Vol. XVI. 



JUNE 15, 1888. 



No. 12. 



TERMS: 81.00 Pkb Annum, IN Advance; 1 TT (>+ nJ\l -i H'ln /> rJ -i-vt 1 Si '7 '^ f Clubs to different postofflces. not i,ess 

 2CopiesforM.90;3for«a.75;5forM.00j Xl/Ot/Ct'C/t't'O/t'tJCl/ l/rl' -/. O / t? .j than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the 



more, 75 cts. each. Single num- \ 

 Der, 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be ( 

 nifvde at club rates. Above are all to 

 be sent to ONE rosTOFFiCE. 



PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY 



U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun- 

 tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18 



A. I. ROOT, MEDINA. OHIO. [fiiSild''d!v%TdJ^^lV^^i^^^Z 



NATIVE BEE-KEEPING IN CUBA. 



FKIEND POPPLETON DESCRIBES TO US A NATIVE 

 CUBAN APIARY. 



gDITOR GLE.'VNINGS:— A few days ajro, Scfior 

 Pedro Perez, who is as pleasant and friendly 

 a neighbor as we over had anywhere, offered 

 to take me to see a native Cuban npiary, and 

 I will describe the little [ saw, so yonr read- 

 ers will get some idea how what is known to com- 

 merce as " Cuban honey " Is obtained. 



The apiary contained so colonies, which is a very 

 small one for Cuba. The hives varied from H to 13 

 inches square, inside measure, the large majority 

 being 8 and 9, and 3;4 feet long, made by nailing- 

 four boards, of the i>roper width and length, to- 

 gether, and a short piece of board over one end. 

 So far they were very similar, except being longer, 

 to the skeps, or gums, so many of which are still in 

 use in our own Southern States. They were not 

 stood upon end, as our people use thera, but laid 

 down on the side, the same as are the earthen hives 

 in use in Cyprus and Syria. One entire end of the 

 hives was left open, and this is the only peculiar 

 feature there is which is different from methods in 

 use in other countries, and which have already 

 been described in the journals. The hives were 

 laid on poles so they were about two feet above the 

 ground, the poles being supported on crotches, old 

 bo.xes, barrels, or any thing they could get. They 

 were scattered around among some large banana 

 plants, to protect from the sun. 



At least once a year during the honey-flow in the 

 winter, and sometimes also in August, every thing 



in the hives except the bees and the small amount 

 of comb that may contain brood, is taken away and 

 mashed and strained by the old-fashioned processes. 

 The result is strained honey containing all the dif- 

 ferent grades and flavors that may have been gath- 

 ered during the year. 



It was really interesting to walk around among 

 the hives and look directly into their open ends, 

 and see the liees clustered so quietly on their 

 combs; but I couldn't help thinking what an 

 amount of fun there must be should they once get 

 thoroughly to I'obbing. And, by the way, 1 find 

 that bees do not rob so persistently here in the 

 South as at the North, this being true, so far as I 

 have observed, both in Florida and here in Cuba. 



I am told that there are many large apiaries here 

 in Cuba, of at least a thousand colonies each, all 

 run on the same plan as is this small one I visited. 

 I am also told that there are only three movable- 

 comb apiaries on the island. The first was started 

 by the Casanova Brothers, some five years ago; 

 this one about two years ago, and one now under 

 way by Mr. A. J. King, near the center of the isl- 

 and. 



So far I am quite favorably impressed with the 

 honey resources of Cuba; and after I have been 

 here at least a year, so as to know from personal 

 knowledge what they really are, I will try to de- 

 scribe them to the readers of Gleanings. 



Havana, Cuba, May 18, 1888. O. O. Poppleton. 



Very good, friend P. Now, it seems that 

 these Cubans might easily take to movable 

 combs, even if they are going to continue 

 taking lioney in the samelway they did, 



