The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-17
KEEPING BEES IN CHICAGO.
SIX Tons of Honey Produced in
n IeaE
(FrOm the Chicago Tribune.)


Raising bees in a crowded city is the
problem that puzzles the man who wou
produce honey without the necessity Of
going into the country and far away from
the home markets. It is Rot the easiest
thing in the world TO raise bees IN town,
yet there are several successful apiarIes
in Chicago.
Honey is sent to the market IN two
ways. the first as comb honey which is
considered by many people as prima facie
evidence that the honey is not artificial
and the second is extracted honey, for
which the word or the farmer must be
taken, as well as the word Of the COM
mission dealer and the grocer.
The man whose abode lies somewhere
near nowhere in particular, away from
railway transportation facilities, and who
has TO depend upon his wagons 20 take bis
product 20 the railroad station, where il
is unloaded and again loaded for the city
markets, will likely come to the eoncIu-
sion that hOneyeombs are fragile affairs.
and will extrtet his honey and bottle 1t
before it leaves his bee farm.
This undoubtedly provides the oppoTtu-
nifty for INSCRIPTIONS parties &c manu-
facture real honey. made from glucose
and a light yeIlowish coloring matter.
Still, much genuine honey is sent u the
market from the country in bottles. where
it would arrive in town in bad shape had
Ii been sent in the original combs. owing
to the amount of handling, Earring, and
exposure that the boxes would have to 20
through before 1t reached the city COM
mission man.
This city beekeeper therefore has the
best of it. He can take his combs 20
market readily. and in many cases people
come to him for his honey. see 1t taken
from the combs and go home satisfied
that they are getting the genuine bees
product The city apiarist naturally
finds difficulty in locating his farm where
sufficient space is provided between the
Colonies for bees are pugnacious
things, and when one army gets within
hailing distance, or stinging distance, OF
another army there is bound to be hat
tie royal, the result being large de-
crease in the harvest Of honey on that
particular farm Still, the outskirts of
any large city provide plenty Of room
for the apiarist, and this is the case in
Chicago Then, again, the country bee
keeper has the advantage Of not having
to build sheds and fences for his bee
colonies.
One Chicago apiarIst, who has successful
hives in the city, as well as in California,
tells how the beekeeper. city or country
product may advertise his honey in a way
that defies the newspaper advertising man.
:
friends and the friends Of their friends,
the local editors and everybody whom ne
can possibly think of. The guests are in
vited to attend the annual harvest" to
bring their Iuncheons along with them. and
spend the day on the farm. They are in
! vited to see the honey extracted from Tie
beehives. safely protected from the stIngs
OF possibly indignant bees by g gauze
screen. They are allowed to taste the pure
honey as It comes from the hives, snd in
cidentalIy there IS large amount of the
honey, ready extracted and packed for
those who wish to buy and take i home
with them
The enterprfsing bee man who follows
| this method, 1t IS promised, will readily
/ dispose of his harvest if he does not dis.
| pose of 1t before the last guest has LEFT
the farm at the end OF the harvesting day
/ The country beekeeper is ahead of his
/ city cousin in the amount of honey he car
| harvest Unlimited space, absence OF dis
| turbance of any kind, which cannot pos
/ sibly be avoided ia the city, no matter
how far int the suburbs the city apiarisi
| travels, tends to make the bees work over
| time and place them at their ease.
Heavy and close atmosphere, mingled
with city dust and smoke, does not i'm
prove either the health or disposition Of
| the busy bees
The seasons crop of the apiarists II
Chicago viii yield about six tons thi:
year. One of the largest OF the Ioca
apiarfes is near North Kedzie aEd West
| Cosgrove Avenues and West M0atrosC
Boulevard. There are some three hun
dred colonies Kept IN four yards about
two miles from each other.