176 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1 



sure the shed is the right thing, only more 

 expensive; but instead of having a metal or 

 paper roof I would use "gviano." It is 

 what the natives all use for their houses — the 

 "palmetto palm" leaf. It lasts very well, 

 and is much cheaper and cooler than any 

 thing else. 



Here the bees pick up some honey nearly 

 all the year round, but have two natural 

 swarming seasons, the spring and fall. These 

 are governed by the rains, which do not come 

 by clockwork, and it does not rain every day 

 when it does come, but, like the rest of Cuba, 

 comes generally in showers, which is one of 

 Cuba's greatest blessings, for, no matter how 

 hard it rains the evening before, you have 

 the beautiful sun next morning to dry things 

 off and cheer you up. It is really seldom we 

 have an all-day rain, so one can get in lots 

 of work. 



A NATIVE IN A CUBAN APIAKY OF OLD LOG GUMS. 



There is no trouble in keeping the bees 

 strong through their natural breeding sea- 

 sons and main honey-flows, and I do not 

 think one ought to expect to keep them 

 sti'ong all the year; but I noticed that nu- 

 clei with young queens would build up right 

 through the winter months, and make their 

 own comb too. The impoi'tance of having 

 young queens from the best stock, just as Mr. 

 Alexander and others recommend, can not 

 be overestimated, according to my experi- 

 ence; and I really believe one might I'equeen 

 twice a year to advantage — cei'tainly once. 



Although I have never practiced feeding I 

 am inclined to think it might be done here 

 to advantage in September. This year I am 

 sure of it, for it was dry, and very "little hon- 

 ey came in, and only the strongest worked 

 on foundation. 



One ought to run for both comb and ex- 



tracted honey here — comb in October, No- 

 vember, and December, and extracted honey 

 and wax the rest of the year. There is quite 

 a good flow in the spring, and some of it is 

 very nice honey, but the honey in June and 

 July is very poor. 



If a person does not try to run too many 

 hives and will adapt himself to the conditions 

 of the country, I believe he could make a 

 paying crop of honey in almost any part of 

 this province, and at the same time he need 

 not eonflne himself to bees entirely. He 

 should certainly have a few cows and start a 

 herd, or some good mares, or start an orange- 

 grove or rubljer plantation, or chickens, for 

 that matter. I would not advise any one to 

 grow much corn unless he wants to go to the 

 expense of keeping it. There is no market 

 for it except where no one has any to sell. 

 Just now the storekeepers are paying only 

 80 cts. a quintal for it, whereas 

 a few weeks ago you could hard- 

 ly get it for $3.00, when the poor 

 Cubans did not have any. It 

 won't keep'without going to a 

 great deal of trouble, especially 

 the summer coi'n. 



But, though I want to sell out, 

 I would not advise any one hav- 

 ing a good home among friends 

 and relations, with good schools 

 to send children to, to come here 

 or to any part of Cuba; but if 

 one has to make a change for 

 any reason at all I am sure no 

 part of the States offers more 

 natural advantages than Cuba 

 does to-day. 



The greatest disadvantage the 

 country has is that there are no 

 roads to speak of, and for two 

 or three months every year they 

 are almost impassable ; and I 

 doubt if one could use an auto- 

 mobile at any time. The haul- 

 ing is all done in ox-carts, and 

 the mud never seems to get too 

 bad for them. They get through 

 it somehow. 



There are several things that 

 this country is especially adapt- 

 ed to. One of these is the growing of 

 oranges. The woods are just full of wild 

 lemons, or limes, and the Cuban orange grows 

 true to seed; and for sweetness or flavor they 

 can not be surpassed. They grow very fast. 

 There is one orange-tree in the apiary 14 feet 

 high, planted there two years ago, when it 

 was a year old. 



THE SANITARY CONDITIONS IN CUBA. 



I must say a few words about the health 

 of the country, as I have found it agreeing 

 with me better than Albemarle Co., Vir- 

 ginia, and I know there is no healthier place in 

 the States than that. There I often had bad 

 colds; iiut here I hardly ever have occasion 

 to use a handkerchief, and have bought only 

 half a dozen in the last four years, and they 

 were to use in the States. I feel less listless 

 here than I did there. If this country were 

 not naturally very healthy, all the natives 



