The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-11-04
Honey Farming.

A"o . w - w . SAS"' P'NPNAN'"S' ANA
honey has ceased to be luxury. says
the New York Tribune ut forms
part of the grocer's stock in the
smallest hamlet and bakers and candy
makers and patent medicine men use
it by the hogshead. There are sew
eral firms in this city who regard an
order of $1,000. $1,000 or $4,000
worth Just as dry goods merchant
looks on an order for fifty yards of
muslin New York, Boston and
Chicago are the centers of the trade
in this county, and London rules the
world The supplyis steady, for if
there is shortage in one part of the
country Or the world, another part
is sure to make it up There is no
use in attempting to make an esti
mate of the value of the crop, but it
will go we'll into the millions. 1t is
known that there are 10000 bee kee-
pers in the Unitad States. and many
who are unknown. Honey comes
from all parts of the country, but
California and the northern states
supply the greater part The south
ern states do not furnish as much as
would be expected, partly because
people are not paying attention to
the work, and partly because bees
are not cared for as we'll as at the
north The honey which the south
ern states does send is different from
that of the other states; the product
of Florida is considered the best, but
that is only as cheaper grade
Honey is put on the market in
two forms, in the comb and in the
liquid state ; the former is known as
comb honey, the latter as extracted.
The blossoms of white clover and
the Eastwood tree yield the finest
honey in popular estimation, and it
fetches the highest price. These
are northern products. Bucdwhcat
and golden rod yield more and about
supply the market from this region.
In the region west of the Missouri
grows the sage brush, which yields
enormously, hence some of the Pacific
coast states are producing large
quantities. So it comes about that
New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania
and Michigan produce for the market
comb honey and California and Ari-
zona the extracted.
"The farmers now have little 20 do
with the honey production the busi
ness has gone into the hands Of
specialists. The man who has half a
dozen hives is never heard from.
An eastern bee man will have from
100 to 500 hives, but a Californian
will have as many thousands Dur.
ing the busy seasons even the small
ier number will keep several men
busy, for the bees bring in honey
fast
''It is probable that the business
has reached it's limit. There is less
money in it now than quarter of a
century ago A skillful keeper will
make his bees do pretty much what
he wants And it is only by this
skill that the demand is supplied. In
1880 honey was luxury; farmers
had in their door-yards few hives,
either wooden boxes or straw Genes,
and twenty of them would be great
number. No one paid attention to
them save in the springtime, when
one of the children watched for a
swarm to come out, when such a
DINING and humping on tin pans
greeted it as could be heard for miles.
In autumn the bees were smoked to
death, the hive torn in pieces and the
honey sold at the store Some peo.
pie proceed in the same way now,
but they pever sell any honey. In
1852 a clergyman out in Ohio de-
signed and patented hive which is
the basis of all those in use to day
1t was simply four sides of a box, in
which were hung eight movable
frames On the top were placed
other little square frames and over all
movable cover. In less than a
minute the whole hive could be taken
apart and inspected If one box was
full another could be substituted and
no time lost Then it was found that
to make the comb about six times IS
much labor was required as to fill it
with honey, so thin stripes of comb
were hung in each box, which the
bees Immediately fitted for honey.
1t was discovered that these combs
could be emptied of honey and re-
placed, 80 machine called the ex-
tractor was divised and is now in
general use. So that in olden times
forty or fifty pounds of honey was
considered a.great yield for each hive
and the bees were destroyed.
"Now in an ordinary season hive
IN ..J.... h6 -. 100 ~.o,,J, &c