Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-02-06
For the Free Press.
HONEY-BEE CULTURE.

Nfs,s Editors:
Allow me 10 make a few suz-
-ss;i,c hints 20 your numerous readers, per-
tsiuing 20 the culture of the honey-bce. 1t has
bong since be-u CONSIDERED a branch Of agricul-
,urr. although 1t has been seriously neglected.
Having becu exclusively engaged for several
wears past in their study and culture.
bsss te,,me fully convinced that there Is
ua Sind Of cuisines. with the same amount Of
-lit.I mye-y,i, thar viii pay halfas well Thr
-l,-e-- or the business depends upcn hrer great
u5int- The nan, the hire, and the s~Gror
I' the hee-sesrer is skilled in the management
.f l,, bees. oad has hive that IS rightly con-
.tru,iel. arl the =cs-,n Is favorable one. It i-
u.t Poi. ua,,mman tb-rg for him 20 realize ten,
a1d u, many iu-tmcc., fNeen and twenty dol
lrs Ir6t from ca-h prosperou, hive yearly
riu- paying t1rrc mi four hundred per ccnt,o on
t5r Investment. According 70 ancient hiztory.
tosss 90, .i.e ',.uc was the only sweet known.
IN Ar'-t.,--- and Tliney' day, who fourishsd
over tVo thousand years ago, We learn that bees
were thol cultivated to some extent, although
Ike many other things perfected and
inpro, n very much since. Within the past ten
or flccn yc1rs, ;here has bsen more progress
made i'm their culture and management, than
fr centuries previous.
There seems 70 have never been time. sinee
our ,srli,s, history, vhcn Eee-culture should de-
mlnj our attention mere than at the present;
when w. anl hoavy taxation, the great scare
ity and high rricc of sugar IS staring US in the
ficeI say Why shorii 'rs not encourage the cultur-
oftbe Bee uron a more extended scale. and raise
honey rs Che quantity, as some few now Do.
thus casllu- Us 20 meet the ieGry tarct. snd
aGorlns rs handsome income besides. With
right ca-c and ulsnsg cement and a favorable STA
--a. Sc viii &c ,uiIc but a few sTa-ms Of Bees to
rli=e d tol of honey. II a colony Of Bees come
9ut Strong in the spring (as they viii if properly
.intercdt il Is an easy matter 10 realize so. IS
pounds, .ii sometimes much more +;
5esii,s youu2 swarm or two, which vii &c
thrown aa. # properly attended to
GoeI honey readily commands high Prioe in
aiarso;, and probably viii for years to cone-
Unl,r ,fc rrg=ent condition Of our country. and
'he high price os sugar, IL certainly behooves us
20 live us much as possible within ourselves, in
Independent of thc South. There IS honey
enough wasted every year to supply Us with al
Che sweet ,re need. II We had the Bee to collect
f.. there could ue more honey produced north Of
Na-or,'- ana Dizou's Line than there ever was
-u-1r .uth % 10, aul not cost the producer one
hs.f ~hat sugar now costs the southern planter.
There IS 10 place iH the world 50 well sdsp;ed
20 fnc large yield Of honey as the northern
psrria o tas United States with it, fertile hills.
v,llcy- aij iroaI--pread prairies Of the West
Certainly. f.r amount. and quality of honey,
uc s,ar, e, ,he heal Of sny other country in the
vo.lI, IT vc would but improve it,
There Is re darerr of oyer-stockins our mar
be. with honey, as The consumers increase hster
than che proiuccrs-
There 5, no dsngcr Of overlooking our coun-
,i.y with Bee. as some persons have imagined,
especially ,he flt''s portions gift. as all honey
producing plant, WELD their sweets days together
1li -amr,ri,- vccss. depending much upon the
f.,c.. ,as weather and the species Of flower.
T.,-s about % engage IN the culture Of this
.l-i-btf-l G,tIs nscct, should first get posted by
conzrlir- scmc scientific Bee-keeper, or be guild
u by somc socd book upon the subject, to insure
5iic,.-s ir 'hc business.
h. 7. kIDDER,
Practical Apiculturist,
Burlington, Vt