27, 1870. 
To the Editor of the U. 8. Economist: 
Dear Sin:—In your issue of 17tli Sept, 
yoq have printed a letter from Edward 
Harris, Esq., addressed to the President of 
the National Wool Growers’ Association, in 
which he complains of the injustice and in¬ 
equality of the present wool tariff, saying 
the carpet and blanket, manufacturers derive 
the greatest amount of benefit, if any there 
be; and commences by saying that carpets 
pay a duty by the square yard, and blankets 
are protected to an enormous extent, and 
made partly of foreign wools, which pays 
three cents per pound duly. The duty on 
carpet wools is three cents per pound 011 all 
wool under twelve cents per pound, over 
that amount the duty is six cents per pound, 
which makes an average duty of thirty-live 
per cent, on carpet wool, and this average is 
taken from the cost of the different kinds of 
carpet wools. In five-sixths of the carpets 
made here, nothing but foreign wool is used. 
The wool used for the manufacture of 
blankets is not, as represented by Mr. Har¬ 
ris, composed of foreign wool, with the ex¬ 
ception of the colored blankets, which sell 
at the present time for forty cents per pound, 
but from American grown wool. I am 
speaking now of the white bed blankets. 
We have on several occasions imported the 
very best East India wool to experiment, 
and see if we could not find a cheaper sub¬ 
stitute for the American wool, but in every 
instance it lias been a failure, because the 
American people want a better and finer 
blanket, than the Europeans, and hence, 
while the English manufacturers use little or 
nothing else but the East India wool, which 
makes a coarse, cheap blanket, we want here 
ail article of superior quality. If Mr. Har¬ 
ris will take the trouble to ascertain these 
facts about the above wool, whether it is 
profitable to tlio Importers to bring it here, 
I have no hesitation in saying that 111 every 
instance they have lost money by so doing. 
This wool is the finest quality that enters 
into the production of carpets. 
Mr. Harris further says that, “ within 
sight of his house there is machinery rusting 
that would make one million dollars worth 
of goods annually.” If so, then why not 
turn this idle machinery on blankets that are 
enormously protected? If this business is 
such a monopoly, why don’t Mr. Harris, or 
his free-trade friends buy those mills, and 
then secure the great boon which he alleges 
is conferred by the Tariff on those blanket 
monopolists? If, then, what Mr. Harris 
alleges he correct, it would seem there never 
was such a wide field open to him and his 
associates to enrich t hemselves under the be¬ 
nign influence of Protection, for it is very 
apparent they can buy numerous mills at a 
great sacrifice, and can run them, and weave 
all the carpet wools necessary to supply the 
wants of the people, and make enormous 
profits by the enterprise. But no ; Mr. Har¬ 
ris wants fine wool to supply his own re¬ 
quirements, and he says if he cannot get it., 
the machinery must stop, which is all very 
fine hut bad logic, and I would give Mr. 
Harris more credit for sagacity than he 
displays in the above language, which I 
have taken from his letter in The Economist. 
The duty on fine woolens, such as Mr. 
Harris makes, is fitly cents per pound and 
thirty-five per cent, ad valorem. This fifty 
cents per pound, in fact, all the duty on 
woolen goods, that pay duty in addition to 
ad valorem, was placed there for the very 
purpose of meeting this difficulty on wool. 
The duty on one pound of cloth will com¬ 
pensate for the duty you have to pay on a 
pound of wool, and while I believe with you 
that all kinds of wool should pay the same 
duty, yet you are as well protected on fine 
woolens as others are in any branch of 
American industry. The remedy, then, Mr. 
Harris, does not lay where you think it 
does, in the wool, but in a system of under¬ 
valuation and false swearing at our Custom¬ 
houses. I will cite you a case for certain 
styles of goods that arc invoiced as calf-hair 
cloaking. There has been certified to, by 
the American Consul, within the past year, 
four hundred iuvoices, averaging in amount 
from two to four hundred pounds sterling. 
Each invoice manufactured in the neighbor¬ 
hood of Huddersfield, in England, was 
shipped to this country on the above classi- 
'I HF * * 
I}* ^pmrntn. 
BEES: 
Natural vs. Artificial Swarming. 
