14 



MANUAL OF APICULTURE. 



attachments, and it was thus ascertained that (as might have been 

 expected in the case of any species of Apis), their combs are always 

 built perx^endicularly ; also that the colonies placed in frame hives 

 and permitted to fly freely did not desert these habitations and that, 

 far from being ferocious, these colonies were easily handled by proper 

 precautions, without even the use of smoke. It was also proved by 

 the quantity of honey and wax present that they are good gatherers. 

 The execution at that time of the plan of bringing these bees to the 

 United States was prevented only by severe illness contracted iu India. 

 These large bees would doubtless be able to get honey from flowers 

 whose nectaries are located out of reach of ordinary bees, notably those 

 of the red clover, now visited chiefly by bumble bees and which it 



is thought the East In- 

 dian bees might pollinate 

 and cause to produce seed 

 more abundantly . Even 

 if no further utilizable, 

 they might prove an im- 

 portant factor ill the pro- 

 duction in the Southern 

 States of large quantities 

 of excellen t beeswax, now 

 such an expensive article. 

 Should these bees and 

 the common East Indian 

 bee {Apis iucUca), i^re- 

 viously referred to, visit 

 in the main only such 

 flowers as are not adapted 

 to our hive bees, their in- 

 troduction, wherever it 

 could be made successful, 

 would, without decreas- 

 ing the yield from our 

 hive bees, add materially to the honey and wax production of tlie coun- 

 try. Theoretical conclusions as to the results of such an introduction 

 can not be of much account unless based upon an intimate acquaintance 

 with the nature and habits of the bees to be introduced. Enough is 

 known of tbe small bee to remove all doubt regarding the possibility 

 of its successful introduction, and it is also probable that the large one 

 would prove valuable. In neither case does there appear any i:>ossi- 

 bility that evil results might follow their introduction. There are also 

 numerous other varieties or species of bees in Africa and Asia about 

 which no more or even less is known, but to investigate them fully will 

 require much time and considerable expense. It is a subject, however, 

 that should receive careful consideration because of the possible bene- 

 fits to apiculture and the wider beneficial effects on agriculture. 



Fig. 



}. — Comb of tiny East Indian honey bee (Apis florea) , 

 one-tliird natural sisre. (Original.) 



