Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-01-27
MORE ABOUT BEE CULTURE.
Second Article--How to Make a
Start I'm the Business. VIZ

this pursuit, and is not too timid to
follow the directions given in this
treatise. Even ladies can and do
manage large apiaries successfully
without much hSlp.
Now, there are three important
things for the beginner to consider:
1--Location CT Apiary.
Almost any local.'v will yield
surplus OF honey in a.. average sea-
son that is not already overstocked.
G. f.. Muth, of Cincinnati, Ohio, with
90 colonies of bees on his house top,
in the heart Of that large city, har-
vested surplus honey yield of 1913
pounds per colony. That honey was
gathered altogether from clover. We
have never taken over SO pounds Of
surplus honey from any one colony
in our yard, and we were never able
to obtain more than half that
amount until We had had several
years experience with bees. Inex-
perienced persons will seldom find 1t
profitable to begin on a large scale.
We would suggest that a novice be-
gin ordinarily with five to ten colo
MES. By using movable frame
hives they can rapidly increase their
stock after they have acquired lit
tie skill, and have ascertained, not
simply that money can be made by
keeping bees, but that they can
make it. While large profits can be
made by careful and experienced
bee-keepers, those who put their bees
in some out Of the way, remote cor
ner of their premises and expect to
go there once or twice year and
take out lot Of surplus honey will
be almost sure to find their outlay
result only in losses. Wherever the
apiary is established the hives
should, If possible, face the south or
southeast, SO that the cold winter
winds will not blow directly in at
the entrance. The more comforta-
bic bees are kept the less honey they
will consume in the winter and the
spring. The beeyard should not be
annoyed by colts and should never
be near where horses have to stand.
If managed on the swarming plan it
is very desirable to have them in full
sight of the room most occupied, or
at least where the sound Of their
Swarming will be easily heard. 1t
is also desirable to have them near
water, though a good watering place
may be made near the apIary by
getting tight, shallow box, and fill
ing it with pebbles. then with water.
1t will only be necessary to do this
in the early spring, as bees do not
consume much water except In brood
rearing.
2-Isuying the Bees.
1t is economy to buy bees in the
ordinary box gum. They can be had
at from 81 to 50 per colony. Get
them home when the weather is Just
old enough to keep the bees from
.-ying; see that the top Is we'll fast
ened or put q sack over the mouth
OF the gum, and lay the gum down
on the side in wagon bed about
half full of hay. When you have
them safe at home set them sin the
place you have selected for the bee
yard. Never put the hives too close
together, but place them in rows, say
six by twelve feet, and about six
inches from the ground.
3--lSuying the Hives.
Never try to keep bees in the old
fashioned box gum, nor try to make
your hives because you think YOU
can make them as good and as
cheap as you can buy them. for YOU
CANNOT do it, Unless one is ia
miliar with the spaces that it is nee
essary Tor hive 10 have he will only
succeed in getting a moth-traD made,
which will be fit only for kindling
wood, for if the spaces are too close
the bees will glue them up with
propols, and if they are too large
they Will be filled with burr combs.
Either Is Il nuisance to the bee
keeper.
a few years ago when we decided
to begin Bookkeeping on a small scale
we undertook to make our hives.
used lot OF lumber. put in some
hard work, bought paint to paint
them, and so on, and pretty soon we
found that in order to handle bees
for profit, all parts Of the hives
should be interchangeable: SO we
had to buy standard hives, and trans
Ter our bees at loss of brood.
honey and comb--iust what we
should have done to begin with
We could say d good deal more
along this line, but 4 word to the
wise Is sufficient Buy the standard
hive, paint them. and
they VIII last almost lifetime and
make Bookkeeping a real pleasure as
we'll as profitable.
NOW, TO sum up: We will assume
that YOU have decided to take an in
tercst in bec-culturc; that you have
for one or more good
journals on bee-culturc, and have be-
gun to inform yourself Of some of
the wonderful traits of the honey
bee, and have selected a nice place
for your beeyard, bought few colo
MES OF bees in old-fashioned box
gums and enough standard size
hives. complete with foundation
comb and section boxes to transfer
your bees into. So much for that,
Our next article will be on transfer
ring from box gums to movable
frame hives.