624 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
India has several species of hive bees, and the 
climate is exceedingly favourable to apiculture, yet 
the industry is, generally speaking, so ill-developed as 
to be only of slight commercial importance. A great 
field seems to be open for the application of scientific 
methods in the handling of native races, and so pro- 
ducing honey in large amounts, of good quality, free 
from pollen and brood-juices — an art in which the 
Hindoo needs European instruction. Wax could also 
be produced in vast quantity. It remains yet to be 
seen whether the Ligurian, Cyprian, or Syrian, may 
not, especially in their mastery over the wax moth, 
be superior to any native bee. Mr. J. C. Douglas, 
who has especially studied this question, is strongly 
in favour of the introduction of the southern variety of 
the Italian. The proper solution of the problem would 
be of advantage to our Indian Empire. But it must 
not be supposed that throughout this vast collection 
of countries the native plans are all equally primitive. 
In Lower Bengal they have not progressed beyond 
the adoption of an earthen vessel for a hive, and 
the destruction of all the bees when taking the honey. 
In the Punjab they use cylindrical hives,* made for 
the purpose to which they are devoted, and formed 
of wooden logs, or earth and wattle ; and here the 
bees are more productive. In Cashmere, the hives are 
built, as they are further west, in the house walls, the 
bees and their brood-nests not being destroyed, as 
the honey, which is stored behind, is removed from 
within, whilst the bees are driven forwards by tapping 
and smoke. Here feeding on meal and sugar, or 
honey, is practised. The most advanced bee-keepers 
