346 



FOREIGN OFFICE REPORTS. 



[Dec. 1895. 



Apiculture in Servia. 



ThQ Foreign Office has recently published a report sent by 

 Mr. A, F. G. Leveson-Gower, Her Majesty's Consul at Belgrade 

 who states that, while bee culture in Servia is at present in its 

 infancy, a good deal of progress has been made of late years, 

 and that at the present time there are several bee farms of con- 

 siderable size in different parts of the country, 



A description is given of one of these farms, which is situated 

 close to Topscbidere, a village about four miles distant from 

 Belgrade. It is the property of a Servian society called " The 

 Society for Bee and Fruit Culture," and contains about 200 hives, 

 placed in regular rows at an equal distance of 6 feet 6 inches 

 from each other in rows facing north. These hives are all on 

 the bar-frame principle, and of the pattern generally known as 

 Dzierzon hives, and contain about 80 lbs. of honey in the comb 

 when full. They are made of wood with straw sides, and are 

 produced at a cost of 15 fr., or about lis., each. The farm is 

 under the care of a superintendent, who appears thoroughly to 

 understand his business and the manipulation of bees. 



The bees, to the uninitiated, appear to be a species of the 

 common hive-bee (Ains mellifica), but are rather small in size 

 and unusually tractable. It appears that the Italian bee {A'pis 

 ligiistica) does not succeed well in Servia, and becomes quickly 

 merged with those indigenous to the country. 



The bee farm at Topschidere is provided with two centrifuo-al 

 honey extractors of very simple design, but perfectly practical. 

 The honey is extracted from the comb in these extractors, and 

 put into glass bottles with 8crew tops of a very neat pattern, 

 imported from Austria, containing respectively \ lb., 1 lb. and 

 2 lbs. The price of the honey is 1 fr. per lb. (about 9Jd), 

 exclusive of the bottle, for which an extra charge of 50 c. is 

 made. The wax is sold to the v^ax chandlers for making into 

 church candles, and realises 3 fr. 40 c. per kilo , or about Is. 3d 

 per lb. 



The importance of encouraging bee culture is evidently fully 

 realised by the members of this apicultural society and others 

 interested, and the introduction of a law is said to be in con- 

 templation, obliging all priests, schoolmasters, and certain others 

 holding employment under Government to turn their attention 

 to the keeping of bees. 



Judging from the organisation of the bee farm at Topschidere, 

 and the scientific and business-like manner in which it is managed, 

 Mr. Leveson-Gower thinks it likely that this society may be the 

 means of introducing a system of bee-keeping on scientific prin- 

 ciples, and of developing the industry throughout Servia, where, 

 until lately, the peasants have been in the habit of keeping their 

 bees in conical straw skeps daubed with mud or plaster of the 

 most primitive description, and destroying the bees in order to 

 obtain the honey. 



