380 THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 



just past we had no rain, but at that and extracting as close as I 

 had in June, it was not necessary to feed my bees. The practical 

 beekeeper, farmer, stockman or poultry raiser, with sufficient 

 capital, needs have no fear about making good in Cuba, provided 

 he looks over the field before he locates, because if he is practical 

 he will know what is good when he sees it. Don't come here broke 

 and don't locate permanently until you have looked over the island 

 thoroughly. 



Although not in the lead perhaps in development, Oriente 

 Province is without doubt the best in Cuba for the farmer. This 

 may not apply to tobacco growing and some few other pursuits, 

 not to be thought of by the small man. 



We are in a way, all subject to a long standing imposition, in 

 the way of having poor, shoddy goods pushed on us. The manufac- 

 turers in trying to find a market for this class of their goods are 

 not entirely to blame, as the Spanish merchant figures his profit 

 the same on a poor article as he does a good one and sells more, 

 naturally, to a certain class, but he cannot see ahead to where it is 

 going to hurt him, or force the individual to do his own importing. 

 Some of your best known bee supply houses likewise unload poor 

 hive parts or queens on us, then hide behind their reputations and 

 let us squeal, but this need only happen one time. 



In summing up the whole situation I cannot see where a bee- 

 keeper in Cuba has not in every way a great advantage over the 

 northern man or any one who has bees in either a cold or a less 

 fertile region. Surely the only exception there could be, would be 

 the man of growing family and it is true that English educational 

 and social advantages are not much in the interior. I can land my 

 honey in New York, England or Germany for less than ten cents 

 per gallon for transportation from my apiaries five miles from the 

 nearest rail road station, and I have some nectar yielding fiora 365 

 days each year, but of course not always in sufficient quantities to 

 give me a surplus. With the hope that this has not tired you too 

 much and that the season you will soon be entering will be a good 

 one for all. 



There are two facts worthy of mention that may help some 

 who might be locating in Cuba. First the "Cypress" hive is away 

 yonder the best for our climate (I use Kretchmer goods) and Da- 

 dant's foundation is in a class by itself, and nothing that we can 

 buy here can touch it, my bees will, with Dadant's and others plac- 

 ed in frames alternately, draw out every frame of Dadant's before 

 the other is touched. 



