490 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1 



Eng'land, and thej' carry all our honey at 

 present at 50 per cent reduced rates. Ja- 

 maica log'wood honey stands on an equal 

 with the best honeys of the world, notably 

 the clover honeys of America; and with 

 careful handliner, such as it now obtains 

 throug-h the medium of the Bee-keepers' As- 

 sociation, it is bound to take its place in the 

 first markets of the world. It is a thousand 

 pities that the prohibitive export duty of l5. 

 per g-allon to America forces us to send 

 nearly all the honey produced in the colony 

 to Europe; for, thous^h the output of the 

 States is so g-reat. there would always be a 

 market for it, since our honey season is at 

 its height when the bees in your own coun- 



cwt. of honey annually is not accounted for. 

 Taking this into consideration, then the 

 basis of calculation would be as follows: 



Jamaica, with nn area of 4200 square 

 miles, and an output of 1^,000 cwt. (1,792,000 

 lbs.) annuall}', would show a yield of 423 

 lbs. per square mile in round numbers. 

 This is away ahead of Texas, California, 

 and Cuba. \Vhen it is considered that curs 

 is a land of eternal sunshine, and well de- 

 fined seasons; that this is the home of the 

 logwood, one of the finest honey- producing- 

 plants of the world; that here such a thing 

 as foul brood, black brood, or any other 

 bee-disease, is unknown, and, lastly, that 

 here we have the largest yield of honey per 



CORNiK OF EXTRACTING ROOM, SHOWING ONE OK THE HONEY-VATS. 



try are in winter quarters. It is obvious 

 that there would be a demand if the hone}' 

 were placed in your market about the month 

 of April. 



In conclusion I would point out that the 

 basis of calculation of your secretary, Mr. 

 A. L. Boyden (see Gleanings for Ma3', 

 1902, page 368), viz., the export returns, is 

 hardly a fair one by which to arrive at the 

 yield per square mile— more so when placed 

 alongside of a "Census Report" in the case 

 of Texas. There is the question of local 

 consumption to be considered. From my 

 knowledge I am led to say that at least 3000 



square mile, the term "bee-keeper's para- 

 dise " might truly be the desig^nation of our 

 island, Jamaica, land of wood and streams. 

 Malvern, Jamaica. 



[Mr. Geo. W. Phillips, our head apiarist, 

 formerly of Jamaica, and one who has 

 large bee-Aeeping- interests there now, com- 

 ments as follows:] 



Little did I think, when on board the 

 train bound for King-ston to attend the bee- 

 keepers' meeting which resulted in the for- 

 mation of the Jamaica Bee-keepers' Associ- 

 ation, and met Mr. Alexander, the writer 



