LIBRARY

ANNEX

ALBERT R. MANN
LIBRARY

New YorK STATE COLLEGES
OF
AGRICULTURE AND HoME ECONOMICS

AT

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS

BEEKEEPING LIBRARY

Cc. A. iemetiska druzba kraj < Lubtient, Avetrife

"we Carian Gray-Baned pine Be

: 3 xported by the

Imperial Royal Rariutural Association

_ Uubjana, Carniola (Krain),,

Austria,
* 28 Contents. A Fs
1. Characte cs’ of ‘the. Pamiblah Aipinie’ Bee e

Ot

“2. How to’ age the Carniolan’ aa ig 2
/ 3. Camiolan ‘Original Hive.”
“he : Treatment’ of the Hive -at the” “Arrival.

_7.5. Treantment ‘of Mobil Flives. and: Nuclei;

6. Transledginig of, Bees. and Combs from: Carniolan Original to
, : ~ Mobile Hives.

a “When ‘Shall ‘thes: ae ‘Alpine: ‘Bees. ‘be’ Ordered,

8h ‘Estiniation: of th Carniolan Bee by an Authority.

9. Vitality” of the. Cariglan. Alpine Bee.

10. Scere views ‘at the »Home ‘of the: Cariolan Alpine Bee.

Published oy the: Imperial Royal. Aaricuitaral Association, of Carniola.

jeu Pe

Board or Administration
of the Imperial-Royal Agricultural Association of Carniola.

@: Wie, 0 so

President: a ic
ates Member of Parliament.

a es

Fran Povie, | = Commercial Colincét
Ljubljana. me ‘3 Cie 8. ge |

ee ee og “Vice-President:

: Ivan 1 Kies, Wholesale Mere Res Estate Proprietor, Li

‘Members: ;

Jakob Jan;: Mayee Of. Corie; - . i a om
Andre} Kalan, Rev., Prelate, ‘aude a
-. Josip - Kosler, - -jun.;-Real- Estate’ Proptietor,. Ljubljana; nn ote
2 - Eugen Lampe, Dr., Member. ‘of. THe Provincial Board; Ljubi jana;
_ Leopold, Baron -von_ Lichtenberg, . Landed Proprietor. and: Member ‘ot the:

‘Provincial: iets Ljubljana; =" | ;
> Alojzij Paulin, Ro Veterinary’: ashi, Ljabijana; ;
~ Fran Pavlin, 1°RBuilding High- Councelot, Leptin eae
' Janez Piber, Rev., Member. of the. Provincial D ts
Yiliem palais "D i i . Si

a ‘

_ Gustav ire, 1. R. Courier: ‘and Manager‘ of ‘the L RA A. Assn., ~Lebine.

1. Characteristics of the Carniolan Alpine Bee.

The Carniolan Alpine bee is of the same external appearance as the
German bee, with the exception, that in color she is of a much lighter.
shade than the later. Her color is whitisch gray. But her most advantageous
chérasteristics are her gentleness, her hardiness, her industry and immense
-prolificness.

The gentleness of the Carniolan Alpine bee is acknowledged by all
who have handled her as bee-keepers. In Carniola the apiaries are often
near roads and open places, frequented by adults and children, but it
never occured that people or animals were attacked by bees. Children play
around the apiaries without being endangered by them. Bee veils in
Carniola are not used. It Happened that a swarm of bees alighted on the
bare arm of the bee-keeper — the later not being stung by a single bee,
Some of the Carniolan bee-keepers brush the swarms with bare hands
into the basket.

: The gentleness of the Carniolan bee has won her among the apiarists
of the world many friends, and not few of them became such only on
account of this virtue of her.

Regarding the industry and diligence of the Carniolan bee, let us
cite an excerpt from the book »Die Krainer Biene« (The Carniolan Bee),
which A. Alfonsus, one of the foremost German experts in apiculture and
writer, has published: :

»That the Carniolan bee is especialy adapted for places with late
honeyflow, is a long known fact. But the expert bee-keeper, living in
localities, where only one early flow occurs, will certainly her unexcelled
virtues even under such conditions appreciate and utelize.

