Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-02-28
Washingtun Standard
THOUGHTS on BEES.
SOME SUGGESTIONS BY A PRAC-
TlCAl APlARiST.

SOME SUGGESTIONS BY A PRAC-
TlCAL APlARiST.
Hee Culture, Its importance - Nee
books. with Some Reference to
other Literature OH the subject
of Money Making The Age of the
Queen.
Most bee keepers learned a lasting
lesson by the forest fires last July
and August, when they could hardly
avoid seeing that it reduced the honey
crop by about % per cent. 1t is per-
fectly right to punish the person who
starts fire in the forest. but the pun
ishment does not furnish any pasture
for the bees. The only revenge that
will pay is to fill the forests with white
clover. \ small amount OF white or
alsike clover seed, sown each season.
will soon prevent the recurrence Of
last years difficulty. Many bees
were lost in the smoke. Now if all
the wild waste places near home had
been covered with white clover the
bees would not have wandered away,
and the crop would have been far bet
ter. have heard but few complaints
Of small yield from any who managed
the bees for honey and not for increase
OF colonies. IL takes great expert to
get increase OF colonies and great
crops OF honey the same season. The
forest fires also emphasized this fact:
To get hive full OF honey you must
fill it with bees early. Judging from
the talk we hear, there will be more
attention given to sowing pasture for
the bees this season than ever before.
White clover does not last all the sea-
son, but is generally admitted to be
the greatest and best honey plant.
There is nothing that can be grown
with less labor. There is no place
where it will do any better, if as we'll,
as right here. But it costs so much!
All, yes! That is just what we are all
saying about the present Executive
Administration, but when asked to
loan it $1OOOOO,0OO you offered it
$G0O,OOOOOO. No nation ever was
able and so willing to pay so much
for its greatness. True, if bee-life
were as long as human life, we might
sit still, content that white clover does
come and spread without being sown.
Yes so does folly, but the State keeps
an asylum for the fool. White clover
makes good pasture for almost all
farm animals. If turned under, it is
good fertilizer. Its crop Of seed will
pay. therefore it is cheap at present
prices. There has not yet been found
a honey plant which will repay the
cultivation for its nectar for honey
alone.
think some Australian gum trees
would do we'll here. The Eucalyptus
Is q preventative of malaria, great
bloomer, and beautiful tree that can
be had at any nursery in Southern
California.
Again, if you wish to ruin the bust
ness and all the honey within three
miles from you, plant 10 or II pepper
trees, which also is q semi-tropical
gum.tfee. There are plants and
plants, both south on this coast, as
we'll as along the Missouri river, which
no doubt would flourish and enlarge
our harvest considerably here, but all
combined are not near as good as an
equal number Of acres of white clover.
The advantage of alsike above white
clover is its yield of hay, and that the
common bee as we'll as the italian can
get the nectar from it. Common red
clover is of no benefit 10 the common
bee, while the Italian will get right
down into it and prosper when other
pasture is brown and scar. The bright.
est thought is that all the bee-keep.
ers are sowing something. II is easily
demonstrated that pasture is the
prime or important question with the
aprarian, although Prof. Huntley
stated 10 the Farmers Institute last
November, that the style of the hive,
was OF the very first importance"
Langstroth settled the hive question
% years ago. Any hive without
movable frames is a nuisance. First of
all the pasture and location. Secondly
the Italian Queen. And thirdly, the
movable frame hive. In two years
more there will not be any other style
in use in this county. Prof. Huntley
also stated to the Farmers Institute
"that the bees digest the nectar to
make honey of it," This statement
does by no means prove or disprove
the fact that there is no knowledge,
or the want oft, which will disqualify
q man from filling professors chair
in an agricultural college. Our pro-
lessor also recommends Langstroth
"On The Honey Bee" A very excel
lent book, indeed, but it tells you
nothing OF the best and latest great
Observation-Disclosures and the
honey.extractor. Twenty years be-
hind the times. Lille is too short. Get
the american Bee Journal, or, Clean
ings in Bee Culture. Either will give
very important points and information
each month. If you must have
twaddle, or the knowledge of the
difference between tweedle-dee and
tweedle.dum, send to Jennie Atchley
for The Southland Queen, Beesville,