The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-08

| tries ut no distant future. No Other
industry has made such progress as
bee Keeping has made with the last
twelve years"
WATACGA COUNTY.
Mr. \. J. Mcbride SAYS that there
are W varieties kept. the natives and
Italians. He thinks that the cross 81
the two kinds is the best and that the
yield Is about 80 pounds Of honey anG
two pounds IF way Ia the col, N. tle
honey being worth Il! cents per
pound, the wax p cents.
WAYNE COUNTY.
Nr T. 3 Parker thinks that the
Italian bee is far superior to all othe,
varieties. Sometimes as much "a 900
pounds Of horey is made by one COLONY
but 30 pounds IS a good average for the
State. Honey is worth from 9 TO Il
cents per pound; wax about % cents
Dir. Rufus Morgan Of this county sends
the following interesting letter.
! have no hesitation III ~pronouncing
the Italian decidedly superior t. the
natives IN many respects. that will
come out Very prominently in poor
seasons. but which are not so notice
ahie during those that Weld LARGE
quantities of honey. To the ordinary
iarmc the native bee is rs good rs n
Tor all practical purposes as the in
PRODUCTION Of Italian Queens. and the
trouble in keeping their progeny pure,
more tia co~unterbalanc2s all the al
vantages. To the profession Apiarian
the Italians are a necessity for many
reasons With him the trouble Of in
Producing queens and keeping the stock
pure. is a labor of love, and al the
good qualities which the pure Italians
really possess. are taken advantage of,
a the right time and in such a manner
that would be Impossible to the far
mer. The differences in favor Of, or
against the Italians, sum up as fol-
lows
During a good honey season they are
not rs cross rs the natives.
During a poor one, they are much
more cross and irritable.
They swarm o%ftener and earlier than
the natives objectionable, in my opin-
ion the worst feature about thcm.)
Are longer lived. Defend their
hives more vigorously against the
moth, and are more prolific. AS |
sud, ali these qualities come out promi
nCntly during a poor season. vet during
q good one. ii native hive will do near
ly, if not fully, as we'll as an italian.
70 illustrate. At Old Fort, North
Carolina. there was no Eastwood of
any accom- nearer than three miles
yet during the Eastwood season. nv
Italians gathered large quantities Of it
natives non of any account; the
natives working on the May weed or
dog fennel. from which they gathered
4 honey. black. bitter, and worthless,
IF which the Italians took none. L
have neve witnessed as great a differ
in their working qualities at any
other time.
Our best Judges regard the Cyprian
IS identical with the Italians, there be
NO no appreciate difference between
hem, when side by side. It is ever
Questionable if there are any queens III
his country who really came from the
Stand Of Cyprus. AS regards the
\lbinos, there is no distinct race of
hat name. The name was originated
~ 4 dealer III queens, simply | suppose
0 emphasize the fact. that he bred
inc, very bright, queens.
This question Of the amount Of honey
nd wax is very hard to answer, it de-
'ends so much on locality and manage
nent. An Apiary in the western part
t the State IN a good locality and a
rood season would give the extractor
n average yield of at least 80 pounds;
ut in that section a good season does
OF come @oftcner than once in four or
We years. and if one obtained 80
ounds per colony it would be
fair yield. Farmers there OBJ
ain about % per colony. The centre
f the State ! regard as a desert. SO far
5 honey is concerned. In the swamps
the east, the yield is very large and
DOR seasons fewer.
In Baden, on Colley swamp. there
re farmers who average 30 pounds per
when the trained Apiarian could
lsily make go pounds, per hive by
Ieans Of the extractor and comb foun-
alton. Almost any where in the
Tamps Of the east. bee keeping could +,
2 made a valuable adjunct to the
With the extractor the yield of
ak is very small, but by the method :
Irsued BY the most Of our farmers it
ay be put down "a about one pound :
wax for every eleven pounds Of !
,ney. (,
The honey from the west IS mostly :
sourwood. and commands readily
the comb, when nicely put up, 20 10 f
cents, per pound, all other grades :
$ 10 IS cts. per pound according /
the style it is in. The honey from :