F 523 
 D75 
 opy 1 
 
 Bee Breeding 
 
BEE-BREEDING 
 
 A Little Monograph on a Neglected Subject 
 
 By 
 STEPHEN N. GREEN 
 
 Copyright, 1907 
 
I LIBRARY of COMB RES? 
 
 Two CoDles Received 
 
 AUG 26 190/ 
 
 Copynrht Entry 
 iOcf/Z /f07 
 I CUSS/^ XXc, No. 
 
 
PREFACE. BEE 
 
 The honey-bee has not been improved in BREEDING 
 a systematic way. New methods of 
 handling, new kinds of hives, appHances, 
 etc., by the score, but as yet there is very 
 little effort toward a better bee. New races, 
 it is true, have been introduced, but these 
 do not fill the requirements. What we 
 desire is a bee highly and scientifically de- 
 veloped to meet specific needs. 
 
 Bee-keepers are surely behind the times 
 in this phase of the development of their 
 industry. Animal breeding to-day is an 
 exact science. Plant-breeding within the 
 past ten years has made marvelous ad- 
 vances. With the results of researches of 
 the kingdoms of life above and below that 
 of the bee, before us, bee-breeding simply 
 demands intelligence and time to advance 
 to a state of perfection hardly dreamed of 
 to-day. 
 
 Bee-breeding is not bee or queen-rearing ; 
 hence I am not to take up the discussion of 
 many of the new or old methods of culture. 
 It's not a question of more bees alone, but 
 better bees. 
 
 Science is progressive. This little work 
 is not perfect or complete. It is merely a 
 start in the right direction. 
 
 Medina, Ohio, June, 1907. 
 
Published by 
 
 THE A. I. ROOT CO. 
 
 Medina, O. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 THE IDEAL BEE ... 9 
 
 The necessity of a fixed standard. 
 
 THE PROBLEM . . . • i3 
 Going into details of the question. 
 
 ENVIRONMENT . . , • iQ 
 The basic law. 
 
 HEREDITY 22 
 
 An important subject briefly 
 touched. 
 
 SELECTION 26 
 
 How to attain your ideals. 
 
 CROSSING 28 
 
 Making clear some points. 
 
 NUTRITION . . • . 35 
 
 Explaining how development 
 is effected. 
 
 CORRELATION .... 39 
 Explaining how to judge un- 
 seen qualities. 
 
 HONEY-PLANTS .... 41 
 A closely related problem. 
 
/ 
 
 ^1 
 
THE IDEAL BEE. 
 
 We cannot all agree as to the qualities of 
 this bee. Every bee-keeper has his own 
 ideal. He has in mind his own particular 
 needs, and the bee that meets these require- 
 ments is to him the standard. 
 
 To know exactly what you want, and 
 then proceed with this ideal in view, is the 
 first requirement of successful breeding. 
 
 However, to make the most rapid prog- 
 ress as a whole, bee-keepers need a "stand- 
 ard of excellence." This standard may be 
 a "scale of points," or a "pedigree"— a 
 registry, or record of performance. 
 
 In constructing a scale of points it is im- 
 possible to please every one ; for, as we have 
 said, ideals vary so that there would be 
 almost as many scales as there are bee- 
 keepers. We must have in mind the most 
 
BEE general requirements, and build with these 
 
 BREEDING in view. 
 
 The use of a scale of points is mainly for 
 the beginner. It is to train his judgment. 
 When he has once a clear ideal of the re- 
 quirements of an ideal bee he can, like the 
 veteran, lay the scale aside. Also in award- 
 ing prizes, when there is a number of a cer- 
 tain class in competition, a scale of points is 
 necessary for a fair treatment of all — that 
 is, there must be some known standard to 
 judge by. 
 
 Below is a suggestion, revised and modi- 
 fied by a number of authorities, which meets 
 fairly well the requirements for a strain of 
 bees adapted to the production of extracted 
 honey : 
 
 Prolificness 30 points 
 
 Non-Swarming 10 points 
 
 Gentleness 10 points 
 
 Working abilities 15 points 
 
 Size of bee 15 points 
 
 Comb-building 5 points 
 
 Hardiness 15 points 
 
 The perfect bee 100 points 
 
 For a bee desired for the exclusive pro- 
 duction of comb honey we must change our 
 scale to meet these different requirements. 
 For instance, as the control of swarming is 
 
 10 
 
more difficult when running for comb ^^^ riTisir 
 honey, the better bee is the one least in- BREEDING 
 clined to swarm. 
 
 Here is a suggested scale : 
 
 Prolificness 25 points 
 
 Non-swarming 15 points 
 
 Gentleness 10 points 
 
 Working abilities 20 points 
 
 Size of bee 5 points 
 
 Comb-building 10 points 
 
 Hardiness 10 points 
 
 Color 5 points 
 
 The perfect bee 100 points 
 
 Now, when we proceed to judge a colony 
 of bees — for instance, one run for comb 
 honey — we start in with prolificness. As- 
 suming that the colony under observation 
 is very strong, but still there is room for 
 improvement, we will credit them with 20 
 points out of the possible thirty. Taking 
 up the next and then the next requirement 
 until we reach the end, we add the figures. 
 Suppose the sum is 80 points, our strain 
 needs improvement until the 100 points are 
 reached. 
 
