692 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15 



along- we would have reached the end of 

 the railroad at Pinar del Rio. I gather 

 from Mr. Brown, of Tulipan, who has been 

 there, that there is but very little induce- 

 ment for bee-keepers in that quarter, or in 

 the center of this end. All agree, however, 

 that there is plenty of good pasturage all 

 along the coast. All of these towns in this 

 portion of the island are centers for tobac- 

 co culture. The best tobacco in the world 

 is grown here, and under the general term 

 of the Vuelta Abajo district. Leaf tobac- 

 co of suitable texture and firmness for ci- 

 gar wrappers commands $10 per pound. 

 The blossom on the tobacco-plant is yellow, 

 and with a long tube no bee can enter here. 

 Having made up my mind to try bee-keep- 

 ing- in Cuba, Mr. Moe and I consulted to- 

 gether harmoniously, with the result that I 

 selected Taco Taco, nine miles from Mr. 

 Moe's nearest apiary, as a good point in 

 which to commence operations, and these 

 lines are written in said town; and a little 

 strange, is it not? I am the only "Ameri- 

 cano" in town. I will tell you about my 

 fix in a strange country and with a foreign 

 tongue a little later. The day's outini,'- 

 gave Mr. Moe a let-up from his duties. In 

 fact, the bees were not gathering much hon- 

 ey at that time. I find that bee-men are 

 not extracting in Cuba all the time. Cold 

 waves in the States are felt here, and affect 

 the honey- flow. 



DOGS TO WATCH SWARMS. 



2u\x/2^cftrvitfi^rntrt, c^/f***^ 



w.-^ ^CTiM-e, , <Sj~a.<if*/r Sit. ; "^ 



%J-^^ 



You will observe, from what I have writ- 

 ten about Mr. Moe's bee-keeping in this 

 Ramble, that he has really outgrown the 

 Coggshall shoes, and thrown them aside; 

 and while he is grateful fdr the charm they 

 brought him he now prefers to stand in his 

 own Cuban shoes. Vale the zapato^, 



The Sagacity and Usefulness of one Animal ; what 

 Dogs to Select, and bow Train. 



BY H. S. FERRY. 



I see in Gleanings of July 15, page 612, 

 an item entitled "Dogs to Watch Swarms." 

 Some one asks if there has ever been a dog 

 trained to watch swarms, and notify of 

 same. Inclosed I send 5'ou a photograph 

 of a dog, kennel, and apiary, and take plea- 

 sure in telling how useful he is in swarming 



H. S. FERRY. 



time. This dog is half Newfoundland and 

 half St. Bernard, both thoroughbred. The 

 kennel has a four-light window, where he 

 can see the apiary ; and if there is any 

 thing unusual going on in the apiary he is 

 sure to notify us. If there should be a 

 swarm or an extra buzzing in the apiary, 

 he is sure to call some of us before they 

 alight or leave the yard. I never have had 

 a swarm of bees leave the yard as long as 

 this dog has been in charge. He weighs 

 ISO lbs., has a good disposition, and under- 

 stands the nature of the bees as well as any 

 dumb creature can, and much better than 

 some human beings. He will go among the 

 bees. They do not seem to meddle with 

 him. He is not afraid of them, and is kind 

 to his owners and those who take care of 

 him, but is proof against intruders. So far 

 as value is concerned, he is beyond price. 

 Money would not buy him. You will notice 

 how much we think of him and appreciate 

 him, by the expense that I have been to 

 to build him his home, which is carpeted, 

 paint^tj, slated, and elevated, so that it 



