The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-07-02
improving Bees.

improving Bees
T,he following from the June number
of the american Agyicllturist, is inter
esting not only in itself, but from being
probably one of the last articles written
by the late well-known bee-writer, NJ.
Quinby, whose recent death We have
noted;
Among the domestic animals we have
various grades of improvement. Among
horses and cattle, the various breeders
find points In each grade that they wish
to propagate for some particular pur-
pose They select parents that have
points which they expect to find in their
offspring. The beautiful Durham is not
expected from the wild race of the trop-
les. Among bees, the beautiful, amiable
Italian is not expected from the black,
vicious, and often more indolent natives.
Both varieties may have some traits that
it is desirable to propagate, while both
have some which might be advantageous
Iy left out.
One stock may possess vigOr and indus
trious habits, and disposition to resent
any measure that seems to them an APP
proach 10 robbing them of their stores.
Another may be too indolent to collect
much, and lack energy to protect what
they have. Accumulation of stores is
what is generally wanted. IL Industrious
habits and mild dispositions are found
combined, that is the breed to propagate
from. With most of us these traits are
only ascertained by close and attentive
observation. Thirty years ago an old
lady, when asked to fix a price for one
o. her colonies, replied that she had
smarter bees than any one else, they
swarmed early and often; she had prob
ably discovered fact, without being able
to trace it to any cause.
What is to prevent changing all our
stocks into the best in one summer, II all
the queens are selected from such only2
1t is time this point received attention.
In rearing cattle it will not do to check
the growth by an insufficiency, or an in
ferior quality of food.
Queens bees need a iull development
as well as cattle. Much discussion has
been had relative to rearing queens In
full stocks, or in small nuclei; some
claiming that full stock is most nctu-
raj 1t will not be discussed here, further
than to say that n full supply of nutri-
ment is required to rear good queens;
usually the least trouble and expense,
where queens are to be reared, is to make
a little box to representa- a movable comb
hive. Combs of full size of hiyes can be
used on the same principle, the size max
ing but little difference, If there are nurse |
bees enough. 1t would seem that the
Creator had designed especially to faeil-
itate the increase of the best stock. In |
to the number of queens pro-
vided, when a swarm issues naturally, it |
is arranged that they can be increased |
almost indefinitely.
Eggs of a fertile queen are of two kind
one produces males, the other females.
Means of deciding which will produce
drones, and which workers, are given to
all observers, as one kid is deposited in
worker cells, the other in drone cells.
the act of depositing the egg in
the large or small cell decides the sex or
not will not now be discussed. One thing
S certain, the eggs deposited in worker
;ells that ordinarily would produce work
ms, can be converted into queens. When
7oung bees, not many days old, are des-
itute of a queen, and are provided with
'ggs or young brood, in season, they at
'hce proceed to provide one or more. 1t
s well to wait, before commencing to
aise queens, until there is prospect of
lrones Matching, as soon, Mt least, as the
queens do.