Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
BEES WITHOUT STING
Amiable Varieties Discovered
by Entomologist.
GOOD HONEY MAKERS
MANY RECENT VISITORS TO THE
GOVERNMENT APIARY.
Indications Are That Numerous Hives
Will Be Set Up in the District,
Where the Insects Thrive.


their summers business of honeymakng.
And in this connection it is very interest
ing to know that the experts of the bu-
reau of entomology have discovered the
amiable bee" an insect which, while not
stingless in the strict Interpretation of the
word, is good-natured, mild-mannered
and gentle as to almost warrant a claim to
that title.
For years beekeepers have looked and
longed for the perfect the ideal, the sting
less bee. They had dreams of bees that
could be handled without gloves or masks,
without fudge or smoke, with as little care
of consequence as if they were harmless
flies. For a long time they looked and
longed in vain. But now the amiable bee
is at hand. Neither masks nor gloves are
necessary in handling this bee and they
are not only as efficient in the gathering and
making of honey the ordinary, quick
tempered bee, but are even more hardy and
Industrious
Scooped Up Handouts.
An Evening Star reporter had a practical
demonstration of the amiability of these
bees just after the winter coverings had
been removed from the hives in the de-
partment apiary. Mr.. Benton had been dis
cussng the gentle types of bees and
marked, You will see just how gentle the
Caucasians are And he proceeded to give
the hive containing the bees a half dozen
hard kicks. Then when they We're well
stirred up he took the top off and took out
several racks of the bees, handling them
carelessly and making no effort to keep
them from alighting on his hands and face.
In fact, he scooped up several handfulls of
the closely-packed insects and poured them
back on the rack. He not stung even
once. and the bees, throughout the rough
handling they received, retained the good
humor which has made them famous, and
w cd 10 n Apripnlt1re n
import them for the betterment of Ameri-
can agriculture.
Mr.. Benton, who first brought the Carnio-
lans and Caucasians-the amiable types-to
the United States, says that any one who
desires to do so can learn to manipulate
bees. Fairly steady nerves and some pa
thence and courage are the main requisites,
and he declares that the old belief that bees
have. without apparent cause, a violent dis
like for some people has very little founda-
ton in fact. According to Mr.. Benton,
stings can be avoided by having gentle
bees and he thinks that if no other point
of superiority over the common brown or
black bee than that of gentleness could
be fairly claimed for some of the races In
troduced and strains developed in very re-
cent years it would still be worth While to
get them on this account alone.
Crossing the Varieties.
Of the races already in general cultiva-
ton, Carniolans are the gentlest, although
the Caucasians, more recently introduced
from southeastern Russia and only now be-
ing put on sale, are also not inclined to
sting and may be handled at all times
without resort to the protection Of the bee
veil and generally without smoke. Some
strains of Italians equal the aver
age Carniolans in gentleness, but ir
general the race native to Italy is
by no means gentle as that found in
Carniola, Austria, and Caucasans are much
to be preferred for the beginner Cyprlans,
from the Island of Cyprus, possess longer
tongues and greater wing power than the
other races, but they are rather aggressive
as to temper and hard TO manipulate by
those who are not experts. Mr.. Benton has
endeavored to procure n bee which would
combine the industry of the Cyprians with
the gentleness of the Carniolans and the
Caucasians, and to this end he has crossed
the Cyprian with the other two varieties.
Bees combining the blood of the Cyprians
and the Carniolans have been tested by
comparison with other races with the re-
suit that the cross has been found to ex-
coed all of the pure races In honey gath
ering powers. Similar results with even
greater gentleness are expected from the
cross between the Cyprians and the eau
casians.
Bees Kept in the City.
Most persons do not know that not only
any place where farming, gardening
or fruit raising can be successfully
followed is well adapted for the
profitable raising of bees. but that
as matter of fact bees in cities or towns
often find a more abundant pasturage than
in country locations. According to the de-
partment experts, the city of Washington
is an example of this. bees located here
doing better during the spring and summer
months than those in the surrounding coun-
try, owing to the bee pasturage found in the
MI gardens and marks
yielding shade trees along the streets. This
is due mainly to the fact that the linden
or Eastwood, which is rarely seen in the
county about Washington, has been planted
extensively in the parks and for miles on
both sides of many of the streets and ave-
nues of the city. Another course of food
supply for the bees in the city not found ex-
tensively in the country is sweet clover
which has crept into vacant lots and neg
lected corners, and diffuses its agreeable
perfume to the delight of all city dwellers
whether human or insect.
Mr.. Benton practiced with profit the trans
portation of nearly hundred colonies from
a country apiary ten miles distant, to Wash
ington, for the linden and sweet clover
YIELD and he also tells of having seen a
prosperous apiary kept on the roof of a
business house in the heart of New York
city, and another on the roof of a store in
the business part of Cincinnati, from which
thirty to forty pounds of honey per colony
was usually obtained each year.
Many Visitors to the Apiary.
There have been many visitors to the de-
partment's apiary, Just short distance
from the main building, all of this week, and
as a result of the general introduction of
the amiable bee 1t is probable that many
Washingtonians will procure one or two
hives and gather their own honey this
summer. According to Mr.. Benton there is
no reason why bees should not be kept in
the city, in back yards. on porches or In any
other such places. and there Is likewise no
reason why the yield of honey should not
be as great as II the modest apiary were
located in the country, If not greater. The
amiabie bees reduce the labor Of beekeep-
ing to the minimum. and when the depart
ment experts proceed further In their exper-
iments 1t is probable that the good-natured
insects will merit, to even greater de-
gree the title of .sstiugleSS. that has al.