 The systems of registry amony cattle- 
 breeders is familiar with all having a slight 
 knowledge of this subject. These same reg- 
 istries are maintained to a greater or less 
 II 
 
■o-g-g degree among all live-stock breeders. In 
 
 ■RREEDING *^"^^ bee-keepers will find it profitable, pos- 
 sibly, to establish among themselves like 
 records. However, so much preliminary 
 work is to be done before this point is 
 reached, it is hardly necessary to enter into 
 the discussion of this subject now, so we 
 must hasten to the next. 
 
 12 
 
THE PROBLEM. 
 
 The reader has certain rights ; and among 
 them is the privilege of summing up the 
 case. If I happen to be wrong — ^why, put 
 me straight. 
 
 It is self-evident that the life of the bee 
 is governed by the same biological laws as 
 is all life, whether it be in the plant or 
 animal kingdom. There can be no differ- 
 ence in purely fundamental principles. Un- 
 fortunately the limited space of this book 
 forbids going into details regarding the 
 many wonderful and beautiful examples and 
 illustrations of these laws, only to define 
 briefly some of the main ones directly affect- 
 ing bee-breeding. 
 
 Many consider one force primarily ac- 
 countable for all forms of life. We call it 
 environment. Another section of this law, 
 
 13 
 
BEE seemingly different, we call heredity. With 
 
 BREEDING these as fundamental, man with his reason- 
 ing powers uses another force which we 
 will call selection; then progresses further 
 in controlling mating, which we call 
 hybridizing, or crossing. To further his 
 ideals still more, he regulates nutrition and 
 uses to his advantage cerrelation. These 
 are the main factors we shall deal with in 
 the progress of this book. 
 
 There is a very large amount of purely 
 scientific and technical work to be accom- 
 plished before bee-breeding reaches the 
 perfection possible, and is placed in the fore- 
 front with plant and animal breeding. It 
 is, for instance, well known that the bee 
 itself varies greatly; but before we can use 
 these differences to advantage we must 
 have before us the tabulated results of 
 many researches. 
 
 Every careful bee-keeper has noted the 
 remarkable lack of uniformity of yield be- 
 tween his various colonies, even when they 
 are of the same apparent strength. This 
 may be from two or more reasons or a com- 
 bination of them. First, the colony may 
 lack enough bees of the right age for gath- 
 ering; or, second, it may be in the nature 
 of the bee itself. As the first reason deals 
 
 14 
 
in the management of the colony to the BEE 
 greatest extent, we cannot discuss it here. BREEDING 
 The second reason, however, deserves our 
 serious attention. From stastitics, which 
 may be as representative as we can now ob- 
 tain, I have found the variations averaging 
 over 50 per cent, between the ten highest 
 and the ten lowest yields of apiaries in the 
 same State. We need more reliable figures 
 along this line; and when bee-keepers will 
 fully realize the difference of stock, the 
 question of breeding will receive nearly as 
 much attention as management does now. 
 
 It is hardly necessary to argue why the 
 bee should be scientifically bred. Nature 
 will hardly develop a better bee, for she has 
 altogether different aims from man. Most 
 of us wish a more profitable bee. We all 
 know that, of each colony reached the high 
 standard sometimes reached by a single 
 colony, the honey crop would often be dou- 
 bled. Careful breeding will accomplish 
 this, and with it reduce in proportion the 
 cost of all management, and this means 
 better profits. 
 
 There are many points to breed for. One 
 is color. Color may not be necessary, but 
 let us have beautiful bees if possible. 
 Beauty is a stimulant to best endeavors ; so, 
 
 15 
 
BEE breed for beautiful bees, but combine it 
 
 BREEDING with endurance and industry. We can do 
 it. 
 
 When we are breeding for certain points 
 we will often run against traits that are al- 
 most a part of the bee itself; and to change 
 then nearly means nearly making the bee 
 over. For example, let us take the swarm- 
 ing impulse or the desire to increase. We 
 can remove many of the conditions that 
 tend to produce swarming, and by presist- 
 ent breeding reduce this tendency to as low 
 a point as is desirable. 
 
 As the queen is the foundation of the col- 
 ony, we must have better queens. Cheap 
 queens are a detrimental factor. As long as 
 consumers insist on paying a low price for 
 their stock, so long must they be content 
 with the result of queens reared without 
 proper care. There is too much tendency 
 now to see how many queens can be raised, 
 rather than how good queens. A good 
 queen should command a good price, and a 
 dollar is not enough. 
 
 We are all familiar with the fabulous 
 prices paid for prize-winning trotting 
 horses. Similar prices are paid for beef and 
 milk cattle. Coming down to an industry 
 which is often thought of in connection 
 
 i6 
 
with bees — poultry. Single specimens have BEE 
 
 sold more than once for over $1000. Choice 
 breeding stock always commands a very 
 high price; but with bees the prices paid 
 for the best breeders rarely exceed $25.00, 
 with a common level of $10.00 for the best 
 specimens our breeders can produce. 
 
 This is all out of proportion to value of 
 queens. 
 
 We can see how horses can earn large 
 sums and be worth the prices paid, and 
 horses and cattle are limited in their repro- 
 ductive powers. The same way with poul- 
 try. Now, aside from breeding purposes a 
 hen can very rarely exceed 200 eggs a year; 
 and these, at the average price of i 1-2 cents 
 each, amount only to $3.00, and from this 
 amount you must deduct the heavy ex- 
 penses. 
 