I see in the Rural New-Yorker of Sep- 
fication, and entered and paid a duty of ternber 10th, an extract of an extract of an 
tliirty-fivc per cent, ad valorem , under the article by “ Novice" of South English, Iowa, 
assumption that they are manufactured of upon the subject of “ Artificial Swarming.” 
hair. I have seen in an invoice of t he above 
probably twenty per cent, of black Ast ra¬ 
dian cloth, which is made wholly from 
worsted, and there was not a particle of hair 
about them, while another style of goods 
that usually come in the same invoice is 
what we call mohair cloaking with a velvet 
finish, worth in England, in American cur¬ 
rency, $2.50 per yard, and sells here for 
about $4.50; the balance of the invoice will 
be common seal skiu, worth in England 
about sixty cents per yard, gold. 
These goods are made from cow hair and 
wool about equal parts, while their invoice 
says they as well as the wool Astrachan and 
mohair cloaking, are all made from cow or 
calf-hair, which is false. 1 therefore think 
if these goods were admitted and classified 
to pay the duty they properly should pay, it 
Would not he long before all the machinery 
you speak of would be in motion. These 
particular goods came under my observa¬ 
tion, and our Custom-house records will 
show all and even more than I state here, 
Not agreeing with the views advanced by 
“Novice" in said article, 1 shall attempt to 
prove their fallacy, and in so doing shall 
give my reasons therefor. 
“ Novice” says that “ the majority of wri¬ 
ters on boo culture claim that artificial 
swarming is preferable; but why ? Do t hoy 
give one sound, substantial reason why it is 
preferable? I believe in letting everything 
have its established and regular course, as 
provided by the great Creator." That the 
great majority of writers on bee culture, not 
only of our own, but of foreign countries 
also, do give their unanimous and deckled 
preference to artificial swarming is very 
true. And that they constitute nine-tenths 
of the most successful, as well as the most, 
intelligent and enterprising of the bee keep¬ 
ers of the. world, is equally true also. They 
have also given good, sound reasons why 
they advocate and practice this system of 
swarming, some of which I will give for the 
benefit of" Novice” and many others, who 
seem to he sadly lacking, even in the kiiO'wl- 
and you must agree with me that practices of edge of the first principles of apiarian science, 
this kind, which are common, are a fraud Until these principles are better understood 
upon the revenue and upon the American and practiced by the great mass of the bee 
manufacturer; hut. yet, under their present keepers of our country, bee culture will not 
ruling, there is nothing to prevent their assume its proper position among the other 
sending fine eassimerus, and calling them Industries of our nation, 
calf-lmir cloaking. They also, it is true, got First, then, there is a great saving in time 
out an invoice of blankets under the same by practicing this artificial system of swarm- 
classification, tint. the fraud wits so plain that ing. This is especially valuable to those ex- 
tlie appraiser could not pass them; hence, tensively engaged in apiarian pursuits. This 
no further attempts have been made. This being obliged to watch for the issue of natu- 
1 believe to be one of the causes why some nd swarms for a period of from four to eight 
portions of the woolen machinery are not weeks, is anything but pleasant or profitable, 
profitably employed at the present time, and Thousands of swarms are annually lost by 
not really to 'the causes you attribute, the night to the woods. These might all he 
wool tariff. Yours respectfully, saved wore artificial swarming practiced, for 
James Dobson. mi artificial swarm, properly made, never 
•- 4_4 "*‘ leaves Its hive. Another, and a very im- 
Premlums on Sheep at N. Y. State Fair. tont consideration with this system, is 
The following were tho premiums on tih e rapidity and certainty with which bees 
sheep, aw a ul <ul at, the N. A . tfuie hail . may he increased. Go almost anywhere and 
J “. r we find men who have kept bees for ten, 
vi‘m 1. .1. Winn© j VV in no * -i. «l. \V innti. Idiiubs t ivfiil v mihI i * v f * ti (ni*tv vofl. 1'8 litiil wlifi liAVA 
J Wiimiv Ewuh 'J yi*M I. «.t < *iiuij»!h‘ 1I, Now bWimy, ,in( * < vin > 1 y LUI», <1111 W U<u 
Yui-h Muimi 3 . Winua. UridiM-ajrr»-i..i. vvinno: 3.J. not as many stocks now as they had years 
Winners. WulGOtt & Campbell. J J * 
t’oTHwni.ns. iuimu 2 yr.-i l.BardottI,oomKWind- ago. And why? Simply because they have 
fcor Lurk*. Ot..; t. B, Loom!*; s.ChaseS sIIiwi-Ih, ltooh- , . i,,„.ii, An 
t-M'-r, Under 2 vr* I. Clnmi' Harriet 2. B. Loom In: piacticed natural swaimiug, because they 
J. ( liaaB A llama. l.unili* 1. .larol) Albrltltlt, Etn.t, |,.i uvurvlhinn- Lave its established 
2. Cham: A Harris. Ewes i yr.i I. B. Lootui.*; 2. J. nave lei cviiyuiing nave ns tsumiisniAi 
Albright; 8. CHumc & I (arris- Under 2 vr*- I. H. Loo- , m ,i popular course as nrovided bv the eTCRt 
ml*; fcctiuMj it ilnrri*; & Chase A Harris. Uunh* 11,1(1 ,c M mu cou,8e * i ,r(, vuieu uy me giiiu 
I. Chase A Hums; 2. Chusu A Harris. Creator.” 
Lincolns -KnmxSyrM I. VVulooH A Campbell; 2. . .. f , .. . ,„t,n 
WuiL'ott a Campbell undprSyrs i.waioott Auanei- l have louiHi it, a rule that anyone WHO 
Ill'll* 2. W liluott A Hi Wilt* 11 f W lliooi t* At I JtiiipDull. utt/fivm tint’iivnll xr tv i 11 lin vd tfi 
Uwes 2 yr* Walcott A Campbell. Under 2 yra-I. le » swai in naturally Will Lav* 10 
Walcott a Campbell; 2 . Walcott a Campbell. purchase bees lu order to keep his original 
hrooic; 2.,i. Lynch, West Brighton; 8. G, H. Brown, number good. And the field ot my observa- 
2 : vr"- tTuhih g"'IL i'efuMwIE lions, although not as extensive, perhaps, as 
Koteoil,^WMt m Hrii&n.’ h ' that of" Novice," extends over many of tho 
iiar r ttor.i KWu Llimb8 rur MuUon N - Murn -' New Northern States, including his own. 
Mr,PINOS. Unmii 2 yrn 1. W. Chamberlain; 2. W. Alld IIOYV I Will give, briefly, It few fllCttt 
cdillinboriaio; 2 . w r 1 c h*i hVr I ni n H1 V. curl* Hey no! in regard to what lias been (lone by artificial 
swarming. In the year 1848, John D/.ikr- 
berlain: 3,0arl llftynfi. Under t ytB 1. W. Chamber- «, wnrlil.rnnnu'iipd nmarinn offipriiiftiiv 
lain; 2. VV. ChumbBrIaIni 8. C. Ueyuu. Lumbs-l. \V. ZON - a WO ‘ IU renOV ' 1U,U 111,1 "I VtBJ uuuiy, 
Chamberlain ; 2. C. Heyne. Grade Ewes 2 yrs-VV. l 1H d ],i 3 stock of bees reduced to ten SWai'lllS, 
Chamberlain. Yearllr.gs-1. W. Chamberlain: 3. J. , „ , 
p. & vv. w. Ray, Honeoye. Lambs - w. Cham- although he bad an experience of thirteen 
ljl ' lUl “' years in their culture. Tn the fall of 1851, 
only three years later, ho had increased his 
* r© w ten swarms to nearly four hundred, wholly 
!)( JSVtWm- by artificial swarming. I do not, believe 
'if that “Novice” can show mo a single man 
- -- - -- ■■ — who ever increased ten swarms to one half 
PIG-PEN PAPERS. that number by natural swarming. 
—-- Oftentimes bees refuse to swarm at all, and 
t-, B,,n !l S<,a ^^ r,, ln no increase can be secured unless wo resort, 
In Rural Nkw-A ohkkr o( Octu ier 1, to ikr tjfiebd means. Again, they will over- 
the question is asked by Mr. Ray, “ What 8W aml , )()Ul lho new colonies and tbe 
will cure hogs that are taken with blindness nt gtock are minea . ir we practice arti- 
and that go around in circles for a time and m&] SWftmii this can be absolutely pre- 
then die?" As you suggest, the disease is l( , t ] 
doubtless the blind staggeis. Having had A min, says " Novice,” “ he who will per- 
mueh to do in the raising of swine and the ^ jn artiflcW swft „ning will slowly but 
fattening of pork, ami believing that an gurel f]m , hiH colony growing less pro¬ 
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of duclive , uul tYuilful.” I never saw anything 
cure, I have ascertained, to my satisfaction, jn own exper - wnce which would verify 
that too high feeding is the cause of the dis- the aboV(J . tm lhe contrary) lmve seen many 
ease. As a preventive, it is necessary to ingtanceg whm; beca that were of no profit 
withhold their food for a day or two and f(> |heir owner bcforei have been made to 
feed them sulphur and charcoal. Also more lhan a hlimlm ] fold, an d by the 
bleed them a little in the ear.-J oel ' ei . v prooesS which is represented above as 
Draper, Nebraska CUy, Neb. bei n g so very damaging. 
lion Lice—Remedy Wanted. “ , Bllt “PP°“ y 0U h / Ul ,ie ’! aD f 
CAN any of the great Rural New- ^ the end of two weeks you should break 
, , ■ -i r the shell of an egg, m order to expedite the 
Yorker family tell me how to get ml of ,, Bh \ ... * 
. chick s progress, wliat would lie the result t 
hog lice? My young pigs are having their , 1 & ... 
1Iy« made burdensome to them by the ,,«■ w »" u "«" re a f SU!< *? 
tifcrotiH iuaeeta. Should any on. M dk- and ,vc propoao to do nolh.ng ol tho kmt 
posed to answer Hus, they are reapeeUWy Wo *’ ” #l , f ", th,: 
. , . . .. .. , h ve. lake out a frame of brood but. two- 
requested not to refer to kerosene and car- . t ... . 
, T. .-i.i > a i ,i . thirds mature, and uncap the cells, m order 
bohe soap. I have tried them,and hud that ‘ ’ . *. .. . ., r 
, 1 .. , .-i to bring the brood to maturity sooner. We 
the lice are rather fond ot the latter, while , ® , . 
the former has a tendency to kill the pigs.- «"'V P"*r> f ! 
J. E„ New Jeney, OeL, 1870. °“ r »'" c ‘ l, “ nlw,l >'“ yff 
ant and delightful one-sure, sate, and high 
Origin of Poland Swine. ly remunerative. If the reasons which I 
Will some one state through the Rural have herein stated and advocated are not 
New-Yorker the origin of the Poland “ sound, substantial ” ones, or if they do not 
hogs. It is said here that they are a cross presunt sufficient inducements for the bee 
of Chester and Berkshire.—R. W. K Ap- keeping readers of the Rural New-Yorker, 
vanoos. Kansas. then I would advise them to let their bees 
ito'mt-mxb. 
PIG-PEN PAPERS. 
Iilind 8t«Kircr8 In I’iffN. 
In Rural New-Yorker of October 1, 
the question is asked by Mr. Ray, “ What 
will cure hogs that are taken with blindness 
and that go around In circles for a time and 
then die?” As you suggest, the disease is 
doubtless the blind staggers. Having had 
much to do in the raising of swine and the 
fattening of pork, ami believing that an 
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of 
cure, I have ascertained, to my satisfaction, 
that too high feeding is the cause of the dis¬ 
ease. As a preventive, it is necessary to 
withhold their food for a day or two and 
feed them sulphur and charcoal. Also 
bleed them a little in the ear. — Joel 
Draper, Nebraska City, Neb. 
llott Lice—Remedy Wanted. 
Can any of the great Rural New- 
Yokkek family tell me how to get rid of 
hog lice? My young pigs are having their 
lives made burdensome to them by the pes¬ 
tiferous insects. Should any one feel dis¬ 
posed to answer this, they are respectfully 
requested not to refer to kerosene and car¬ 
bolic soap. I have tried them, and find that 
the lice are rather fond of the latter, while 
the former has a tendency to kill the pigs.— 
J. E., New Jersey, Oct., 1870. 
Origin of Poland Swine. 
Will some one state through the Rural 
New-Yorker tho origin of the Poland 
hogs. It is said here that they are a cross 
of Chester and Berkshire.— R. W. K., Ap- 
panoos, Kansas. 
do their own swarming, simply because their c 
fathers did so before them. But to those * 
who are tired of being obliged to watch their 
bees half the summer, and the vexatious 
losses which they must sustain, or who 
would wish to make the business profitable, 
I would urgently recommend them to try 
artificial swarming. If any wish informa¬ 
tion upon this subject, I will give it cheer¬ 
fully through the columns of the Rural 
New-Yorker. Herbert A. Burch. 
South Haven, Mich. 
-♦-*-*-- 
BEE NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Piiritv vn. Modo of Handling liccfn. 
