The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-22
A Thief Among the Bees.

The Holden brothers, Roswell and
Frank, went to California from New
England town, in 1881, Tor the benefit
Of Roswel"s health. upol medical ad-
vice; and subsequently they found
themselves engaged in the business of
bae-kcrping near Los Angeles for cir
cumst.nc">, accideat rather than de-
sign, I.r ,cI them into it.
The children I'm Inherited consti-
tn,ional tendency to pulmonary dis
eases, which ha! already begun to de-
vclop itself in Roswell. Indeed, he had
become SO far an invalid that his friends
deemed il unsafe for him to set off on
SO long q journey alone. After many
family deliberations, it was arranged
that Frank, and Ellen, their sister,
should accompany him, and rem in one
WINTER if not longer, in the west.
As their means were limited, Frank
and Ellen began, soon after arriving in
California. to look about Tor some way
to earn Il living. Roswell, too, "a his
health improved, wished for something
to do; and at length they were, by
chance, led to buy thirteen hives of
lees OF & lady who-herse,f formerly an
invalid--ha1 been employing her leisure
in apcullurc but now was about re
turning to her home in New YORK,
With these thirteen hives the young
Holdens entered upon the honey pro-
ducing business early in 1892 For
year they resided in the vicinity of Los
Angeles, but finding that the bees. as
the number of swarms iacreased, were
unuoputar among their neighbors, they
were led to move from so thickIy inhab-
tied district, and lived for time near
Mojave.
Thence, however, early the followin 2
spring, they again moved TO a tract of
unoccupicd country farther back among
the mouatains, in a kind of long detilc,
or crooked valley, incloscd by wooded
range on either hand, but which, from
the great abundance Of wild flowers,
affords good pasture for bees. Here
they are at present dwelling, and ii Is
from a number OF letters from them to
their friends at home that the present
sketch is complied.
The weather there is so favorable and
the climate so mild that bees require but
little feeding with artificial sweets,
though, of course, more honey can be
produced for market if, at certain times
OF the year, the swarms are thus pro
vided with food.
The hives are arranged so thai
drawers, or boxes, when filled with
honey by the bees, can be withdrawn,
and empty ones substituted in theiI
places.
Swarms of bees vary in size and in in
dustry as honey-gathercrs. Some swarm
produce in a year not more than twenty y
pounds that can pruIently be with
drawn from them; some, indeed, from
cert in causes, VIII not even gather
enough honey for their own support
Other swarm5 produce forty or fifty
pounds, and still others much more.
The Holdens have now between two
and three hundred hives, having made
II ruie 50 far to keep all the lev
s"arms which come out, though few
nave escaped, The care of this nu
meroQ5 colony occupies all their time
and attention, and they hire two Indiar
girls to assist them to watch the nu,
merous sub-coionles which they have
established in different parts of the val.
ley, generally within mile of each
other For it Will not do to have all
these -wo hundred swarms, or more,
collected near one spot, on account oi
Tie pasture supply of flowers being over
lea' aud the bees having to &C % far
The whole number of swarms y di
Vlded up into groups of ten OF ffteer