. The Cuba review. THE CUBA R E V I E W 31 AGRICULTURAL MATTERS BEE-KEEPING IN THE ORIENTE D. W. ^Millar and his partner have ex- perimented and studied bee-keeping in the tropics for fourteen years. They write interestingly in Gleanings in Bee Culture regarding their failures and successes in Oriente Province, Cuba. They say: "On account of the difference between bee-keeping in the North and in the tropics, about all we know we have had to figure out for ourselves. All our new blood, which we believe in introducing regularly, is pure Italian, although we prefer the dark leather-colored b
. The Cuba review. THE CUBA R E V I E W 31 AGRICULTURAL MATTERS BEE-KEEPING IN THE ORIENTE D. W. ^Millar and his partner have ex- perimented and studied bee-keeping in the tropics for fourteen years. They write interestingly in Gleanings in Bee Culture regarding their failures and successes in Oriente Province, Cuba. They say: "On account of the difference between bee-keeping in the North and in the tropics, about all we know we have had to figure out for ourselves. All our new blood, which we believe in introducing regularly, is pure Italian, although we prefer the dark leather-colored bee, which comes from a pure queen mating with a hybrid drone. They have the three distinct bands, but cannot be pure, although they pass as such. However, we make no special effort to breed for them, as we keep our apiaries as nearly pure as is possible, where there are so many black bees in the country. We make our hives, after the pattern of the ordinary American single-walled hive, out of native cedar, and all other wood parts the same. "Many long methods for moving colonies from one location to another have been given, but we find here the simplest and best way is to move the hive at night, and to place a bottom-board or some notice- able object in front of the entrance for the next day. "We use but little smoke, and try to raise quiet bees. If we have a bad colony we kill the queen and try another. Queens of our own rearing are cheap, and are good for only about two years here, any- way. In working here we dress for com- fort regardless of bees. Veils, gloves, etc., are in the way for fast work, and too warm. When, through our negligence, oversight, or overwork we have a swarm. it is brought back on our arm or in our hat. Don't understand that we are im- mune to bee-stings, but they are few, and of no consequence except for the instant. "We do not shade our hives except in locating an apiary. We select a place where there are a few young palms, and perhaps s
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