1906 



OLE ' NINGS IN BEE 6ULTURE. 



93 



Caucasians, are so distinct, are of a pro- 

 nounced light gray, which, with the slight 

 shade of orange on the abdomen, make it 

 easy to tell these bees from the blacks. 



1 think I have fairly met the only objec- 

 tions against this race, and would reiterate 

 what 1 have often said — namely, don't con- 

 demn them without really knowing them; 

 for the real Caucasians, purely mated, are 

 just the reverse of what their opponents 

 charge them with being. 



They are a trifle smaller than the Italians, 

 and have the oriental type form of the Cyp- 

 rians; and as honey- gatherers they have 

 with me done just as well as the Italians, 

 and much better than many colonies of that 

 race. 



If Mr. Frank Benton were in this country 

 he would have something to say in defense 

 of this race, adding his testimony to that 

 already given by Dr. Phillips, to the good 

 q lalities of this noble race. Just before he 

 sailed abroad he sent the following letter to 

 The writer concerning the qualities and 

 markings of the Csiuca^^.iana, and in his ab- 

 sence I submit it as his estimate and de- 

 fense of the little fellows: 



FRANK BENTON'S OPINION OF CAUCASIANS 

 AS GIVEN IN A LETTER TO MR. LYON. 



United States Department of Agriculture, ) 



Bureau of Apiculture, >• 



Washington, D. C. ) 



Rev. D. Everett Lyon:—! have your letter of March 

 21, asking about Caucasian bees. I can give only the 

 main points in the character of this race, having 

 had it under test on a comparativtly small scaU for two 

 years past I kntw ^he race, however, by g(-neral rep- 

 utation, while 1 was in Europe and in the East. The 

 reports in the European journals at that time were, 

 j.ist as may be noted regarding Camiola? s in this coun- 

 try — quite contradictory; and as I had numerous other 

 races under test in those years I did not undertake a 

 practical test of these bees until year before last. As I 

 obtained in the autumn of 1902 three Caucasi«n q leens, 

 1 had full colonies of the race with which to begin the 

 season of 1903 Through additional importations of 

 queens direct from the Caucasus, in Russia, I have fur- 

 ther verified the observations which were made on the 

 first lots obtained. 



The most striking quality possessed by these bees is 

 their remarkable gentleness. It is not equaled by any 

 other race with which it has been my good fortune to 

 meet. As a rule, no smoke will be needed at all in their 

 manipulation, or, at rr.ost, a single whiff passed over the 

 tops of the frames is quite sufficient to take away all 

 sign of resentment. Under ordinary conditions the 

 hives may be opened in any manner one chooses, at any 

 time of the day, and the frames even roughly removed 

 and all manner of manipulations made, without the ne- 

 cessity of resorting to smoke, and with no protection to 

 hands or face; nor will a single bee offer to sting. The 

 only time tiiat pure Caucasians resent intrusion is when 

 robbing has taken place and the hive is rudely jarred 

 on a cool morning. At leai t such has thus far been my 

 experience with them. 



I can not say that they have shown remarkaMe quali- 

 ties as honey-producers, b jt have thus far merely held 

 their own fairly with the average of Italians and Car- 

 niolans. The same diffeiences exist between individual 

 colonies as is the case with Camiolans and Italians, so 

 that a selection in breeding as rigid as that to which 

 the Italians have been subjected would undoubtedly 

 give strains of Caucasians that would fully equal or ex- 

 ceed the best Italians or Camiolans. The race is not 

 very uniform in its markings. In this respect, in fact, 

 it hardly equals the Camiolans, the yellow or rusty red 

 bands cropping out constantly. There is, however, a 

 peculiar marking which enables one to recognize Cau- 

 casian blood quite readily after he has acquired some 

 skill in the matter. The dark color is of a peculiar dull 

 Ifaden gray, and gives the bees a very ringed appear- 

 ance. You have doubtless noticed Camiolans or blacks 

 which had fallen into water-troughs, crept out, and be- 



come partially dried. These might be taken to resem- 

 ble, in color, the Caucasian workers, as you will notice 

 that the dark rings around the body show more dis- 

 tinctly when the fuzz is dampened. True Caucasians 

 are slightly smaller- bodied than Italians or Camiolans 

 —in fact, have the type form of the oriental races. The 

 queens vary somewhat, as do the Camiolans, from a 

 golden orange yellow te a black color, inclining, howev- 

 er, more to the dark type dark bronze being rather 

 typical. The drones are very black, and considerably 

 smaller than Carniolan drones. The race is a very pro- 

 lific one, and the workers seem active and evidently 

 keen-scented, tince they find sweets that are left ex- 

 posed quite as soon as do bees of any race. 



I have formed a very excellent opinion of these bees, 

 and believe particularly that they will form excellent 

 crossing material with the Cyprian race. We need 

 males of a gentle race to mate with t^he queens of any 

 or all of the oriental types; and I think in the Cauca- 

 sians we have a type that will coalesce with the Ea-.t- 

 ern races. Frank Benton, 



In Charge of Apiculture. 



March 25, 1905. 



HONEY-HOUSES IN CUBA. 



How to have them Light, Cool, and Comforta- 

 ble; How to Lay out a Cuban Apiary. 



BY C. F. HOCHSTEIN. 



I hear and read a great deal about the ex- 

 tracting honey- houses in Cuba being danger- 

 ous, sweat-boxes, bake-ovens, etc., and most 

 of them are; but there is no need of having 

 them so, as with very little expense they 

 can be made light, cool, and comfortable. 



My honey-houses are so cool, any day of 

 the year, that, when I come into one of 

 them from working outdoors in the sun, I al- 

 ways put on a jacket to keep from catching 

 cold. Any house can be made so, no matter 

 what it is made of, or what kind of roof it 

 has. Make it as follows: Three feet up 

 from the ground nail aboard 1X6 all the 

 way around your house; then leave an open 

 space of three feet and nail another 1X6 

 board all around. This leaves an open space 

 of three feet all the way around, with a 1X6 

 board above and below it. 



Next get some white pine or some other 

 soft-wood strips, i\ thick by 2 inches wide. 

 Cut them on a miter, as shown in the small 

 enlarged view, and nail them to the lower 

 edge of the upper 1X6 board. Then tack 

 on your wire cloth, allowing it to project 

 past the mitered blocks one inch. 



Use galvanized wire cloth, for the green 

 or black will not last one year in this cli- 

 mate. The galvanized cloth comes 40 inch- 

 es wide. This gives you one inch to catch 

 on the lower board; 36 inches opening 2 inch- 

 es on blocks, and one inch for projection. 

 Leave a j\ opening between each block from 

 block to block. This gives you a bee-escape 

 every six inches all around the house. Nail 

 a duplicate block exactly over the under 

 block to hold the wire cloth, but do not cov- 

 er over the V shaped bee-escape with any 

 thing. You will find the bees get out of the 

 honey-house very quickly; but on account 

 of the wire- cloth projection of an inch over 

 the blocks the bees will not find their way 

 in, and you will find your house cool and 

 comfortable on the hottest day of the year. 



In laying out an apiary in Cuba the best 