 We will now consider a good queen-bee. 
 From her eggs you could rear an immense 
 number of other queens in a year. But in 
 common practice you are doing well in rear- 
 ing 1000; and these queens, at the low price 
 of 50Cts. each, will be worth $500. Again, 
 to place the queen beside the hen in produc- 
 tive value, comparing eggs with honey. 
 This queen at the head of a colony will pro- 
 duce 100 to 300 pounds of honey; this, 
 
 17 
 
 BREEDING 
 
BEE 
 BREEDING 
 
 valued at locts. per pound, would bring 
 $10.00 to $30.00, which is 10 per cent, inter- 
 est on $100 to $300. And the life of the 
 queen is as long as the hen's in usefulness. 
 Yet we are willing to pay only $1.00 to 
 $10.00 for a queen capable of such value. 
 
 It is small wonder that, with so many 
 years of what we call modern culture be- 
 hind them, American bees have made little 
 or no marked advance. In animal and 
 plants, enormous strides have been made, 
 and we must advance the bee. 
 
 18 
 
ENVIRONMENT. 
 
 Before going further into this subject I 
 may as well explain that my views are Neo- 
 Lamarckian. Though this theory is nearly 
 a century old, a remarkable revival of it has 
 occurred within the past five years. Our 
 most advanced scientists believe this to be 
 the most reasonable theory of the subject. 
 Of course, there are many other theories, 
 but we can not stop here to deal with them. 
 If you are interested there are many books 
 which will argue one way or another. 
 
 From the first simple cells to the present 
 multitude of complex forms of life there is 
 an immense span. Yet one force is respon- 
 sible for all this change, to which all life 
 eternally adapts itself — environment. We 
 
 19 
 
BEE 
 BREEDING 
 
 use this word often, but do not half compre- 
 hend its full meaning. 
 
 This law of environment grinds slow, but 
 grinds exceedingly fine. Its results are 
 most certain. Hence in bee-breeding we 
 can not afford to overlook it. 
 
 We can not expect the highest develop- 
 ment of the bee unless the conditions and 
 culture are the best. The environment must 
 be the most favorable to the change we de- 
 sire. 
 
 Just what effect climate has on the habits 
 of the bee, we can not tell, as we have no 
 data ; but it must be along the same lines as 
 with other life. My own experience with 
 strains of honey-bees long bred in warm cli- 
 mates show, that, as a rule, they are in- 
 clined to be less vigorous workers, and very 
 irritable, while strains bred in cooler climes 
 seem to be more gentle and industrious. 
 
 Gentleness may depend on handling. If 
 you maltreat an animal, for instance a dog, 
 you will soon have a vicious beast. Again, 
 if you are kind, a savage one may be made 
 docile. While the bee is of a lower order, 
 and thus not so easily affected, right hand- 
 ling must tend to produce a more gentle 
 bee. It's a point worth considering. 
 
 Small hives or brood-nests restricted in 
 any way tend to produce a less prolific queen 
 
 20 
 
by retarding development ; and this, in turn, 
 affects her offspring. Just to what extent 
 this is injurious we can not say ; but doubt- 
 less the tendency of present conditions of 
 the hive is unfavorable. The queen must be 
 allowed sufficient amount of comb space 
 if we are to profit by the law of environ- 
 ment to produce better and more polific 
 queens. 
 
 It is true that many contend that ac- 
 quired characteristics are not transmitted 
 to offsprings, and still others contend that 
 they are the only ones that are. As this 
 point as well as others leads only to an end- 
 less discussion of various theories, we will 
 stop here. 
 
 Environment, in another sense, play, a 
 part in the mating of the queen, which is so 
 im.portant a matter. Since we can not yet 
 absolutely control this matter, we can, for 
 instance, restrict the flight of drones by is- 
 land or prairie apiaries. As we take up this 
 subject a little further on we need only 
 mention it here. 
 
 In brief, environment, the effect of forces 
 within and without, are as constant as grav- 
 itation, and surely influence the individual, 
 and, by the law, we next take up the off- 
 spring directly. 
 
 21 
 
 BEE 
 BREEDING 
 
 ^P 
 
HEREDITY. 
 
 All life is but the continuation of life 
 which gave it birth. We call heredity that 
 force which has to do with the transmis- 
 sion of certain qualities from parent to off- 
 spring. It has been put in other words, 
 "heredity is the sum of all past environ- 
 ment." 
 
 As we have said before, heredity is so 
 closely connected with environment it is 
 impossible to separate it fully. Hence it is 
 doubtless true that all qualities that are in- 
 herited have once been acquired. With 
 this in view we can see how important this 
 law is to practical bee-breeding. 
 
 The importance of the ancestry of the 
 stock from which the bee-keeper desires to 
 breed are of greatest consequence, and 
 must not be overlooked. Bees, like other 
 forms of life, are inclined to certain traits; 
 and if these are desirable they should be en- 
 
 22 
 
couraged; and if undesirable they must be p.pp, 
 
 suppressed. One characteristic seems to be -D-DppT^Tvrp 
 
 inherited entire, independent of another, 
 
 making things uncertain; but every point 
 
 must be taken advantage of by the skillful 
 
 breeder. 
 
 The constitution of various strains of 
 bees varies greatly; and as this is a vital 
 point the wise breeder will alv/ays have it 
 in view. A good constitution insures long 
 life, and swiftness and strength of wing, — 
 little consequence in the individual bee, but 
 of great importance in the final results of 
 the work of the colony. 
 
