1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



437 



I have written to the publishcra of the Companion , 

 asking them for the writer's address; and if I can 

 learn any further particulars! willscndthemto j-ou. 

 W. Z. Hutchinson. 



Rogersville, Genesee Co., Mich. 



The above reads very mucli with an air of 

 truth ; but so large a part of what we Unci 

 in papers of the above class is rather on the 

 adventure line, I Avould be a little cautious 

 about accepting it; and if anj' of our Texas 

 correspondents can tell us whether such a 

 place really exists there or anywhere on the 

 face of the earth, we will be ever so mucli 

 obliged. AVc have more than one among 

 oiir number, I oi»ine, who would go down 

 and develop such a tract at once. So far as 

 I can see, there is nothing impossible in the 

 statement, unless it be hearing the bees a 

 mile away; and even this is quite likely, if 

 the line of liight were right from the cave 

 over the hearer's head. 



A LETTER FROM SOUIH AITIERICA. 



ALSO nOOD NEWS FROM THE STINGI-ESS ItEES; I'UI! 

 THER PEVELOPMENTS. 



^N hopes that j-oii may have receixed my list lot- 

 Jt||_ tor, inclosing- a correspondence in German with 

 Prof. Dr. Burmeister, I must toll you to-day 

 that I got letters from Paraguay, and they offered 

 me on sale several hives with stingless bees. What 

 they call a hive is, I suppose, a piece of box, or 

 trunk. My friend in Paraguay has been in Brazil, 

 and writes me ia regard to the stingless bees as fol- 

 lows:— 



"The bees I could get for you are the following: 

 1. Pirocco or (ciroccn), a black bee as big as our com- 

 mon bees; gives plenty of honey (on Brazilian Ku- 

 ril pit.) 



"2. Tapcvixi, or Tapitcoa (Brazilian, Kurupu chico), 

 half as big as No. 1, but gives same quantities of 

 honey. 



"3. Tah'i, a very small but rather long yellow bee. 

 Those hives Are well peopled. I have seen hives of 

 these bees, which gave 3 bottles of honey. This 

 honey is the best of all, clear like crystal. 



" I found three hives, whose owner has, for 3 or 4 

 years, made his profit from them. He asks S3.00 for 

 each, Init I believe that, by taking all three, I might 

 get them a little cheaper." 



That is what my friend writes me, and I am sure 

 he will do his best to procure them well at Asunc- 

 cion, where they might be shipped to here. 



Let me know, Mr. Boot, if you think it worth the 

 trouble, the expenses, and the risk, to send these 

 bees to the United States. The best thing would be, 

 I think, to buy them, and transfer them here in 

 Buenos Ayres in good (movable) small hives, and 

 study them about a year before sending to New 

 York. 



Can I do some thing for you in this business? I 

 shall do it with the greatest pleasure; only let me 

 know. Yes, I am \ery willing- to do it, as I feel, by 

 your way of acting and writing, that you are an hon- 

 est and at the same time an active and smait busi- 

 ness man. I read your Gleanings with the great- 

 est interest, and would like it ten times more if they 

 did not contain those confounded Home Papers, and 

 now lately the Tobacco Column. By what right and 

 reason, please tell me, are you going to make peo- 



ple believe tobacco-smoking is a sin? The same sin 

 would be coffee and tea drinking. Our clergymen 

 and schoolmasters at home in Germany smoke near- 

 ly all like pipe-stoves, and you find really splendid 

 men among them, able to spend their last drop of 

 blood to help their neighbor; and a good fine Ha- 

 vana cigar is indeed a blessed gift of God. Try it 

 only; and for a poor workman, what a delight it is to 

 him to smoke his pipe after his heavy journey's 

 work I I think it rather heartless to make these 

 people believe thej^ are doing wrong in smoking. 

 If I should live among people who vowed not to 

 smoke, not to dance, and not to drink, I should pre- 

 fer to die. My advice is, to enjoy this life as much 

 as we can in an honest and proper way. A man who 

 does not know how to govero himself and to be mas- 

 ter of his passions is to me less than an animal. 



On the next page yju will find ray orders, and I 

 ask you to send me the things as soon as possible. 



The cold-blast smoker is very good. The Bingham 

 smoker (I got one from Mr. Gravenhorst, Germany), 

 burns the f uellbetter, but brings ashes and dirt on 

 the combs. With the best and driest fuel I took, I 

 could never make the cold-blast smoker burn it to 

 the lust. It burns in the front part, but not behind. 

 I had to open the machine and turn the fuel around. 

 Could not a small "rust" be put under the fireplace? 

 Of all I ask for, send me only the best quality. 



Don't you know a good recipe to make honey-wine 

 and good vinegar? Our bees here are real devils in 

 summer time, and if I could get a bee somewhat 

 less wild I should be glad. I don't fear stings, but 

 in the month of December or .Tanuary it is impossi- 

 ble to work without gloves. 



Do you think it possible an Italian queen would 

 reach Buenos Ayres alive? If you do, send me one 

 at my expense, but give her sufiicient bees and 

 sugar and water. Look out for a soft and good- 

 natured one. 



I leave it to you to choose me a good and simple 

 hive. 



In thanking you previously for all your trouble, I 

 give you my best respects. 



Yours truly, J. Noeltino. 



Buenos Ayres, S. A., May 18, 1881. 



Friend X., I am very much obliged for 

 what you have done, and I will gladly pay 

 all the expense of giving those bees a test 

 where you are. I think that will be far the 

 better way. From what you say of the bees 

 you have already, I presume you know all 

 about stings. The point is, a&^ you are well 

 aware, to get a good honey-bee that can't 

 sting. Of course, we do not know whether 

 it be possible ; but we are anxious to know 

 how nearly we may come to it. Advise me 

 at any tinde in regard to the expense, and I 

 will remit at once. 



I appreciate your kindness in speaking out 

 your criticisms in regard to those Home Pa- 

 pers. May I suggest, that yon look at these 

 things a little differently from what we do, 

 as customs with you are so widely different? 

 I have been told by a friend who has been in 

 South America, that drunkenness with you 

 is almost unknown. With us it is different. 

 We have a large,— yes, I am sorry to say a 

 rerij large per cent of our people.— who have 

 not the self-will or care for themselves to 

 keep them from going to excesses. You 

 say you would rather die than forego the 

 pleasures of certain things you mention. Do 



