864 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15 



sessed by this race is their wonderful gentle- 

 ness; in fact, no smoke is needed, as a rule, 

 to quiet thera, as they may be manipulated 

 without veil or gloves. The only time they 

 seem to show any signs of resentment is on 

 a cool morning if their hives are unduly jar- 

 red; but a slight whiff of smoke over the 

 tops of the frames is sufficient to quiet them 

 at once. No smoke was used at all when 

 Mr. Benton opened the hive, although the 

 morning was unusually cool, so cold, in fact, 

 that the writer was compelled to wear a 

 spring overcoat, and yet the bees were as 

 gentle as lambs. Frames were lifted and 

 purposely dropped back into place, the hive 

 jarred, and in addition to all this the bees 

 were rubbed around the comb with the 

 palm of the hand; hot breath was breathed 

 upon them; in fact, every thing that angers 

 bees was done to them, and their submission 

 was simply wonderful. I have handled many 

 races and crosses of bees, but never saw any 

 as gentle as those Caucasians. I can read- 

 ily understand how the press has spoken of 

 them as "stingless bees." As to their 

 honey-gathering qualities they are not re- 

 markable, but hold their own alongside of 

 the Italians and other races of that grade. 

 In size they are slightly smaller in body 

 than the Italians, and in this respect con- 

 form to the type of oriental races. The 

 queens vary from a golden orange to a 

 black color, inclining, however, more to the 

 dark type. 



The workers are not very uniform in their 

 marking, but the general type is of a pecul- 

 iar leaden gray that gives the race a ringed 

 appearance. They are very prolific, and the 

 workers are active and keen in their quest 

 for nature's sweets, and for crosses with 

 Cyprians the drones of this remarkable race 

 will be very valuable. 



It now being nearly noon we started for 

 the offices of the Bureau of Entomology, 

 and found that the Division of Apiculture 

 had quite commodious quarters in the an- 

 nex to the Agricultural Building. In addi- 

 tion to Mr. Benton as chief there are others 

 in the Division of Apiculture whom the 

 writer had the pleasure of meeting, and 

 found that all were enthusiasts on the sub- 

 ject of bees. I might state that I met at 

 the apiary Mr. E. F. Philhps, Ph. D., pro- 

 fessor of entomology at the University of 

 Pennsylvania, a gentleman well known to 

 the readers of Gleanings through his valu- 

 able contributions, and I was pleased to 

 learn that Dr. Phillips had been appointed 

 government expert in apiculture, and will 

 at once sever his connection with the uni- 

 versity to take up his duties as an associate 

 of Mr. Benton. We also visited the queen- 

 rearing nuclei where queens of various races 

 are being reared, and found that every 

 thing was being done with a degree of en- 

 thusiasm and intelligence that augurs well 

 for the bee-keeping world. 



A good many people have had the idea 

 that Mr. Benton's position at Washington 

 was a political sinecure, but the reverse is 

 the case; and now after many years of effort 



on his part the Government has awakened 

 to the importance of the bee-keeping indus- 

 try, and from now on great things may be 

 expected, and we may look upon the Division 

 of Apiculture with its expert corps of work- 

 ers as deeply interested in our success, and 

 upon the apiary at Washington as our exper- 

 imental station. 



In the office I saw specimens of Apis flo- 

 rea, the tiny East India bee, also Apis dor- 

 sata, the giant bee of India, the workers of 

 which race are as large as the queen bees of 

 the blacks or the Italians. 



I was glad to see that the bulletin issued 

 by the U. S. Government, on "Bee-keep- 

 ing," gives the lie direct to that artificial- 

 comb-honey canard that is forever cropping 

 out. 



During my visit I found Mr. Benton very 

 busy getting ready for a tour of investiga- 

 tion of Asia and the Orient, to be gone a 

 year, in quest of new races of bees, and I 

 have just received a letter from Dr. Phillips 

 stating that Mr. Benton did start on June 3d 

 from Philadelphia on the steamship Merion, 

 and will not return until the summer of 1906, 

 with colonies and nuclei of bees obtained in 

 different parts of Europe, Asia, India, and 

 the Philippine Islands. The journey carries 

 him through some of the most dangerous 

 parts of Asia, and one stage of the journey 

 through Afghanistan is by camel caravan 

 for nearly a thousand miles. The colonies 

 that are secured this spring and summer in 

 the Caucasus and other regions of Asia and 

 India will be shipped to the south of France 

 for the winter, and will be brought to this 

 country the following spring by Mr. Benton 

 after he has concluded his investigations in 

 the Philippine Islands. 



Upon looking over the prospectus of the 

 Division of Apiculture for 1905 I find that 

 much is now to be done, a copy of which is 

 herewith printed. 



U. S. Department op Agricultube, 



BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY, 



Washington, D. C. 

 WORK IN APICULTURE, FISCAL YEAR 1904-1905. 



The purchase and fitting up of a model apiary of 50 to 

 60 colonies of bees to be used in experimental work, 

 wth small laboratory, work-shop, and implements, at 

 Arlington Experimental Farm. 



The introduction, testing, and dissemination of seeds, 

 cuttings, roots, etc., of new and promising honey-pro- 

 ducing plants. 



The investigation of certain contagious bee-diseases, 

 particularly the foul brood, or black brood, now devas- 

 tating apiaries in the State of New York. 



Investigation of the bees of the far East, particularly 

 the large races known as the Giant bees of India (Apis 

 dorsata, and zonata), found in East India and the Phil- 

 ippine Islands; also incidentally to investigate at the 

 same time the possibilities in apiculture in the Philip- 

 pines, and the probable benefits from the introduction 

 of modern methods there. 



The importation and testing in various portions of 

 this country of breeding-queens of the Caucasian, Cyp- 

 rian, Dalmatian, Italian, and Carniolan races. 



A test of the employment of artificial heat in the win- 

 tering and rapid breeding up of bees. 



Construction and testing of hives and accessories 

 adapted to migratory or pastoral bee-keeping. 



OFFICE AND OTHER WORK. 



1st.— To collect data regarding apiculture in the United 

 States, 

 a.— As to principal honey-producing plants of the 



various regions. 

 6.— As to losses of bees by disease and in wintering. 



