> By so doing we don't create better stock from the top but by raising the floor. 

Here I agree with Randy. By selection, you cannot create anything. You are merely propagating the best you already have. If you have a high performing colony, you try to populate your hives with their offspring, with the aim of high performance throughout. 

This is why I mentioned Bro. Adam and hybrids. By hybridizing existing races, there is a potential for creating a new racial hybrid. Conversely, breeders have crossed  highly inbred lines to get heterosis. These crosses may have qualities not seen in the original types. With this type of breeding large leaps can be made.

One can raise production, or enhance beneficial traits through selection, but wirh hybridization new types may be produced. Whether these are useful or not, is another matter. They may be very good or very bad. 

PLB 

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