The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-11-29
DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
APIARIsN.


citizens engaged in it quite large scale. The fol-
lowing interesting sketch is from the pen of DIR. o.
NJ. Blanton its pioneer:
"The Yazoo Delta. great alluyal district, has
often received the notice of newspaper correspOn-
dents as to its immense timber resources and agricu
tura advantages. One of its industries that is just
being developed has scarcely attracted the attention
of the public. That is, its immense capacity for yield
ing honey from the great variety of its Flora. So
numerous are its honey producing flowers, ii would
occupy too much space to mention them in this arti
Gle. Not only the forests, but the different
plants grow by the farmer contribute greatly TO add
to the yield of honey.
From my observation and experience of the last
ten years, | am confident that every four square
miles will not yield less than 10000 pounds of honey
if there could be bees enough located to gather it.
the season being good one. | have never yet
known a season in which less yield than half crop
could be realized.
Ere long it will take its position with California
for its great production of honey; and far exceed it
in quantity, if not in tho light color of this delicious
favored nectar. Ten years ago, only two agri
culthrists using movable frame hives and all the i'm
proved apparatus necessary for the production of
honey to It's greatest YIELD could then he found in
this region of country there more than fifty,
with many others anxious to embark in the enter
prise feel confident that the time is not far dis
tant when pure extracted honey in barrels will be
rs common III our lanulnRS anu IallrOau uepOts as
molasses in Southern Louisiana.
The Aparist of this region is just beginning to
learn how to manage an Apiary TO make ii yield to
its full capacity by the strict of the bees dur
ing winter so as to have each colony strong in num-
bers to rapidly harvest the early lowers and by the
udicous and frequent use of that great invention,
"The Extractor by which means the honey Is re-
moved from the combs, that they may be returned
to the hives and the wonderful little insect may again
and again I'LL the same cells with honey rs often as
ten times in one season.
When the flow of nectar is great from the flow
and leaves, much honey being from other sources
than howers) the extractor should be used as rapidly
as the bees store the honey; for it stimulates them
to their greatest efforts to replace the sweets taken
from them.
The full capacity of any Apary in this country
has never been fully tested. as no bee keeper has
given il his individual attention. and would venture
to say that Apary of thirty or fifty colonies could
be made to yield from three to four hundred pounds
per colony; and Apiaries of two hundred colonies
could be worked up to one hundred and seventy.fve
pounds per colony. The less number Of colonies
there are the shorter the distance the bees have to
travel and therefore the greater the number of trips
by which means the most honey is gathered. The
idea that bees do not gather much honey in warm
climate rs in - temperate one, has long ago been ex-
poled for the bee keepers paradise is found in the
West Indies and Mexico.
When our railroads are fully developed, which
will be at no distant day, our products will quickly
reach all the markets of this continent aud then this
industry will be developed into large proportions. 1t
is sincerely to be desired that the bee keepers of the
South will resolutely go to work and prepare for
such an exhibit ut the Southern Exposition at New
Orleans as to show to the world what grand results
can be achieved in the production of this most
wholesome of sweets. Let them prepare their OK.
barrels and their one aud two pound sections of
beautiful comb honey in handsome glassed shi piping
cases."
Dr. Blanton himself will have fine exhibit OF
honey at the Exposition.
TRANSPORTATION NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. RIVERS
Next in Importance to country's resources, its
producing capacity is its means for getting its pro
ducts to market cheaply and readily. In this partic
ular Washington countys advantages are unsur
passed. We can almost say that there is no planta
tion within its territory which does not, or will moi
soon, enjoy the benefits OF competing routes of trans
portation. The Eastern and Western boundaries Of
the county are marked by the Yazoo and the Missis
sippi Rivers. These streams are both, the Yazoo as
we'll as the mighty Father of Waters, navigable the
entire year around. The Mississippi hence to the
Gulf is little mpeded by shoal places, and boats Of
the largest dimensions find no difficulty in carry
ing heavy cargoes to New Orleans, except III
extreme low water. And, the plan of the improve
ment of navigation adopted by the "River Commits
sion" progresses, points where large and heavily
laden boats experience delays and obstruction from
shoals, in time of dow water" being deepened.
The Yazoo is a narrow but deep stream, forum
atey wholly unlike the Mississippi in the character
of its soil and from this difference the destruction
arising from "cut OFFS" caving banks and sand bars
is unknown. This superior consistency and stability
of its banks is of course, favorable to its navigation
which is maintained orgood sized steamers through
out the year, along the entire Western border Of
Washington county and as high up as the junction
ofthe Tallahatchie and Yalobusba which two streams
form the Yazoo. This portion of the Yazoo is lined
with fine plantations and lands, high above any or
dinary overflow.
Midway between the Yazoo and Deer Greek IL
the Sunfower. This stream passes through Wash
ington county and empes into the Yazoo in Sharkey
county 1t is navigable throughout the year. except in
unusaly dry seasons It's banks are lower than those
of both Deer Creek and the Yazoo and are more liable
to oyeraows. This has prevented continuous settle
ment of the lands along this stream. But with the up
per portion of the Yazoo Delta securely leveed, a
few years only will the fine lands of this region re-
main unclaimed. The principal tributary of the Sun
flower is Bopue Falava: stream differing from all