 All qualities may be inherited, whether 
 good or bad — color, size, disposition, etc. 
 
 One question yet uninvestigated in bees 
 is the part heredity plays in the transmis- 
 sion or resistance of disease. In animal 
 life this subject is widely discussed. In 
 plant life, breeding for disease resistance is 
 common. Coming still closer to bees, with 
 insects, the silkworm, for instance, is known 
 to transmit through her eggs disease which 
 is fatal. With this question answered, some 
 preplexing problems will be solved for the 
 bee-breeder. 
 
 Nearly fifty years ago a monk in Austria, 
 Mendal by name, discovered a law by which 
 
 23 
 
ggg he could predict the results of crossing two 
 
 BREEDING ^i^^^^'^^t varieties. This law he worked out 
 in a most remarkable manner, and to the 
 minutest details. His discovery created no 
 stir until recent years, when it was redis- 
 covered by others. 
 
 If Mendal's law be true, v/e may regard 
 all animal and plant organisms as m.ade up 
 of a number of unit characters— lo, loo, 
 1000, etc.; and these units behave somev/hat 
 like chemical reactions. The subject is very 
 technical and com^plex in nature, and hard to 
 explain to anybody not having considerable 
 knowledge of special nature. 
 
 This law is fully worked cut in plant-life, 
 and recently applied to animal. It now re- 
 mains for the bee-keeper to apply it to the 
 bee. It doubtless can be done, and the sub- 
 ject will be given the great attention it de- 
 serves, for the subject of heredity is a vital 
 one. 
 
 At best the problem of heredity is very 
 complex, and difficult to solve. A volume 
 would hardly be enough to explain its work- 
 ing, and cite examples. However, bee- 
 breeders should be familiar with at least its 
 first principles, so as to understand other- 
 wise unreasonable and discouraging occurr- 
 ences that are sure to come. 
 
 24 
 
SELECTION. 
 
 Variation is the only constant force in life. 
 Acknowledging this fact the bee-keeper 
 should always be on the alert to improve 
 his stock by the selection of the desirable 
 qualities of this stock as they appear, and 
 make them a part of this strain. Natural 
 selection fits only for natural environment, 
 and can never be depended upon to produce 
 a bee adapted to the artificial needs of the 
 bee-keeper. 
 
 Variations occur in every colony of bees. 
 These variations, of course, are less marked 
 in a strain of bees less carefully bred than in 
 one carelessly maintained. The truth is, 
 there can never be two colonies exactly 
 alike. It is necessary to produce the best 
 results in your apiary that every queen rear 
 
 25 
 
g£jg bees near a uniform excellence, and the 
 
 BREEDING ^ig^^^ ^^^s standard, the better. 
 
 As we have seen, variations are con- 
 stantly occurring. You have seen bees cap 
 their cells to perfection while another does 
 not. If you are running for fancy, other 
 things being equal, breed from the former 
 queen and drones. Colonies of bees differ 
 in pollen-gathering and propolizing. They 
 vary in their hours of laboring and the man- 
 ner of ripening honey. They differ in cold 
 and heat resisting, as well as resisting dis- 
 ease. The polificness of queens is often 
 marked, as well as the tendency to swarm. 
 In judging these points we must bear in 
 mind any artificial conditions that may in- 
 terfere with the natural course of things. 
 
 All of these points, and many we have 
 not named, though they appear very minute, 
 must be kept in mind by the breeder, as they 
 afford basis for the improvement of this 
 stock. 
 
 An example of selection with bees which 
 has been attempted in a spasmodic way is 
 selecting for long tongues. Doubtless we 
 can create a bee having a much longer ton- 
 gue than the one wc now have. Plant and 
 animal breeding abound in examples of re- 
 sults gained that are far more difficult than 
 has been attempted in bee-breeding. The 
 
 26 
 
tongue-reach of the bees is important, and BEE 
 breeding for this point should not be aban- BREEDING 
 doned by any means. 
 
 Another example is the "yellow-from-tip- 
 to-tip" bees. This plainly illustrates what 
 can be done in the color line when proper 
 care is taken. 
 
 To begin the work of selection you should 
 have the best possible stock for foundation. 
 It is foolish to start with inferior bees v/hen 
 better can be obtained, even though this 
 stock should come high. The time and la- 
 bor lost in working with inferior bees more 
 than repays any first cost. Final results 
 are often half gained or entirely ruined in 
 making the start. Breed from the very 
 best of a very large number. 
 
 One quality is often gained at the expense 
 of another. This should be kept in mind, 
 and the colony averaging the highest num- 
 ber of points should be the one to breed 
 from, in the majority of cases. 
 
 It is a splendid ideal, if not almost neces- 
 sary, for the bee-keeper to keep a profit- 
 and-loss account of every colony of bees un- 
 der trial for selection. This will aid in de- 
 termining which colony excels in reality 
 and not from a personal view. 
 
 Variation, while bringing to light quali- 
 ties, also exposes bad ones. Eternal vigil- 
 ance is the price of a superior strain of bees, 
 
 27 
 
CROSSING. 
 
