JUNK 1, 1916 



435 



other conditions than tliose described as 

 existino- in Cuba. 



As io producing' wax by having comb 

 built in the brood-nest : I was able to do 

 (hat two seasons out of three in San Diego, 

 California — that is, in the city of San Die- 

 g'o. The same conditions did not exist out- 

 side of the city. 



Tn the northern states I doubt wliether 

 conditions will allow of the increased pro- 

 duction of wax by any other means than 

 wide spacing — at least I believe such to be 

 the fact in most locations and under normal 

 conditions. 



Honolulu, H. T. 



THE PRODUCTION OF WAX IN CUBA 



BY FRANK REIMAN 



The production of wax in Cuba is of 

 almost equal importance to that of honey, 

 as the statistics of exportation shoAv. By 

 the old system of keeping bees in hollow 

 logs, one pound of wax was produced for 

 every gallon of honey, which was from two 

 to five gallons according to the year. By 

 my system I secure about five pounds of 

 wax and ten gallons of honey a year. The 

 past year was the greatest failure I ever 

 had. My honey crop was only 75 barrels 

 and 2000 pounds of wax. The spring crop 

 was very poor, because no rain fell until 

 the last of April. In July the rains, which 

 Avere scant, stopped entirely, and we are 

 now over seven months with less than half 

 an inch of rainfall all told. This is the 

 dryest spell I ever saw in any country. 

 The cold was also so excessive that neither 

 honey nor wax was produced. Prorri the 

 middle of October until Feb. 1 the ther- 

 mometer stood at about 50 degrees each 

 morning, rising to about 60 or 65 by noon. 

 Some mornings it was as low as 40, with 

 cold winds and clouds all day. 



I am confident that the people of the 

 United States believe that it is very Avarm 

 in Cuba all the year round. This is a mis- 

 take. I have seen the thermometer at ;U in 

 the morning, without rising aboA e -'0 all 

 day. I have also seen the Avinters so Avarm 

 that the bees SAvarmed Februai-y 10. 



I use a long ten-frame hive Avhich has 

 frames 20H inches long by 6 depp. I use 

 neither foundation nor Avire — ten frames 

 beloAv and nine in the super. My ncAV 

 combs I raise exclusively in the super, for 

 in the super the bees Avork to the bottom- 

 bars. In the bottom of the hive they leave 

 half an inch of space betAveen the comb 

 and the bottom-bar. I use five empty combs 

 with four frames alternately in the super. 

 In a Aveek they Avill fill the four empty 

 frames. If they are drone comb they are 

 Avorth five cents each for Avax. If they are 

 Avorker comb they are Avorth at least ten 

 cents each to use for brood. When not 

 enough honey comes in to extract I look at 

 all tlie hives each week, make ncAv swarms 



with the good combs, and cut out all the 

 drone comb except in special hives for 

 breeding, and all old comb without honey. 



In extracting, a Avoman cuts all the drone 

 comb and old combs, which usually makes 

 from 25 to 50 pounds with the cappings in 

 extracting one beeyard. 



I have never tried feeding back honey to 

 make wax; but I am sure it will not pay 

 here, as enough honey usually comes in all 

 the year — enough for the bees to make 

 some wax. I have fed back to finish sec- 

 tions of comb honey, and find that the bees 

 made only about one section a day. Avhereas 

 they naturally Avould make at least five 

 with honey coming in from the fields; and, 

 besides, the honey Avas darker. In the 

 spring and summer months the Avax mwst 

 be made up evei'y day, if possible, or it will 

 ferment and spoil on account of the drone 

 brood. The moths Avill also eat the combs 

 all the year round. Dogs Avill also eat the 

 combs if the combs contain honey or brood. 

 To learn this cost me several dollars. I left 

 a box of comb out OA^er night, and in the 

 morning it Avas cleaned up. The neighbors 

 told me the dogs did it. 



My mode of rendering wax is simpler 

 and less expensive than any other method I 

 knoAv of. The outfit consists of six empty 

 five-gallon gasoline-cans, a peanut-sack, a 

 barrel cut in tAvo, and a pair of stout stick.'; 

 securely tied together Avith a stout cord. 1 

 place the cans three in a roAv. Over them 

 I run bars about six inches from the ground 

 so I can heat six cans with one fire. I fill 

 the cans one-third full of Avater; and Avhen 

 the Avater boils I keep putting in combs 

 until the can is tAvo-thirds full. When the 

 combs are melted, and begin to foam, I 

 pour the contents of the can into the sack 

 Avhich is suspended over the half -barrel. I 

 begin pressing the sack betAveen the two 

 sticks, Avorking the Iavo sticks up and doAvn 

 until no more wax comes out. I then thi'ow 

 the lefuse aAvay. When there are two per- 

 sons you can use eight cans and make from 

 200 to 500 pounds of Avax a day according 

 to the f|uality of the combs. 



