The new South-news., 1909-06-05
GENERAL HINTS To REEkEEP.
ERS.


large returns as beck ceptng ina good
location. intelligently and industri-
ousiy followed. he who believes that
bees will work while he sleeps" and
who 10 not willing to work and work
hard. had better pass the business by
for carelessness and neglect are As
sure TO bring failure as 10 the shadow
to follow the substance.
First OF all is the selection OF q
suitable location and any such loca-
tion where there are many colonies
In the woods can be safely settled
upon as good one. Almost any
section Of that great area along the
Mississippi and Yazoo rivers can be
safely selected as good location
II would take too much space TO treat
separately of each honey producing
plant along these rivers. but most pro
minent among them | would name.
willow. elm. white clover, black To-
Gust. fruit bloom In spring. wild
grape and almost all vines in the
summer and golden rod and aster,
tknown with us as blue stem) in fall
This by no means takes In all. in
fact not half. and 1T is suggested that
the prospective beekeeper inquire OF
resident bee-keepers as to the graz
Ing crops in the locality where he
proposes to locate. Some plants
give honey every year. some not. then
too 1t must be borne in mind that the
honey crop, not unlike others. is
Influenced by the seasons. Some
years It 10 large and again very mat
fed that with proper handling. a pay
ing crop can be made every year In
this section.
In beginning the bee business
would respectfully advise the notice
to get only few colonies to de-
termine whether he will like It or
not. and become thoroughly ac-
quainted with the work OF beskecp-
Ing. at the same time reading and
digesting good bee journals and
books. Some men can take q big
apiary without any previous pre-
paration and make II a success. but
they are exceptions. Thos. Worth
ington OF this. Washington county,
made $4,000 pounds OF honey; In
creased to 145, and that without any
previous preparation. but he Is a man
OF both exceptional and extradordin-
ary ability.
The above instructions followed
for one season by the beginner. ought
to convince him of his ftness. OF
unfitness. for the business, and II
he find that he Is fit and desires to
continue. he should map out some
system choose and arrange the site
and then get all Of the bee that he
can.
As to the number OF colonies that
can be safely carried on one site.
beekeepers differ widely. but do
not think 1t would over-stock To-
cation. wisely chosen. to put in 200.
There are. of course. enemies to
the bees In the way OF birds. toads.
mice and the wax moth. but the
worst and most destructive OF all Is
the careless. slip-shod bee-keeper.
Some birds and toads are direct enc
mics OF the bees BY eating them,
while the mice and moth are 80 by
destroying the comb. This docs not
include all. but as . matter OF fact
none OF them ever become serious
against the careful bee-kesper. When
you hear a man say that the moth
destroyed his bees; you may say
without the possibility Of being mis-
taken. that he knows nothing about
bees.
A. to diseases. there are a few.
but l believe that we are as nearly
exempt In the South as any country
under the sun and that we are 1usti-
ned IN saying that We have none. II
the locality In which live has any
at all they have in all probability
been imported.
As to increase. that depends al
most entirely on the deserves OF the
keeper. which OF course means the in
telligcnt bee-keeper. for he can and
will control the natural impulse To
swarm and do his increasing by one
OF the artincal methods. The small
bee-keeper can double the number OF
colonies In a season and still make q
crop OF honey but the man whose
colonies 60 into the hundreds would
not be able TO make SO great percent
on increase on the same principle
that the planter on a large scale can
not make the yield to the acre Al
can the farmer OF . few acres.
have never known any business
TO produce the same amount Of en-.
thusiasm ~ does bsekeeping to one
really interested. and Thos. Worth
ington of Leota. Miss. truthfullJ
says: When one II really In earnest
there Is no other business that vii
I've Hundsed Rnfmers Wanted.
70 attend the aAort course in ag
y1sslturs u ~ held st the A. and n