>For the great economical value of the Carniolan Alpine bee, the
fact is significant, that the export of the same, without any great effort of
advertising, has reached such large dimensions, when the Italian bee, the
praise of which eminent apiculturists so loudly proclaimed, disappeared
almos entirely, in so short a time, from the field of apiculture.

»Under all conditions is the Carniolan bee a valuable object for
breeding purpeses, and we are only glad, that she found such a wide
expanse of her utility and common appreciation.«

For the better understanding it may be here remarked, that the
author had in mind the European non — Italian Countries, when he speaks
of the »disappearance of the Italian bee from the field of apiculture.«

The »Wiener Bienenvater« in its issue No 12, 1905, published an
article, showing that the Carniolan bee at a governmental apicultural
observing station, surpassed, regarding the gathered quantity of honey, her
competitors, the German and Italian bees,

The ability and industry of the Carniolans on red clover, when other
races kept away from the same, is indisputable. The »Muenchener Bienen-
zeitung«, a couple of years ago, brought an article relating to this fact,
saying among other things: »The dry weather of the past season favored

work in red clover, and the Carniolans appeared on it in full force, whille
the Americanized — cloverstock did not visit it at all.» The »American
Bee Journal«, has in its issue of December, 1910, page 384, a correspon-
dence in which the writer says: So far as Can recall, all the advertisers
of long tongued stock had Italians to offer, and as the best workers
I have had on red clover have, as a rule, been Carniolans.«

The long or short tongues of different strains of bees may or may
not have something to do with their relative ability of finding honey in
diverse plants — but ,this is a certain thing: The gray Carniolan bee of
the Alps, the legs and greater part of her body covered with a hoary
filament, whose exterier shows sturdiness combined with agility — could
have evolved these external characteristics only in the higher altitudes of
her home mountains — the western spurs of the Julian Alps and
Karawanks — where in the earliest spring (and even in February), exposed
to biting winds and stinging frosts of the glaziers, she searches the
highest peaks after the flowers and blossoms that the weak rays of the-
sun of this season, have called from the clefs and crevices of the steril
mountain sides. The forbidding location, the rarity of the nectar-bearing
blossoms, the long way of ascent and descent in the teeth of inclement
elements, have steeled her body, sharpened her instinct of honeyfinding
and developed the grim determination and undaunted perseverance to get
the nectar even from plants, the blossoms of which refuse to yield the
same to bee races, that were breed and reared under more comfortable
physical environments.

» The Imperial-Royal Agricultural Assotiation of Carniola, only this
hardy strain of the Carniolan bees will export to foreign lands, thus making
an end to complaints, raised by some foreign importers relative bees
received from Carniola, which showed yellow markings and other charac-
teristics, not at all coming up to the high standart they were bought for.
These bees may have been all right Carniolan bees, crossings with Italians
and Cyprians as raised in some parts of Lower-Carniola — but they were
not pure-blooded Carniolan Alpine bees which alone are of value for
breeding improvements. The Alpine bee reared in Upper — Carniola, the
gray workers, is the bee which is wanted by connoisseurs and best breeders
of fine stock.

It may be here said that in other parts of Carniola than Upper
Carniola, are raised pureblooded Carniolan bees. In Lower — and other

3

parts of this province are isolated elevated valleys, surronndet by high
sterile mountains, where the pure blood of the Carniolan bee remained
undefiled by foreign blood intermixtures. These bees in every respect fully
equally the strain raised in Upper Carniola.

