November, igii. 



American Vee Journal 



ing result; The 3 unpropected heads 

 weighed 18 grains, while the 3 protected 

 ones weighed only 4 grains. 



Here was. I considered, strong evidence 

 in favor of clover requiring aid to fertiliza- 

 tion. However. I went further, and allowed 

 them to dry for a fortnight, after which they 

 weighed as follows; 3 unprotected heads. 

 II grains; 3 protected heads. 2,''2 grains. 



I next separated the seeds, and found in 

 those unprotected: No. i head. 112 seeds; 

 No. 2 head. OQ seeds; No. 3 head, 03 seeds. 

 Total. 104 Average per head. loi. Weight 

 of seeds. 8)7 grains. On examining the pro- 

 tected heads, after a long and diligent 

 search. I was unable to find a single seed. 

 ♦^ 



Value of Bees in the Orchard. — At a 



recent meeting of the Vermont Horti- 

 cultural Society, much emphasis was 

 made upon the keeping of bees, says an 

 exchange. Last season was wet and 

 cold in the spring, and not conducive 

 to a good fruit crop, and those who 

 Iiave set and cared for large orchards 

 of their own have observed that the 

 orchands, or parts of orchards, near 

 colonies of bees bore well, while those 

 at a distance did not. The apple-blos- 

 som is so constructed as to render the 

 work of bees necessary to pollenization. 



This is the reason why trees bear so 

 much better and more evenly in warm, 

 dry seasons. 



One speaker said that he had about 

 50 colonies in and about his orchard, 

 and his orchard bore heavily last year, 

 which was not a good fruit-year in 

 Vermont. 



Mr. and Nrs. A. I. Root's Golden Wed- 

 ding was celebrated at Medina, Ohid, 

 Sept. :J9, Ism. The anniversary dinner 

 occurred at the home of Mr. and Mrs. 

 J. T. Calvert. The -5 children and D 

 grand-children of Mr. and Mrs. Root 

 were all present. Full-page portraits 

 of the honored couple appear in Glean- 

 ings in Bee Culture for Oct. 1. Judg- 

 ing from their youthful appearance we 

 see no reason why they should not live 

 to celebrate their Diamond Wedding 

 anniversary in VXX. 



The hundreds of thousands of bee- 

 keepers all over the world will join in 

 extending congratulations to ^Ir. and 

 Mrs. Root upon their long and joyful 

 wedded life, and wish them yet many 

 years of happiness together. The 

 American Bee Journal unites with all 

 the rest in this sincere congratulation 

 and hope. 



^ 



Bee-Keeping in Cuba We have re- 

 ceived the following consular reports 

 on bee-culture and its products in 

 Cuba, which will no doubt be read with 

 interest by many, coming, as they do, 

 backed with the authority of our Gov- 

 ernment : 

 (Krom Consul Max J. B.\ehr. Cienfuegos.^ 



The most reliable authorities available 

 give the date of the introduction of the 

 honey-bee into Cuba as the year 1704. when 

 the common German or black bee was 

 brought to the island from Florida. 



It is only in recent years that Italian bees 

 have been imported into this country. So 

 far they are considered by bee-keepers as 

 the best species both for honey and for wax. 

 There are so many of the native apiaries 

 that have only the German or black bees, 

 however, that it is difficult for the owners 

 of the Italian bees to keep them absolutely 

 pure. The cross between tlie German and 

 the Italian bees is the usual hybrid found 

 in Cuba; and while not so gentle to handle 

 as the pure Italians, they are usually good 

 honey gatherers. 



Exports and Production. 



In 1003 the exportation of honey from this 



port to the United States amounted to S41323. 

 in 1006 to $821. in IQ07 to S200. nothing in 1008 

 and IQOQ. and Su4 in loio. Thus it can be said 

 that since 1005 practically all honey shipped 

 through this port was sent to Europe, and 

 principally to the ports of Hamburg, Bre- 

 men, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp. 

 The total amount exported from this section 

 during 1008 was 68.S00 gallons; 190Q, 6q. 000 gal- 

 lons; and lOio, 62, soo gallons. 



