236 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15 



lbs. As nearly as I can learn as to the 

 Cuban crop for the past year, it has been 

 equal to if not more than the California 

 yield. 



I doubt if California ever produced 10,- 

 000,000 lbs.; but I am credibly informed 

 that, before the war, when there were more 

 apiaries than at present, the product was 

 over that amount in Cuba. 



A marked difference in the yields of Cal- 

 ifornia and Cuba is that the former often 

 has failures, but the latter none. The 

 smaller area, then, of Cuba can be put 

 into the front ranks as a producer. 



At present virtually all of the honey pro- 

 duced is liquid, and probably ^^ of it is 

 handled by one firm in Havana — Bridat- 

 Montros Co. Price prevailing at present 

 is 34 to 37 cents per gallon. This honey 

 nearly all goes to Europe. 



Our friends in the States, I fear, are cast- 

 ing envious e3'^es toward Cuba, and think- 



So far as my observation goes, honey is 

 extracted too green ; the combs are but 

 slightly capped. Extracted in the coolest 

 portion of the year, there is but slight evap- 

 oration in the tank, and none where it is 

 put immediately into tierces. The same 

 honey, under a California sun, might be- 

 come equal in flavor to the best in the land. 

 I am confident, however, that there will be 

 a great change in the near future in the 

 production of honey in this island. Comb 

 honey will come to the front, and I am sure 

 the States can absorb large amounts of it 

 at fair prices. Cuban comb honey is thor- 

 oughly ripened, and fit for table use. I 

 would, therefore, caution the friends in the 

 States not to hold this Cuban honey trade 

 before their eyes as an immense lion. Lions 

 are mostly terrible in anticipation; and, 

 getting down to the birth of such lions, are 

 they not born of selfishness? 



Havana being the chief seaport of the is- 



THE CKAYCKAFT AND Dp; BKCHP: APIARY; PUENTES GRANDES. 



ing that a change to low tariff or free trade 

 will allow a flood of honey to flow into their 

 markets. Certainly honey is cheap enough 

 now in the States, and it might temporari- 

 ly affect the market should the several mil- 

 lion pounds produced in Cuba be added to 

 a large crop in the States; but the latter do 

 not get large crops every year. Then here 

 is this foreign safety-valve against ruinous- 

 ly low prices. 



I believe that, with the 20 cts. per gallon 

 duty off, there would be but little change 

 in the marketing and prices of Cuban ex- 

 tracted honey. It is used in foreign coun- 

 tries for manufacturing purposes, and, al- 

 though my Cuban friends protest when I 

 say so, I must say that Cuban extracted 

 honey will not find favor in the States as a 

 table honey beside California or New York 

 honey. 



land, and the chief landing-place for Amer- 

 icans, there are quite a number of bee-keep- 

 ers in and near the city, and several United 

 States employees and professional men are 

 interested in bees. 



The readers of Gleanings are familiar 

 with the name of Fred Craycraft. He is a 

 bee-keeper of many years' experience in 

 Cuba ; and, though at present holding a 

 good position in the custom-house, he is still 

 interested in the busy bee. 



Mr. DeBeche, manager of the A. I. Root 

 supply-house, and Mr. Craycraft are jointly 

 interested in two large apiaries — one at 

 Puentes Grandes, near Havana, and the 

 other at San Jose, 25 miles out. These api- 

 aries are directly cared for by native Cu- 

 bans, while the owners go out holidays and 

 Sundays to see that things are moving; and 

 I judge they are not afraid, when occasion 