 From a scientific standpoint it is to be re- 
 gretted that the mating of the queen can 
 not be controlled absolutely. From a prac- 
 tical view it is not so necessary, and pre- 
 vents certain abuses. Still we can mate 
 queens to a reasonable certainty. The more 
 the radius of the flight of the queen becomes 
 knov^^n, the less it grows, and especially so 
 when drones are abundant. By rearing 
 many drones within the apiary, from select 
 hives we can expect a high percentage of 
 our queens to mate with desired drones. 
 
 When more than one strain of bees are 
 raised in the same yard, undesirable drones 
 can be suppressed by cutting brood or by 
 the use of drone-traps; also it is a fact that 
 a queen rarely lays drone eggs when less 
 than a year old, which, too, is a valuable 
 point for the honey-raiser to consider. 
 
 A cross, as we have previously defined, 
 is the result of the mating of two separate 
 
 28 
 
varieties. We will also discuss under this BEE 
 head the closer mating, taking up first the BREEDING 
 mating of less related bees to the much 
 closer union of related colonies. 
 
 For examination, let us look back at the 
 most common cross — an Italian queen with 
 a native black drone. The offsprings we 
 call "hybrids." Almost invariably these 
 bees are of an irritable temper. However, 
 by reversing the parentage, mating the na- 
 tive queen with an Italian drone, we may 
 obtain bees as gentle as could be desired. 
 This fact has been proven again and again. 
 
 Just what qualities are inherited from 
 either parent is a mooted question. How- 
 ever, some breeders say it can be predicted 
 with reasonable safety that color, for exam- 
 ple, is from the female, and the disposition 
 from the male side. There have been and 
 can be made hundreds of different crosses 
 between different varieties and strains of 
 bees. If the results of these were collected 
 and tabulated and presented to us in con- 
 crete form, the problem of breeding bees 
 would be greatly simplified. 
 
 Referring again to a common cross-black 
 with Italian, or vice versa, some crosses of 
 this nature in plant and animal life are noted 
 for their vigorous constitutions, so that they 
 29 
 
BEE can resist disease and unfavorable condi- 
 
 BREEDING tions better than either of their parents. On 
 account of these desirable qualities many 
 bee-keepers, from results of actual exper- 
 ience, champion the "hybred" bee, much to 
 the astonishment of the rearers of pure 
 stock. This constitutional vigor is not a 
 mystery under certain conditions for it is 
 in accordance with a law well known among 
 animal and plant breeders. 
 
 In making the above statement it must 
 be limited strictly to pure "hybrids." De- 
 generate stocks of hybrids, or run-out pure 
 strains, are most liable to disease. A first 
 cross between strains is good, but a first 
 cross between native and foreign stock is 
 the best. 
 
 The union of native stock and foreign 
 blood, in many circumstances where the en- 
 vironments have been radically different, 
 produces an energetic offspring as well as 
 oftimes the offspring of foreign parents in 
 new environments. In other words, it is an 
 introduction of new blood. Introduce new 
 blood as long as it results in anything bet- 
 ter. Such "hybrids" should be carefully ex- 
 perimented with, and, where valuable, 
 should be made a commercial asset. 
 
 For the above reasons I would strongly 
 urge the attention of queen-rearers to the 
 
 30 
 
sale of virgin queens. There is no obstacle BEE 
 in the way except common prejudice, allow- BREEDING 
 ing, of course, for any errors in judgment 
 that are liable v/hen a new plan is tried. 
 Virgins can be cheaply produced, as it re- 
 lieves the queen-bearer of the most expen- 
 sive part of the operation. They can be 
 mated, usually, up to twenty-five days, 
 which is an ample margin above mailing re- 
 quirements, excluding foreign shipments. 
 There is much less liability of injury of vir- 
 gins in the mails. In fact, I do not think 
 bee-keepers generally realize the extent that 
 laying queens are injured during their jour- 
 ney, and these injuries are doubtless the 
 cause of much dissatisfaction that often 
 arises. A laying queen is a highly organ- 
 ized and delicate creature; and the sudden 
 stoppage of her duties is dangerous. Aside 
 from the item of probable crossing with na- 
 tive drones, and thus invigorating the 
 stock, the sale of virgins at a low price 
 would induce bee-keepers to restock often, 
 as the best time of a queens life is her first 
 year, and it is advisable to replace a queen 
 for commercial purposes that has lived one 
 full season. 
 
 Crossing disturbs the slow sluggish flow 
 of life, and renders the clay plastic so we 
 
 31 
 
BEE can work it. By crossing, desirable com- 
 
 BREEDING binations can be made, characteristics sup- 
 pressed, blended, or made dominant. In 
 fact, almost any change can be made if time 
 and patience are combined with skill. 
 
 Crossing also has its dark side. We have 
 disturbed nature, and often, though some- 
 times without the cause of crossing, the 
 characteristics that dominate are those of 
 remote or original ancestors, and usually 
 very undesirable. When such a state of af- 
 fairs occur, either under normal or abnor- 
 mal conditions, we speak of it as being due 
 to the law of atavism, the reversion to the 
 primative types, the cause of which we lit- 
 tle understand. 
 
 In bee-breeding it is not advisable to 
 breed from hybrid stock, as we can not con- 
 trol mating enough to make sure of points 
 which must be observed to produce desir- 
 able results. It closes to the bee-breeder a 
 wide field of action which is being richly 
 worked by the plant and animal breeder, of 
 which we now speak briefly. 
 
