The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1898-12-03

cS4pes ana engage In the skilled labor
In which 1t has no peer. This is the
giant East Indian honey bee, and IL
vestiEation Of It's work and immense
capacity for making honey and wax
has interested the department Of agri-
culture In the consideration Of an early
exert to introduce it into the United
States.
Secretary Wilson said in connection
with the proposed importation Of these
bees to the United States, that a spe-
eial appropriation would be asked In
MS coming report to congress for the
Investigation Of the bees of the world,
and a swarm Of the big Philippine
honeymakers would be brought to Am
erica as soon as the question Of their
value and the possibility Of their &C
climatization has been fully determin-
ed. There will also be an appropria-
tton requested for the study Of the
agricultural and kindred products OF
the newly acquired territory Of the
United States, and even under this
head the great honey bees of tie east
could be introduced by the department
70 this country. To scientists this
bee Is known as apis dorsata, a spe-
oies common throughout the tropical
regions Of the east, and in the Phil
tpptne islands the largest variety Of
this species is found. II is nearly one
half Larger than our native honey bee
and builds a comb, heavy with wax
and honey, five or six times as large as
the ones that are found in American
orchards and forests. In addition to
the enormous manufacturing capacity
OF this particular bee its introduction
Will have the important effect Of Sc
curing from some Of the richest hon
ey-bssCrina plants Of the United States
the sweet juices which now remain
ungathered. The propagation and in
crease Of these plants will also be i'm
measurably assisted by other services
the big bees will render. These extra
ordinary results will be brought about
for the reason that the giant Of the
east has tongue nearly twice as long
as our native bees. All these little
workers get at the honey In the now
ers with their tongues; but many bios
SONS have such deep wells that 90
ing this through inherited tradition,
never try. The principal honey-bear-
ing flower which our native bees find
too hard a problem for their limited
honey pumps is red clover. The long
tongues Of the big Philippine bees
would find these clover blossoms q
mine Of sweetness, and thousands OF
tons of honey would be yielded up that
Is now practically a loss to the world.
In return for the honey these bees
would find in the red clover their in
PRODUCTION to that plant would prove
al inestimable assistance to its re-
production. Bees play a most import
ant part 10 this operation, carrying as
sSsy do the pollen of one flower to
another, the fertilizing powder cling
ing to the limbs and body of the little
insect. The question of the POSSIBLE
it, of acclimatiZing these inhabitants
OF the Philippines In the colder lati-
tutes of America is not diseouraging.
The giant bees are found in the noun
AC6lOho Oil cAA
have been seen busily at work at alti-
tudes of 5000 feet. In the Philippine
islands their colonies are most numer-
oua in the mountains, as the indefat:-
gable quest of the natives for their
honey combs has driven them to the
loss thickly inhabited regions. The
F1Iipinos find their daily bread a rath-
er easy proposition, but they are fond
Of honey on the staff of life, and wax
N next to gold in its attractions for
fortune-seekers. In the east wax is
a principal article Of staple commerce,
due to the manner in which the clothes
worn by the natives are dyed. These
clothes when fresh woven are covered
with a thin layer of wnx, leaving e1-
posed the portions which 1t is desired
to dye. The cloth Is then soaked In
the dye and the wax which covers and
protects the fiber where 1t has been
spread prevents any OF the waxed
parts from taking up the color. This
manner of dyeing is so general in the
east that there is tremendous de-
mand for wax at all times. The wax
also is exported in large quantities to
Europe for making candles. The COM
merciaI probabilities of the introduce
tion and increase Of the giant bees to
the United States would principally
affect the production Of wax This
commodity has risen so greatly In
price through the invention Of the
that she manufacturers
Of wax goods often nave been without
material for their product. The big
bees build their hives on tall forest
trees or on the overhanging lodges Of
inaccessible cliffs. Branch swarms
build near the parent colony. 90 that
In a few years an immense bee settle
ment often grows up in the forest. To
discover one Of these is almost GER
tain fortune to 9 Filipino. In appear
ance the giant bee is smoky, gilt
tering. iridescent black Of wasp-iike
figure, with orange bands encircling its
body. There have been reports that
this bee Is most forocious and on ac-
sount OF its great size is extremely
noutn1 Of