120 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



May 



story though it may sound rather fishy) 

 that was told to me by a friend who 

 saw with his own eyes the whole scene. 

 An Ameiican engineer was travel- 

 ing in the southern part of this island 

 looking for work on a sugar planta- 

 tion. His course led him through a 

 large range of mountains and swaraps 

 or low lands. One afternoon he not- 

 iced a distant noise like that of dis- 

 tant thunder, and as he rode on it 

 gradually grew louder and louder till 

 he was very much excited about it 

 and somewhat scared as to what it was 

 or maut, all at once he noticed a good 

 m^y/ies he said flying through the 

 air over his head and the farther on 

 the rode the more numerous they got 

 till the air was just full of these flies. 

 At that time he knew very little about 

 bees, and he made up his mind to 

 watch and investigate, and ask the 

 first person he met. But as these 

 parts where such apiaries are kept are 

 very thinly settled he failed to find 

 anybody to ask for some time, so after 

 riding a mile or so farther on he sud- 

 denly came into a clearing by the 

 roadside Avith a big palm-leaf house, 

 and lots of smoke coming from the 

 back, so riding up to the door he cried 

 " beiuans dias", in response a half 

 dozen children and dogs rushed out 

 followed by a tough specimen of hu- 

 manity, asking for a drink he got an 

 invitati(m to dismount, for no matter 

 how poor a Cuban is he will always 

 ask you to come in and if it be meal 

 time you are invited to partake of the 

 repast no matter how simple it may be 

 Well, as the weather was hot he will- 

 ingly assented so as to give his horse 

 a rest, after watching the natives ren- 

 der wax by the wagon load he asked 

 if he could see the apiary, so one of 



them was kind enough to show it to 

 him and what do you think he saw ? 

 Why there were boxes and logs filled 

 with bees laying everywhere by the 

 hundreds all through the grass in 

 every diraction and when he came to 

 ask how many there were the fellow 

 replied that they hadn't counted them 

 for some time but they generally had 

 about 2,000 at the commencement of 

 the honey flow or the first of Nov.; By 

 this perhaps you can form some idea 

 of how the natives run their large bee 

 ranches and make it pay well, for if 

 they can get it to market the honey is 

 worth saving, and the wax is all the 

 way from 28 to 34 cts a pound. Al- 

 though these apiaries are old style 

 there are some advantages in them, j'ou 

 see there is no queen raising which is 

 a big item, no sheds (though I think 

 they would be better under sheds) 

 which cost considerable if built to last» 

 to extract the honey it Avould not be 

 necessary to have a steam plant for 

 the honey throws out so easily from 

 these new combs, with half the force 

 they will be so dry that a robber will 

 leave them in disgust. In fact they 

 can't be run so very fast as the new 

 comb will not hold, it will go through 

 the wire cloth. Yours Respectfully, 



H. G. OSBORN. 



Cuba, W. I., March 28, 1895. 



Do not forget you can order sup- 

 plies from us using the catalogue of 

 any first-class manufacturer. Our 

 prices are no higher, and in some 

 cases lower. While, our goods are 

 guaranteed to be superior in mater- 

 ial and wormanshii). We furnish any- 

 thing wanted by liee-keepers. 