The immense prolificness of The Carniolan Alpine bee illustrates
Mr. Gerstung, expert and writer on apiculture, in the following manner:
»A small swarm of Carniolan Alpine bees, received on May 16. developed
so rapidly that at the end of June ten frames (40” X 25” comb surface)
were. closely with comb and brood covered. The swarm gave a virgin
swarm weighing 6 pounds net — from 35—40.000 bees. Adding to this
number 10.000 bees that did not leave the hive with the swarm, and the
ones being busy on the flow, taking further in consideration that only
three weeks after the arrival of the bees, the first hatched reached the
flying stage — then we come to the conclusion that in 20 days 50.000 bees
were hatched from eggs the queen has laid. Nearly equal to this number
we must count the eggs in the brood cells at the time when the swarming
occured. All this gives us the fact that the queen in the time from May 16.
until June 27. (day of swarming) at least has laid 100.000 worker eggs
-- averaging 2500 daily. As in the first three weeks, on account of the
smallness of the colony, only half of this amount the production of eggs
may have been, the maximum daily egg production must have been not
less than 4000.«

Yea, the Carniolan Alpine bees are undoubtedly the most. prolific
breeders, the most severe winters they stand well and in the spring they
breed rapidly up. Every child and woman can manipulate them without
fear of being Stung — such is their gentleness. They sting only in self-
defense by being roughly handled. Further advantages they offer to the
beekepeer are: they make very little propolis, are exceptionally good comb
builders, and finish and cap the combs very white. The good qualities of
the Carniolan bee, once known, will make this race of bees the most fa-
vorite among all others. Let us here mention that for queen rearing purposes,
the Carniolan Alpine bee cannot be surpassed. At the time of swarming,
50 and more queen cells in the colonies can be found.

It is no exageration or wanton braggadocio if we here express the
conviction, that the »Bee of the Future« in The U. S. and other young
countries in the world, will be a new and superior strain of bees, and the
main parts of her excellent qualities: industry, hardiness, prolificness and
gentleness — she will have derived from the Carniolan Alpine bee.

What bee laid the foundation of the Caucasian gray bee and the
excellent bee now reared in Swiss?

Were not the mothers of these offspring years ago, through many
decennaries, imported from Carniola?

Most certainly they were.

2. How to Manage the Carniolan Alpine Bee.

The Carriiolan bee is known as a swarming bee. This would imply
that she is not diserable in localities, where only one early honev flow is
the rule. The Carniolan bee is only as long a bee inclined to excessive
swarming, as long she is kept in small hives., As soon she is transfered
to hives that can be enlarged, giving the queen room to satisfy her
breeding capacitiy, she loses her inclination for swarming without losing
her prolifieness.

The »Leipziger Bienenzeitung<, issue No 11, 1909, says about the
treatment of the Carniolan bee as follows:

»The German be is now known as one of tke best honey producers.
Of the Carniolan bee it is said that she is a swarming bee, that does not
achieve any great results in respect of honey gathering. In my opinion this
later statement is always based on a wrong handling of the Carniolan bee,
not taking in consideration the characteristics of this race, and the local
pecularities of the honey flow. #

»The Carniolan Alpine bee is decidedly, even for localities without a
late honeyflow, a great success — if managed properly. Certainly, if two
weeks before the beginning of the main honey flow the combs with brood
are not limited, if the brood contains too many drone cells, and if the
entrance to the honey combs to the queen is not made impossible by
using excluding wiring — then the production of honey is almost nought.

»Regarding the great swarming tendencies of the Carniolan bee, it -
must be said that this is not at all a disadvantage. Quite the contrary.
Her early maturity is of great value. A strong Carniolan colony can at the
end of May have two swarms without diminishing the quantity of honey
of the mother — colony.«

»Always select the best queens and only colonies with the best
honey production should be used for breeding purposes. At the time of
the flow I take every week the full combs out and after extracting the
honey, I return the same to the colony.

»In the spring the Carniolan bee develops very fast. A colony that
after wintering occupies only three half frames (badensishe measure),
should not be abandoned or given up, or made stronger by adding bees
and brood from other colonies. If such a diminished and weakened colony
in the spring is healthy, has a good queen, is sufficiently feed and kept
warm it will at the time of the main flow (June) become so strong that
its honey production will favorable bear comparison with any other
colony.« ;
The best results as to the honey production with the Carniolan bee
can be achieved by keeping the same in large hives, and by limiting the
breeding space 4—5 weeks before the beginning of the main flow.

Now something of importance in respect to the handling of the
Carniolan original hives, which contain always stabil combs.

