708 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1. 



comb apiaries on the island have been intro- 

 duced, directly or indirectly, by Americans. 

 Besides the movable-comb apiaries in Cuba, 

 there are box-hive ranches scattered all over 

 the island, some of them containing as many as 

 1000 hives. This, though, is the exception 

 instead of the general average, as that runs 

 more approximately between 35 and 125 colo- 

 nies. These box-hive apiaries yield upon an 

 average about 35 lbs. per colony. The wax 

 product frequently exceeds that of honey in 

 money value. 



BRITISH CONSUL GENERAL'S REPORT. 



This "Report" for 1892 (which was a good 

 honey year) places the exported honey for that 

 year at 2359 hogsheads (each holding about 100 

 gallons net), valued at about 190,360. France 

 bought 1146 hogsheads; Germany. 653; the 

 United States, 354. The remainder found pur- 

 chasers in Holland, Belgium, Spain, and the 

 Canary Islands. According to the above it can 

 readily be seen that E'rance buys more than 

 half of the Cuban honey. Since 1893 France 

 has become a still heavier purchaser. The 

 wax product the same year amounted to 13,057 

 arrobas (25 lbs. per arroba), valued at $97,937.50, 

 or more than S7000 greater than the value of 

 honey produced, Spain and the Canary Islands 

 being by far the largest purchasers, as they 

 bought 8967 arrobas; the United States was 

 next in the list of purchasers, taking 2486 ar- 

 robas; France bought 1492 arrobas. The re- 

 maining 113 found purchasers in Puerto Rico 

 and Central America. 



FLORAL VEGETATION. 



On leaving Havana in the winter months 

 (from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15), and taking a route 

 for the country, one is astonished at the thou- 

 sands of little bell-like flowers growing upon 

 the hedges and highways. The number of 

 these flowers increases as one gets further away 

 from close cultivation of the soil. It does not 

 take a close observer, either, to tell that bees 

 are just roaring on these little white morning- 

 glory-like blossoms. These blossoms are the 

 bee-keepers' bonanza in Cuba. Without thim 

 bee-keeping here would soon vanish into the 

 distance. Nature, though, has been kind to 

 the honey industry here so far. Everywhere 

 one goes he finds an unoccupied location for an 

 apiary; that is, ample pasturage for one during 

 the dearth season (from April to November). 

 The royal palm blossom is the bee keeper's 

 greatest friend, especially in the province of 

 Havana. Down west of here in the province of 

 Pinar del Rio, there are many flowers during 

 the summer months. There the bee-keeper has 

 the advantages of two honey-flows during a 

 year; but as there are poor shipping facilities, 

 the bees are generally managed so as to secure 

 as much wax as possible, thus avoiding the 

 necessity of such expensive hauling. 



Going east as far as the province of Santiago 



de Cuba one finds another change in the floral 

 family. Here the campanilla (bell-flower) van- 

 ishes entirely, and its place is supplied by sev- 

 eral large and valuable trees (for timber), which 

 yield honey. Among the best honey- producers 

 one finds the Veria, the quebrahacha (ax- 

 breaker), so named for its hardness, and the 

 yaguey, all of these blooming in the summer 

 months, the honey season there being from 

 August until December. However, from what 

 information I have at hand I am of the opinion 

 that the provinces of Puerto Principe, Santa 

 Clara, and Pinar del Rio are far supn iur to this 

 province (Havana) and Matanza*; lor the pro- 

 duction of honey. 



THE FUTURE OF THE CUBAN HONEY INDUSTRY. 



If this war closes (and we all believe it will 

 some day), and a radical change is made in the 

 administration of the government, the honey 

 industry in Cuba will doubtless recfMve an im- 

 petus that will make the business beti^r known 

 and appreciated. As it is, the taxes paid in 

 Cuba amount to over $16.00 per capita, while in 

 the United States we pay only a little over .¥6.00. 

 But what is dreaded mo^t here is, that, when 

 this war is ended, there will be nothing left but 

 ash-heaps, and the soil of what was once beau- 

 tiful and inviting. 



Punta Brava de Guatao, Cuba. Aug. 1. 



THE GABUS AND OTHER CLOSED END-FRAME 

 HIVES. 



REVERSIBLE FRAMES; HOW TO WINTER NU- 

 CLEI, ETC. 



Dr. C. C. Miitcr;— Referring to the Gabus 

 hive, as illustrated in Gleanings for March 

 1st. 1896, it serms to me to have many features 

 to recommend it: 



1. Its cheapness, the clos'd-end standing 

 frames constituting two of the sides of the hive. 



3. Its adaptability to expansion and contrac- 

 tion. 



?. The frames are reversible. 



1. Would you plea>:e comment on this hive, 

 and state what the result would b.' of reversing 

 the end comb when full of honey, and placing 

 it in the center of the brood-nest during a mod- 

 erate honey-flow ? Would the honey be carried 

 above and placed in the super? 



3. What plan would you recommend for the 

 preservation of two nuclei of, say, four Lang- 

 stroih frames each, during the winter, it being 

 desired to keep the queens in readiness to re- 

 place any that are lost in early spring? 



3. Do you think well of the scheme of breed- 

 ing up in 10 frames and contracting to 8 when the 

 super is put on ? Will it not induce swarming? 



4. Is it not a good idea to make the founda- 

 tion for sections drone-cell size? 



5. Has the patent on the Heddon hive ex- 

 pired? 



6. Please give us your experience with the 



