The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-06-09
c FOR APIARiSTS.
How Bees Can W ithout Trouble be Bred
for improvement.

for improvement.
This is a subject that Ii demanding
much attention from the specialist
and grand results are crowning every
effort in this direction. To say that
bees can not be brought up 10 a high
state of perfection by careful breeding
as well as any other stock can. Is a
mistake. The advancement in this
line can be made very rapidly. by TAX
ing advantage Of opportunities that
present themselves. although it would
appear slow work when we take into
consideration that we have no control
of the matings of u queens There
| is no doubt that careful breeders have
improved the Italian bees in this coun.
try until they excel any thing in their
native home. by breeding for improve
ment, or breeding from the best
stocks. Almost any point can be
CAMEL readily by such breeding.
Some specialists breed tor color. and
the beautiful golden band character
istic of the Italian bees are brought
out more perfectly at every step. Some
breed for business. or for the best
honey-gatherers. and in consequence
thousands O pounds of honey are add.
ed to their yearly crops. Some breed
for a non swarming strain Of bees and
their efforts IN this direction have cur
tailed the increasing habit OF the
Italian bee to q great extent. Oilers
breed from the best laying queens and
those who are the most productive OF
stock, and strong powerful colonies
are the result. Some breed exclusive
ly for gentleness. Feasibility can be
bred out just as fast as any other point
can be bred in.
Every apiarist is aware Of the above
facts; her why not give this impor-
tant part of our industry more atten.
ton than ever' The most important
points in breeding are business, color
and gentleness. While we wish to Sc
cure the best honey gatherers we al
the same time should preserve color,
as the three golden bands on the body
Of the Italian bee should never be
lost. This is the only mark that we
have to distinguish themfrom the nat
i've bees 1t is the test mark and we
can not afford to let it 90. Gentleness
is also of some Importance. but with
the pure Italian bee it is a less
prominent point than the others,
As l said above, advantages OF
near cuts may be taken in thus
breeding. If We select queens only,
and pay no attention to the male bees,
we shall be much longer in reaching
the points desired. We should be a'
careful IN selecting colonies for rear
ing drones as we are to rear queens
and by thus selecting both we n adj
vance more rapidly. But by taking
the NEAR cut we can secur the bcS
queens every time without an cx
, ception.
This is simply selecting our colo
MES, both for queens ard droncs
aud rushing them early in IN
season by early feeding, and ecurne
plenty of drones aud queens at a time
, when no other drones are in existence
thereby securing the matings we de-
sire. BY such early breeding we no
only secure the very best queens, bu
have queens on The market at a time
when they are the most valua Die, an
will bring three times the price tha
they will at any other season of tn
y year. Hence the ~imp0rthhcu Of TAX
ing this short cut and "killing Nv
birds with one stone.'-A. H. Dnt,
Ohio Farmer.