Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-05-14
SOME SOUND ADVICE.
How to Make Agriculture. Poultry-Rais
ing and Fruit-Growing Success.

How to Make Agriculture. Poultry-Rais-
ing and Fruit-Growing . Success.
A correspondent wants to know it
the bee business is suitable occupa-
ton for ladies, and if a widow could
combine that business with poultry and
make a living for her family from the
two. In answer would say that much
depends There are few that could
run half a dozen occupations at the
same time and make a success out of
all of them; but such persons are few.
If anyone has many bees, with little
help, the bees or the poultry would
have to be neglected at time when
they would need the most attention. as
in the spring is the time when they
both need the most attention.
In order to make bee culture a sue
cess if entered into extensively the de-
tails of the business will have to be
looked closely into
First of all in starting in the bee bus
mess we would most emphatically adj
wise first. last and all the time to begin
with a modern movable frame hive
adapted to either extract the honey or
procure it in the comb In one pound
sections, and then we would not adj
wise anyone to get more than two or
three colonies of bees to start ON, for if
they are successful with that many the
bees will increase as fast as most any
one can learn to take care of them.
The bees may be of any kind that the
person can procure; if Italians they
| would be just right for business; but if
any other kind the person could procure
some Italian queens and introduce them
and thus get experience in Italianizing.
In early spring is the time to prepare
for the honey harvest, If any comes, by
keeping the bees well protected and
stimulating them to brood-rearing by
feeding them, and thus get a strong
colony Of bees by the time white clover
comes in bloom. If the bees are left
alone they will generally not breed
very fast until white clover comes in
bloom, and then they will build up
rapidly; but they should be strong
right at the beginning SO as to secure
full crop of the honey flow.
tits impossible to give in limited space
all the details necessary, but anyone
going into the business should procure
good book on bee culture, which does
go into details, and study it we'll; then
visit some apiarist and see what they
had learned practically demonstrated
The profits come as in other branches
of business; the keen observer who
gives close attention to business and
especially attends to the small details
is the one to make success. The bust
ness has many drawbacks but the per
sons who stick to it persistently and in
diligently we believe will make it pay.
Poultry could very well be com bined
with the bee business until the latter
had grown to large proportions. Then
if the poultry business interfered too
much it could be discontinued. 1 would
rather advise combining fruits and
small fruits with the bee business, as
small fruit does not require the atten-
ton that poultry does in early spring
and summer, besides having the flowers
Of the fruits for the bees to work on.
1 would advise anyone going into the
bee business to go slowly at first, as a
few bees well taken care of will beat a
much larger lot poorly managed, and
anyone having a large lot without
knowing how to manage them would be
apt to get in a sad plight in swarming
time, for then frequently three or four
swarms will be in the air at once An
experienced apiarist could manage
them. w. Rouse, in ST. Louis Re.
public.