There are several ways of training the bushes; some use stakes. This we consider an expensive practice, unless it be for garden planting, when very close planting is required and it is not wished to have a spreading bush. Our method consists in training them while they are growing. When 18 inches high pinch off with the fingers, or where a field is to be pruned we have found a pair of large scissors, with blades 5 inches long, to be an excellent thing to prune with; with them we can prune a row as fast as we can walk. You will need to prune the patch 2 or 3 times each season. In the spring, when the plants are one year old, prune or cut off all the laterals within 12 or 18 inches of the main stock before they start to grow; the second season out the dead wood and train the laterals so as to make the rows like a hedge; nip or cut off the new shoots when 3 feet high. In this way they bear larger and better fruit, are more convenient to pick, and are not blown down by the wind, as the bushes support each other.
The red varieties are increased by suckers or sprouts from the roots. They may be cultivated 2 seasons, and if needed for honey more than choice fruit, they may be allowed to occupy the ground. The black caps are increased from tips, i.e. by the ends of the vines taking root. The Doolittle, Mammoth Cluster and Home Sweet Home are especially adapted to cultivate in hedge rows, on account of their stock canes.
Farmers might load their tables with this delicious, health giving fruit the year round, by setting 25 plants of Doolittle for early, and 100 of Sweet Home for late use and canning.
New Boston, Ill.
For the American Bee Journal.
Apis Americana.
E. A. THOMAS.
There has been much discussion of late about “How to obtain the best race of bees,” and I notice there is a great diversity of opinion in regard to it. I fully agree with the editor of the American Bee Journal that the coming bee will be the Apis Americana, a cross between our present Italians and some other race, and I believe that, although there are but few who hold that opinion now, the time is not far distant when the majority of the apiarists of America will acknowledge the superiority of the American strain of Italians.
During the past few years there has been a mania among bee-keepers for imported stock which has steadily increased up to the present time, but which I sincerely hope has now reached its height. Do not understand by this that I object to all importations for I do not, but only to those careless and almost reckless ones that, instead of improving, will cause the deterioration of our present excellent strain. So long as queen breeders in Italy know that any queens they may see fit to send to America will be accepted just because they came from Italy, just so long will some of them take advantage of such knowledge to ship to this country queens they would not be willing to use themselves, and which American bee-keepers would not accept as a gift if they knew what stock they sprang from. But only let them understand that they must send only the very best and purest that Italy can afford, or lose the American trade, and they will be more careful how they try to impose upon the credulity of American bee-keepers. There are many good reliable breeders in Italy, and those who are desirous of importing should search them out and give such their orders, and give all others a severe “letting alone.” But to return to my subject. When an apiarist becomes, satisfied that he has an excellent strain of bees he should be very careful how he introduces new blood into his apiary, I care not from what source it comes whether from Italy or a home breeder, until he has thoroughly tested it and found it to be good. Many a bee-keeper after having obtained a class of bees that did credit to America and which bid fair to become worthy of the name Apis Americana, not content to let “well enough alone,” has ruined his stock by introducing foreign blood that was as worthless as it was cheap. For the improvement of our present strain of bees I would suggest that queen breeders exchange queens from their working stock and make a careful record of the result of the cross. When they get a cross that is an improvement on their own bees let them breed from it and introduce the blood into their apiary. Thus by crossing the best blood in the country we may hope to obtain a strain of Italians that will rival those found in Italy, and which will be exported to all parts of Europe.
As regards the color of our bees, I beg to differ with those who consider it necessary to breed dark colored bees in order to obtain good honey gatherers. I have bred both dark and light colored, and I am satisfied that my present strain, which is as handsome as any one need wish for, has excelled anything I ever had or saw. If breeders will work carefully and use every means in their power to improve their bees, we may live to see Mr. Newman’s prophecy come true, and the Apis Americana have a world-wide fame.