The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-06-13
BEE-CULTURE IN FLORIDA.

The State Immigration Agent at Jack
sonville, having sent circulars to the differ.
ernt counties asking information as to
Bee-culture and Sheep-raising, received
the following carefully written reply from
MIR. W. S. Hart, of New Smyrna, one Of
the most prominent Apiarists in the State
Mr.. Hart is the Vice-President fol
Florida of the North American Bee
keepers Society, the leading society in
America, organized to foster Bee-culture
The Imr -igratiOn Agent sought to obtain
information by means of circulars, to en-
able him to answer inquiries frequently
made on the subject by parties desiring
to immigrate to Florida. He sends Mr.
Hart's reply to the FLoRIDIAN, as a cen
trally located journal in the State. with
request that we publish the same for gen
eral information, and we with pleasure
give it place in our columns
New SMYRNA, VOLUsIA Co, Fla April "a
Hon. G. Drec Agent BareIu Of Immigration, No
DEAR SIR Your circular of inquiry at hand
Will say in reply that | am not posted in
Sheep culture will leave that subject TO other
hands and confine myself TO the Bee interest
In letter accompanying circular you ask ioI
something rather more particular than the in
closed inquiries would indicate, so will try "a
give you pretty clear idea of the business here
as | see 1t, and perhaps | can best do SO by re-
plying TO a list of questions that | select from
the many letters OF inquiry from Northern Bee
keepers, and received by me during the past
year, as follows:
Questton.-DOes 1t pay TO keep bees in Florida
Amsloer--Ies, in many portions of the State il
pays as well or better than in any other State
and there are parts were bees can scarcely make
a living.
Q-What is the average increase and honey
production per colony in an average year?
An good locations the average natural in
crease is from one 10 three and $50 pounds oi
honey. They often do much better than this. |
have known one colony 10 increase naturally To
nine strong ones, in one season, and give consid-
cradle surplus honey besides.
Q-What enemies and disease do they have
to contend with?
al have never seen or known of diseased
colony of bees in this State. Foul brood. dvs-
entery, &c., are unknown here The enemies
are toads, dragon flies ants, moths and birds
but Italian bees, well attended, will keep so
strong in numbers that the combined efforts oil
their enemies seem TO affect them but little
Q.-What part of the State would you recon-
mend for an Apiarian TO locate in?
A.-Having never been in the Northern por-
ton Of the State, know but comparatively lit
lie OF its honey resources. | am told that bees
do very well in many localities, and one CORES
pOndent writes that his bees get the swarm
ing fever in October, from heavy flow of honey
which usually comes about that time | am bet
ter acquitted with South Florida and consider
lVIn ,.f4 tl.r,,
limit of the mangrOve tree Ia little north OF 29lll
IIarach unsurpassed for The industry
Q-Do bees get lazy after being in your State
for while
A.-No.
Q--Do the bees gather the year round, wha,
do They gather from and what is the quality Oi
the honey:
A.-No, there are usually three and sometimes
four honey seasons, with honey drouths between
each year. will quote from an article OF mine
published in the F1orida Agrcplurist, Of Novem
bcr 9th 1891: -" Our bees winter perfectly on
the summer stands, and gather honey or pollen
every month in The year. The first honey flow
commences about the 1st of February aud
swarming about the 10Th OF March. In April or
May We usually have honey drOnth of few
weeks, sufficient TO check the swarming fever
| Then comes the saw palmetto, sweet bay, bass
wood, &c., giving good flow of very heavy
| honey, of light amber color, and excellent
| flavor. This flow lasts until the cabbage pal
metto and mangTove come in, the last of June
From this on until about the 10th OF August the
flow is continuous and heavy, The honey a. hand
some as can be produced, and of very fine flavor
y resting spell now comes for the bees, which
lasts until the middle OF September when the
full flowers, and later, the saw palmetto berries
yield surplus OF darker honey, suitable tor win
ter supplies or spring feeding. As bees fly here
almost every day in The year fall honey can be
fed without fear of dyseniery. Some of the lead
/
maple willow, sweei-gum, the bays, orange,
myrtle, oak, Eastwood, hickory, youpOn, mock
| olive, w-lalmetlo, cabbage palmetto and mag
nOlia, the last two of which come together in
| the middle Of the summer, and are unequaled as
honey-producers by anything else in the whole
vegetable kingdom known Ia the writer They
| produce honey in abundance, OF the finest
quality, and we think il is safe 10 say never fail
| to produce good crop. We also have honey
| producing vines and plants too numerous Ia
mention"
Q-Where is your market for honey? How
| do you ship? And what are the prices obtained
A--Ne have a limited home market for eX-
tracted honey, at to 10 cents, and comb Is 10
! 20 cents per pound but most of the larger pro-
| ducers ship their crops 10 the markets of the
North. Among those shipped to by parties here
are Boston, New York. Baltimore, Cincinnati
and Cleveland. We ship TO the eastern markets
| by sailing vessels from this port, and by water
and rail 10 the others. Nearly all the honey has
been extracted and shipped in 20 to As gallon
| DarIels- Ii has brought an average of 10 cents
| per pound, some barrels selling during the past
| season as high as 12 cents per pound
Q-Would it pay to go into raising queens
and bees by the pound TO ship North in the
| spring?
Al see no reason why il should not I've fat
more profitable here than in any State further
| North as the queens and bees can be raised here
ready 10 ship. even before the weather North
! will allow of those ordering To receive them s,i
the very highest price can be realized for them
| When hard winters decmate the colonies there
we can ill their empty hives from our fiOwery
stock reared where winters chill blasts are tenn
pered down TO pleasant breezes.
Q-Are there plenty Of bees for sale near you
and if So what the prices asked? II
An my immediate neighborhood there are
very few bees for sale, as nearly every one who
has any had rather buy than sell. But in many
parts OF the State where improved bee-culture
Is unknown plenty can usually be bought i'm log
gums or IN boxes at from 81. 90 to 500 per col
ony. Prices here range from $15O for young
swarm just out, purchaser furnishing hive) 10
5000, for an old colony in good. modern hive.
Fancy bees, from imported stock, run a little
higher, with buI few for sale Bees can be trans
ierred at any time, by an expert, but from Feb
| ruary TO June is the best time
Q-What capital would be required to make
fair start at the busines there
! A.-Six hundred dollars would give a good
start and is little enough capital to start with 10
get the most out OF the business; but if a man is
! willing to commence with q few colonies and
work out some OF the time at first, he can make
a start on very much less than that that will
] Of l.