334 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1902. 
The bees from Italy are better honey-gatherers than ours are, and if we 
import from Italy we shguld be satisfied to get such as they have, especially so 
far as the markings are concerned. , 
If you are undecided in regard to a queen, get some of the bees that 
you are sure were hatched in her hive, and feed them all the honey they 
will take. Now put them on a window, and if the band C is not plainly visible 
call them hybrids. 
Now, the bees from Italy are not all alike, and the yellow bands have 
different shadings, as well as the band of down, but they are always found 
there. 
We have heard of bees having a fourth yellow band. This would have to 
come on L G, but although a great many examinations haye been made nothing 
has ever been found but very bright yellow down, and no trace of the yellow 
in the horny scale as found in A, B, and C. When we come to hybrids we 
find a greater diversity, for while bees from one queen are all prone uniforml 
marked with two bands, another’s will be of all sorts, some beauti ully mark 
Italians, some pure black, others one or two banded. Some will sting with 
great venom, while others with only one or two bands will be as peaceable as 
your best Italians, Without a doubt many queens have been sent out as pure 
that produced only hybrids. A very slight admixture of black blood will cause 
the band C to disappear, but we should be very careful in such matters to be 
sure that the bees in question were really hatched in the hive, for bees of 
- adjoining hives often mix to a considerable extent. If you examine a colony 
of blacks and one of hybrids, you will find many Italians among the blacks an 
vice versd. Take young bees that you are sure have hatched in the hive and 
you will be pretty safe, but you cannot readily distinguish the third band until 
they are several days old. 
MAIZE BLIGHT. 
The following description of Maize Blight, its cause, and remedial measures 
to be adopted for its prevention, has been prepared by Mr. H. Tryon, 
Entomologist and Vegetable Pathologist to the Department of Agriculture :— 
A. meeting, under the auspices of the Lower Burdekin Farmers’ Association, 
was lately held in the Federal Hall, Ayr, for the purpose of hearing an 
address from the Government Entomologist, Mr. H. Tryon, on the subject 
of “ Maize Blight,” a theme that is one of much interest to our Northern 
agriculturists. Mr. J. G. Smith, President of the Association, occupied the 
chair, and the more representative farmers of the district were in attendance. 
The chairman, having briefly introduced the lecturer, and alluded to the 
purpose of the latter's visit to Ayr, Mr. Tryon stated that although he 
had elected to speak on “The Pests and Diseases of our Crops,” he would 
confine his attention to two topics of especial interest, “Maize Blight,” and 
“The Grub of Sweet Polato,” but would principally deal with the former of 
these topics. And in proceeding, he remarked as follows :—A limited acquaint- 
ance only with the arable lands of the Lower Burdekin suffices to indicate how 
large an area is suitable for maize cultivation, even when that available for 
the growth of sugar-cane is not taken into account. There are asa also for 
concluding that when irrigation is employed in maize-growing this crop can be 
sown with promise of success throughout the year, except during the present 
month or in May, in which events cold will either injure the young plant or 
retard seed germination. Crops, moreover, of 60 bushels to the acre have been 
reported ; and the maize itself is of a quality that compares well with that of 
this cereal yielded by lands better known as sources whence it may be derived. 
Moreover, it is a fact that already in this district hundreds of acres are devoted 
to maize cultivation. When, therefore, one learns, as has been my experience 
during the last few days, that under certain circumstances large fields of maize 
yield but half the crop anticipated, or even fail to produce any, it becomes a 