 The question of in-and-in, line, or close 
 breeding, have not (fortunately or unfortun- 
 ately, as you choose), on account of uncon- 
 trollable mating, ever received attention 
 from the hands of the bee-breeder as it de- 
 
 32 
 
serves. In-and-in breeding is necessary BEE 
 when building up a strain from a few indi- BREEDING 
 viduals, or fixing certain qualities. Line 
 breeding is used to maintain a pedigree. 
 Both of these systems are like sharp tools: 
 in the hands of the unskilled they are dan- 
 gerous, but the experienced operator can 
 use them to great advantage. 
 
 In close breeding, care should always be 
 taken in mating individuals that have no bad 
 but only good qualities in common, as the 
 common qualities are usually intensified. 
 Close breeding, if carried to excess, is sure 
 to cause degeneration, and the only remedy 
 is the introduction of new blood. In a gen- 
 eral way, bees long raised in a certain local- 
 ity are affected with the ills of close breed- 
 ing. Nature abhors continual close breed- 
 ing. Introduce new stock. 
 
 True hybrids, as we have stated before, 
 are the offspring of the union of two separ- 
 ate species. As yet this question in bee- 
 breeding has not been touched. Species 
 are arbitrary divisions made by man, and 
 may or may not be valid. Even true divi- 
 sion may not be a barrier to hybridization. 
 One noted plant-breeder has been quoted as 
 saying, "Given any two species of plant 
 life, I can, if I live long enough, produce a 
 
 33 
 
BEE union between them." This merely illus- 
 
 BREEDING trated the common ancestry of all life. 
 
 There are two possible hybrids which 
 might tend toward a better bee. The Apis 
 Dorsata is a large-bodied bee, and a larger 
 honey-bee within certain limits would be a 
 good thing. The great variety of the genius 
 Melipona, or stingless bee, might afford the 
 chance of creating a stingless bee, of com- 
 mercial possibilities. 
 
 In closing this chapter we must, as in 
 other points, confess our ignorance of many 
 things. 
 
 34 
 
NUTRITION. 
 
 This subject has been given a separate 
 chapter on account of its importance and the 
 tendency of the bee-breed to overlook it. It 
 is vital, as is directly affects the results of 
 his works. The subject might have been 
 dealt with under "Environment" or "Her- 
 edity," in fact, it touches every where. It 
 is as cement that binds the blocks. 
 
 The effect of food supply upon the life of 
 the bee is immediate, and through heredity 
 it effects future generations. As the breed- 
 er can control the food supply to a great 
 extent, he can see the power he holds in his 
 hands. 
 
 Honey as we all know, is a highly con- 
 centrated food upon which the bee depends 
 for life. When we substitute candy or syr- 
 up we run the risk of checking the develop- 
 
 35 
 
BEE 
 
 ment of the bee, especially the queen and 
 BREEDING ^^°"^' t^^rough malnutrition and by the 
 adultrants or chemicals used in the manu- 
 facture of commercial sugars. It can not be 
 urged too strongly to limit your feeding to 
 pure honey — more strongly when you are 
 engaged in the actual work of bee-breeding. 
 
 Some feed their larvae much more liber- 
 ally than others. This is a habit, and the 
 honey-flow is not entirely responsible. Bees 
 properly and liberally fed must, by the law 
 of nutrition, develop better than the starved ; 
 hence we may expect bees better constituted 
 for honey-gathering and disease resistance, 
 and long life. Colonies showing this valua- 
 ble trait should be jealously watched and 
 increased. 
 
 The most important single factor in the 
 life of the colony is the queen. We must in- 
 sist that the development is unchecked and 
 her needs fully supplied. By the very na- 
 ture of things, swarming time is the best 
 season to rear the finest queens. They are 
 always liberally fed and lavishly cared for. 
 Queens reared out of season are apt to be 
 stunted and not fit to perform the duties 
 which demand such remarkable vitality. 
 
 If you wish to verify the above state- 
 ment, carefully compare the size of queen- 
 
 36 
 
cells reared in swarming season with those BEE 
 
 artifically stimulated out of season on syrup BREEDING 
 
 or those reared in starving or discouraged 
 
 colonies. You can almost every time detect 
 
 the queen reared under the later conditions 
 
 by her small size ; and if you have patience 
 
 you will see her inferiority later in the 
 
 colony. 
 
 The development of the drone is affected 
 in the same way. A drone starved or ill fed 
 is hampered in the development of his spe- 
 cial organs, and the quantity of sperm must 
 be less. Mating by chance, this drone is re- 
 sponsible for the failure of the queen in time 
 to produce worker bees, upon which her 
 usefulness depends. 
 
 To develop to the highest standard we 
 
 must attend to nature's ways. Queens 
 
 reared out of swarming season are ill fed 
 
 from lack of young bees and other ways, 
 
 and are apt to mate with poor drones, as 
 
 any experienced queen-breeder will tell you. 
 
 Your breeding stock must be reared under 
 
 every favorable condition, and commercial 
 
 stock reared the same way should com- 
 mand a high premium. 
 
