The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-18
The ApIary.

Every fru1t-grower ought TO raise Few
bees and every cultivator of grains and
plants should do likewise. The fruit
blossoms waste a great deal Of nectar un-
less bees. are around to gather it. and it is
yet to be shown that they injure any Of the
fruits. 1t is a suggestive question whether
bees do not improve every kind Of plant
growth, and whether all of our vegetation
would not be better if bees were more
plentiful.
In locating an apiary care should be
taken to see what kind of harvest the
bees are 10 have. Planting exclusively for
honey is hardly paying work unless there
are some native blossoms already planted
beforehand. In great fruit and flower re-
gions the bees are sure to find enough nee
tar to make plenty of honey. The ideal
place for an apiary is where the bees can
get spring. summer and fall blooms. The
fruit grower can add bee keeping to lis
other labors, and make profit thereby.
Many of our flowers, such as cloverS,
squashes and fruit blossoms, fail of fruit
age unless some insect bear the pollen of
one blossom to the pistil of another. 1t
has been repeatedly demonstrated
that if these plants be screened
from insects the yield of seed
and fruit would be but partial. All of the
100000, 900 pounds of honey that is gath
cred annually by the bees would go TO
waste were IL not IOr the dplarlSt anu MS
fostering care of the bees. There is no
doubt but millions of wealth of nectar
annually go to waste now in this country,
for no matter how numerous the colonies
of bees may be in any section, it is doubt
full whether they exhaust the floral re-
sources. There are still great resources of
the industry that have never yet been
touched. and with the increased demand
for honey more profits than ever will be
realized in bees.
Already large amount of honey is an
nually consumed in the various industries
of pork packing, tobacco and other manu-
features, while the commercial value of
beeswax Is very great. Nearly 500 tons of
beeswax are annually imported into Great
Britain, while Russia alone uses nearly
5000 tons in the ceremonies of the church.
1t is in Germany and Switzerland where
the resources of the flowers are utilized in
the most advantageous way, and very lit
tie nectar from trees, or plants is allowed
to go to waste. The art of beekeeping
of Germany, and Instructors fire.
quently go from town to town to teach the
farmers how best to keep bees, and to util-
ize the nectar of their fruit orchard and
clover fields. In Switzerland honey is
used almost as commonly as butter and
large quantities are raised and consumed
in this small country.
In making this industry profitable the
apisrist must look after ali of the details
and see to it that nothing is allowed to
go to waste. The production of a first
class article can only be obtained where
the honey is completely capped and rip.
ened by the bees. The so-called tiering
up system is indispensable in this, and TO
make a fancy article the highest priced
white poplar sections should be used.
The shipping crates should hold no more
than one tier of sections, and not over
twenty-five pounds. OF late there is a de.
and by use OF tin or wood separators be-
tween the sections while being filled. beau,
tiful uniform sections may be obtained
and shipped with little danger OF leak age.
Before being sent TO market all of the
bee glue or propolis should be removed
from the sections 10 make the work neat
and clean. ANNIE G. WEBSTER.