452 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Aug. 



FROM THE WEST INDIES. 



NOTES FROM "THE LA FE APIARY," ST. DOMINGO. 



HAVE just completed the fixing -up of the 

 above-mentioned apiary, after some months' 

 experimenting with different kinds of hives, 

 and finally settled upon the Van Dcusen-Nellis- 

 Tobother's West-Indian Simplicity hive, which is the 

 same as the Van Deusen-Nellis, with a few improve- 

 ments in ventilation, roof, and frames, which I 

 think gives me the privilege of adding my name, es- 

 pecially as the hive ia its present, state answers all 

 that can be claimed for it as a model West-Indian 

 hive. These alterations I had made by Mr. Theo. 

 Houck, of Canajoharie, N. Y., to suit our very hot — 

 sometimes wet — climate, after studying the matter 

 for several years past, and from which I am in hopes 

 of getting very good returns in the shape of ex- 

 tracted honey, as my intention is to tier up several 

 stories, and work the extractor. 



I have received 100 two-story hives, and am so well 

 pleased with them that I have ordered and am ex- 

 pecting 100 more by return steamer, and my inten- 

 tion is to work up on an extensive scale by degrees. 

 1 have transferred 50 colonies within the last month 

 past, from hollow palm logs, into these hives, and 

 they are actually working 50 per cent better. I have 

 still £0 more colonies to transfer. Competent help 

 is not to be had here; consequently I get along 

 slowly but surely, having to do it all myself. I find 

 the easiest way to transfer is as follows: I have a 

 lot of ^4,xJ4 pine strips prepared, H inch longer than 

 the width of the frames (which arc the Hofman- 

 Langstrotb) with the top-bars split open to receive 

 the comb foundation; one end of these strips is 

 fastened with fine wire about 1 inch apart, and the 

 other end has a piece of wire attached to twist it 

 fast into the natural comb and frame, to keep this 

 in place until the bees fasten them properly, which 

 they do in 24 hours. I then lift up the log to be 

 transferred, on to an empty barrel, which stands on 

 end, and place immediately under it the lower storj' 

 of a hive in which I have 3 frames with comb founda- 

 tion drawn out, and in the center one frame of brood 

 taken from another colony. I then put the smoker 

 at work briskly at the other end of the log, at the 

 samo time striking it with a club, which causes the 

 bees to get up and out of the end of the log resting 

 above and over the hive. I then brush them down 

 Into the body of the hive, when they immediately go 

 for the three frames; and as the hive is exactly in 

 the same spot where the log stood, all the fielders 

 come into the hive, mount the frames, deposit their 

 spoils, and go out again, apparently undisturbed. 

 I then cut out whatever worker brood there is in 

 the log, cut them to suit my frames, which I have 

 one by one put upon my transferring-bench, and 

 with the pine strips fasten them into the frames. I 

 place all the brood together in the center of hive, 

 and all the other combs with honey and pollen on 

 either side of these. Sometimes the natural combs 

 of a strong colony will fill 18 frames with natural 

 comb, which makes it then a twostory hive; when 

 the last frame is put in the hive, the few bees left 

 on the wreck of the log are then brushed off into 

 the hive; top or roof put on, and the bees scarcely 

 know the difference at the moment; but in 34 hours 

 they show a most perceptible difference in work. 

 They have then the combs allfastened in theframes, 

 eggs laid in the two frames of drawn-out foundation, 

 and the general work going on at a great rate. I 



then take off the body of the hive and clean off the 

 bottom-board, detach the transferring-sticks, and 

 examine all the frames to see that they are in proper 

 order. I have not as yet had the bad luck to injure 

 a queen in transferring, although I work pretty 

 quickly so as to avoid robbing, as I am working in 

 an open outdoor apiary where one is very much ex- 

 posed to such mishaps. Should I find no signs of a 

 queen in the hive 24 hours after transferring, I would 

 give them a comb of eggs and larvoe to get one from, 

 and the moment they attempt to build queen-cells, I 

 should take the frame with them on from them, give 

 it to my queen-rearing nuclei, and would give them 

 a prolific queen at once; but as yet I have been 

 saved this trouble. I am trying to have queens on 

 hand for such emergencies. 



This apiary is very pleasantly situated, about an 

 hour's drive from the city of Santo Domingo, West 

 Indies. It is not in any of the very best localities 

 for bee culture ; but as other circumstances prevent 

 me locating in a better district, I shall have an op- 

 portunity to judge of and report the difference of 

 this and other localities. These is, however, no 

 apiary within three miles around the "La Fe," and 

 therefore I think the pasturage quite sufficient for 

 about .500 colonies,which I intend to put on gradually. 



I saw in several of the bee-papers that the bees 

 did not work on tin; but this I beg to contradict, as 

 I now have on hand two tin separators on which the 

 bees have worked entire combs filled with brood. 

 This was done in a Quinby standing closed - end 

 hive. I put in some tin separators between the top 

 of the frames, and in a hurry put in a swarm of bees, 

 without putting guide-comb or fdn., and they start- 

 ed working on the sharp edge of the tin; they fas- 

 tened the comb on both sides of the tin, so as to get 

 it the full thickness for brood, with which they fill- 

 ed it the whole size of the frame. So this is proof 

 that bees will work on tin — yes, and even so far as 

 to fasten two pieces of tin together, either with 

 comb or propolis, as I have both cases in this apiary. 

 The bees here are the common brown-black German. 

 They are great hands in using propolis; every crack 

 that is under H inch open is securely sealed up by 

 them; and even the frames that are close fitting on 

 top and sides a couple of inches, they fasten quite 

 close. 



Our prospects for the expected honey season are 

 rather poor. We have had very dry weather; the 

 spring opened wet, and has been followed up by a 

 hot and dry season. Flowers have been scarce, and 

 the palms are late in blooming; but as long as there 

 is good life in the bees, there is hope. No old bee- 

 keeper can afford to go into Blasted Hopes, and I 

 am one of tho^e who say never die, although appar- 

 ently every thing seems to come to an end. But, I 

 forgot. I am just beginning here on a scientific 

 principle, and feel proud to say I am the first in this 

 island to do so. By next mail you will receive No. 2. 

 L. Ida Tobother. 



Santo Domingo, West Indies, June, 1883. 

 We are much pleased indeed, friend T., to 

 get so favorable a report from you in regard 

 to this part of the world. It has long been 

 an enigma in the minds of many, why a 

 clime so highly favored by Providence as 

 yours doubtless is, should make so poor a re- 

 turn for the " ten talents "it has received. 

 Properly worked up, it does seem as though 

 apiculture in the Antilles would give us 

 some statistics in comparison with which 

 ours would seem small. When known to be 



