The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-01
From the Handbook Of the Agricul-
tural Department.
Bee Keeping in North Carolina.

This branch of industry does not
receive t he attention that 1t deserves,
although the following reports from
81 counties show that it may be quite
a profitable one in the extreme eastern
and western counties. The expense
attendant on the keeping of bees is not
necessarily large, and the profits from
these busy little workers might doubt
less be increased by taking advantage
OF the modern appliances that have
been devised for their better housing
and the extraction of honey without
the destruction of life. From most of
the communications it will be seen that
the Italian Bee is the favorite, and is
frequently hybridiZed with the native
or black bee. 1t is said to be more
Industrious, stronger and generally
more docile. They appear to have
longer bills and to be able to reach the
honey in f1owers-the Red Glover for
example-which is not accessible to
common bees" Farmers ana Plan
tiers E~ncyclopapdia.)
In response to the following ques-
tons:
1st. What Bee is kept and which do
49,. thN ANbllNS ARoAioi, ~
or Albino
2. What is the annual average yield
per Colony in honey and bceswaX ?
30. What is the average price per
pound
Through Mr.. f. G.. Worth, reports
that the native bees are chiefly kept.
There are some Italians that do not
succeed well. Yield Of honey and
beesWax about 100 pounds per colony.
Price of honey l215 cents per pound.
BeeswaX p cents per pound.
ALAMANCE,
Has the native, Italian and Hybrid
Italian preferred. One pound of wax
to 20 or 20 pounds of honey per colony.
! rice from ID to 20 cents per pound.
This report is received from Mr.. d. w.
Kerr and DR.. w. F. Bason.
ALEXANDER.
Mr.. j p. Matheson states that the
native is the only bee in his county.
Average yield loo pounds honey and 6
pounds wax. Price per pound Of honey
10 cents and p cents, Mr.. w. w.
Gryder of this county also writes, that
from the native bee about 80 to 30
pounds of honey is the average Weld
per colony, and about 4 pounds of wax
to every 80 pounds OF honey. The
honey commands 10 cents per pound,
and the wax % cents.
u
Mr.. j. w. Purdie reports that the
n,tive is the only kind kept, and that
the yield per colony is about 80 to 90
pounds. Price of honey from s to 10
cents. Wax about % cents.
BRUNSWICK.
Mr.. A. &. Willard answers that the
native is the only bee kept that the
Italians have been tried but do not
thrive well. About % pounds Of
marketable honey is made to the colo
ny, and 81 pounds of wax worth %
cents.
BUNCoMBE.
Mr. W. B. Cheek reports that there
are no C!prian or Albino bees in this
county. The Italians gather at least
third more honey than the natives.
Average yield of honey per colony 20
pounds. Price 10 cents. About 9
pounds of wax, price 20 cents per
pound.
CALDWELL.
Mr.. John NJ. Houck reports that the
and Italian both do we'll in this
county, and that there is not much diff
in their work. A low estimate
Of yield per colony is p pounds. The
average price IS 10 cents per pound.
CATAwBA.
Mr.. W. p. Rcinhardt states that the
Italian is superior to the native. Az
yield about 40 pounds to the
Price of honey varies from Is
to 20 cents per pound, and wax is rated
1t % cents.
CHEROKEE.
Mr. VIM. Beal reports only the ma
bee in this county. Average yield
per colony 30 pounds. Price 123
.ents.
Mr.. W. NJ. Baldwin says that only
native bees are kept; that they do
we'll, especially near the large swamps
FRANKLIN.
Messrs. NJ. S. Davis and O. L. Ellis
that the native bee is kept. The
iverage yield per colony is 90 pounds of
honey and 6 pounds of wax. Price of
123 cents per pound. :
FORSYTH. ,
Mr.. r. III. Linville writes that so |
of honey to the colony is about {
he average yield, and the price is 124 t
ents per pound. L
GAsToF. t
Mr.. James H. White states that the e
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