AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



273 



Great Increase from One Cian Colony, 



B. W. LAW. 



My friends, Dr. Warner and Mr. 

 Somerford have suggested to me that my 

 experience in starting an apiary might 

 be worth reporting. As an indication 

 of the possibilities of bee-keeping here 

 in Cuba, doubtless it is ; but when I 

 look back in the light of the experience 

 gained, and see how much better I might 

 have done, I do not feel that it is any- 

 thing to be proud of. Summarized 

 briefly, the increase from one colony 

 had amounted, in 18 months, to over 30 

 colonies, and these had produced 7,240 

 pounds of honey. 



Our friend Dr. Warner has an apiary, 

 and my better half thought it would be 

 nice to have a colony of bees up on our 

 azotea (flat-tile roof), and I made no 

 objection. The colony of bees came in 

 December, 1890, the queen having be- 

 gun laying Nov. 16. It was my wife's 

 affair ; but as she happened to be away 

 the first time our friend came to open 

 the hive and attend to the bees, I as- 

 sisted and thought it rather interesting. 

 I attended to them myself the next time, 

 and my interest grew, and we thought 

 we should make 5 colonies, Dr. Warner 

 having explained to us how to increase 

 by dividing. 



Our experience (Mrs. L. got almost 

 as deeply interested as I did) the next 

 three months was doubtless very much 

 that of mosi beginners. How cross the 

 hybrids were ! We got brood and cells 

 from our friend's pure Italians, and 

 were bound to have no other queens. 

 By and by we forgot our limit of 5 colo- 

 nies, and did not insist on purity of 

 breed. We wanted bees, no matter what 

 color. We got past the stage of gloves 

 and armlets, and antidotes for stings, 

 and concluded we would keep on until 

 we had 20 hives. 



In August we had 26 colonies, and 

 the fever (bee, not yellow fever) became 

 so strong that we came near giving up 

 our visit to the States, for the sake of 

 staying to take care of the bees. We 

 did not give it up, however, and were 

 away three months, leaving the bees to 

 the care of our friend. He could not 

 see them very frequently. A good many 

 swarms went out ; but when we returned 

 in November, we found on our azotea 

 32 hives, mostly with upper stories. 

 This was exactly one year from the time 

 the first queen began laying. 



We began extracting in December 

 from 27 colonies, having lost one by 



accident, giving away two, and placed 

 sections on two. The bellflower lasted 

 only until about Jan. 6, giving 230 

 gallons. This usually lasts until a 

 month later. Romerillo (Bidens leucan- 

 thus) following, soon gave about as much 

 more. This honey candies — the only 

 honey produced in Cuba which does not 

 remain liquid, so far as I know. Fruit 

 and other blossoms produced some 

 further surplus, but continued rains 

 prevented us from obtaining more than 

 half the mangrove flow ; besides, I had 

 sold eight of my best colonies before it 

 began. 



My hives have nine frames 13 2^x13^ 

 in brood-chamber, and eight above. I 

 began with ten frames below, spaced 

 according to rule, but found better re- 

 sults w4th one less. My location is very 

 favorable in one respect. About three- 

 quarters of a mile distant are molasses 

 storehouses ; and when everything else 

 fails, the bees manage to scrape a living 

 from the drainings of the hogsheads. 

 This undoubtedly helped them through 

 our two bad months, August and Sep- 

 tember. One circumstance, however, is 

 unfavorable, and that is, our house is 

 located on the edge of the bay, so that 

 half of the area of the range is water. 



The total amount of extracted honey 

 was 7,025 pounds; comb honey, 215 

 pounds ; wax, 70 pounds. Of the 27 

 colonies, about two-thirds were strong ; 

 but all gave surplus in upper stories. 

 Since beginning to extract I have per- 

 mitted no increase until now, not intend- 

 ing to keep on with the apiary. I now 

 propose to increase to 100, and if I get 

 as good results per colony next season, 

 I will report again. One result I have 

 still to mention — a fund of health and 

 enjoyment from my work with the bees 

 that I could have obtained here in no 

 other way. — Gleanings. 



Havana, Cuba, July 1, 1892. 



Season of 1892— Wlat I Haye Learned, 



G. W. DEMABEE. 



I have written something under this 

 head for some of the bee-periodicals each 

 season for several years past. Some of 

 the seasons have been a great success, 

 and some have been poor in results. 



The season just past has been the 

 greatest failure in the way of a honey 

 crop that I have had to speak of. We 

 have had plenty of bloom, but the 

 weather has been abnormal to a remark- 

 able degree the entire season, from the 



