THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



January 



(From American Bee Journal). 



THE IMPOETATIOM OF APIS DOR- 

 SATA ENCOURAGED. 



BY PROF. A. ,1. COOK. 



It was with much surprise that I 

 noted the discussion at the Lincoln 

 convention, the resolution there adopt- 

 ed, and the replies in a late number 

 of the Bmerican Bee Journal as to the 

 advisability of the importation by the 

 Uuited States Government of Apis 

 dorsata into our country. It seems to 

 me that there is a lack of enterprise 

 shown in this matter by a large num- 

 ber who have recently spoken. I have 

 wondered whether a prejudice against 

 one of the employees of the Agricul- 

 tural Department at Washington 

 might not be at the foundation of this 

 projudice. I believe that every bee 

 keeper of our country would say that 

 the early acticm of our Government in 

 securing the Italian bee was a piece of 

 undoubted wisdom. The officials of 

 California, in conjunction with the 

 Department of Agriculture at Wash- 

 ington, went to Australia and impart- 

 ed some little beetles, and thus secur- 

 ed untold benefit to our State. Such 

 enterprises are very little likely to be 

 undertaken by private individuals, 

 and it seems to me that if the Gov- 

 ernment is ever warranted in coming 

 to the assistance of the people it is in 

 just such projects as these. I have al- 

 ways been of the opinion that it would 

 be excellent policy for the Govern- 

 ment to introduce Apis dorsata. I 



have read very carefully all the com- 

 ments I have seen upon this enter- 

 prise, and as yet I have seen nothing 

 that changes my mind regarding the 

 matter. 



The late Dr. C. V. Riley came to 

 me some years ago at Lansing, Mich., 

 where I was then residing, and asked 

 me what I thought the Government 

 could best do to further the interest 

 of bee keepers. The first thing I stat- 

 ed in answer to his question was re- 

 garding the importation of Apis dor- 

 sata. I told him that a good many of 

 our people believed that we might se- 

 cure valuable results if this bee were 

 brought to our country; that the enter- 

 prise was too gigantic for individual 

 effort, and that it seemed to me that 

 this was just the work that the Gov- 

 ernment ought to undertake. 



He next questioned me as to the 

 method to be pursued in its accom- 

 plishment. I suggested that Frank 

 Benton had already made an effort to 

 secure these bees, and had almost suc- 

 ceeded; that he was now in Europe 

 engaged in bee culture, especially the 

 rearing and shipping of queen bees; 

 that he had invented the most success- 

 ful shipping case, and that if there 

 was anything in experience and long 

 study he certainly must be admirably 

 fitted for just such work. Mr. Benton 

 was very soon employed by the Agri- 

 cultural Department, where he has 

 been working ever since. I under- 

 stood from Dr. Riley that through 

 some technical ruling this project of 

 the introduction of these bees was 

 held in obeyance. 



In an article which I wrote on this 

 subject for the bee periodicals some 

 time ago, I considered this matter very 

 much in the same light as that pre- 



