The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-03-18
THE FARM AND HOME.
THE NEED OF PERMANENT PAS.
TURES IN THE WEST.
Regarded as Indispensable by Progress
sive Farmers-Every Farmer Should
Keep Bees-Farm Notes and
Home Hints.
Keep a Few Bees.

Inc prOQucL1On OF COMB honey is
the most important question for farm
ers who keep bees, to study. There
is great deal written in agricultural
papers in regard to bees that is pretty
difficult for the average farmer to
understand. There are so many other
things of more importance to occupy
his mind that unless articles on bee
keeping are practical and very plain.
they are not likely to receive much
attention.
There are a great many farmers
that do not know, and very seldom
see. anything written on the first
principles OF Bookkeeping. hence they
do not make any effort to improve
over the old-fashioned way, think ing
that it is very difficult trade to
learn.
Every farmer should keep bees. says
the Practical Farmer. There is moth
ing on the farm that will yield as
large profit, considering the capital
invested and labor required as few
stands of bees.
Many think it would be an awful
job for them to even take off a crate
of honey others think they could not
handle bees at all, entertaining the
idea that bees will sting them much
quicker than some one else, under the
same conditions. This is absurd.
Bees are no respecters of persons.
Movable frames supers, section
boxes. smokers wells, gloves, ETC.,
with these improved methods it is a
very small job for one to take care of
five or six colonies of bees. There is
no nicer, purer article that will .set
off, table like nice dish of comb
honey. There is no article so handy
for the busy housekeeper to procure,
who is often called upon to get meal
on short notice. and there is, no arti-
Gle on the farm more salable. Let me
kindly insist on every farmer who
reads this that does not keep bees. to
procure one or two stands (not
more). Get Italians, which are
noted for their gentleness-also
their good honey gathering quail
ties, on movable frames. Don't fool
away time with bees in the old fash
Toned box hive. They will do as they
please. Bees are not capable of run
ming their own affairs.
You must help them and control
them. And you must be capable of
doing this or they will not be as
profitable as they should be.
With regard to box hives. the Ohio
Farmer says: 1t is often quite difficult
to get them started to work when they
get discouraged. They are moro apt
to hang out in box hives than in
movable comb hives, and it is difficult
to do much with them in box hives.
But get them to work by some means,
if possible If the bees are in box
hives with plenty Of surplus room
above and still persist in lying idle,
would pry the top Of the hive off,
and take about all their honey. espe-
cially if the colony is strong one.
Rouse them to action. Let little
honey run down among them, and
daub them little and give them
something to do. and they will gen.
orally go to work and repair their
homo.
Very often the trouble in box hives
is. the bees will fill the upper part of
the hive with honey, especially If the
surplus arrangement is not put on
early in the season. Then the bees
do not like to go so far from the brood
nest to store honey and will lay idle.
One very important point in getting
bees to work above is to get the sur
plus case as close to the brood as pos
sible allowing very little honey to be
store6between the brood and surplus
case.
With bees on movable combs. it is
not so difficult to get them to work.
Their honey can be easily taken or a
few combs of bees can be taken out
and the vacancy supplied with combs
of bees from another colony. This
will often have the desired effect.
Sometimes driving them in from the
outside. as often as they cluster out
with smoke, will start them to work.
Growing ArtichOkes.