These quantities, with an additional loper- 

 cent, comprise approximately the total pro- 

 duction in the Cienfuegos district, as it is 

 calculated that the local consumption does 

 not exceed 10 percent. 



All the honey here is collected from hives 

 of American manufacture, and taken by ex- 

 tractors, also of American production, 



(From Consular Agent P, B. Anderson, 

 Caibarien,) 



Most of the honey sent from Caibarien is 

 produced outside the district, coming to 

 this port largely from along the coast east- 

 ward as far as 160 miles. The principal cen- 

 ters for honey-production are at Yaguajay. 

 21 miles distant; Mayajigua. 30 miles east- 

 ward; Punta Alegre, Chambas. Maron. 

 Remedios. Vueltas, Camajuani. Zulueta. 

 Placetas. and along the line of the Cuba 

 Railway Company as far as CiegodeAvila 

 and Sancti Spiritus. 



The honey season is recognized as extend- 

 ing from November to March, inclusive, and 

 the yield variesin quantity with the weather 

 during these months. The hives employed 

 are nearly all of native manufacture, from 

 the hollowed trunks of trees, although there 

 are in use some improved wooden hives im- 

 ported from the United States. The hoqey 

 is extracted from the native hives by the 

 simple process of scraping it out; with 

 modern hives the frames are lifted out and 

 the honey then extracted. In the rural dis- 

 tricts, the contents of the hives are placed 

 in a sack or cloth through which the fluid 

 drains. It is then put in tierces and barrels 

 and shipped, mostly to Europe. 



The season ending with March. loio. 

 showed shipments from Caibarien amount- 

 ing to 24.000 gallons. The yield for the sea- 

 son ending with March, loii. is estimated at 

 18.000 to 22,000 gallons of honey, and 16.000 to 

 18.000 pounds of wax. 



There are no local dealers in hives. The 

 small number of imported hives used are 

 purchased in Havana. 



(From Consular Agent Dean R, Wood. 

 Nuevitas. 



Beekeeping is extensively carried on all 

 over this district, and forms a standard and 

 profitable industry, particularly when given 

 proper care and attention. Some of the na- 

 tive black bees are considered good workers, 

 but experienced personssay that the Italians 

 resist certain diseases better, and therefore 

 are preferable. Most of the forest trees and 

 shrubs in Cuba flower at some time of the 

 year, and each produces its part for the 

 benef t of the bee-keeper. 



Such apparatus as is imported into Cuba, 

 at least into this district, comes entirely 

 from the United States, but merchants here 

 never carry such articles in stock, and each 

 individual orders for himself when wanted. 

 Although a considerable quantity of the wax 

 and honey produced in this district event- 

 ually is sent to the United States and other 

 countries, no large part is shipped direct 

 from this port, but is sent to Havana, and. 

 no doubt, exported from there. During igio 

 wax to the value of Jib.286, and honey worth 

 $4220, were exported from Nuevitas direct to 

 the United States, 



(From Consular Agent .John F. Jova. Sagua 

 la Grande.) 



In this section there are some 780 colonies 

 of bees. 480 of them housed in primitive na- 

 tive hives, and 300 in modern hives. The 

 native hive is made fron: a hollowed log 3 or 

 4 feet long, and permits of the collecting of 

 but one crop of honey in a year, the average 

 yield being 5 or 6 gallons of honey and 3 or 4 

 pounds of wax per hive. As the honey can 

 not be selected in gathering, it brings a lower 

 price than when the frame is used and a 

 careful selection made. Frame hives gen- 

 erally yield 8 or gallons of honey per year. 

 Both the frame hives and the barrels used 

 for shipping honey are imported from the 

 United States. 



There are no regular dealers in honey in 

 Sagua la Grande. The trade is carried on 

 through retail grocers ibodegueros). who 

 forward both honey and wax to Havana. It 

 is said that formerly shipments were made 

 direct to the United States, but at present 

 bee-keepers seem to prefer to deal through 

 Havana, even at a lower price. 



(From Consul R. E. Holaday. Santiago de 

 Cuba.) 



The value of the annual production of 

 honey and wax in eastern Cuba ascends, un- 

 der normal conditions, to the respectable 

 sum of $200,000. and constitutes one of the 

 most important of the special industries for 

 the man of small capital. 



