The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-02
The Farmers Honey Crop.

Why farmers do not try to have a few
stands of bees is surprising. VIII en- we CON
slider the cost of keeping them, which is so
little. They may become a subject of in
teresting study. if one is so inclined, in ad-
dition to the profit of having a delicious
article of food for the table. An Iowa
| correspondent says upon the subject that
| if honey is q desirable article for food, or
a luxury worth setting before our family
| and friends, the question is, "How shall
| obtain it," Shall the farmer who owns the
range over which bees forage, raise hogs,
| and cattle, and grain for market, and with
| the proceeds thereof buy his honey, or
raise few bees himself and be independ-
| ent of the grocer or specialist in honey
production? Some argue that it is better
to leave the production of honey to the
specialist altogether. They say he can
produce it more cheaply than one who
has other business. 1t is also true that
the market gardener can raise cabbage
and Strawberries more chcaply than the
farmer does. Shall he therefore leave the
growing of all garden truck to the specia-
list and buy his vegetables and fruit?
The main difficulty in both cases is. if the
farmer does not produce them himself,
his family is very liable to gowithout part
of the year
Ihave noticed that those farmers who
think they cannot afford to potter with
a garden or bees. have few of the luxuries
which these furnish LuXuries did | say?
Necessities, health, comfort and happi-
ness count for anything in this world
Honey is aluxury, but it is heathful and
nOurishing. 1t is not necessity a in the
usual sense of the word, nor is any other
sweet. Sugar is so generally used in this
country thai we regard it as a necessity
But it is not. ! suppose there are millions
of people who scarcely taste sugar. And
there are thousands of families, largely
farmers, Joo in this country, who scarce
ly know the taste of honey. They do not
keep bees, and when they wish to crafty
the taste for sweet, buy sugar or glucose
syrup, because it is cheaper in price than
honey But why shouldn't the farmer
produce his own honey2 Is it because of
the belief that greater skill and knowl-
edge is required to make this business
success than other departments of the
farml If this is the prevalent notion |
wish to dispel it. 1t does require study
and some skill, but not more than to raise
good stock, or to grow good crops. If a
and hogs, and gets good crop of corn only
when everything is favorable, he will
probably never have much honey to sell.
and will doubtless conclude that its ali
luck, anyhow"
But il he knows a good cow from a
poor one. and knows how to raise the
good one; if he knows how to get a good
crop of corn when many of his neigh Oors
have only nubbins, he can master all the
intricacies in Bookkeeping without lying
awake nights, or infringing on his time in
harvest. | believe the person who gets
the most pleasure out of producing honey
is the one VINO does so in injunction
with some other business. His whole soul
is not wrapped up in the one dollar-and-
cent idea. 1t is chiefly produced for his
own table, or TO give pleasure to his
friends. 1 wish however, to caution the
reader, if he thinks seriously of getting
bees, to inquire of his locality is adapted
to the production of honey. Not every
prairie farm is an ideal bee paradise. If
j. o linden grows within a mile or two, and
if white clover is not plentiful enough to
yield a surplus. then two of
the chief sources of white honey
in the north are wanting. Still there
may be an abundance Of other flowers for
few colonies. Spanish-needle, hearts
ea1e, the asters, and great variety Of
other wild flowers can be utilized and
made profitable If not too many colonies
are kept in one locality If a person who
wishes to keep bees has had no expert
ence, he should not buy more than a
colony or two to start with. Spring is
the oest season to purchase Buy as near
home as possible. Talk with some one
who has made the subject study. Buy
a good book on Bookkeeping, and after a
little. if the subject proves interesting,
subscribe for bee-paper. You will grow
with the business naturally, furnish your
table with a dainty luxury that takes the
places Of sauces. is always acceptable 10
company, and at the same time the study
OF the subject will prove TO be both
pleasant and profitable.