Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-05-03

After much uncertainty regarding
the holding of the National Bee Keep
ers' associations convention in DEN
yer the date has finally beer set for
December 2.
Where hives are arranged in rows.
one back of the other, the front row il
generally the strongest and produces
the most honey. This is due to bees
from other hives alighting there during
high winds, etc. A good way to equal
ize matters is to arrange the hives so
they will not stand in rows but face
every way of the compass.
The greatest crop of honey ever
known in Arizona was that Of the past
year. The average product of the ter
ritory is somewhat in excess of 2,000,-
900 pounds. This year it will be far
greater-probably double. The most
Of this money will find market in st.
Louis and Chicago. In the Salt River
valley the bees work for a longer per-
iod han in any other locality, a crop
of 200 pounds of honey to each hive
being not unusual, while the average
Of 100 pounds for the season is main
tanned.
Bees are very fond of linden flowers
and these are the first blooms of IN
consequence upon which they have to
browse in early spring. AS this tree
makes good shade 1t could often be
planted to serve both purposes. rs
the flowers are strongly odoriferous it
is not well to have a tree too close to
a window. ~
From thirty to thirty-five days De-
fore the honey fiow should be the busy
time for every keeper. Then IL honey
is not coming in sufficient to keep up
breeding to it's full capacity stimulate
by feeding. In feeding in the open air
it is well to use troughs filled with al
falfa stems or open vessels for the syr-
up with a piece of burlap thrown over
to keep the bees from getting daubed.
Feed between 2 and 3 o'clock in the
afternoon. so they will be busy until
nightfall. Feed from one-half to one
pound to the colony by making the
honey or syrup as thin as raw nec-
tar.
The great value of alfalfa as a hon.
ey plant is not we'll understood in To-
c~alities in which it has not been grown.
It is the greatest honey plant known
to modern agriculture. This Is per-
haps putting it strongly, but 1t is no
doubt of high excellence and the New
Mexico and Arizona bee keepers would
not think of keeping house without 1t.
1t not only tends to produce an i'm
mense amount of honey but also Of
highest quality. 1t also produces more
honey IN areas wnere much seed is
grown, for the the crop is not cut until
the blossoming stage is over. When
used as nay it is cut at any early stage
of bloom before all the blossoms are
out. OF course in this country the great
desideratum is to get plenty of alfalfa
as hay.
Many who keep bees and do not
make a close study of them may not he
aware of the fact mat fully one-half OF
the queens found the hives kept on .ne
go-as-you-please plan are of little value
and will not prove to be of much II any
profit. Queen bees outlive their use
fulness and the colony puts up with
them about as long as they live or as
long, assthey live and lay a few eggs
Frequently a queen will remain in the
hive two seasons after OUTLYING heI
usefulness and thus the colony will be
one of little or no profit. A queen rear
ed in, early spring will do her best
work during that eason but IL Wiz
never again be as prolific n will fall
off in egg production the second year
Usually after this she is not capable
of more than keeping up a standard
colony without producing anything in
the line of increase Of bees or surplus
honey, and the third year Of her life
is of less value. Many queens will live
four or five years but most queens dis
appear at three or less. 1t is necessary
to keep young queens and with but
very few exceptions a queen over one
year old is best. The old queens are
the most persistent swarmers; they
will AXE the swarming fever before
their hive is neal full of bees n will
come off with veal and small swarms'
1t is the young queens which remain
at home with a large force of bees tina
produce the largest yield of honey.