The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-28
BEE-KTRprNc m TIE CITY.
Large Prollts Possible from Small
Ostlays-New Ideas In Manu-
+, facturing Honey,

is wholesome ana pleasant Ioou, ana
an ancient dietetic dogmatist who lived
IN the wise old days Of Plato and Soc
rates went further and declared that
olive oil for the exterior and honey
for the interior decoration Of the hu-
man form divine covered the whole
philosophy of physical we'll being.
The tiny insects, scarcely bigger
than flies, who make this delectable
sweet have from time immemorial az
forded u most fascinating study to all
nature lovers. In the guise of linn
tied monarchy they maintain an ideal
republic, and conduct their affairs
with marvellous methods, which, even
in these days of patent hives and man
and admiratio as when in the patri-
archal times they conducted law-abid-
ing colonies in the carcass Of lion.
The new woman should find especial
pleasure in keeping bees, for in their
communities petticoat government is
supreme. Not only is the highest office
filled by one OF the gentler sex, but
on the APPROACH of winter a sufficiently
populous hive will kill off all the un.
fortunate fathers of their country who
have dawdled idly through the sum.
mer, leaving the colony entirely man
less, says the Washington Star.
For this supremacy in matters OF
state, however, these Amazons pay the
high price of life of unremitting toll
Even the queen has no sinecure, for
during the working season she lays
daily from two TO four thousand eggs.
1t is curious to note, moreover, that
in spite of the dominating sex, bee
affairs are conducted with singular
lack of sentimentality, not to say an
almost ruthless materialism. Not
only do the workers kill the masculine
drones to safeguard the winter stores,
but the queen as well makes wholesale
slaughter Of all rival queens.
No less an authority than the United
States department of agriculture is re-
sponsible for the statement that bees
may be kept profitably even in great
crowded cities. One large apiarist an
nually moves his bees from the coun-
try to Washington, a distance OF ten
miles, in order to gather in the rich
harvest OF honey furnished by the lin
den trees and the shrubs of the city's
parks and lawns. Indeed, one of the
largest yields of honey on record, 43
pounds in three days, was obtained
entirely from linden trees.
Instances are also given of success
ful apary on the Roof Of New York
business house; and of one in the heart
of Cincinnati, whose 40 colonies pro-
duce annually about 1000 pounds of
honey. These industrious little in
sects will travel distance of several
miles and gather honey all the day, not
only from every opening flower. but
also from trees, shrubs and even
weeds, which one would hardly asso-
ciate with so delicate product.
Golden rod and asters often give
large yield in the late fall, after all
other honey plants fail. Any woman,
therefore. who lives within "bee line"
of park may start tiny agricultural
experiment station of her own. and, If
she is lucky, may provide honey for her
family and no inconsiderable enter
tainment for herself.
TO begin with, one needs good book
about bees, then hive OF good bees,
q veil, gloves and smoker, all of which
may be obtained at any bee supply
store. The rest is all experience. The
danger from singing is greatly exag-
gerated. An apiarist who understands
his bees as jockey does his horse has
little to fear. In fine weather, when
gold is pouring into the Golfers of the
hive. the bees are usually in good tenn
per and may be approached with i'm
puuiiy. In wet weather, however,
when work is al standstill and the
bees are forced to loaf about the hive,
they are apt to be Ill-tempered and
uuarrelsome, and 1t is the part of
prudence to keep at distance till sun
shine and the consequent wave of pros
perity restores harmony. When they
are angry, the hum of the bees takes a
high, omjnous note, which an expe-
reuced beekeeper recognizes at once
and respects,
Comb honey sells for 12 or 10 cents
a pound wholesale and five cents
pound more at retail while extracted
honey Is several cents pound cheap
e". This is accounted for by the fact
that it takes Il great deal of honey to
make very little comb. A bee makes
wax by gorging herself with honey
and hanging herself to the top of the
hive until tiny scales of wax form on
her body The beekeeper simply un-
caps the honey combs, extracts the
honey and returns the empty combs
to the hive. leaving the bees free to
store away honey instead of manufac-
turing comb.
An entire bee outfit costs from SO
to $40. aud II one were to have the
worst possible luck, the loss of all the
bees. So or 81 would replace them, while
an unusually good season might show
enough surplus honey to pay the en-
tire first cost. BY beginning in a very
small way and making haste slowly
one runs but little risk. and the ven-
ture may prove very profitable.
A deaf and dumb woman in New
York state. debarred from most other
opportunities Of earning living,
bought hive Of bees some years ago
to try her fortune. She is now a sue
cessful heekeeper with large apiary
and very snug income. Whether
agriculture is taken up for food or for
fad, it has much to recommend ii as
an ocrcpation or as recreation for
women: