564 
9 
etc., for our foundation, aud then breed 
wholly within this line—just as our breeders 
of cattle and horses claim that iu breeding, 
crossing is never desirable. They claim, and 
correctly, I think, that each brood has its pe¬ 
culiar and distinctive excellence, and that to 
cross or mate animals of different breeds, fail¬ 
ing to improve, introduces the element of un¬ 
certainty, and tends to confusion. 
Other bee- keepers— and those are men 
whose opinions are too valuable to push rudely 
aside—claim that in our foundation we 
should select two, three, or even all the races, 
so that we may secure the valuable points of 
all, ami then, by skillful selection, long prac¬ 
ticed, weed out the undesirable, ami retain all 
that is best. 
Is this position tenable, and, if so, how is it 
to be explained that the same is not true in the 
breeding of higher animals'? Modern biology 
shows conclusively that all animals are much 
the same iu their development, and that laws 
which hold (n one case, are almost sure to bo 
true in all. Incase of horses and cattle, each 
breed has its separate purpose. The Short- 
characteristics in securing the best bee. If 
the Syrians are the most rapid breeders, the 
best to build queen cells, and havo longer 
tongues than other bees, then they should not 
be left out. Surely there is no such reason to 
avoid crossing in breeding bees for excellence, 
as wo believe exists with cattle und horses. Iu 
case of hogs, the Poland China ranks very 
high, if not first, and it was originated in just 
this way, if we are rightly informed. Hogs 
are reared fc r ouo purpose, and so the crossing 
of several breeds, each possessing real excel¬ 
lence, might result, after years of careful selec¬ 
tion, in a breed superior to any of the founda¬ 
tion breeds. The same is true, 1 think, of bees. 
If any race of bees, then, low superior ex¬ 
cellence, it may well bo selected iu breeding 
for the future. Some bee-keepers think 
that they have secured a superior ruce by 
crossing the blacks and Italians, and they 
have persunded others of the truth of this 
opiuion. This only shows that practice and 
true theory walk hand in hand. It seems to 
me pint a judicious combination of the 
Carniolaii bee a variety of the German race 
&rcl)iteciurf 
iiarimt 
BREEDING BEES 
A GOOD POULTRY-HOUSE. 
The most elaborate and expensive buildings 
are not always the most convenient or the 
most successful. 
At Fig. 845 is shown a rather cheaply made, 
yet very successful poultry house The per¬ 
spective view is of the south side and east 
end. The ground plan shows the general ar¬ 
rangement. The walls are double, six inches 
thick, and are constructed of common barn- 
siding. nailed on either side of 2x1 studding. 
The space between is filled with very dry 
sawdust well rammed down. The walls rest 
on ii brick foundation. Tho roof is also 
doubled by nailing the same sort, of lumber 
used in the side on the under side of the 2x6 
rafter, and tho space hero is also tilled with 
well-packed sawdust. The floor is earth, 
smooth, hard and dry , and should bo kept per¬ 
fectly clean. The extension on south side is 
walled the same ns the other building. Tho 
lloor is 18 inches 
below the level of 
the ground out¬ 
side, and the roof 
is of sash well 
glazed, and would 
ML “““f 
1 liilMk. 61 ' rwo windows 
HffllfliifflWm l ou 80,1 to side of 
111*1 1 jiuBfer nmin building 
S lilSil tt Is l ir ,i|>| "" |,uit ' i - v *ight 
Iill i|||ffl III I ill* floor, placed level 
and hinged to tho 
■PP "" walls, so they can 
be turned up out 
of the way when 
the floor is to be 
cleaned. BB, uest- 
LgK boxoB attached to 
NT-vvtkx the walls ono foot 
from tho floor. D 
tSSSSHI troughs. The glass- 
covered apartment 
contains sand, 
gravel aud dust- 
boxes. 
In the southwest corner of the main build¬ 
ing. U. is an apartment separated by wire¬ 
screening, in which are kept selected stock 
for laying eggs for rearing chickens. No 
cock should bo allowed with tho hens kept 
only for egg production. Feed-troughs, C C, 
arc placed near the doors. The windows 
should l>o arranged to slide for tho admission 
of air. Entrance holes cao bo placed whore 
desired, and should have slidlug doors. Such 
a house should have no rats or mice, as there 
are no burrowing or hiding places. 
