The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-15
TALKING ABOUT BEES.

The bee is pictured to Us from in
fancy as the modelof industry. Ger
tainlv he is a Woodworking little fell
low. whose industry humans might
follow with profit. Not long ago some
gentlemen made a long trip through
the country in an automobile in North
Carolina. AS they whizzed by farm
houses, one of them said: Il can tell
you the best test of thrift and pros
perity on a farm. 1t is not the cotton,
the corn, or the regular crops. 1t is
the bee-hiVeS. Wherever you see
plenty of bees, in good hives, we'll
cared for, you may be sure that the
thrifty There may be other signs
as good. but the man who raises
honey enough for home consumption
is sure to have the best thing that
can delight the palate. and he can
nearly always find a good market for
any of the product on hand in excess
of home consumption. The Mt. Airy
Leader has an item that shows there
is one editor in the State who has a
wise mother. 1t says:
Mrs. Emma Suggart, of Elkin, and
who is the mother of Editor Johnson,
Of this city, and who no doubt taught
him what he knows about bees, gets
some honey as the days go by. The
outpu of her colonies, SO far, has
been $500 pounds, with more in sight.
Mrs. Shugart is practically the pio-
neer Of the bee industry in this oun
ty and stands at the head Of the bust
ness. Her success has been remark
able and has Melted her a snug little
A~fortune.'
The Elk n Times copies the above,
and praises Mrs. Suggart highly as a
manipulation Of bees, but says that in
the interest of keeping history
straight it must be said the late
Dewitt Tharp, of Iredell, was the real
pioneer in modern methods Of hand
ling bees" In it's local columns The
Times gives the following story Of
success in honey:
"Mr. j. r. Bryant was in town Mon
day. and while here called at The
Times office and talked interestingly
about the poultry and bee business,
both of which he Is engaged in. Mr..
Bryant says that he started out in
tIC - lhS L Io01 SOIOIi1S VI Sdi
ian bees. During the season he in
creased to nine colonies. This is an
increase Of 125 per cent. He took
500 pounds Of sourWoOd honey. He
estimates that 400 pounds of this was
taken from the four old colonies and
about 200 pounds from four of the
new colonies. He set off one colony
late and from this he tOok no honey,
but he says it is in good condition
and has sufficient honey to carry it
through the winter. In fact, he says
he has left all the colonies in good
condition with plenty Of honey to get
them through the winter. He says
his honey is all choice sOurWOod and
will the highest market
price"
Did you ever taste any "sourwood
honey? If not, then you may i'm
agine~th nectar of the gods was deli
cious, but nectar is not to be com
pared to sourwood honey. There is
a combination Of sweetness and pun
gency that makes it SO delicious that
a man who tastes it wishes his throat
We're as long as that of a giraffe. At
the recent session of the Editorial
Convention those who had the good
fortune to be guests at Davenport
College were treated to this food of
the gods Gf the gods ever tasted any
thing SO goOd), and, though weeks
have passed. the recollection of its
delicious flavor remain with all who
partook of it. Talking about good
things to eat, not even a Garner an
taloupe, a Rhankatte watermelon, or
a Snachett scuppernong is sweeter
the sourwOOd honey the editors
enjoyed at LenOir.
P. S.-The New York Sun Will t"ke
notice that this best of honey came
from the vicinity of Blowing ROCK.
an.n1, HIIE unSOIITA PIP EcDING