122 



TBE AMERICAN Bi:E-KEEPEn. 



My 



under the same treatment, cluster 

 quietly, and appear to appreciate the 

 comforts provided by their thoughtful 

 keeper. 



In the fall of 1886, having been en- 

 gaged to establish an apiary on the 

 south coast of Cuba, we purchased fif- 

 teen strong, three-frame nuclei from a 

 breeder in Ocean county, New Jersey. 

 They were shipped by express to Nov-' 



steamship, Cienfuegos, bound for Hav- 

 ana, and placed forward on the main 

 deck, where they remained during the 

 voyage and were carefully watched. 

 T'hey would sometimes become rest- 

 less as a result of insufficient 

 ventilation: or, as often, from too" 

 much draft or excessive heat, and 

 were promptly treated accordingly. 

 On lint (Invs a r-pi'inldinp; nf 'iM sea 



A Cuban 



York as the beginning of their fif- 

 teen days' trip, where they were placed 

 in an empty room for two days to 

 await the deferred sailing of the 

 steamer. Upon each screened top was 

 placed a sponge saturated with water; 

 and a space of one inch was left over 

 the frames, which were secured by 

 notched sticks across the bottom, into 

 which the bottom-bars rested. 



On the third day they were loaded 

 upon a dray, driven to the wharf 

 and carried aboard the Ward Line 



Apiary. 



water was administered to each colony. 

 That they appreciated these shower- 

 ings was shown by the greedy manner 

 in which the last drop was invariably 

 taken up, while the sponges, soaked 

 with fresh water, were receiving little 

 or no attention. 



Arriving at Havana four days later, 

 they were transferred to lighters and 

 taken ashore along with other freight, 

 where they were objects of great in- 

 terest to the assembled Havanese in 

 the government warehouse, in which 