“ Camilluh” says that Mr. Russell’s bees, 
whose had temper was reported in the 
Rural New-Yorker of July 2 nd, are not 
pure. It is quite possible that they are not, 
for hybrids are, as a general rule, more vin¬ 
dictive than others; yet I have seen so 
many cases where their ill temper was 
wholly the result of the manner of handling 
them that 1 am inclined to attribute their 
bad behavior to some such cause. I Imve 
often known hybrids gently treated to be 
milder than pure Italians improperly man¬ 
aged. As an illustration:—One of mj r part¬ 
ners once introduced some Italian queens 
raised in my home apiary into his hives, and 
used tobacco smoke freely in his manage¬ 
ment. The result was that after a trial of 
two years he was completely disgusted with 
their ugly dispositions, and discarded them 
entirely. Mine were of the same stock pre¬ 
cisely, hut 1 had given up using tobacco 
smoke entirely, using rotten wood, and they 
were as placable as possible. Quiet move¬ 
ments about the hive, opening and closing it 
without juror hurry, and care to not irritate 
tho bees by crushing or pinching, urn idl great 
modifiers of vindictive dispositions. One 
important item of practice is to deal with 
them as much as possible in the middle of 
pleasant days. Colonies will be peaceably 
disposed then that would resent the slightest 
intrusion at morning or evening, or on a 
cloudy day. 
Mr. Pratt’s Colony of Black Been. 
E. N. Pratt, Pompey, N. Y., gives some 
interesting figures concerning a large yield 
from a colony of black bees. It would be 
satisfying to most of us who have a special 
interest in. this subject, to Imve farther par¬ 
ticulars as to the kind of hive, amount of 
room afforded, manner of putting on boxes; 
and also if the strength of the colony and 
its swarms lmd possibly been increased by 
accidentally uniting with another when 
swarming, or returning to the old hive. 
liaJiuiilxinir Born. 
An inquirer into the mysteries of bees, 
in the Rural New-Yorker of August 27, 
asks, “ what apiarians mean by Italianizing 
bees?” and would “ like to know when and 
how to do it.” By Italianizing, we mean 
changing a colony of black bees to Italians, 
by removing the native queen, and intro¬ 
ducing a pure Italian queen; and as the na¬ 
tive workers naturally die off, they are re¬ 
placed by the progeny of tbe Italian mother. 
By hybridizing, we mean but a partial 
change of blood, as when a queen of Italian 
descent is impregnated by a native drone, or 
a native queen by an Italian drone. The in¬ 
dications of hybrids are mentioned in anoth¬ 
er paragraph, answering some questions on 
this point. 
The best time to Italianize, depends ma¬ 
terially upon the convenience of the opera¬ 
tor. It can be clone successfully at any time 
when queens can be procured, and there is 
leisure to attend to it. Queens arc more 
easily raised during summer and early fall, 
consequently that is usually the most desira¬ 
ble season. Ail important requisite in this 
Operation, is some form of movable-comb 
1 hive. The difficulty of Italianizing box 
hives, should be sufficient to induce their 
‘ disuse by all aspiring bee keepers, if no other 
consideration prevails. 
The first, thing to bo done is to find and 
*■ remove the native queen, which at once 
shows the need of movable combs, as in no 
> other way can the combs be thoroughly 
’ searched. If there are any eggs or very 
; young larval left in the hive, the bees will 
f ' proceed to raise a new queen, and construct 
> a number of queen cells. After seven, and 
3 within ten days from the removal of the 
s queen, these cells must all be cut out. Then, 
having previously procured a pure, fertile 
^ Italian queen, she may be smeared with 
1 honey, by carefully turning her over in a 
u spoon containing it, and dropped among the 
• bees in the top of the hive. They will at 
• once begin to lick her off, and receive her 
1 amicably. There are other methods of in- 
: troducing queens, but I fmd this the most 
satisfactory. 
r This queen will commence laying, and of 
B course all young bees thereafter hatched, ex- 
ccpting what brood was left in the combs by 
the black queen, will he Italians; and in 
warm weather the colony will generally be 
1 wholly changed in three months. If'intro- 
t duced at this season to a good strong colony, 
. about one-quarter will be Italians in early 
' spring, and all by the first or middle of June. 
B Directions for rearing queens, and ltalian- 
izing on a large scale, will be given in season 
b for operations next summer. M. Quinby. 
