1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



337 



posed mainly of Heddon hives. Dr. Villar 

 is also interested in the production of comb 

 honey, and gave me some samples of honey 

 he had just produced. After our visit at his 

 place we proceeded out to Catalina, where I 

 had a most enjoyable visit with Mr. Somer- 

 ford. Our trip from Guines to Catalina took 

 us past some of the most magnificent sugar- 

 cane I had ever seen. Mr. Somerford is con- 

 siderabl}' interested in the production of su- 

 gar, and believes there is much more encour- 

 agement for investment in this than in bee 

 culture. The verv low prices prevailing for 

 honey, and the diilficulties encountered by bee- 

 keepers, are not calculated to encourage in- 

 vestments in this line. Mr. Somerford is a 

 genial companion, and I regretted that, to 

 keep a previous engagement, I was obliged to 

 leave him early in the afternoon He is well 

 and favorablj' known throughout Havana 

 Province by all classes. Our friend Riggs, 

 who lives a good many miles away, told me, 

 if I did not find Mr. Somerford easily, to ask 

 any one I met for Senor Frederico, and he 

 would be able to tell me where Mr. S. lived, 

 as he is so well known because of the service 

 he rendered during the late war. Mr. Somer- 

 ford's apiary is under a shed, as will be seen 

 by the engraving below. 



The following day, in company with Harry 

 Howe, I made a visit out to Candelaria, and 

 to the apiary of Glen Moe. Mr. Moe's suc- 

 cess has been quite phenomenal. Starting 

 with almost no experience in this line less 

 than a year ago, he now has nearly 200 colo- 

 nies, and has secured upward of 20,000 lbs. of 

 honey already. Such a result in the LTnited 

 States would be the means of inducing many 

 to embark in this business. Conditions are. 



APIARY OF F. O. SOMERFORD. 



of course, very different in Cuba, for this hon- 

 ey has to be sold at 35 or 40 cts. per gallon in 

 Havana, which leaves a very small profit to 

 the producer. 



The following Friday I spent in sight-see- 

 ing in Havana. In company with Harry Howe 

 I visited Forts El Morro and Cabanas, the old 



cathedral, and many other interesting places, 

 not least of which were O'Reilly and Obispo 

 Streets. These streets, as will be seen from 

 the picture below, are very narrow, while they 

 are perhaps the most popular and fashionable 

 shopping streets in the city. 



A STREET IN HAVANA. 



During my visit in Cuba there had been lit- 

 tle or no rain so far ; but on the morning I 

 was to take my departure for the States there 

 came a terrific rain. I have not been able to 

 learn from my Cuban friends whether such a 

 rain is usual there or not, but this is how I 

 found O'Reilly Street at ten o'clock, Jan. 4. 



You will notice the vehicles are wading 

 through water up to their hubs. Our readers 

 will bear in mind that this is a paved street. 

 To the credit of Havana I ought to say that I 

 presume this thing does not occur very often. 

 The water simply rushed down so fast over 

 the paved street from three directions that it 

 was very deep before it could get out the other 

 way. The sewerage is so badly planned that 

 it is not able to take care of such a downfall. 



GRANULATED HONEY IN SECTIONS OF PRE- 

 VIOUS YEAR. 



Doolittle's Statement Questioned. 



BY MRS. A. J. B.\RBER. 



When I see a statement like the one on page 

 137 I feel like saying something contrary, even 

 if it is a Doolittle who makes the statement. 

 I had to look twice to assure myself that it 

 cvas Doolittle's name at the top of the article. 

 Well, they must have a different kind of hon- 

 ey, or else the bees are more particular in 

 New York than they are in Colorado. When 

 we put on left-over sections here we always 

 have trouble about granulating. You can 

 take a section off the hive after they have fin- 

 ished it, and hold it to the light, and, instead 

 of looking clear, it will be opaque or milky ; 

 and if you cut into it you will find the middle 

 of it a soft grainy mess that will harden very 



