THE HONEY BEE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1149, 16 October 1880, Page 2

THE HONEY BEE.

At a meeting of the Acclimatisation ( Society in Christchursh held recently, ( the Secretary read the following extract: ( from the Honey Bee, published at Chi- , cago, 1879 : — " How to Italianise an , Apiary. — In 1860 Italian bees were first introdaced into this country: (America)... j The race is undoubtedly superior to the" _ German or black bees — though it is cap- j able of improvement, and we think that | American-Italian,: as reared in . this . country, with an eye ' to the improvement of the race, ' will ere long be hot only renowned, but sought after the world over ! In Italy ' the improvement of the race ' is not thought of, and many of the queens received from that country are nothing but ' scrub ' stock or hybrids ! Briefly stated, the superior- i ity of the Italian is demonstrated: by the ' following : —1. They have longer tonyues j and can gather honey from the flowers 1 when the black bees cannot. 2. They ] are more industrious and persevering, ' and with the same opportunity will <■' gather much more than the black bees. ' 3. They work earlier and later in the day, as well as in the season, often gathering stores when the blacks are ■ idle. 4. They are better able to guard their hives against robbers, and all insects that are enemies to the honey bee, being almost proof against the ravages of the bee moth's larvce. 5. They are more prolific, and raise their young more rapidly in the spring than the black ones do, and are less liable to ; breed in the winter. 6. Queens are more readily found, as. they adhere more tenaciously to the comb. 7. •■■'l-liey are more amiable than the blacks, and it is much easier to manipulate them. For these and mauy other reasons we strongly recommend Italianising." 'The Honey Bee, is from the .pen of Mr. Thomas G. Newman, editor of the American Bee Journal.