904. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



227 



mined. In this case it is necessary to 

 alve some precautions so that the bees 

 not dart all at once from the comb 

 n which they are resting. Smolie 

 tupefies them only for an instant; 

 hey accustom themselves to it quick- 

 y. I have had considerable practice 

 11 the handling of bees, and have cer- 

 aiu ways of getting on with them dif- 

 icult to explain, yet in working with 

 \n-sian bees I am obliged to put on a 

 eil and to employ in the examination 

 iiore time than for the other kinds. 

 'he Persians are spiteful in the high- 

 st degree. Some of them, after the 

 ■rood-nest has been opened, do not 

 ecome quieted down for two or three 

 ays, and often attack people quite a 

 istance away from the apiary. 



As I stated above, the Persians are 

 inch disposed toward robbing Re- 

 loving a comb of honey from a hive 

 f gray bees is sufficient to bring a 

 ellow robber to the spot at once. In 

 lie spring and the autumn, when there 

 ^ no nectar in the field, the Persians 

 ttack the other bees, get rid of the 

 uards, and skillfully rob the colonies. 



During the summer a singular habit 

 f the Persian bees is noticeable; they 

 ollect in considerable numbers on the 

 oard near the hive entrance and the 

 ees which are leaving for the fields 

 emain for some time before the en- 

 rance. as if they wished to warm 

 hemselves in the sunshine. 



This variety supports cold and hu- 

 aidity in a surprising manner. I be- 

 anie convinced of this upon seeing fre. 

 uently the negligence with which 

 hey are treated in the cold climate of 

 he mountains, or in the low and hu- 

 aid valleys of Persia and Lenkoran. 



Persian bees are very industrious, 

 ''hey do not show a desire to swarm 

 requently. even in small hives, and 

 an live in very large colonies, such as 



liave often olbserved in the forests of 

 .oiikorau: 



In Lenkoran they keep them in hori- 

 ontal rustic hives, made of oak or of 

 sh wood, and they cannot increase 

 ny more than when in the wild state 

 Q the hollows of trees. Moreover, the 

 are which their keeper gives them 

 annot be otherwise than injurious to 

 hem. 



To offset this in the forests they are 

 ften attacked by the wax moth and 

 he death's head moth, and generally 

 uccomb in this struggle. 



One of the qualities of this variety 

 s that the bees start out earlier than 

 he others for the harvest, and work 



on flowers that other honey-bees do 

 not frequent. In addition to the obser- 

 vations made on the spot, in order to 

 study certain peculiarities of the bees, 

 I have had under observation for four 

 years two colonies of Persian bees. 



In conclusion I will say that of the 

 twelve varieties of bees that I pos- 

 sess and have observed, the Persian 

 bees are the most difficult ones to get 

 on with. Perhaps tliey are inclined to 

 be quarrelsome (sic), something I 

 have had an opportunity to verify. 

 Perhaps one can b.y dint of care, 

 make of them an industrious and gen- 

 tler race, but for the present, as they 

 render it so difficult to care for them, 

 it is natural that every apiculturist 

 should prefer another variety — of 

 which there are many here — a variety 

 that Nature herself has rendered more 

 agreeable and easier to raise. This 

 .vear I will receive a colony from 

 Swanatia, one from Van (Turkey in 

 Asia) and one from Djelal-Ogli. 



THE MANGROVE. 



The Great Nect.ar Yielder Said to be 

 Useful Otherwise. 

 In British Honduras, says the Clarion, 

 the mangrove bark is fast becoming 

 an important article of export. As the 

 mangrove abounds all along our coasts 

 and for a long way up our rivers, the 

 supply is almost inexhaustible. The 

 getting of the bark needs no capital 

 aad the industry is therefore one 

 which is essentially one for the poor 

 man with energy to engage in. The 

 bark is used for tanning and the de- 

 mand is practically unlimited. How 

 about Jamiaca getting a show? We 

 have plenty of mangroves, and plenty 

 of poor men, too, for that matter. — 

 Jamaica Times. 



SiT. LUCIA. W. I. 

 There are now 2.50 colonies of bees 

 in St. Lucia in modern hives, says the 

 Jamaica Times, all being run for ex- 

 tracted hone.v: this being an increase 

 of nearly 100 per cent, within the past 

 .vear. Honey shipments are now com- 

 mencing to go forward, and the indus- 

 try is now reported to be firmly estab- 

 lished in the island and promises to in- 

 crease steadily. As~ regards the cotton 

 industry in St. Lucia, the prospects 

 are bright and encouraging. 



Now, let us have a nice lot of good 

 readable articles fi'om which to select 

 for the long winter evening's reading. 



