River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-10-16

Jasper lIazen, the veteran bee keeper,
says III the Country Gentleman
There are two reasons why farmers
should keep bees: First. because their
occupancy of land places them in the
right localities to improve the whole
honey field; and second, because their
occupancy of the field entities them to
Its harvests. Can it be made profitable .
1t would hardly be profitable to make it
a principal business; as an incidental
business, = may afford them large re-
turn for very moderate outlay and
tritiing expense. -Four hives of sufii-
cient size, with surplus honey recepta-
les for 400 pounds of honey, would
cost say $50; four swarms of bees
would, at five dollars each, cost $40
making an outlay of $45. The first year
they would give, in good field and
season, 12S pounds of surplus, more
or less, according to the season, amount
ing, ut 30 cents per pound, TO S3S 40.
The second season would yield 500
pounds, or $3.50 amounting in the two
seasons to 1888. 40. This gives more
than four times the cost in two seasons;
and the average for many seasons may
equal this, with no additional expense
save the supply of new honey boxes an
nually. / give the above figures from
the results of actual experiment, hav-
ing received the average given from
four hives the first and second seasons,
they being the first two seasons in
which | placed swarms in the Eureka
hives, and the honey was SO white and
fine that it brought me 30 cents per
pound.
Let me advise my farmer friends how
to proceed i'll tins matter. Get from
one to four hives; according to your
honey field and faith; Ike them to a
bee-keeper, who will place good first
swarm in each hive; and remove them
home. Or if the seller is pleased to let
them stand till fall, place boxes on
them and let them stand till then. At
the proper time in the fall remove the
boxes, and take all home. With hives
SO constructed as to prevent the dispo-
sition to swarm, and the number linn
tied to the capacity of the field, / have
no doubt they would sometimes do bet
ter than this, as / have had 200 pounds
from one hive in one season. On this
plan, there is little to do but to place and
remove the boxes in the proper time If
the hive isso constructed rs to give ample
room in the breeding and wintering
apartment, feeding is rendered I'M
necessary. If proper means are used to
give room in the surplus boxes for all
the colony the whole season, before any
preparation is made for swarming, and
the hives are effectually shaded from
the sun, no watching for swalms will
be required, and no time necessarily
devoted to them but to put on the sur
plus boxes in season and remove them
when full; and this may even be done
by a neighbor accustomed to the bust
ness, if one is apprehensive of danger
i'll performing these, or any other opera
tiOns about the hive.
When | feel assured in my mind
that millions of dollars worth of honey
is lost every year, of which the farmers
of the country might avail themselves,
and for their expenses and trouble get
two, three or four hundred per cent. in
clear profits, | can hardly be satisfied
that this state of things shonld be con-
tinued, or such trifling efforts be made
for securing such ar advantage, both to
the farmers and tho public. | think /
have suggested this before, but its I'M
portance, in my estimation, justifes its
repetition. think this interest is suf-
ficiently important to deserve the con-
sideratioh of all our agricultural jour
nails, and is worthy of a place in the
agricultural department of all the
newspapers published and circulated
for lhe benefit and instruction of the
public generally.