Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-10-25
ITALIAN BEEs.-Some wears ago the

attention OF Bee-keepefs was called to
the existence Of q bee in Italy which
differed from our common bee in sew
eral important particulars. Tie frs,
account we have of this bee rs a dis
tine,race of variety, is tia. promulga,.
ed by Captain B~aldenst:en in the
Bieaenheitung, 1913 p, 81. This ac-
coaa. excited the curiosity Of Diier-
son \ German apiarian, AID impclled
him to import it into Germany in
1853. A its merits were tested and
made known by this celebrated api
cnlturist. it speedily found its way in
to other countries, and in the autumn
of 1859, Mr. Richard Calvin imported
it into this country. Stree this time
NJ. Samuel Wagner AID Rev. L. L.
Langs;ro.h lave made themselves
conspicuous in importing them sue
cessfnily from Lake Maggiofe, Italy.
and Germany. Being engaged ii tie
cultivation Of the bee, and DESTROYS Of
procuring the best varieties, / pur-
chased o. A. Gray co-partner of Mr.
Lonestrotll. six young Italian Queens,
bred from Queens imported from I;al,
the same season. These, with one
exception proved TO be purely fecun-
dated, As their worker progeny. were
handsomely marked with three yellow
stripes. Seveia! Of my colonies being
Italian, l now had an opportunity OF
testing the merits of these as ompar
ed with the black bee. THIS oppor-
tunity | improved and am free to state,
that thus far, my observation aud ex-
perience corroboraies the testimony OF
Drierson ard other eminent apiarians,
that they are superior to the black
bee in every respect. Among the
chief points Of difference in their fav-
or. ma be enumerated the following
items:
lst. They are more peaceable and
less inclined to resting than the black
bee.
81. They arc i~.andsomer, and when
pure have three oisiilct yellow brands
around their abdomen.
81. Their Queens are more prolific
ard upon m average they swarm from
Ave to three weeks earlier taaa the
black bee.
4th. They are much less inclined to
rob other bees, as ! have the fret
time to see them striving to obtain q
passage into other hives.
5th. They guard their stores much
more etfecsuasly against The miller and
roLber bees.
9th. They will work more hours il
\ day than the others. beginning often
times an hour sooner in the day AID
working an hour later.
7th. They will gather generally
twice as mich honey. and sometimes
three times as much in tie same local
ity as tine black bee.
3h. They can gather honey from
flowers that the black bee cannot,
especially those the Tube OF the CO.
rolla OF which is long az common red
clover. ground ivy. &c.
Although the black bee will work
upon ground ivy and sometimes red
clover, yet if any n will take the
trouble to observe 10 a neighborhood
where the Italian exists, he will find
City Italians on these flowers to one
Of the others. Again, in cutting Of d
piece of corn ia the stock near our
..piary last fall. the stuinps Of the
locks were alive with Italians, suck
ing the sweets that exude ~theref,om,
when a black bee was to be seen near
by. III e~orfclus:on / would say to all
those interested in bee culture. to pro-
1nre 4 colony otltalians and try them,
and | am sure il will lead item 10
ltaliaaize all their colonies. ] intro.
drced young Italian Queens into all
my common colonie. on the 2olh of
Ms. last, having previously deprived
them of their own, and at the present
writing, the e2l of June, it is curious
and interesting to zee the striped Jack
cts making their appearance for the
first iinae, q precursor Of profit to my
self but u token of evil to tile former
occupants ofthc hive. an evil which
will be nothing short Of a total extinc-
ton OF their being. More anon.
JOHN L. MCLEAN.