Christian Co., Ill. e. orundy. 
PROFESSOR A. J COOK. 
Of late there is no subject connected with 
bee-koeping that has attracted more attention 
from our best writers and most successful 
workers in this field, than that of breeding. 
We all desire the boe that will give us the 
greutest returns in honey, and we wish to 
couple with this amiability and, if possible, 
beauty. The questions desirable to consider 
are : can our bees be improved, and how can 
it be done i 
That our bees of all races vary in quality, 
no observing bee-keeper doubts. The law of 
variation, then, holds among bees as well ns 
among all higher animals. Every experienced 
bee keeper is equally certain that tho law of 
inheritance is no less potent among bees than 
among hordes and cattle. If we breed from 
the queen of a colony that is cross, we are very 
A CHEAP, CONVENIENT BARN. 
In big. .142 is shown tho perspective of a 
cheap, plain, convenient, general purpose 
barn, haviug tho great ad vantage of afford¬ 
ing shelter to tho whole stock of tho farm un¬ 
der ono roof, thus saving many steps, and 
enabling the owner to euro for all without 
going out into the cold and storms. At Fig. 
843 *» shown the ground plan of the same, 
with its arrangement of stubs, pens, etc. Tho 
barn is 120 feet long. 45 feet, wide, with 25- 
(. It is calculated to accommodate 
i, f^jp horses, and 25 sheep, with calves 
foot posts, 
20 cows, 
and youngstock. as well as hogs, etc., and will 
cost from $1,000 to $1,500 complete, according 
to the prices of the material*. The stables aro 
partitioned as shown; the dotted lines indi¬ 
cate the mangers, There H a tight floor over 
tho stables and under tho hay loft. Chutes 
pass down by the side of the barn to all the 
mangers, so that all the stock can be fed by 
handling the hay only once. The alloy in roar 
of cow-stalls is wide enough to allow the driv¬ 
ing of a team to remove the manure us made. 
Next to, and partly under the hay, is a feed 
box for the ground feed intended for the cows. 
It is throe feet wide, and ouo foot high, and 
projects only ono foot into the alley, and the 
cover of this portiou is hinged, and if desired 
can be cut into sections, each hinged separate¬ 
ly. In the corner, near tho cow-stalls, is the 
watering-trough T, supplied from a trough, 
or tank, in the yard. The calf stable can be 
used for young cattle, if desired, and the hog¬ 
pen can be divided Into two or three pens, 
flhe partitions between th«3 hog and sheep 
quarter* and the remainder of barn are only 
four feet high, and there is a door between 
tho hog and sheep pens, so the hogs can have 
the use of the sheep pen iu Summer. Outside 
the bam are separate yards for cattle and 
sheep, but the pannel of the fence next the 
barn is arranged as shown, so that the sheep 
cau pass into the cattle-yard if desired. 
THE MINNEWASKA BLACKBERRY. (From Nature.) Fig. 846, 
4e as a re- horn is for beef; the Ayrshire for milk; the 
elect their Jersey for cream and butter. No breed can 
jroof that be excellent iu all these directions. It is 
enough that an animal gives very rich milk, 
ecomes at without giving a large quantity. Beef and 
lined per- milk qualities of the highest excellence can- 
b the best. not co-exist in the same animal. So, too, the 
the Italian race and the Syrians, followed 
by long, close, careful selection, promises well 
to give us the Poland-China among bees. 
1 hat crossing adds vigor is well known. 
One of our best breeders of cattle says ho 
prefers a high grade, for feeding, to a pure¬ 
bred animal. All bee-keepers know with what 
vigor tho first cross between Gorman aud 
Itallian bees work. This again, is a reason for 
combining different races. 
The conclusion is, then, that in breeding 
bees, there is no natural law in the way of 
securing the greatest improvement through a 
judiciouscrossing.followed by careful selection. 
Ag. College, Lansing, Mich. 
Remember the great value of our Free Seed 
Distribution; we hope to make the next the 
best ever sent out. Send postal card for free 
specimen copy giving the whole story. 
