The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-06-21
Mr.. SIMPSON AND HIS BEES.
IA Visit to the Honey Making Mills in 4 orl1
County.
County.
Yorkville Enquirer.

the Italian bee IT can help 1t: but L
find it very difficult to keep them abb
solutely pure. I bought my first
queen in August, 1880, from DR..
Brown, of Augusta, and paid him
$3.50 for her. After that, about four
years ago, I imported queen bee
direct from Italy. She cost s6, and
was II days coming over. She lived
until about year ago, and by means
of her, I have been enabled to main
tain my colonies at high standard. !"
Here Mr.. Simpson called my atten-
tioh to dozen OF more bees that were
posted on the platform at the entrance
of u hive, buzzing their wings with a
humming noise. ssThese." he ex-
planned, fare engaged in ventilating
the hive. During weather like this,
there is great deal Of heat inside.
If you should stop up the entrance for
10 minutes, the whole interior would
collapse a sticky mass and kill the
entire colony. With their wings these
bees are creating an outgoing current
that serves to keep down the tempera-
ture. They work for about 10 min
utes that way, when they. y.are relieved
by as many fresh bees from the in
side. This is kept up all during the
hottest part Of the day / expressed
surprise at this remarkable piece of
sagacity, and Mr.. Simpson went on to
relate another popularity Of the or
ganization that was no less interest
ing. In seasons like this he said,
"when not much honey is being made,
there is disposition on the part Of
the bees of one colony to go out and
rob the stores Of another. I can show
you at each hive guards that are es-
pecially placed for protection against
robbers, and whenever bee Of another
colony attempts to enter where he has
no right, I can show you fight.
About that time an angry bee COM
menced buzzing at my ear. II was
the first time that / had been molested
in the least, and began to fear that
maybe her business was to drive
away unwelcome newspaper men. Mr..
Simpson sent puff or two of smoke
at her; but she paid no attention to
that. Iwas tempted to ask him tc
tell her to please go away; but, in
stead, he concluded, of his own ac-
cord, that the only thing to be done
for her was to knock her down, which
he did. After chat / felt more COM
Portable; but at the same time it oc-
Cured to me that I could just as well
get such further information as l
wanted up nearer the house.
Mr.. Simpson explained that there
are three honey-making seasons dur
ing the year. The first is from about
the middle Of April up to the 2Oth Of
May. During this season bees depend
upon fruit and flower blossoms, soft
maple and poplar buds. They don't
usually begin to make any surplus
until May, and then the quality is not
of the best. From the Goth Of May
until about the middle Of July, there
follows an idle season, during which
not much surplus honey is made
practically none. The frstgood honey
Of the year is made during the month
following the middle Of July. 1t is
made almost entirely from cotton
blooms, and is usually so transparent
that objects may be discerned through
quart of it. The flavor is also de-.
lightful. But there are some pecu-
liarities about this cotton honey, ac-
cording to Mr.. Simpsons experience.
The little brow bee cannot make hon
ey from cotton at all. She is not
strong enough to get into the blooms
right. Only the Italian bee is equal
to the task, and except under certain
conditions, the cotton bloom honey is
out of her reach also. When seasons
are good and the cotton plants are
vigorous, there is no honey to be had.
When, however, the cotton is back
ward and droopy, the Italians have a
picnic. The next and most reliable
honey making season Of the year is
during the month Of October. The
honey Of that season is made princi-
pally Of the aster or iron weed. 1t is
Of splendid quality.
asked Mr.. Simpson as to the aver
age yield Of honey to the colony, and
he answered the question in a very
satisfactory manner. Gone year got