The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-06
Honey Dew.

/ +.
N. c., has often been referred to in
the Enquirer as bee man Of wide ex-
perience. He has devoted a consider
able portion Of his life to the study
of bees, and being now well advanced
in years, is well up on the subject.
He usually keeps anywhere from 80 to
.l3O colonies, and sells from 5000 to
$500 worth Of honey every year.
Mr.. Walker was in Yorkville last
week on visit to relatives, and while
he was here the writer had an inter-
esting talk with him. It developed
that most Of his knowledge and exper-
ience is along the same line as that re-
Gently gathered from Mr.. H. G. Simp-
son, Of Catawba Junction, except that
Mr.. Walker rreferred to several matters
which did not come up in the conver-
sation that the writer had with MIR.
Simpson.
One point on which Mr.. Walker does
not agree with Mr.. Simpson, is the
number of colonies that may be main
tained in one collection. It will be
remembered that Mr.. Simpson said
that SO colonies is about as many as
can be safely maintained within ra-
dius of le-and-a-half, or in circle
Of country three miles in diameter.
His idea was that while the range Of
the bee in search Of honey is Of almost
indefinite length, most Of the honey is
collected within mile-and-a-half Of
the hive. Mr.. Walker is not inclined
to dispute this assertion very positive
ly; but he brings in new element
which seems to make it wise to greatly
extend the limit of so colonies fixed
by Mr.. Simpson.
The new element to which Mr.. Walk
er calls attention is what's called
"honey dew This is a substance
about which the writer knows very
little; but Mr.. Walker assured him
that people generally, especially coun-
try people, knew more or less about it,
and he went on to relate some interest
ing facts.
Just where honey dew comes from
Mr.. Walker is not prepared to say.
He can give no better account for it
than he can for ordinary dew. It is
precipitated from the atmosphere and
finds lodgment on leaves and other
vegetation. It has a greater affinity
for poplar and hickory leaves than for
any other kind. 1t is to be seen. in
it's season, on these leaves in small
beads, and sometimes there collects as
much as half teaspoonful in one
place. In AIr. Walkers observation,
the heavy dew. is precipitated from the
atmosphere, usually in the evening
between o'clock and dark. He has
seen it falling many time, Or at least
he feels so very sure Of this fact that
he has no idea that he can be mis-
taken.
Honey dew, Mr.. Walker said, is
simply honey-pure honey, and moth
ing else. Anyone can tell :hhat fact
by tasting It. When it falls the bees
have nothing to do, but to take it up,
put it in the honey comb and cap it
over. The bees can collect an i'm
mense quantity of it in very short
time; but in some seasons there is con-
siderably more of it than in others,
and this makes wonderful difference
to the bees. While this honey is
pure, it is somewhat darker than that
which is extracted from cotton bios
sons, and hardly Of such exquisite
taste. Still it is much better than
most of the honey that is collected in
the spring.
There is another serious drawback
to honey dew. While seemingly it is
nrecinitated from the atmosphere. it
does not come in an unfailing supply.
lis never seen before the first of May
or after the first of September: and
while during some years it may fall
on as many as so days altogether,
some years it does not fall at all. Mr..
Walker said he has not seen any this
year at all. He does not think there
has been any, and, as the result, the
bees have been having rough time
of it.
1t is because Of the honey dew then
that Mr.. Walker thinks the bee keeper
should have large number OF colo
onies. With the honey dew falling on
FIVE or six days in succession, as it
sometimes does, even weak colony
can collect all the honey for which 1t
can find room. II man has large