The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-09-24
FARM AND GARDEN.
The New Races Of Bees Lately Brought to
the United States from Asiatic Turkey
- Minor Topics.
Merits Of Syrian Bees.

eS" J WAS No SAAOAO 0AO OlCCuS VI CoVGlC
now, tho latest importations beng
from Asiatic Turkey. OF two of the
varieties of bees from that country
Rev. Fl. Maxim, of New Castle, Ind.
writes to The american Bee Journal:
i! have had Syrian and Holy Land bees
for the last three years, and l have
kept them side by side with Italians.
have every reason to believe that
those FROM which bred were pure.
MY first queens were pure themselves,
and were fertilized by pure drones.
These. suppose, were Holy Land
queens proper, and not of the variety
to he found further north in Syria. OF
the latter variety l procured two
queens. believe that they produce
pure Syrian bees. Ihave now twenty
| OF more colonies of these Oriental
bees Of different degrees of purity; the
most of them seem to be pure, and a
few are crossed with Italians and
blacks.
The first question that demands an
swer is, Are they productive? or, Will
they pay? AS l have said, have now
kept them for three years, along with
Italians, treated IN every respect as
the latter were, and have found
them every year more profitable than
the Italians. While some Italian COL
Onies have done better than some
Syrian colonies, the latter have av-
eraged higher in the amount of honey
produced. Last season was, in this
locality, the worst since | have kept
bees, and did not get an ounce Of
comb honey from any colony that was
not part Syrian. / got Il little en-
tracted honey from 4 few pure Italian
colonies. The superiority of tho
Syrians over the Italians. for the last
two seasons, especially, was un-
mistakable.
The puzzle connected with the Svri-
ans is. their temper. One reports
them quite gentle and easily handled,
and another almost impracticable on
account of tier crOssncss, and both
are right and both are wrong. When
undsturbed they are inclined to mind
their own business, and let all the rest
of creation alone. AS a rule, one may
walk among the hives, or work in their
vicinity and DC undisturbeu; think
that under these conditions they arc
less inclined to sting than Italians.
When they arc gathering honey, even
at Il moderate rate, they are very cast
ly handled if one knows how to man.
age them. Last summer I handled
mine generally without using any
smoke; sometimes l lighted the smo-
ker, and set 1t down where could Get
it if should want it, but l seldom
used it. At other times l opened the
hives and took out sections or combs
for extracting, without having the
smoker lighted at all, and without be-
ing stung. But did not dare to han
die Italians in that way. l can han
die Syrians more rapidly than Italians,
especially if lhc bees are to be re-
moved from the combs; they are far
more easily dislodge.l.
In handling Syrians. smoke is of
very little use. A little is sometimes
useful to keep them from rushing out
when the hive is first opened; but if
they become angry smoke will not
subdue them. The best thing to be
done i'll that case, it there is no dam
ger from robbers, is to leave the hive
open and 60 away from it for time,
when they will get over their excite
ment, and with proper care the need
cd operations can be performed. But
there are exceptions to this, as to
nearly all other rules IN the art of bee
management. In 1888 my Syrians
were as easily handled in fall, as we'll
rs in summer, as the Italians; but not
SO in 1884. In the late autumn of this
year it was difficult to handle some
colonies that early in the season
were very gentle. After a trial of a
little more than three years | am pre-
pared to say that, en- the whole, l find
the temper Of the Syrians unobjcc-
tionablc.
In proliticness the SyrIans certainly
excel. The colonies build up in the
spring and early summer with won
derful rapidity, and while the queens
are very prolific, and require good
sized brood-chanber, they are not
much inclined to swarm. One of nv
queens has kept her hive ''booming"
with bees for more than two years,
and there has been no attempt at
swa1mlng. l have given them plenty
of room in which to store honey, and
they have been content to stay at
home and work. 1t has been said
that u Syrian queen will continue to
lay as long as there is drop of honey
in the hive, but this is IL great mistake.
When the honey harvest ceases breed
ing ceases; but winter generally finds
the hives we'll stocked with bees, and,
as they winter we'll. they are apt to be
in good condition to resume business
in the spring.
As to the quality of tho honey stor-
ed by the Syrlans, sec no difference
between it and that stored by the
Italians. Their honey is always thick
and heavy, never being sealed until it
is thoroughly ripcned; their comb is,
in general, like that Of the Italians in
appearance. Perhaps two of nv colo
MES make dark looking comb-honey,
the caps lifting down smoothly on the
through; but I have had Italians do
tho same thing.
Syrian queens mated with Italian
drones produce very fine bees. In
temper they resemble the Syrians more
than the Italians, anu they arc very
fine workers. l have some colonies
half Syrian and half black; these 1 re-
gard rs more desirable than the cross
between the Italians and blacks, he.
cause they are as good workers and
are less vicious-.at least have found
them so thus far; but my experience
with them is limited.
The most beautiful bees that have
are the progeney of an Italian queen
and Syrian drone. The silvcr-eray
hairs of the Syrians on the beautiful
golden color of the Italians has very
pleasing effect. They have had no
opportunity, as yet, to exhibit their
qualities as workers. For qaeen-rear-
ing the Syrians are greatly superior
to the Italians; they build more queen
cells, feed the young queens better,
and so rear better queens.