The progressive farmer., 1902-08-26
CONTINUED from Page II


Texas, too, is large honey-produc-
ing State and stands on the same foot
ing with California. There are a
number of other States, both Western,
Middle and Northern, that produce
honey in large quantities, but none of
them have better natural advantages
than North Carolina, and many OF
them not nearly so good.
Now, if the figures above quoted
are correct (and have no grounds to
doubt them, since they are gathered
from thoroughly reliable source)
that is, if North Carolina has twice
the number of colonies of bees as Cali
fornia, and has never made any show
ing or reputation as a honey-produc-
ing State, then the bee business. in
this State is indeed an undeVelOped
industry, and at present is in the
hands of those who do not realize
what is in it, or, have not the intelli-
gence or skill to work it for what it
is worth.
And right here I would like to say
that it seems to me that our A. & M.
Colleges might give this matter more
attention. For there is no better
place to keep bees and keep them sue
cessfully and to advantage than on
the farm. Beekeeping should receive
lust as much attention and be taught
as thoroughly as dairying, or any of
the other agricultural branches. In
fact, dairying and beekeeping would
go finely together. For instance,
from a crop of crimson clover two re-
turns could be had-frst honey and
then hay. This beekeeping depart
ment should be thoroughly equipped
with all the appliances necessary to
make it a success, and should be IN
charge of a competent, up-tO-date
apiarian, one thoroughly familiar with
all the branches of the business, and
able to teach the boys not only how to
handle bees successfully, but how to
construct the boxes, and all the fix
lures pertaining thereto.
Many farmers in our State use what
are commonly known as patent boxes,
that is, boxes uniformly made with
movable frames. These boxes, if
properly manipulated, would make
good returns, but the majority that
use them do not understand them.
The bees are allowed to do pretty
much to suit themselves, and the re-
turns from them are very little more
than from the neutrality-suspicious.
. kind. To make a success of bees the
farmer must give them just the same
amount of thought, study and atten-
ton as he would any other branch on
his farm. Take his COW, for instance;
would he expect her, with poor, scant
pasture, to give three or four gallons
of milk a day? Certainly not. But
suppose he furnished a good shelter
= and a fine pasture and looked after
her properly? He would reasonably
expect good returns, and would get
them. The same applies to bees. If
they have no good natural pasture,
and have to fv two or three miles for
honey, and receive no attention or
thought, can you reasonably expect
any great things from them? If you
are a reasonable man, certainly not.
Now, suppose you have one hundred
boxes of bees Gin patent bOxes) and
have no good natural field for Il m.
Then the first thing you should do
is to plant Is or 200 acres in honey
bearing crops for them. The next
thing you should do is to give them
the necessary attention, such as pre-
venting after-swams, keeping them
strong, supply new gums where the
old ones have died out or by some
means lost, building up weak boxes
from strong ones, destroying drone-
laying queens and supplying their
place with fertile ones, etc. Then
you have good reasons to expect a
fine honey crop, and nine times out of
ten will get it.
Where bees have a good field, either
natural or artificial, and receive pro-
per and intelligent attention, 100
pounds Of honey is considered less
than an average yield per box. Now,
say you have 100 boxes of bees with
fifteen or twenty acres planted in red
clover. sweet clover, catnip and buck
wheat (each, Of course,in proper time)
and each box produces you 100 pounds
of honey durinrr the SnnSnn th:S