THE CUBA R E V I E W 



13 



A Pile of Native Log Hives Ready for Use. Note the Apiary in the Background and to the Right 



BEE CULTURE IN THE ISLAND OF CUBA 



By H. O. Neville. 



Many years ago the writer made a long trip from La Gloria, I'rovince of Camagiiey, 

 Cuba, to Santiago, in what is now Oriente Province, and during this trip he had oppor- 

 tunities for observing the details of the methods at that time employed by the native 

 Cuban bee-keeper in obtaining the products of the bees. He was struck with the great 

 possibilities for this industry in Cuba, as shortly after leaving La Gloria and Avhile 

 in the dense forests that at that time practically surrounded this place, the road was 

 interrupted by the branches of a very large tree that had 'evidently been felled within 

 only a very few hours of the time the writer passed. His curiosity naturally prompted 

 him to ascertain why the tree had l)een felled, and, dismounting, an examination was 

 made with the result that immediately beneath a very large branch of the tree was 

 found a large cut that had been made by the axmen, thus reaching the interior of the 

 branch at its junction with the main body of the tree. At this point the tree proved 

 to be hollow, the hollow extending into the In-anch, and through a small opening 

 made by decay wild bees had gained entrance to the hollow and had filled it with 

 honey. Of course, when the writer examined it, the honey had been taken out by 

 the axmen, only traces being left, but still a large number of bees were hovering 

 around their former home. Continuing his journey, a few miles further on in a 

 district that had been at one time evidently cleared in the midst of the forest and 

 at this date grown up to small guava, caimito and other bushes and trees, a very 

 large number, perhaps 400, native Cuban hives consisting of hollowed out logs were 

 seen, from which the bees were going and coming in steady streams : and throughout 

 the entire journey in localities favorable for this industry, groups of this same kind 

 of hive were found. Still farther along it was necessary in leaving the Cubitas 

 Valley to pass through the Middle Pass of the Cubitas Mountains, this consisting 

 in one place of a narrow roadway located between perpendicular walls of rock some 

 200 feet in height, and the guide called the writer's attention to very numerous bee 

 colonies at work in the grottos and crevices of the faces of the cliffs. In quite a 

 number of places rude ladders constructed of, vines with short round pieces of shrubs 

 crossing them and tied to them by smaller vines, served to give the native honey 

 hunters a rough though precarious means of access to these bees and to their stores 



