The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-07-01
onpucrep BY ALsERT CHAPMAN
Individuality of Bees.
man HrFoRE THE ADDISON COUNTY
ME KEEPERS ASSOCIATION, RN j.
l.. CRANE.


horse and other domestic animals yet
how few ever suppose that smaller am
NAL life Is governed by the same laws
and are possessed of equally varied pc
oulior and individual characteristics.
Many bee-keepers even suppose that
the terms "blacltn and Italian consti-
tute pretty much all the difference
there Is In different colonies of bees.
Yet Italian bees do not differ more
from black bees, than both Italian
and black bees differ among themselves.
Ash race or breed, we very much pre-
fer the Italian 10 the native or black
bees. Very mnuy italian queens, ana
consequently lho colonies in which
thew are r.nul, alo absolutely worth
less, while very many colonies OF blacks
may average with tl.e it'.ieus Ia those
traits which .ho Intelligent hce.keeper
considers most desirable. II is not my
presen. Object to compare these two
race. Of bees ! may do that at some
other time, hnt to Elve some of the IN
dividnal characteristics Of the Italians,
which I have had most to do
with.
! find italian queens to vary greatly
In color. size and fertility and other
qualities. Some are very bright gold
en- color, while others are nearly black.
Some are very prolific, filling their
hives with eggs early in spring, while
have had others that would not lay
four hundred eggs per day. They vary
greatly In size. and while prefer
large queen. some of the best have
ever had were under average size.
Some queens seem TO posses much
more constitutional vigor and will live
and remain prolific for four or five
wears, while others will sometimes die
10 few months, or at the end of one or
Two years. AS rule. / have found
light colored queens are apt TO prove
poor layers and short lived. Some
queens will not keep their brood COM
pact hut scattered through the combs,
and quite likely in surplus boxes, while
others are more careful and keep their
brood compact. and where 1t ought 10
he. as good mother bees should.
A are the parents go also are the
offspring, and bees are no exception
to the law Of hereditary descent from
parents TO children, and We find every
colony distinct individuality, and
really believe that a colony may be
considered rs an individual. Some col
onies are OF q very mild and gentle dis
position, seeming never to notice any
insult you may offer them; while 9TH
els are ever on the alert, watching aud
protecting theft stores. and so sensitive
that il is we'll for HE bee master TO give
them all the attention they require.
Some are ever toiling to store honey or
pollen, if The weather admits, If they
may gather but little, even while 9TH
era are content to idle away their time
unless the weather Is very favorable or
the pasturage very abundant. some
colonies prefer to gather honey to build
ing comb, and such are fill subjects for
the honey extractor. Again, there are
colonies that have a wonderful knack
at comb building, and will build combs
and store them with honey almost as
fast az they will I'll empty combs, and
in their architecture or comb building
We find wide range of character which
invariably stamps itself on the combs
they build. Honlo there are, and they
are Jewels t. any aplnry that will build
theil c5rlh- tr}iva. sud true, aud oi
the lsoro. r.4'ne While others
seem s. Ne horn win .n inmate crook
cdnets ,.ud g. he, they can rot, or vii
not hul' $50 5i-bI although you -ho"
them low very often aid de- all FOL
them that art can do Others still De
light in building very thick combs ant
uneven withall, 10 match, / suppose
those which consider thick comb {
nuisance, and so build altogether TOT
thin. Some will evarorate their hon
ey to very thick consistency befo:
sealing, and thus produce n very excel
lent quality. while others Will sea
their honey sooner aud thus secure
larger amount, hat not as thick.
some Will buiid large quantities &
irone comb, others but little. Colonie
containing queen Of the current sea
.on viii build usually much less tina
than those containing an Older queen
Some will work best On one kind G
fowers, while others prefer somethin
else. The present season, some colo
nles have nearly filed their hives fr"l
apple tree blossoms, while Others equa
~ populous have gathered but lit
from ,hat source. Some colonies hay
wonderful faculty of rising in pro
perlty In spite OF adverse and untowai
influences OF circumstances that won
engulf others In despair and ruin.
might mention many more things
grove their dIstinct individual traits
character, ~ their prOneness to dlshol
EFT practices or their longevity. While
proves such comfort to the apiarl
In the spring of the year, but vi
not weary you, but will say rather
the body of beck eperS, A. did Paul
the Corinthian Christian, thai "
"coyet earnestly the best gifts b
you ask; how shall they he obtained
might say with Darwin. 10y selecllo
Bnt ii we wait for the accomplishing
OF our object ~ this slow process, te
IL viii he al little ne To any of u.
would say raiherly careful breedh
II is not euorgh THAI We rear luee
irniu our hand.oinr~t -iock, FOR beau
haa ~ great commercial valnc, and
hall utterly fail n l"ckcepels if we d
hlt rather rrnr onr queen from O
.rrnngest. aud most productive stool
that are good comb builders and l