The business is confined to certain of the 

 hill districts, and to sparsely cultivated 

 river valleys, as the blossoms of wild plants 

 are mainly depended upon to furnish the 

 supply. Apiaries are found, however, on 

 most coffee and cacao estates, as a very 

 good, though dark, quality of honey is de- 

 rived from the blossoms of these trees. An 

 apiary is. therefore, a very valuable subsid- 

 iary asset to the coffee and cacao grower. 



It is a fact, however, that apiculture here 

 is far behind the United States; due prob- 

 ably to the fact that few persons are en- 

 gaged in the business exclusively, and to 

 the disinclination of the natives to adopt 

 more modern appliances for hiving and 

 handling the bees and manipulating the crop. 



Annual Production— Methods Employed 



No statistics are published by the Slate as 

 to the annual honey-production and the 

 value thereof. It is estimated, however, 

 from the most reliable sources obtainable, 

 that the production for the 1000-10 season 

 was 250.000 gallons of honey, valued at Sioo,ooo. 

 and 255.000 pounds of wax worth Sb6.300. The 

 crop was considerably below the average, 

 on account of the drouth prevailing during 

 that year. The annual production of a col- 

 ony of bees in an .American hive, under nor- 

 mal conditions, is stated to be 20 gallons of 

 honey, and 3!*2 to 4 pounds of wax; and in a 

 native hive from 12 to 15 gallons of honey, 

 and 2/2 to 3 pounds of wax, A colony or hive 

 of bees is worth from $4 00 to $4.'^o. 



As the climatic conditions in Cuba are 

 such that the bees work practically every 

 day in the year, honey may be collected 

 from the hives at any time, but two principal 

 crops are generally realized from the indus- 

 try. The spring crop usually begins with 

 the first rains in March or April, and lasts 

 until June or July; and the fall crop begins 

 in September and lasts until February, 

 Those apiculturists who use American hives 

 are able to take honey from the hives at any 

 time, thereby affording the bees opportu- 

 nity to work advantageously and also secur- 

 ing considerable increase of production. 



The native Cuban hive consists solely of 

 a cedar log about 4 feet in length, hollowed 

 out, and split through the center so that one 

 part can be laid over the other. Usually a 

 weight of some kind is placed over the top 

 to hold the two pieces together, though 

 sometimes a staple is used to accomplish 

 this. The more progressive apiarists use 

 extractors for separating the honey from the 

 comb, but many of the natives use common 

 jute-bag suspended from a vessel into which 

 the fluid is allowed to drip while the comb 

 remains in the bag. 



The value of bee-hives imported into the 

 island for the fiscal year 1007^ w-as Sboo. and 

 for 1008-0, S2770; the value of all other apicul- 

 tural apparatus was $5t>7 and S545 for these 

 same periods, respectively. Bee-hives and 

 other oee-keepers' supplies imported into 

 Cuba are exempt from duty. 



Most of the honey and beeswax produced 

 in Santiago de Cuba Province is exported to 

 the Netherlands and Germany. The value 

 of the honey shipped from this Province to 

 the United States in 1005 was S3164. and in 

 iQio. $4300; and the value of the beeswax 

 $10,207 and St>o8o respectively, 



(A list of the principal producers of honey 

 in the Cienfuegos district, and one of mer- 

 chants handling bee-keepers' supplies in 

 Santiago de Cuba, forwarded by theconsuls. 

 may be obtained from the Bureau of Manu- 

 factures,) 



. -^ 



Discontinuing Subscriptions to Bee- 

 Papers. — Occasionally we receive a let- 

 ter similar to the following : 



A very poor year for me on bees. So don't 

 send the American Bee Journal any more if 

 vou expect me to pay for it, as I can't afford 

 it. Subscriber. 



This was also a case where the sub- 

 scriber was owing on his subscription 

 for 4 months, but said nothing what- 

 ever about paying what was past due. 



Of course, it is very fortunate that 

 the publishers of any bee-paper do not 

 receive many letters like the foregoing, 

 for if all subscribers would do the same 



