The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-14
new HONEY is ON SALE
BUT FEW SUCCESSFUL APIARISTS
NEAR INDIANAPOLIS.
Walter $. POuder, an Expert Bee Man,
Talks of the Business-Bees Must
Have Great Care.

Placards displayed on many of the stalls
in the market during last week gave forth
the information that new comb honey Is
now for SALE" The honey season is "on
once more, and it will be good news TO
those that are fond of the sweet products
of the busy bees to learn that this years
white clover honey crop promises to be
better than that of last season, which was
generally unsuccessful throughout the mid
Western States. To get good yield of
comb honey requires more skill and brains
on the part OF the beekeepers than most
people imagine, especially here in Indiana.
where the working season of the bees lasts
only about six weeks, and sometimes less
than that.
There are only few successful apiarists
in and about Indianapolis although those
that are well versed in matters pertaining
to the industry declare that thousands OF
pounds of honey are going to waste every
year hereabouts because of the fact that
there are not enough people engaged In bee
culture. Walter S. Pouder, the best known
of Indianapolis bee men, who has made
study of bees and their ways for over
fourteen years, says that the trouble with
most persons that have failed in their at
their slipshod methods of conducting their
enterprises. One cannot hope to attain
success with bees unless he makes a scien-
tihc study of the little winged laborers and
discards the many foolish superstitions that
have for so many years been associated
with the honey gatherers. To this day
you will often run across an Indiana farm
er and all the members of his household
beating on tin pans and bowling like In
dams in order to keep the bees from
swarming," or even going so far in their
superstitions as to break the sad news
to the bees in the event of death In the
family, thoroughly convinced that II the
insects are left to find out about the de-
mise for themselves they will rush away
in anger from the farm.
A SCIENTIFIC STUDY.
at Is really only within the last twenty
years that beekeepers have been making
a scientific study of their work." said Mr..
Pouder, in discussing his favorite subject
the other day. 1T is surprising to find
how many ignorant customs relating to
bees have come down through the ages and
how many curious beliefs have existed
for centuries, and still exist among those
that possess no scientific knowledge of the
honey gatherers. Some of the supersttions
are harmless enough, goodness knows,
while others are downright impediments to
the progress Of the industry. There is
widespread superstition throughout the
United States that it is unlucky to buy the
bees of dead man, while in some parts of
the country 1t Is considered necessary to
move the hives upon the death of their
owner, either to change their location or to
turn them around. Some people believe
| that If hive Of bees leave their home
! without good cause the death of their owner
within a short time is a foregone con-
| clusion. Then there Is a popular supersti-
| ton that bees must not be bought with
money, but must be exchanged for some
| product of nature. Among the peasantry
| of many European countries there are nu-
| merous appeals, or prayers, the same in
| form as those of the middle ages, still in
use imploring the swarming bees not to
| fly away, or, if they have flown, to come
| back again and supply the usual stores Of
| wax and honey.
about this time every year. when comb
honey is placed upon the market you hear
ridiculous complaints from some quarters
that the bee-keepers have been adulterating
thing at ali about bees will at once see the
utter absurdity of complaints of this kind.
There is no such thing as adulterated comb
| honep; comb honey cannot possibly be adul-
terated, and the buyers in the markets
need have fear that they are being
cheated. The bees alone are the only crea-
lures in Gods world that have the ingenu-
ity to manufacture the delicate little wax
pockets wherein their nectar is deposited.
Bee-keepers have often tried to find SUBJ
stitute for the wax-not for the purposes
] of adulteration but in order to hasten the
completion of the bees labor-but the arti-
| fetal products have never proved success
! full. the paraffine and other materials used
| lacking the necessary consistency and
power to resist heat. and breaking down in
| the hive, even when the bees could be in
| duced to use them. The bee consumes
vast quantities of honey at certain seasons,
but instead of growing fat upon the food
it gives forth wax. Wax is a very costly
product the bees using from ten to fifteen
pounds of honey to produce one pound of it.
MUST NOT BE NEGLECTED.
Bees must not be neglected for a mo-
ment during what we apiarists call a flow
of honey. especially If they are being man.
aged for comb honey. 1t often happens
that they will fill all available space in
the hive within a very few days, and then
If more room is not given them promptly
swarming is certain to result. One has to
| be sure that there is work for the comb
| builders. If the hive is full of 'uncapped'
honey do not make the mistake of Gaping
ii for them, under the impression that they
| have all the work they can manage They
| will not cap it until IL has been evaporated
to a consistency which they understand to
| perfection. To get the bees to begin work
in the surplus crates is at times more diff
cult than one would suppose More than
| once l have had them rush out and swarm
| after / had arranged the crates in a way
| that / thought would prove a tempting
storeroom for the busy. creatures. 1 have
| seen them occupy the crate for several
| days in an idle, shiftless sort of manner.
and then suddenly swarm But If you
have some sections of crate with some old
leftover comb built in IL you will have
| no trouble at all, for they will readily be-
gin work on the ready-built comb-so long
| as it's the real thing-no matter how old
| and dusty II may be. / have even been
obliged at times to cut out a piece of comb
| containing brood and fix ii in one of the
sections as an inducement for them to be-
gin work. And then, after had one hive
well under way. 1 would remove two or