June, 1914. 



American Sae Journal 



they have been derived from the 

 wasps. It is a far cry indeed from 

 Prosopis to the honey-bee. 



The wild bees play a very important 

 part in the pollination of many plants 

 both in nature and under cultivation. 

 For thousands of years our American 

 flora was visited by no other bees than 

 the wild species; for the honey-bee 

 was not found in the Western Conti- 

 nent at the time of its discovery, but 

 was introduced later by the early set- 

 tlers. "The Indians, "saysWashington 

 Irving, "consider them (honey-bees) 

 as the harbinger of the white man, as 

 the buffalo is of the red man, and say 

 that in proportion as the bee advances 

 the Indian and the buffalo retire. It is 

 said * * * that they have 

 always been the heralds of civilization, 

 preceding it as it advanced from the 

 Atlantic borders." 



(I trust that some of the younger 

 readers of this paper will begin by 

 making a collection of the wild bees in 

 their locality the coming season ; but 

 before doing so they should write to 

 their State Experiment Station and 

 learn how to collect, pin and label 

 their specimens). 



Waljoboro, Maine. 



My Florida Visit 



BY HARRY LATHROP. 



BEFORE leaving for Florida, I had 

 written Mr, Wilder to look out for 

 a camping place for me and a few 

 old tin cans, as I would be only " a tin 

 can tourist." It was with much disap- 

 pointment that I learned, on my arrival 

 at Bradentown, that Mr. Wilder had 

 gone to his headquarters in Georgia 

 on account of the death of his general 

 foreman. I did not see him at all. 

 Attached is a picture of my camp. Per- 

 haps he can tell where it is ? I had 

 several informal visits with A. I. Root; 

 also met Ernest when he was down. 

 Herbert Clute, whom I knew when he 

 had an apiary at Greenwood, Wis., 

 lives at Palmetto, where he is doing 

 well with about 300 colonies of bees. I 

 had a nice visit with him and his good 

 wife. Herbert has traveled over every 

 part of the State. He says the bee- 



keeping territory lies in narrow strips 

 around lakes and bays, and at certain 

 local points. While one can do well 

 in beekeeping in Florida, it was my 

 impression that the States bordering 

 on Lake Michigan are far better ter- 

 ritory. 



Florida, to the northern man, is a 

 great botanical garden, a wonder 

 land full of beauty, such as he had 

 never dreamed of because so different 

 from northern scenery. It will pay 

 any beekeeper to make the trip, and 

 once he has seen it he will want to go 

 again. I had some nice times fishing 

 and boating, but most of the time I 

 spent among the truck farms and in 

 the forest, trying to learn all I could 

 about soils, plant growth, timber, fruit 

 and vegetables. I was informed they 

 had been picking strawberries since 

 Christmas, and the quality was as good 

 as the best we can produce. All the 

 vegetables were of excellent quality. I 

 reveled in sweet, luscious oranges; but 

 I learned one thing, that everybody 

 will have apples. I bought some in 

 spite of the fact that I had so many 

 other kinds of fruit. The apples sup- 

 plied were from the far distant State of 

 Washington. It would appear that 

 some of the central States could do as 

 well producing apples to supply these 

 markets as the Florida growers do in 

 citrus fruits. Go where you will, the 

 apple is the king of all fruits. 



We arrived back home April 1, and 

 found the bees in good condition in 

 the cellar. It was on my arrival at 

 home that I learned of the death of F. 

 B. Cavanagh. It gave me a sad heart. 

 While we did not agree as to the price 

 of honey, I loved him from the first 

 time I saw him, and esteemed him 

 highly. He was an honor to the indus- 

 try of beekeeping, and will be missed 

 at our gatherings. 



Bridgeport, Wis. 



Tunis or Punic Bees? 



BY A. LENOEL. 



IT is a rash enterprise to fight fashion, 

 whether in ladies' hats, horses or 

 honey-bees. The g-oldoi bee is fash- 

 ionable. That is a fact. It has the 



color and the name, but, all considered, 

 does not the pure black bee bring more 

 g^oM to its owner ? That is an interest- 

 ing question which may bring jests 

 first, then criticisms, but perhaps after- 

 wards compliments. 



I do not propose to tire the reader 

 with lengthy articles, but hope to be 

 able to discuss the following points in 

 different numbers of this journal: 



1. Replies to criticism of the Punic 

 bee. 



2. Its origin and habits. 



3. Its culture by the natives. Its 

 purity. Its faults. 



4. Transformation from the native 

 culture to modern methods. 



5. Comparative study of the race 

 with the Italian and others. 



6. The future of the Punic bee as re- 

 gards honey, beeswa.x and queen pro- 

 duction. 



Hakky Latiiroi' in Cami' in Florida. 



Transporting Arabian Hives of Bees in 

 Tunis. 



The Punic bee is the common black 

 bee. But living in a country where it 

 has not been subject to mismating, it 

 is purer, more resistant, and more in- 

 dustrious than the common bee of the 

 continent. The following faults are 

 mentioned against it : 



She is small. She is cross. She 

 swarms too much. She builds too lit- 

 tle comb. 



She is small, yes. That is due to the 

 fact that the Arabs never change her 

 combs. The cell walls are reduced at 

 every hatching, and the development 

 of the bee is cramped. The careful bee- 

 keeper helps increase the size of his 

 bees by judicious renewal of the combs. 



She is cross. That happens only 

 with unskillful handling. The Arab, 

 three-fourths naked, works with his 

 bees without care and without acci- 

 dents ; the apiaries of the settlers are 

 usually located near the door of the 



