The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-21
BEE-kEEP1NG ON THE FARM.
Bookkeeping as n Missed Opportu-


Bookkeeping as n Missed Opportu-
nifty.
Undoubtedly there are many among
my readers just like me in this re-
spect; that is. they like good honey.
but do not enjoy contact with the bees
BUSINESS end. I have had large num-
bers of colonies of bees right under my
eye for many years, nave learned the
most successful ways OF managing
them, but being afraid of the little
busy-body, with its sharp and fiery
pointed ways, l had never gotten be-
yond the simple operation of hivlng
a swarm, in practice. One July day, a
few years ago, a swarm of bees lit IN
one of the NAPLES in the street in front
of my dwelling-house. AS there was
nobody about ready or willing TO hive
the swarm, I felt morally bound to do
it myself. 1 got an old, unused box
hive from a neighbor, and with the
help of my long section-ladder and
wash-line used as pulley rope, l man
aged to get the fine swarm from its
rather elevated position in the maple
top to the ground and into the hive.
The latter at night was placed behind
the barn, and there it stood unattended
for years, of no benefit to anybody,
and considered of little value. When 1t
swarmed, the swarm either left for
parts unknown or was captured by
neighborS.
Bookkeeping for Farmers.
There are thousands of farmers all
over this country who are the posses
sors-by no means proud-of few
Of
about as much benefit from this Valu-
able property as 1 did until this spring.
At the same time, every good colony
of bees could be made to yield an an
nual income of SIS, more or less, ana
this with very little trouble; in fact,
with less trouble than il would require
to raise the same amount OF money
from any other farm stock Can we al
ford to let such an opportunity go py
unused? There is a place for few
stands of bees on almost every farm,
and perhaps on every rural home, no
matter how modest or limited in acre
age. The few dollars for honey, or the
honey itself on the table saving sugar,
butter. etc, and affording such an eX-
cellent, enjoyable and wholesome artl-
Gle of diet, will come very acceptable
in these times of low prices. l was
very much impressed with this idea
when [ saw one of my neighbors "a
young man, by no means a profess
sional, bee-keeper, and who, just nav
ing begun housekeeping, has only two
colonies of bees) take off crate OF tine
honey from one of the hives, with an
other almost ready to come off from
the second hive. When we had some
of that honey, sent to us as present
and sample, on our table, and L
thought of my own neglected colony
of bees, l felt ashamed of myself, but
enjoyed the honey just the same.
Modern Hives.
OF course, won cannot expect to
raise good, salable honey, and plenty
of it, in the old. clumsy box-hives. 1t
is useless to undertake it, II you can
not make or buy improved hives (and
they can be had cheap enough now
you might as we'll let bees alone, and
let other people have benefits which
you might have enjoyed very easily
yourself. Hive your young swarm IN
one of the modern hives, and you can
put on the surplus-cases at any time
when you think they are needed. With
the exercise of little care there is no
more need Of being stung in this work
than of being bitten by a mad dog.
Modern hives, of course, have nova
BILE frames. These are calculated to
give to the bee-keeper a chance to ex-
anime the combs, the general condition
of the colony. and perhaps to
change queens, cut out queen
cells. extract honey, and so forth,
I DO not expect that an or
binary farmer, who is not also a pro-
fessional bee-keeper, Will undertake to
engage in any such jobs. Nor is there
any need of it, The frames can be
wedged in so as to be tight and sta
tionary. yet in shape for taking apart
fer the purpose of examination and
manipulation should such ever be de-
sired
A Rude Transfer.
The rT1at trouble with my colony of
bees y, "a ne fact of their being IN :