The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-16
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN

The fair young bride who yearned to
live In the country so she could keep a
bee" has a great number OF sympathzers
who are equally anxious to keep the lively
and useful insect Did they but know
the experiences of others. they would have
the joyous knowledge that country life
is not an absolute essential in bee-keep-
ing. IN fact, some Of the largest and
most profitable colonies of the East are
kept in towns and cities. In the very
heart of busy New York is a profitable
apiary, the roof of a sky-scraper being
utilized for this industry. IN Cincinnati
a business man with a taste for bee cul-
ture conducted for years a fiourishing
market for honey made by thirty or
forty bee colonies that he kept on the
roof Of his business house. There are
innUmerable roof apiaries in Washington,
the most noted being on the TOP Of the
Bond Building, near the center of the
city. Most cities are rich in flowers that
dot the parks and private gardens, and
in blooming trees. Washington is the
richest of all cities in honey-making
bass woods, that line several of the
longest streets OF the Capital are freight
ed with more nectar than the hardest
working bees can ever take away.
As honey culture involves little physical
labor on the part of the owner of the
hives. it is a business of profit. As a
rule he invests in several colonies, puts
them under the vine and fig tree of his
back yard, and huns to himself re-
frain TO the effect, Let the bees do the
work, do the work." and when the combs
are fun he smokes the startled colony
into stupidity and takes away the golden
wealth for his own and his neighbours
uses. There are over 10000 persons en-
gagged in bee culture throughout the
country IN varying degrees of endeavor
and profit. There are about 100 apiarian
societies, composed of the people who
make a regular business Of bee raising on
a scientific basis, while there are thou
sands more who keep few hives on the
farm or in the suburbs and turn an extra
penny in the fall by selling the wax and
the extracted honey.
The annual output Of honey in the
United States is estimated at 75.OO0.C0
pounds OF comb honey and 900,0000J0
pounds OF extracted honey. The Ha-
waiian Islands alone raise 600 tons a
year. The average value of this honey
Is 10 cents pound About fifteen steam
power factories and a very large number
OF hand-power factories are used in eX-
pressing the honey from the comb. Sew
eral other factories. hard at work, man
age 10 supply the millions of little cases
which the apiarian offers his bees each
year with the understanding that they
are to pack a pound Of honey in each.
While the output in the section east
Of the Mississippi is great that Of the
Southwest Is greater. In the southern
part Of California bee culture has become
a most important industry. The fruit
trees, that blossom the year through, and
the almost endless stretches of alfalfa
offer a forage ground for the bees that
is unequaled elsewhere in this country
The hives are set over the ground in
methOdical and regular rows that sug-
gest a queer flora come to rival the sim
Harry placed orange and olive trees on
neighbOring ranches. and from nearby
houses keepers look after the tiny work
man in most thorough and scientific
fashion.
Not only is the flora there more than
enough TO support the local colonies OF
bees, but throughout the whole country
the natural supply of nectar would sup
port most proftably ten times as many
bees as now forage on H. Fruit trees.
tulip or poplar trees, clover. lindens.
buckwheat. sOurwoOd, alfalfa, chestnut.
palmettos, and numerous other trees and
wild flowers offer abundant forage from
early spring until late fan Each honey
producing plant has two distinctive areas.
that in which it viii produce honey. and
the larger one in which II will thrive in
all healthfulness, but be less prodigaI of
its nectar. Alfalfa, for example. grows
in profitable abundance on the east side
Of the Mississippi River, but offers little
honey TO the pleading bee, while west of
the river in the honey producing dis
tricts alfalfa is the main stay Of the
apiary.
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