The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-06-21

hood. in which there are not half
dozen or more colonies, and there are
Just lots Of people who know more OF
!: less about how to manage them with
success; but most readers Of the En-
ouirer will no doubt be surprised to
know that York County has one of the
largest apiaries to be found in the
4 Piedmont section. Such is the fact,
however. This apiary is located at
Gatawba Junction.
Mr.. III. 6 G..Simpson, well informed, ]
well read gentleman, is the proprietor.
Mr., Simpsons house fronts the Caro-
lima and Georgia Extension railroad,
and his bee hives, which sit on the
south side Of q hill to the rear, look
from the railroad like big cemetery.
In fact, most passengers on the trains
take the apiary for a cemetery, and
! they do not know any better unless
/. some Of the trainmen, or others who
/ know, inform them to the contrary.
Having heard from different people,
at different times, Of the extent Of
Mr.. Simpson establishment, and also
Of his thorough knowledge of the bee
and It's habits, went down to Cataw-
ba junction last Saturday for the pur-
pose Of getting material for story
that will probably lrove interesting to
great many people. had the good
luck to find Mr. Simpson at home, and
when I told him my business, he as
sured me that it would give him pleas
ure to show me everything that was
to be seen and to answer such ques-
tiions as I might see fit to ask, pro-
r;;ded he knew how. This last pro-
yiiso, however, was unnecessary. Be-
fore I left, Twas convinced that he
surely knows about all that is not torn
out off the book, and that my principal
sadvantage was in not understand
ing the subject sufficiently to admit
Of its full eyelopment through proper
questions.
Taking his smoker--a little bellows
like arrangement, through which
smokers projected with facility-Mr.
Simpson told me TO follow close be-
hind him among the hives. He had
no gloves, veil or other projections,
and the proposition was one that | did
not relish particularly; but ! remem-
bered to have heard Mr.. w. j. Waters
remark once that Mr.. Simpson knew
the age Of every bee on the hill and
could call it by name. Twas inclined
to repose the fullest confidence in Mr..
{ Simpson. I am now almost inclined
to believe Mr.. Waters, statement, but
do not like to say SO in print.
Opening up several hives, Mr.. Simp-
son showed the honey that was in
I process Of manufacture. He explain
ed that the bees have not done very
well this year, SO far as surplus is con-
eerned. Only few combs have been
partially filed and only very small
per cent Of the honey cells have been
capped over. This, Mr.. Simpson says,
is on account Of the unfavorable sea-
SON. After showing the surplus hon
ey department Of one Of the hives, he
went into the brood department, moved
and took out several frames covered
with worker bees and drones, and
finally located the queen. 81 found
her little too late," he. remarked.
ssIf had surprised her sooner, she
would have laid several eggs on my
hand after I picked her up. It is her
business, you know, to lay the eggs;
she keeps at it continually, and that
was what she was doing when we
found her. Then holding up the
comb to the light, where l could see
to the bottom Of the cells, Mr.. Simp-
son showed me newly deposited eggs,
little worms representing develop
ment Of day or two, and other young
bees in different stages up to eating
their way cut of the cells in which
they had come to maturity.
Although all the eggs in a hive
are laid by the same queen Mr..
Simpson explained, "they may be de-
veloped either into workers, drones or
queens. The drone natures in "a
days, the worker in 2l days and the
queen in only 16 days. The bees can
make a queen themselves whenever
they want one. Suppose the present
queen should die, for instance. The
bees would Immediately 60 to work
and build cone-shaped cap over one
of these cells in which you see an