778 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



wild combs every year. The small lots of wax are collected from the 

 producers by local agents of firms in big centres like Calcutta. These 

 firms make over the wax to dealers who export the major portion to 

 foreign countries and sell the remainder to meet the demand in the 

 country. The wax trade is almost entirely in the hands of Indians 

 who are mostly the enterprising Marwaris. The export to foreign 

 countries goes through European firms. 



The Indian beeswax has acquired a bad reputation for adulteration 

 which can however be prevented. It is not intended to go into thi 

 question in this paper. 



Improvements are possible in the method of extracting the wax 

 from the combs. A sample extracted according to improved methods 

 was valued in the Calcutta market at Ks. 85 per inaund of 82 lb. in 

 1911, while the best wax extracted according to current methods was 

 selling at Rs. 80. 



The supply of beeswax from India will increase with the establish- 

 ment and progress of bee-keeping as a regular industry. No data are 

 available in India to prove this, but a reasonable inference can be made 

 from experience in other countries. The following figures are available 

 to the \^Titer just at present. In 1850 the production of honey and 

 wax in the United States of America was together about 14,800,000 lb. 

 Improved methods in bee-keeping were introduced there in 1853. In 

 1860 the amount of honey produced was 23,400,000 lb. and that of 

 wax was 1,330,000 lb. In 1900, the amount of honey was 61,200,000 

 lb. and that of wax was 1,800,000 lb. 



Immediate Im])rove7nen(s. 

 Leaving aside the question of the prospective industry, an immediate 

 improvement in the existing conditions can be effected by the introduc- 

 tion of proper methods in extracting the honey from the wild combs. 

 At present the honey produced in India is not fit to be used as a market- 

 able article. As it does not keep long, it is consumed principally in 

 the localities where it is produced. It can be extracted in a pure condi- 

 tion by the use of " honey extractors " and stocked in vessels, such as 

 properly closed bottles and tins, which will prevent it from absorbing 

 moisture. Then it will not ferment and will fetch its proper price. In 

 this manner several million pounds of a very desirable and highly prized 

 substitute for sugar can be rendered available to the people at large. 



Mr. Ghosh has said that we could not get the queen-bees fertilized 

 at Pusp, chiefly on account of the climatic conditions, but I believe this 

 was rather due to the part played by the Bee-eaters. 



