.... but evidence does suggest that mr mraz queens were (how to say this politely) less that average (I think it was Eisenhower who said that half the world was less than average). actually (referencing mental notes only) in a blind test of a half dozen us queen breeders mr mraz queens were dead last (or to put it more in the mode of the test 100% of his queen were superseceded within 60 days of being installed).
I remember the article in Gleanings, wasn't it? I even told a story about it at his memorial service. Ill get to that in a minute.
You say 100% of his queens were superceded within 60 days. I don't remember that part, but may be as you say. I believe the queens were raised in North Carolina by a queen producer there. I can't remember the man's name, but it was Harrells, North Carolina. Queens raised by this gentleman, brom breeders supplied by Mraz. At the time, several of us questioned the test. How can you judge the quality of a stock, or the value of a man's life work, using 12 queens? 12 queens raised by someone else. Doesn't the fact that all 12 were superceded raise a flag? Perhaps the problem was in the hands of the rearer, and not the breeder.
I knew Charlie, and am still friends with his family. In fact, I'm having supper on Monday with his son and grandson. I knew his bees, and still do. They in fact, are quite good. They winter well here in Northern Vermont. He raised his bees for so long in the same place, from survivors, that they really became in tune with his location. His main operation was, and is in Addison County Vermont. Great farm land for dairy. Massive fields for this region, on lake layed clay. The Mraz's are religious about not feeding sugar. The bees make it or perish.
The flow in that county is a bit different than other areas in the Champlain Valley. There is almost no fall flow. Sometimes a bit of alfalfa from third cut that was allowed to bloom. Basically, there's a good early flow, which shuts down in late July. Rarely is there any goldenrod or aster.
His bees are geared to make their crop from the early flow, and then shut down. They are conservative in that respect. They winter in a deep, with a medium below and on top. These hives are heavy as lead going into winter.
One thing the study did get right...his bees were quite defensive. I used to put my veil on before I got out of the truck. A flaw easily fixed, but Charlie didn't think it was a flaw. He thought bee venom was good medicine. I've seen him taking off honey...never wore a veil. Stingers hanging out of his nose, and him like they weren't there. But that was his medicine, and he claims venom saved him from scarlet fever damage to his body.
So, the story.
After the study was published, that claimed Charlie's bees were mean, he published his own article. I remember the picture of him standing there in his underwear. He said "He worked a hundred colonies a day in his BVD's, and his bees weren't mean to him. In fact, getting stung a lot would make a man of you."
Well, a woman wrote a letter to the editor of Gleanings. She told how "she respected Charlie, and enjoyed reading his columns. But one thing she couldn't agree with. No matter how many times she was stung by her bees, it was never going to make a man out of her."
Touchet!