5

Regarding the same, Mr. A. Alfonsus, in his book »The Carniolan
Bee, says:

»If some of the bee-keepers were not successful with their work
with the Carniolan original hives, the reason of this failure is not hard to
find. As a rule the beginner in beekeeping wants the stabil hives (box
hives) as soon as possible from his apiary excluded. For this reason he
transforms — with more force than right -- the originel hives immediately
after their arrival in mobil hives (with frames). With this he harms the
colonies in their development and well-being, instead of utilizing the
immense prolificness of this race of bees for ee purpose of getting natural
swarms from the original hives.

A Giant Swarm.

»This is the only proper management of the Carniolan original hives.
If done this way, the beginner will, by rationally utilizing the prolificness
of the bees, soon be in the possession of good colonies in mobil hives by
letting the bees swarm from the original hives, and transfering the swarms
to mobil hives. Only then, when his apiary has reached the desired number
of colonies, he can cancel the further use of the original hives.«
_ Once more may be said: the best use of the original hives can be
made by using the same as swarming hives. lf taken good care of them
they can many years be of services for this purpose.

3. The Carniolan Original Hive.

In Carniola the original peasant hive is, with (few exceptions, in
general use. The illustration shows the jsame as a low box, about 2 feet

6

4 inches long, one foot width and 7 inches high. The weight of the empty
case is 3—4 Kilogramms (6—8 pounds).

The original hive contains always stabil] combs, never frames or
comb supporters. The upper board on which the combs are build is
securely nailed on the side boards..The bottom board, used in front as
alighting board — is fastened with four nails on the sideboards, and can
be taken out whenever wantend. For this purpose the hive must be put
upright — with the hind part down. The front board with the entrance
and the board in the rear are kept by ledges in position and can be easily
taken away. The combs are build in a slanting position towards the
-entrance.

Carniolan Peasant Apiary.

The Carniolan hive is, standing isolated, not sufficiently warm, the-
refore the same are in great numbers piled closely together. Only the
uppermost row is covered with blankets, sacks etc. In the winter the hives

7

are protected by covering the rear part of the pile with moss, dry leaves etc.
For export only such hives are selected, which were regarding their strength
of stock, development of brood, sufficient quantity of honey, proper mating
of queens, absolute health of bees and combs with the utmost care and
circumspection examined and approved. To secure the safe arrival at the
place of the buyer, the bottom board and the front and rear boards of the
hive, are fastened with nails, and every precaution taken ‘that the hive
and its contents may reach its destination sound and unharmed.

4. Treatment of the Hive at the Arrival.

When the hives arrive they should be set up at their stands, the
entrances opened, and the air openings (made for ventilating purposes on
the way) which are covered with wirecloth, closed. Further, the hives should
be on all sides covered with blankets, moss or dry leaves to keep the bees
warm. The front or rear boards should not be opened before the bees have
been 5—8 days in the new locality, and have shown by their flights that
they are good acquainted with the new conditions. Otherwise many of the

Taking the suppotters away.

bees would go astray and be lost. Should the weather be very bad they
must be feed. This shouid be done only in the evening by shoving, through
the front or rear part of the hive, a flat vessel with liquid food. The next
morning the vessel should be taken out. After the bees have for some days
flown regularly, returning laden with honey, one morning the original hives
should be put on a table bottom upwards. The bottom board should be
cautiosly taken away, and the nails that were for the transport nailed fast
in the bottom board, the rear and front board, taken aut. After this the

8

laths or stripes of wood, that were inserted among the combs to make
them more firm, should be takem out also. After all this is done the bottom
board should be fastened with the four nails, and the front and rear board
set in the ledges. The hive should then be returned to its stand, and
in the manner as mentioned: before, against cold protected.

5. Treatment of Mobil Hives and Nuclei.

When the mobil hives and nuclei arrive, they should for some hours
be placed in a cool and dark place or cellar. This for the purpose of pa-
cifying and resting the bees. In the evening, if possible in the open air,
they should be brushed or shaken into the destined hives. If some of the
bees fly away, they will return later to the colony. It is advisable to put
in the new hives a comb with brood and some honey. The same can be
done with the foundation. The queen is free among the bees, because it is
better in every respect to leave her in the colony for the time of traveling.

