. American bee journal. Bee culture; Bees. AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 567. The Races of Bees—Italians are the Best. Written, for the American Bee Journal BY WM. S. BARCLAY. It has been a long time since I have written for the " old reliable," and I am almost ashamed to confess that I do so now seeking information. In looking over the ground recently occupied by our bee-keeping friends, I have almost given up the hope that we were unjustly charged, when a few years since we were called a " set of ; How could I otherwise feel when I find such men as Mr. Alley wishing to sel
. American bee journal. Bee culture; Bees. AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 567. The Races of Bees—Italians are the Best. Written, for the American Bee Journal BY WM. S. BARCLAY. It has been a long time since I have written for the " old reliable," and I am almost ashamed to confess that I do so now seeking information. In looking over the ground recently occupied by our bee-keeping friends, I have almost given up the hope that we were unjustly charged, when a few years since we were called a " set of ; How could I otherwise feel when I find such men as Mr. Alley wishing to sell us "Punic queens" (a black race, if I un- derstand them)—him whom I look upon as the best breeder of the Italian race ? and still further, I find some who are willing, at this late hour, to contest the supremacy of the Italian, and earnestly recommend the black or German bee. To say that I am astonished at such writing, will not express my full mean- ing—I am worse than astonished—I feel lost. I have had the Italian bee for a long time (30 years). I have experimented with many other races—Holy Lands, Syrians, Hungarians, Carniolans, and all other races except Egyptians and Cyprians (and I want no more of the last named). I believe I wrote an article for these pages, or at least for some paper, highly praising the qualities of the Syrian bee ; nor is my confidence in this race a particle lessened, for I am fully pursuaded that our much-boasted (future) Apis Americana will be pro- duced (if ever) by a cross of our best Italians, or Syrians, with our native bees. But when I see some of our foremost apiarists going back to the black race, and strenuously recommending them to the attention of our bee-keeping frater- nity, I have about concluded that I know nothing about bee-keeping, and had better quit; indeed, after four bad sea- sons in succession, I had almost con- cluded to abandon the science alto- gether, but this for one who loves it as well as I do, is
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectbees, bookyear1861
