. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. June 4, 1914.] THE BEITLSii BEE JOURNAL. 223 Primarily, everything depends upon the queen. Supposing she is the mother of a colony of disease-resisting workers, how can the perpetuation of these qualities be guaranteed ? If young queens are raised from her eggs, is it not likely that they will seek partners from other hives, which would probably destroy in the workers the peculiar qualities shown by their pre- decessors? On the other hand, if the princesses mated with the male progeny of their mother the stamina of the result- ing workers
. British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser. Bees. June 4, 1914.] THE BEITLSii BEE JOURNAL. 223 Primarily, everything depends upon the queen. Supposing she is the mother of a colony of disease-resisting workers, how can the perpetuation of these qualities be guaranteed ? If young queens are raised from her eggs, is it not likely that they will seek partners from other hives, which would probably destroy in the workers the peculiar qualities shown by their pre- decessors? On the other hand, if the princesses mated with the male progeny of their mother the stamina of the result- ing workers might not be good. In season, as we all know, the mating of virgin queens cannot be controlled, and if reared out of season to get them mated is very difficult. There is also the draw- back that out-of-season queens are not always so robust as those raised during the swarming period. It is, of course, possible that a bee able to resist the present virulent strain of Nasema apis may be evolved, but those of us who have no expectation of living until the year of grace 2014 or 2114 may as well turn the " ; hives we have been so proud of into chicken coops, dog kennels, or fire wood. No variety of Apis inellifica capable of resisting the species of Xosema with which we are familiar is known, and without some legislative enactment the present generation of apiculturists cannot reasonably hope, in the British Isles, to keep bees with, pleasure or profit. Nature by a process of exhaustion will in time eliminate the disease; but she can in the meantime be greatly helped or hindered by man. By the importation of bees into disease-ridden districts, as in Norfolk, for example, she is being hindered, whereas the universal destruction of diseased and suspected stocks would help her The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. No notice will be taken of anonymous communications, und correspondents are requested to w
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