It is not practical, bees shipped in mobil hives and nuclei on frames,
to translodge immediately after the arrival. This would be accompanied
by a great loss of bees. It is better to put up the shipping cases on the
same stands where the new hives will be placed. They should be left for
some days in this position, the bees flying from the entrances that were
made in the shipping cases. The later should be warmly covered. Only
after 5—8 days the transfering of the frames from the cases to the new
hives should be done, and this on a warm day towards the evening.

The mailed queens should be introduced into the new colonies to-
wards the evening after the day of their arrival, and according to the
printed directions that are printed on the under side of the wooden cover
of each mailing cage. The greatest possible precaution should be taken,
when a queen should be introduced to a colony that fora longer time was
queenless and without brood. Such colonies, as a rule, refuse to accept
a queen.

6. Translodging of Bees and Combs from Carniolan
Original to Mobile Hives.

As stated before, it would be unpractical and harmful if the Original
hives were immediately after their arrival, cut out and the combs and
bees translodged to mobil hives. If the keeping of the original hives for
years is considered impossible, then the work of cutting and transfering
the combs and bees to mobil hives should take place after the swarming
season. After the queen has begun the laying of eggs, and the colony does
not show any capped brood — then the proper time for cutting has arrived

9

For this work two practical bee — keepers are necessary. Beginners will
seldom accomplish the manipulation satisfactorily. The best time for cutting
is in the evening. A table of some-size is needed first, near it, ready for
use, put the new hive into which the combs and bees of the original
hive should be translodged. Besides this keep in readiness a sharp knife
for cutting the combs, a bee brush, strong cotton thread and a number of
empty frames. ~

After arranging all this, lay the original hive, bottom up, on the
table, take away the bottom board, and the front and rear boards, then
cut the first comb from the hive and brush the bees, hanging from the
same, in the new hive. The comb, now without bees, shall be made to fit
in the frame, and fastened with the cotton thread on the same. Then hang
the comb in the new hive. In this manner, all combs, one after another,
shall be cut out, cleaned of bees, fitted in the frames, and the latter
transfered to the new hive. Care should be takem. that the combs are
fastened in the frames with the right side up. Instead cotton thread, narrow
wooden strips can be used. They can be nailed on both sides of the
frame, and, after the bees have in a couple of days the combs build in,
taken away.

When cutting, use cold water. The place where a comb was cut from,
should be thoroughly moistened with water. This makes the work much
easier, especially by hives with much honey. After the work is finished, put
the new hive with the-transfered- bees just on the same place wherefrom
the original hive was taken. It is good that the entrance of the new hive
corresponds to the position in which the entrance of the original hive was
situated. Such new translodged colonies shall be feed for some evenings
with liquid honey.

Robbery at the time of cutting, can be avoided, if the manipulation
is performed at the time of a honey flow. Besides this, it is the best time
for the well-being of the transfered colony.

After some days the transfered colony should be closely examined,
the bottom cleaned, the cotton threads etc. taken away, combs that came
out of position righted, and in general, everything properly adjusted.

Such colonies demand, until their complete strength is achieved,
careful observation, and should, if possible, be strengthened with young
working bees.

7. When Shall the Carniolan Alpine Bees be
Ordered ?

The export of the Carniolan orginal hives begins, as a rule, at the
end of the month March or the beginning of April. This depends from the
weather. The shipping can be continued until the end of May and even
June without any danger to the colonies — except by very hot weather.

10

The best time to order the original hives is January, February, March
and April. Orders arriving later, will only be effected if favorable weather
conditions make the shipping possible.

Towards the end of May no hives with very strong colonies can be
shipped. On the long voyage the colonies would become overheated, to
avoid this, leess strong colonies are shipped. These need a longer'time until
they attain the stage of swarming.

8. Estimation of the Carniolan Bee by an Authority.

Mr. E. F. Phillips, Ph. D., Expert Apiculturist, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology Washington, D. C., in his Bulletin No 55,
»The Rearing of Queen Bees<, makes regarding the Carniolan bees the
following statements:

Page 8. »In Carniolan, Cyprian, and other races not so much selection
has been carried on in this country, and in consequence the desirability
of importations is greater in order to insure purity of stock«.

