Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-05-30
THE APIARY.



A correspondent OF the British Bee
Journal, writing from Jaffn, PALESTINE. On
bee keeping there gives The following in.
teresting Information:
In almost every village OF Pabstips ana
Syria bees are kept, aud, with ayery few
exceptions, they do not keep such mum.
bsrs to depend upon them for .heir living,
but simply few hives placed, one on top
Eof the other, having an arch, built over
them or some protection inteU ded 10 keep
away tho hot san rays, which in summer
time would melt the combs but for the pro.
tection. The clay pipes ARE very cool 40
soon as exposed to the sum ehey become
foaffully hot. In winter.tinse the accumu.
lasion OF the hives keeps then. warm in the
tlrst place, and again, nature helps itself.
tof any colony unable to wAnler 10 do.
eeroyed In the course Of In autumn, BY
different enemies abounding here a. In all
'otAer opnnastsa. Ehes hoganae. - Wan.
moth. the tellio- aRamids. and gecko
abounding here, and the bsH -ssatsr. being
the most dangerous ones to be.namsd.
In general. bse-keeping il carried ON in
primitive and negligent ways IN some re.
spects. ~ weak colonies an never cared
for all such colonies are bit over to
plenty Of food and bees cnly snccsssfuiiy
pass the winter. thus estabk shing q good
stock on one hand. whilst On the other,
weak colonies could only 10 united into
strong one. The only work performed is
in the swarmtng season. when swarms are
watched for few weeks In April and
May, and hived into clay cylinders. The
back covers are put on after hiving, and
besmeared with wetten argill,scsous earth.
The interior is rubbed with citron leaves,
and the small fy-hole stopped with few
herbs for a day or two. They are then re.
leased. and not again booked 10 till the
honey crop.
In some localities honey is taken twice,
gathered from the early flowers and in
September. The more general honey
harvest is the September crop. The Gov.
ers are then hastily broken open, a,few
pnffs OF smoke from the pitcher smoker
land IL Is pitcher with hole In the bot.
tom, filled with manure; some burning
Goals are put into it. and by continual
blowing tho smoke is kept going) are blown
on the bees. a comb or two Of honey 10 cut
and put away, the cover 10 Immediately
replaced, and the bees are left 10 them.
selves for a whole year. In such apiaries
the moth is the worst enemy, DESTROYING
numbers of bees yearly.
In the watered localities. or such a.
afford good food for the carnivorous hor.
nets, the bees suffer greatly By them. They
are the only enemies against which the in
habitants use their skill; they burn heaps
OF manure in front Of the hives, keeping
up smoking for several weeks, from Sep
tember TO the beginning Of November.
which keeps the hornets ont and the bees
in.
The Palestine bees are good honey.
gatherers. and the Queens are very prolific
and beautiful. ii Ia not rare to have colo.
MES yielding upwards of 100 pounds for
single crop. though it ia not the average.
This 10 for bees handled in Langstroth
hives our system. Excepting during the
orange blossoming In April, our bees can |
be handled without veil. the strong per-
fume at that time filling the Dir. rendering |
them fierce. Have any Of your cores
pondents any experience a. to the reason |
why bees are ferce-inAuence of weather, |
scent of flowers, etc? With us the east |
winds render the bees angry. and the |
strong odor Of orange blossoms makes
them fierce.