1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



i09 



from one to six feet deep, dotted with 

 little islands. The Seminole Indians 

 and Apis dorsata would go well to- 

 gether, for he likes honey when it is 

 to be had for the taking, also fruit, 

 but in his wild state he has never been 

 known to plant a tree or keep bees in 

 a hive." 



G. W. Demaree says, "I should be 

 glad if the Agricultural Department 

 of the government would take the 

 matter in hand and import the big 

 honey bee of India, Apis dorsata. 

 But, really, I fear that the undertak- 

 ing might fail because the officials 

 would most certainly entrust the man- 

 agement of the new bees to some favor- 

 ite dudes who would make a windy 

 failure of them." J. E. Pond says, 

 " No ! Most decidedly not. ... I 

 am of the opinion now that the discus- 

 sion that is being made is more to sub- 

 serve the purpose of some one who 

 knows that cranks and an easily gulled 

 public always exist, and are ' playing 

 a tune to suit their desire for danc- 

 ing.'" 



Less has been done by our govern- 

 ment for bee keepers than has been 

 done by other governments — Canada, 

 England, and some of the European 

 powers. It has done less for them 

 than it has for perhaps every other 

 interest pertaining to agriculture, so it 

 would be nothing very immodest for 

 bee keepers to ask such aid as they 

 might desire. But if they ask for 

 something that proves of no benefit to 

 the country, will it not lessen their 

 chances for getting aid in other direc- 

 tions ? Better first ask aid in the way 

 of experiment stations or something 

 of that kind — something as to whose 

 success there can be but little doubt, 

 and not a thing that many regard as 

 a will-o'-the-wisp. 



You may ask what reason there is 

 for considering success so problemical. 

 Some have said they think Apis dor- 

 sata might be successfully domesticat- 

 ed here, and that possibly it might be 

 crossed with Apis mellifica. Those of 

 opposite views point to the stubborn 

 fact that it never has been domesti- 

 cated in its own country. Those who 

 appear to know something about the 

 matter say it can not be domesticated; 

 that it will never stay in a hive, but 

 at stated times will desert its habita- 

 tion just as surely as a migratory bird. 

 Surely it seems reasonable that it is 

 hardly worth while to bring it here 

 until success has been attained in con- 

 fining it to a hive in its own country. 



You press the point that there is a 

 great quantity of honey to be had from 

 red clover. But it will do no good to 

 get another bee to work on red clover 

 unless we can get the honey ; for the 

 bumble bee works on it, but that does 

 not specially benefit the bee keeper. 

 Very likely you may say, " Well, even 

 if we don't find it any better than the 

 bumble bee, it can't do any harm to 

 import it even if it does no good. 

 The bumble bee is the only bee that 

 works on red clover and it will be no 

 loss to let the two big bees divide." 

 Softly. You are quite mistaken in 

 thinking no bee but the bumble bee 

 now works on red clover. Many have 

 had bees that gathered more or less 

 honey from led clover, and very like- 

 ly if you watch from year to year you 

 may see some of your own bees at it. 

 It is not at all impossible that we may 

 breed Apis mellifica with a tongue so 

 long as to reach the bottom of the red 

 clover tubes. There is a decided vari- 

 ance in the length of bees' tongues. 

 In France they have been making an 