 While not exactly under this subject, we 
 
 can take it up here. I refer to the matter of 
 
 the size of the cell as related to the dfevel- 
 
 37 
 
BEE opment. It has been recently shown by 
 
 BREEDING some foreign observers that the cells of all 
 bees are not the same. The size of the de- 
 generate bee is the smallest; next to it, the 
 common stock and largest, is the highest- 
 developed five-banded Italians. This natur- 
 ally raises the question, "Why not increase 
 the size of the cell in foundation, and in- 
 crease by spacing the width of comb, and 
 thus increase the size of our bees?" This 
 same principle is applied to plants and ani- 
 mals with success. By unrestricted devel- 
 opment, superior strains are produced. 
 Variations produced in this way are much 
 slower than those induced by crossing, or 
 another phrase of this same subject — 
 changed environment. We must not expect 
 to produce a giant bee in a summer this 
 way. There is danger all along the road. 
 You increase the diameter of the cell a few 
 hundreths of an inch. The bee would na- 
 turally more fully develop along the line of 
 least resistance. The abdomen would en- 
 large before the thorax. You would stand 
 the risk of raising a crop of fertile workers 
 if the bees could be induced to accept foun- 
 dation too large. We must go slow. We 
 must experiment. 
 
 3& 
 
CORRELATION. 
 
 Adapted to bee-breeding, correlation 
 could be defined as ''the correspondence or 
 relation which exists between different or- 
 gans, or parts, as to form or uses." To un- 
 derstand the laws of correlation unables a 
 bee-breeder to judge an unseen quality by 
 the relation it must bear to one which can 
 be seen. For example, long tongues may be 
 indicative of superior honey-gathering qual- 
 ities. 
 
 Correlation, too, is the basis upon which 
 most divisions of life are made, as genius, 
 species, etc. To a biologist certain forma- 
 tions of a bone would place that animal un- 
 der a certain division, and thus we have our 
 varied classification. 
 
 One important part of correlation that af- 
 fects directly the problem of breeding is 
 that one quality is not developed except at 
 the risk of reducing an opposite related 
 quality. In cattle-breeding this law is 
 nicely illustrated from the fact that the 
 
 39 
 
^^g highest type of beef animal is a poor milker, 
 
 BREEDING ^^^ ^^^^ versa. 
 
 In bee-breeding we can hardly expect to 
 increase the size of the bee without a cor- 
 responding decrease of another quality. In 
 making a gentle bee we may produce one 
 less inclined to protect its stores from rob- 
 ber bees. Thus we see that nature always 
 tries to strike a balance, and to raise this 
 level is a really great work. 
 
 When judging this law of correlation in 
 mind we should be careful to rule out any 
 accidental cause which may have been the 
 cause rather than the working of the law. 
 A black queen need not always be of black 
 stock, as a queen chilled during a critical 
 stage of her development is often very dark, 
 while others from the same stock may be of 
 the brightest yellow. Bees may not always 
 be irritable, as a colony without stores you 
 will notice is often cross, and can not be 
 subdued with any amount of smoke. 
 
 In the care of breeding colonies, the prac- 
 tice of swapping combs should never be al- 
 lowed, as it destroys almost every record 
 from which we judge a queen. 
 
 Breeders should ever be on the outlook 
 for these little points of correlation, and 
 record them, as they may later prove ex- 
 tremely valuable, not only to himself but 
 to another breeder. Bee-breeding consists 
 of a multitude of little things vv^hich m.ake 
 up the grand total. 
 
 40 
 
HONEY PLANTS. 
 
 In the company of nature the bee plays 
 an important part in the fertilization of 
 flowers. Plants and bees by mutual evolu- 
 tion have become dependent up each other. 
 The bees need the nectar for their nourish- 
 ment, and the flowers need the bees for aid 
 in accomplishing its circle of life. 
 
 Why, then, should not the bee-breeder be 
 interested in the other form of life so re- 
 lated to his specialty? As we have shown 
 before, the needs of man are not those of 
 nature; and to accomplish his ends man 
 must interfere, and direct the currents 
 to his own advantage. Bee-breeding and 
 plant-breeding hold so much in common 
 that the bee-breeder is not a loss when he 
 crosses the boundary. 
 
 One of the most important problems of 
 the bee-keeper is that of pasturage. As the 
 
 41 
 
BEE country becomes more settled, the bee- 
 
 BREEDING keeper must depend more and more upon 
 artificial pasturage. As the wild flowers de- 
 crease, those of cultivated plants become a 
 greater source of honey, and he should give 
 his attention to their honey-producing qual- 
 ities. It should concern him what kinds of 
 crops his neighbors plant. 
 
 Red clover, it seems to me, should interest 
 the bee-breeder, for it presents the greatest 
 value when improved in the direction de- 
 sired by the bee-man. Every head contains 
 a large amount of honey beyond the reach 
 of the honey-bee. Can not its tubes be 
 shortened? Yes, just as soon as the work 
 is seriously undertaken by someone. 
 
 Buckwheat is an important source of 
 honey in certain localities, but the product 
 is injured by reason of its color and flavor. 
 Why not breed a plant yielding a nectar 
 which, gathered and stored by the bee, 
 would be white and mild-flavored? Impos- 
 sible? No, but it would take time. 
 
 Many of these suggestions could be 
 named. It is up to the bee-breeder to inter- 
 est himself in these questions, and to co-op- 
 erate heartily with his plant-breeding bro- 
 ther and with his neighbors. 
 
 42 
 
Breeding- Queen 
 
 A good queen is an absolute essential 
 to the successful queen-breeder. 
 
 When you have a queen-mother whose 
 daughters make good you have something 
 worth while— she is worth her weight in gold. 
 The surest way to get such a queen is to pur- 
 chase the best stock . Never mind the first cost. 
 
