. American bee journal. Bee culture; Bees. 366 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL June 8, 1899. Every bee-keeper who has had experience with several strains of bees knows that some are far superior to others—that there is scrub stock among-bees, just as there are scrub horses, cattle, sheep and poultry. Let me give my owu experience: Years ago, while livintr at Rogrersville, I made a specialtv of rearing*- queens for sale. Before eng-ag^injr in ihis worli I bougrlit Italian queens and Italianized, not only my own bees, but all within 3 miles of my apiary. In buying those queens I ihink that I patronized nea
. American bee journal. Bee culture; Bees. 366 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL June 8, 1899. Every bee-keeper who has had experience with several strains of bees knows that some are far superior to others—that there is scrub stock among-bees, just as there are scrub horses, cattle, sheep and poultry. Let me give my owu experience: Years ago, while livintr at Rogrersville, I made a specialtv of rearing*- queens for sale. Before eng-ag^injr in ihis worli I bougrlit Italian queens and Italianized, not only my own bees, but all within 3 miles of my apiary. In buying those queens I ihink that I patronized nearly every breeder in the United States; and even in those years of inexperience I was not long- in notinjr the great difference in the different strains of bees.' The queens from one particular breeder produced bees thv^t delijjrhled me f^^reatly. They were just plain, dark, 3-banded Italians, but as workers I have never seen them equaled. They seemed possest of a steady, quiet determination that enabled them to lay up surplus ahead of the others. Easier bees to handle I have never seen. It sometimes seemed as tho they were too busv attending- to their own busiuess to bother with anything- else. Their honey was capt with a snowv whiteness rivaling that of the blacks. In addition to these desirable traits must be added that of winterinfr well. If any bees came thru the winter it was the colonies of this strain. They came as near being ideal bees as I have ever possest. All this was 20 years ag-o; and several times since then 1 have bought queens of this same breeder, and I have always found this strain of bees possest of those same good qualities—in- dustry, gentleness, and hardiness. In addition to this they cap their honey as the blacks do theirs. I have frequently corresponded with this breeder, and with those who have bought queens of him, and I am thoroly convinced that he has a strain of bees that are far superior to the general run of stock. If I were starting an
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectbees, bookyear1861