Page 15. »Italians do not as readily accept and complete large numbers
of queen cells as do either Cyprians or Carniolians. In yards in which
Italian queens are reared, it may therefore be desirable to keep colonies of
Carniolans or Cyprians.. It neet scarcely be said that in such cases drone
traps should be used«.

Page 29. »There is one phase of queen breeding which would doubtless
prove useful, but which has not yet been tried to any extend. The first
crosses of varions races have proven very useful; as for example, the cross
between Carniolans and Cyprians, but no breeder to the writers knowledge
has ever undertaken to fix the type. That this could be done seems very
probable, reasoning from what we know of crosses in other animals, and
by eareful selection of prolific queens whose workers showed all the
characteristics of the first cross, these crosses would doubtless prove va-
luable as breeders«.

9. Vitality of the Carniolan Alpine Bee.

The article »>The Vitality of Honey Bees« by an distinguished Ame-
rican. writer on Apiculture, printed in the American Bee Journal, January
1911, page 18, shows-unconsciously and unintentionally-the possibilities and
opportunities the vitality of the Carniolan bee has accorded to her in
Apiculture.

The article begins with the question : »Do modern methods, especially
the restricting of natural swarming and the rearing of queens by artificial
means on a large scale, have a tendency to weaken the race?

11

In the course of his able article the author says:

»lf, in order to secure a non — swarming race of bees, we were to
commit the same fault — rearing the Italians for yellow color on account
of which the »golden Italians« were degenerated by sacrificing their vitality
and prolificness — we would stil! more rapidly detoriate the race. Selecting
as breeders of our young queens the colonies which did not swarm, without
taking into consideration their activity, their prolificness, and their honey —
producing qualities — which are, above. all, most important — we would
naturally secure our breeders from undesirable colonies. Certainly they
would swarm less than the others, and this would be due to the self —
evident fact that they were less active, less prolific. This would cause a
prompt and easily explained decrease in the usefulness of the breed.

»The selection which, to my mind, will be the slowest to produce
positive results, will be that of the most prolific and most productive colonies,
manipulated in such a manner as not to induce swarming. When we succeed
‘in avoiding natural swarming in some of our best colonies, by minute and
constant attention, supplying them with ample room, plentiful shade, abun-
dant ventilation etc., we may be able to improve the race by taking our
breeders, queens and drones from these same colonies, but reared elsewhere.
At the same time we must avoid permitting the lesser colonies to furnish
any increase. Every time that we will manage one of the best colonies so
as to prevent its swarming, and will,allow one of the poorer ones to cast
a swarm, we will make a step towards detorioration. The method to be
followed in swarm — prevention is to make an artificial rearing of queens
from our most desirable colonies, and use these queens to supply the
swarms or artificial divisions from our mediocre colonies.

»However, some one perhaps will say that the production of a non —
swarming race of bees is an utopia beyond our reach. Perhaps not altogether,
but as the swarming tendency is the only method by which the honey —
bees have perpetuated their kind, and repaired losses caused by winter,
disease, and enemies, it is not likely that for many centuries we will be
able to produce a non — swarming race of highly active bees. We can at
best weaken slightly this tendency by methods of management, which would
fail-in their results as soon as they were slightly neglected.

»But how about the arteficial rearing of queens ?«

The auther is of the opinion that artificially reared queens, in: order
to have all the attributes of queens, all their prolificness, must be reared
in positively royal circumstances. He mentions the Doolittle method of
rearing queens in full colonies, and sees no reason why such queens
would not be as healthy and as prolific as the best of naturally — breed
queens.

»The advantages of the artificial queen — rearing methods lie prin-
cipally in the fact that you can rear an unlimited number of good queens
fromm your best coloniese — says the author. -

12

At the close of his article the vriter warns against »in) —
and — in« breeding, saying: »Consanguinity is fatal. We should rear our
queens and the bulk of our drones from different mothers. From time to
time we should exchange breeders with other bee — keepers, equally as
careful as ourselves in the selection of the race«.

