The History of Cuba, vol. 5Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
The History of Cuba, vol. 5
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Cuba -- Economic conditions; Cuba -- History
In March, throughout the interior, the flowers of many fruit trees,
found wild in the forest, give an abundance of honey, while on the coast
the Roble Blanco, or so called white oak, furnishes food. In April, in
the interior, food is derived from many plants then in bloom, while on
the coast the flowers of the Salsa, Pelotajo, Bacuaya and the Guana
Palm furnish an abundance of food. The months of May and June, in the
interior, contribute comparatively few honey yielding flowers, while on
the coast the mangroves, the Guana Palm, and one or two other plants
yield food in great quantities.
In July and August the scarcity of honey bearing flowers continues in
the interior while on the coast the Guamo yields food. In September and
October, throughout the interior, honey is derived from the Toruga and a
few other flowers. On the coast, during these months, the same flowers
yield honey but in less quantity. In the months of November and
December, throughout the interior, a heavy flow of honey is derived from
a plant known as the Bellflower, while on the coast at this season, food
is scarce.
Where groves of citrus fruit abound excellent honey is derived from the
flowers of the orange and grape fruit throughout much of the winter.
As a result of experience in apiculture during the past fifteen years,
$2 per hive is the average annual income derived when located under
favorable circumstances. One bee keeper who cares for a colony of 1200
hives has found that by adding 25 to 30 pounds of sugar towards the
support of each hive, during the months when food is scarce, this
average of $2 per hive in annual profit is increased to $5 and even
more.
The exportation of wax for the fiscal year 1916-17 amounted to
approximately 1,300,000 pounds, valued at $340,000. Of this amount about
a million pounds was exported to the United States, while 300,000 pounds
went to Great Britain. In the same year over 12,000,000 pounds of honey
were shipped abroad, valued at $650,000. Nearly 10,000,000 pounds of
this went to the United States, Great Britain taking the larger part of
the remainder.
Most of the honey exported from Cuba is strained and sells in bulk for
about five cents per pound. To those fond of bees, apiculture in Cuba
will always form for the settler a source of added pleasure and profit,
especially in those sections where coffee, cacao and citrus fruit form
the chief source of income.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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