1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



iCd 



in the jungles. It laid me np for one whole day. 

 They are fearful fellows— worse than those in Cy- 

 prus. Frank Benton. 

 Colombo, Ceylon, Jan. 2i, 1881. 



lie writes again later : 



I have seen two native races of bees here, and the 

 comb of a third. One race is stiuglcss, but worth- 

 less. One race is Apis indica. The third race I do 

 not believe is valuable, since it is a very small bee- 

 smaller than Apis indica. Apis dorsata is a wonder- 

 ful bee, whether it can be domesticated or not. It 

 builds in the open air on branches, often making 

 combs six feet long; and I have good authority for 

 saying that (/ii)'<y?iatiiies have each taken a load of 

 honey from one tree. It was not until I reached 

 Colombo that I could find out any thing about Apis 

 doisata. I call it Apis dorsata, but don't know posi- 

 tively as that is its name, for no one can tell here, 

 and I have not yet seen the bee, as it was too late 

 when I learned where to find it to go to that part of 

 the island and reach this French steamer. Every- 

 body says, though, a large bee from which great 

 quantities of honey are got easily, is in the interior of 

 the island. The natives all know it by the name 

 Bamhera. I start for Sangapore by French steamer 

 Yangste, Jan. 31. -2 a. m. Frank Benton. 



Puiute de Galle, Ceylon, Jan. 30, 1881. 



Friend Jones adds the following in regard 

 to the above two letters : 



So you see, friend Root, that, although it requires 

 a fortune to keen up the enormovis expenditure con- 

 nected with my importations, and breeding pure and 

 superior races of bees, yet the bright prospects of 

 lakes (instead of cisterns) of honey, and millions of 

 dollars in the pockets of the bee-keepei"s of America 

 cheer me on in the great work ; and if there is a race 

 of bees in the world that is superior to ours, or if 

 they have any superior traits that can be embodied 

 or used in crossing, I want them. Having mastered 

 wintering, valuable races, that is, those that pro- 

 duce most honey (money) for bee-keepers, is what I 

 am after. D. A. Jones. 



Beeton, Canada. 



As friend B. has assured ns of the nn- 

 truthfnlness of the people of the Isle of Cey- 

 lon, perhaps we had better wait until lie 

 sees the great loads of honey himself before 

 we invest greatly ixi Apis dorsata. 



REPORT OF NEIGHBOR H. 



eUR bees have wintered very well, though we 

 have lost a few swarms. We have three 

 apiaries; the one at home being Holy-Land 

 bees, the queens of which were raised from import- 

 ed stock received from D. A. Jones. We raised 

 quite a number of queens from A. I. Boot's Mount- 

 Lebanon queen, and as we took great pains to secure 

 drones from our Bethlehem queen, we think wo 

 have as pure Holy-Land bees as can be found. 



Our apiary on Rocky River, six miles from home, 

 has been kept as purely Cyprian as possible; and as 

 all our combs are made from foundation, we can 

 control the rearing of drones. We have over seven- 

 ty pure Cyprian queens, raised from imported stock. 



We are wintering over a dozen choice imported 

 Italian queens for A. I. Hoot, aqd have a lot of tested 

 Italians, so we are in a shape to please you all. The 

 Cyprian and Holy-Land bees will be sold at the same 

 price as Mr. Root sells his select Italians. I have, 

 in all. 120 colonies. H. B. Harrington. 



Medina, 0., March 19, 1881. 



}fi '%r€M^v^;' 



Thi5;dopn.rtinpr.t Is to ho kppt for the benefit of those who are 

 dlssatiaflCKi; and when anything is aniisa, 1 hope 7,'ovi will ' ' talk 

 rltrht out." As a iiili-. we will omit nameu onii addresses, to 

 avoid being too porsoual. 



f' LIKE your ABC very much, and from it and 

 your magazine had formed a pretty high idea 

 — ' of tho practicability of your advice; but my 

 faith has suffered a pretty severe strain in this first 

 winter of bee experience. Why do you recommend 

 those wretched transferring clasps? Is it because 

 a bit of tin may be sold while a strip of wood can 

 not? I have used them on two colonies, and, though 

 I stick them around almost wherever a clasp could 

 go, they have all tumbled out and leaned up against 

 each other and the sides of the hive, so that the 

 combs are just one chaotic mass, and I am about as 

 bad off as before transferring. Furthermore, the 

 combs were thick, and so bulged and twisted that it 

 was not possible to get more than seven in a hive, 

 and then they touched here and there, and one was 

 waxed up solid. My best transferring was done 

 with stiff sticks, three on a side, and they work 

 much better. Geo. D. Shaw. 



Thomasville, Thomas Co., Ga., March 1, 18S1. 



I am glad to get criticisms ; but, friend S., 

 do you not think it was a little rough to ac- 

 cuse me of selhng the clasps only because of 

 the small inofit I might make on them at 15 

 cts. per 100? Would it not have been a little 

 kiiider to have concluded the fault might 

 have been a little because you were vie^o in 

 the busines.tf You will see that I have, both 

 in our price list and ABC, illustrated 

 clasps, wires, and sticks for transferring. 

 \Vith heavy bulging combs, such as you say 

 yours were, I too would use the wires or 

 sticks ; but with ordinary combs, nearly emp- 

 ty, I gi-eatly prefer the clasps. You chose 

 the clMsps above, and now abuse your old 

 friend because " troubles" came. 



'mikm" 



This department was suggested by one of the olcik?. -ts ;\n op 

 ■.^usjtion to the Growlei-y. 1 think I bhall venture to §ivn uames 

 :■ nill Here. 



JJ\ LTHOUGH I am very busy, I will stop long 

 g>\ enough to give you a little "taffy;" not that 

 ' I take you for a " busy bee," nor that I think 

 you out of stores, nor even unwell (?). But, you see, 

 I am contemplating keeping bees, and a little ex- 

 perience is necessary to success in any business. I 

 shall probably be "taxed" more, financially and 

 physically, feeding bees than on any other account. 



This reminds me that I haven't said what I started 

 out to say. 



The cheerful, happy way you have of treating 

 every thingand everybody, and the little embellish- 

 ments of wit and humor are in such great contrast 

 with the long faces, sepulchral groans, and freezing 

 coldness of many professed Christians, that on first 

 acquaintance one is inclined to incredulity. It is a 

 great pleasure, and a raritj% to find a man who is 

 willing to do more than hebelievcs is his duty. I am 

 persuaded the number of professed Christians Is 

 large, who believe that levity in any form is a sin. 