 Our stock is famous the world over for its ex- 
 cellence. We offer breeding-queens as follows : 
 
 Select tested queen $3.00 
 
 Breeding-queen 5.00 
 
 Select breeding-queen 7.50 
 
 Extra select breeding-queen, 1 yr. old 10.00 
 
 Many queen-rearers like fresh stock to breed 
 from. Imported stock is preferred by many, 
 so we offer direct importation . We save you 
 time, trouble, and expense. 
 
 Fair imported queen $3.00 
 
 Best imported queen 5.00 
 
 We can furnish all other races. When you 
 want a queen par excellence, costing from 
 $25 to $50, we can often supply you. 
 
 The A. I. Root Company, 
 
 Medina, Ohio, U. S. A. 
 
lOOth 
 Thousand 
 
 No other bee-book has had the sale 
 of the A B C of Bee Culture. It sells 
 because it meets the needs of the 
 bee-keeper. 
 
 The subject matter is arranged in 
 an encyclopedic form so that any in- 
 formation desired can be found in- 
 stantly. Beginner or veteran will find 
 the volume of greatest value. Con- 
 stant revision has brought it entirely 
 up to the times, and it is written to 
 meet the conditions of the bee-keeper 
 everywhere. 
 
 For sale by all bee-supply dealers, and most 
 booksellers. Price $1.00. If wanted by mail, 
 add 20c for postage. 
 
 TKe A. I. Root Co., 
 
 Medina, OHio. 
 
It's to Your Ad- 
 vantage ! 
 
 If you are interested in bees— to subscribe to 
 Gleanings in Bee Culture. 
 
 Read Gleanings to learn how to make bee- 
 keeping pay. It tells how to produce the 
 maximum results with minimum of effort, 
 making your work profitable as well as a 
 pleasure. Bee-keeping is one of the most 
 fascinating pursuits. It is a fine hobby for 
 all ages and conditions. 
 
 Gleanings is fully illustrated with beauti- 
 ful half-tones. It gives its readers over a 
 thousand pages of matter annually; semi- 
 monthly. 
 
 Subscription price $1.00 a year. Foreign 
 postage, Jf.8 cts. extra. Six months' trial sub- 
 scription, 25 cts. Is found in all important 
 club lists. 
 
 May we not enter your name ? 
 
 Gleanings in Bee Culture, 
 
 Medina, Ohio. 
 
Swart hm o re 
 Books j^ j^ 
 
 INCREASE. 
 
 This little book interests all who are anxious for 
 profitable increase. Second edition. Price 25cts. 
 
 BABY NUCLEI. 
 
 Tell from 20 years' experience of mating 
 queens with a handful of bees. Price 50 cts. 
 
 COMMERCIAL 
 QUEEN-REARING. 
 
 Cell-getting by the Swarthmore labor-saving 
 devives, fully described and illustrated. 50 cts. 
 
 Forcing Queens to I^as^ B^ifs in 
 S'wartliinore Cups. 
 
 Price 25 cents. 
 
 FolloMring BooRs in Preparation 
 
 Ho-wr to MaKe Hives of Paper. 
 
 Also Nucleus Shipping-cases and Honey- 
 houses. In preparation. Price 25 cents. 
 
 S'wairtHinore Coinb«Hoz\ey Devices. 
 
 Which entirely do away with close-fitting 
 holcers, etc. In preparation. Price 25 cents. 
 
Be a Bee-Breeder 
 
 Have you identified yourself in the move- 
 ment for a better bee ? You should 
 join the American Breeders' Associa- 
 tion. A special committee on "Breed- 
 ing Bees and Other Insects, " as follows: 
 
 Dr. L. O. Howard, Department of Agriculture, 
 Washington, D. C, Chairman. 
 
 Dr. Herbert Osborne, Columbus, Ohio. 
 
 E. F. Phillips, V/ashington, D. C. 
 
 S. N. Green. Medina, Ohio. 
 
 J. P. Moore, Morgan, Ky. 
 
 G. M. Doolittle, Borodino, N. Y. 
 
 Also many other committees devoted to 
 different problems in plant and animal 
 breeding. Annual dues, $1.00 a year, 
 which includes a copy of Year-book 
 worth five times that amount. Address 
 
 = PROF. W. A. HAYS,= 
 
 Sec. Amer. Breeders' Ass'n, 
 Washington, - - - D. C. 
 
AVk 26 i«07 
 
 Root's Goods 
 
 The name of ''Root" when applied to bee- 
 supplies, means as much as * ' Elgin ' ' when 
 applied to watches. 
 
 When you buy "Root's goods "you are 
 sure of goods made by skilled workmen, from 
 the best material. You are never disappoint- 
 ed by receiving goods inaccurately cut, rough- 
 ly made from inferior stock. 
 
 There is nothing that an apiarist needs that 
 v/e can not furnish, from a complete outfit to 
 the smallest single article. 
 
 We began the manufacture of bee-supplies 
 forty years ago, with an increasing trade 
 each year, until now we are the largest con- 
 cern of the kind in the world. 
 
 Our prices are right. You can buy our 
 goods near at home. Write for catalog and 
 name of agent nearest you. 
 
 The A. I. Root Co., Medina, O. 
 
 New York Chicago Philadelphia Washington 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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