The sun., 1898-11-13
BIG A0NEY BEd
An Effort Will be Made to II.
troduce Him Into This
Country.
IS A VERY HARD WORKER
Can Produce Immense Quantities OF
the Most Delicious HOney...Butl0
Enormous Combs, Six Feet
Long, Four Feet Wide, and
an Inch Thick.

in the Philippines. He is the most in i
dustrious inhabtant of those islands.
To scientists this bee is known as ApisY
dorsata, species co.lNpn throughout
the tropical regions Of the East. In thu
Philippine Islands the very largel
variety of this species is found. 1t ~
/ nearly one-half larger than our native
honey bee, and builds comb, heavy
with wax and honey, five or six times -
large as the ones that arc found in
American orchards and forests In ad-
dition 70 the enormous manufacturing
capacity OF this particular bee, it's intre-
duction will have the important effect OF
bearing plants OF the United States the
sweet juices which now remain un-
gathered.
The propagation and increase OF these
plants will also be immeasurably AZ
sisted by other services the big bees will
render These results will be brought
about for the very extraordinary 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 flowers with their tongues, but many
blossoms have such deep wells in which
their sugar treasure is stored that our ma
tive bees cannot reach it.
The principal honey-bearing flower
which our native bees find too hard 4
problem for their limited honey pumps
is the red clover, flower distributed all
over America. The long tongues of the
big Philippine bees would find these
clover blossoms very mine of sweetness.
and great amount OF honey would bo
yielded up to the iong-tongued bee that.
now is practically loss to the world. Ia
return for the honey these bees would
find in the red clover, their introduction
to that plant would prove an inestimabld
assistance to- its reproduction. MoFA
plants are fertilized and reproduce /
through the distribution Of the fertilix.
ing pollen OF une plant upon the blos-I
sows Of another. Bees play a most i'm
portant part in this operation, carrying
as they do, the pollen OF a flower fron
which they have sucked the honey ID
another, where they seek new sweets, tn,
fertilizing powder clinging to the limb
and bodies OF the little insects.
Secretary Wilson said last week, i
connection with the proposed importa
tion Of these bees to the United States
that special appropriation would bel
asked in his cun>iug report to Congress-
tor the investigation Of the bees Of thl1
world, and q swarm of the big Philippil =
honey.makers would be brought 4
America as soon as the question Of theiiI
value and the possibility Of their accli
rnatization had been fully determined
An appropriation will be requested alss /
for the study of the agricultural anGt
kindred products Of the newly acquired
territories OF the United States.
The question of acclimatizing these in1
habitants of the Philippines in the colder
attitudes of America is not discouragingl
The giant bees are found in the noun
tain regions all through India, and have,
been seen busily at work at attitudes of
5000 feet. In the Philippine Islands
their colonies are most numerous in the
mountains, as the quest of the nativesl
for their honeycombs has driven them
from the unprotected fatlands OF the
coast to the less thickIy Inhabited and
more heavily wooded mountain regions.
The Fiipinos find their daily bread ~
rather easy proposition, but they arel
very fond Of honey on the staff Of lifei
and wax is next to gold in It's popu-'
arty.
In the East wax is principal article
of staple commerce, due to the manner
in Which the cloth worn by the natives
is dyed. This cloth when fresh woven is
covered with thin layer OF wax, leaving
unexposed the pattern which it is de-
sired to dye.
The cloth is then soaked in the dye,
and the wax which covers and pro tects
the fibre where it has been spread, pre-
vents any Of the waxed parts from tax.
ing up the color. The wax is then wash
ed off in hot water, the cloth dried, and
another pattern of different color is laid
, off on the undyed parts with fresh
wax.
This manner Of dyeing is 80 general in
. the East that there is tremendous de-
mand for wax at all times, ana the ware
houses of India, Ceylon, Borneo and the
Philippines are filled with huge cheese
like cakes Of the bee product. The wax
is also exported in large quantities to
Europe for making candles.
The big bees build their hives ON tall
8 forest trees, or on the overhaDging iedges
of inaccessible cliffs. When undisturbed,
D branch swarms build near the parent
3 CUIOuy, 81 UlIuU Ia q AOW yO0sp 0A Alu
. mense bee settlement often grows up in
9 the forests. To discover one Of these IL
8 almost certain to Filipino, as it means
2 tons OF wax and honey, for which he car
r readily secure good price.
= These bees build q comb five or six
y feet long, four feet wide, and from seven
8 eighths to one and half inches in
6 thickness. The largest combs OF our
z American bees are more than one-fitth
|. this size, and the wax and honey manu-
4 factured are proportionally great.
l. In appearance the giant bee is smoky,
g glittcring, iredes"ent black, of wasp. like
= figure, with orange bands encircling his
e body. There have been reports that this
>, bee is most ferocious and on account oi
Is great size is extremely dangerous, but
a Professor Frank Benton, Of the Depart
T. ment of Agriculture, one of the bee ex.
perts of the world, has seen and handled
them in jungle haunts and he tells Z
different story. They are such busy and
g persevering workers, according to Pro.
sr fessor Benton's account, that they have
N lost dexterity with their stinging appa-
l. ratns, and, though they may light full ol
'e wrath and with evil intent upon human
y, hand or neck, they do not handle theii