The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-04-20
FARMERS COLUMN.
PRINCIPLES OF BEE KEEPING.


The American Ndtur GIist quotes from
the Annals of Bee Culture, translation
of an interesting article by Frederic WI.
liam Vogel He gives brief aostracG OF
the PAPER, as the author is an experience.
ed and accomplished bee keeper ana
breeder in Prussia. He has probably the
best experimental knowledge OF the sub.
iect of any living aparian. Inc loea OF
garietu includes certain amount OF con-
stitutional properties: among Tue prop
tiles are good or bad tempera menus
swarming propensity or want OF lt,dispo-
sition to build drone COMB, &c. Oorpo-
real markings, size and color DO not
come into consideration IN determining
the idea of variety" The pecullarltles
which indicate variety are rooted IN the
physical or spiritual nature of the insect,
and are elected by the kind and quality
of the pasturage, by particular modes of
management, by diversity of climate, or
some other dominating popularity OF the
district. The constitutional properties
change with time or by removal to diff
ferent locality. An improved breed
equally suited to all parts ofan extensive
country is an impossibility. For each
particular district an improved breed
specially adapted may be produced.
In a cross resulting from the Italian
oueen with the black drove, degeneration
becomes apparent in the second genera
tion. the hybrids divided numerically,
one portion resembling the Italian, and
the other the black bees In the fourth
or fifth generation, some of these hybrids
reached again the pure Italian, others the
pure black bee. Very unexpected re-
suits were obtained by crossing an
Egyptian queen with black drones. The
workers resulting from this first cross
were much like the pure Egyptian.
Some young queens were raised from
these impurely fortified mothers, and
they were fertilized by pure black drones
The hybrids diverged in two directions
but the parental markings showed them
selves mingled or melted into each other
in q portion of the progeny. A portion
of the workers resembled the Italian
workers so perfectly, in size, color and
characteristics that no expert could tell
them from the pure Italian. Selecting
from the hybrids and breeding-in and
in the drones of the third and fourth gen.
erations all bore the Italian markings
Mr.. Vogel has now black Egyptian n.y.
birds of the nineteenth generation, and
these still retain their characteristic
markings unchanged alike in queens, and
drones, and workers, though rather in
tensifed in degree and permanence
Firmly established does he regard this
fact: From a cross of the black bee
with the Egyptian, hybrid is produced
which no man can distinguish from the
Italian bee"
The black bee and the Egyptian he re
CARDS as the primary races. The Italians
Crecropians, Syrians, Chinese, ETC., etc.
are all hybrids from the two origina
races. If these mixed products were en-
tirely removed, he is confident that h.
could speedily reproduce any desired
secondary race, by those two primaries
the black and the Egyptian. In breeding
he would have regard to the quality o
the drone as we'll as of the queen. b.
experiment he finds the temperament o
the bee is controlled by the influence o
the male.
The results of this renowned expert
menter shows that bee breeding is yet il
its infancy.
With proper judgment, in few year
we may look for very parked results
We shall soon have numerous varieties o
bees as distinct and we'll known as W
now have Durhams and Devons and Ay1
shires among cattle, or Southdowns AM
Merinos and Cotswolds among sheep, O
the almost endless number of varieties 0
our domestic fowls. w. j. b.
I