The article concludes the sentence: »If the above conditions are
carefully fulfilled, it seems to me that we will be sure to retain and even
increase, the vitality of our honey — bees«

A few of our remarks to this well composed and able article wont
be amiss — they are: :

If prolificness, vitality, industry and honey producing qualities are,
above all, most important in a race of bees, then let come this race from
the Julian Alps of Carniola, Austria, where the hardiest strain of bees,
blessed with the above attributes, is reared. Fy doing this, you get the
breeders, queens and the bulk of drones that were reared elsewhere and.
from different mothers and drones. Consanguinity is fatal.

We can not see the reason why our Carniolan Alpine queens, reared
‘in full colonies in the ozonic, prickling air, amid glaziers and snowcapped
peaks, should not be as healthy and-as prolific as the ones reared by arti-
ficial methods in full colonies — do you?

But — the Carniolians swarm too excessively — a hard case of a
foolish natural law, indeed! As the swarming tendency is, according to
Mr. C. P. D. and other eminent writers on apicultural things, »fhe only
method by which the honey — bees have perpetuated their kind«, having
neither understanding nor inclination to ape or use manners, methods
and means leading to race — suicide — they will undoubtedly stick to the
oldfashioned way of reproducing themselves’ in unlimited numbers by swar-
ming, until in »many centuries we will be able to produce a non — swar-
ming race of highly active bees«. —

Until these centuries expire, we — and for that matter many gene-
tations after us — will have to figure with the given facts and circumstances.
These are: the immense prolificness, industry, vitality, hardiness and gentleness
of the Carniolan Alpine bee, and the certainty that by giving her plenty of
room, shade and ventilation, by rationally attendig to brood and drone
cells, in general, by understanding her characteristics — we can regulate
the swarming of this strain of bees like a clock can be regulated by
an expert.

Take away from the Carniolan Alpine bee her prolificness — what is
nothing else than the indomitable impulse and symptom of natural vigor
and strength — and you have killed her industry, her vitality, her hardiness —
increased you have by doing this only her gentleness, because she wont
stir, even if you squeeze her betwenn your fingers — a dead bee —

13

10. Scenic Views of the »Home of the Carniolan
Alpine Bee«.

The scenic illustrations we present to the bee — keepers and readers
of this booklet, offer views of places where the Alpine bee is especially
extensively reared and cultivated. The vicinity of the Alps, and the diversity
and richness of the flora of the land, ‘have created idealistic conditions for
the succesful development of apiculture. The flora of Carniola is the most
interesting of all Europa, and there.jare hundreds of alpine plants that
nowhere else are to be found. Most of them bear fragrant blossoms, filled
with the finest nectar and healing powers, highly esteemed in the medical world.

The dukedom of Carniola is an ‘Austrian province situated in the
South of the Empire and populated by the Slovenes, a branch of the south —
slavic race. The Slovenes came in the 6. century in the land, establishing
an independent state that existed as such until the middle of the 8. century.
After many political adventures Carniola became in the year 1335 a pro-
vince of Austria. ;

Regarding natural beauties, scenic charms and strange mysterious
natural features, Carniola must be given place among the first, and in
many respects it surpasses all other countrics of Europe. We mention here
only the wonderful grotto of Postojna (Adelsberg) visited yearly by many
thousands of tourists.

The cuts of the scenic views were generously lend by the »Tourists
Clubs, 8 Miklogié street, Ljubljana (Laibach).

An Alpine Hive Carrier in Her Festive Attire.

*"sdajaw cogz ‘AvpBiay,

‘Wossay queaH puev aswung ‘paig

‘arb sdiy ueyne
uvpomavy aq} Jo yead ysaqbig aq} Jo joo} aq} ye vdIajsig vyslulgog abuylA

Kranjska gota. Village at the foot of Razor. Summer and Health Ressott.

‘JAossay g}eaH puy aswwing ‘vuvajslop= abeyIA

J. Blasnik’s successors, Ljubljana.

The Carniolan gray-banded alpine bee ...