Peter L. Borst <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>My chief point is that *I doubt that* the Americans would have mounted a
>huge effort to replace the entire population of honey bees in the New 
World
>were it not for their perception that the Italian was a *much better bee*.
>That's all. I wasn't there, so I don't know.


Hello Peter,

Here’s an article concerning the great Italian bee / Black bee debate
from some who were there:

The Cedar Valley Times 
February 16, 1865 Cedar Rapids, Iowa

====Start====

Agriculture Department 

Italian Bee

“We would like to hear from the experience of
our subscribes with the Italian bees; who
have none for sale, as we find that these who
make a business of rearing and selling these
bees, are not as reliable as they might be under
other circumstances.  We have seen no
evidence yet that satisfies us that apiarians
would increase their profits by introducing
Italian bees into their apiaries.

It appears from general statements that these 
bees are stronger than our native bees, and can
work in cold weather, also that they are great
robbers of the hives of our native or black 
bees.  To breed the Italian bees pure is scarcely 
possible, unless one takes them where no
black bees exist within three miles of them.
It is, therefore, a settled fact, that a single family,
of Italian bees will soon destroy the purity
of a whole apiary of native bees; and it is a
question of importance, is such hybridizing 
beneficial of otherwise?”

We cut the above paragraphs from an article
on Italian bees in the Rural American. We
are somewhat surprised to see such a query
from the source from which it comes.  We 
believe Mr. Miner, the editor of the American
professes to have done more or less with bees
for some twenty years past.

We have done everything with the Italian
bees, and, as we have none for sale, (not so
much as one queen,) perhaps a brief statement
of fact concerning our observations and experience
may be deemed "reliable."

In March last, we purchased of Mr. O. D.
Bent of Iowa City, one stand of the Italians.
They were received in good condition, though
brought through by railroad and team fifty five
miles by the latter conveyance in a common
lumber wagon and over a rough road.
The swarm was a light one, as we found on
examination, both in numbers and stores, a
condition which promised no very flattering
success, on the start at least. We determined
to give them a fair trial with our native bees,
and among other things to test their honesty.
The hive was placed upon a stand between two
native swarms and distant from each about
twenty feet—one a very strong colony, and
the other a very weak one. Early in June, the
Italians gave out a very heavy swarm in the
natural way, which was immediately transferred
from the bush to a Langstroth hive. Inside
of twenty days subsequent, a second swarm
came out, and which was placed in a box hive
fourteen inches square in the clear, filled with
movable comb frames. Early in August four
full frames of honey were removed from the
first new swarm, and their places supplied with
empty ones, and at the same time, the six supers
(extra boxes) put in place.  At the
close of the season the main body of the hive
and three of the extra boxes were full, and considerable
progress made in the other three.
The swarm which came out last, filled every
frame in the hive plump full—leaving between
some of the combs scarcely space enough for a
single bee to pass. We have never before seen
combs packed so close.

So much for the Italians, while we have no
increase to report from either of the two swarms
of native bees. Nor do we think that the
stronger swarm of the two, stored so much
honey, or were so strong in numbers at the
time we housed them for the winter, as were
either of the two Italian colonies. After what
appears to us to be a fair trial of the two kinds
of bees, side by side, we are forced to the conclusion
that of two colonies of equal size, the
Italians will accomplish a vest deal more than
the natives. We find the former much more
active and hardy than the latter. They are
out at an earlier hour in the morning and work
later night. We hare repeatedly visited the
hives before sunrise and found the Italians
moving in large force, while nary native was
to be seen about.

The Italians are charged with possessing an
insatiable appetite for marauding, but so far as
our observation goes, their propensities for robbing
are not more manifest than those of the
black bee. We watched them very closely,
and the condition of ether swarms, from the
time of their introduction to the close of the
season, without discovering any molestation of
neighbors. So far, we do not think the Italian
bee has been over rated. However, we will
see whether another season's experience will
present a different phase. We would advise
no one to dabble with queens alone for the purpose
of improving their native swarms, because
we do not believe that one person out of fifty
would meet with success. Have a full swarm
or none.—Iowa Homestead.

=====End=====

Best Wishes,

Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA   
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' 
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles

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