McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1913-04-11
BEE KEEPING. ON THE FARM.
By ]. S. Ward, State Inspector Of
Apiaries.

farm is annually growing. More and
more is it being realized that it is a
profitable industry and that it can be
made to yield larger profits for the
amount invested than any other ordi-
nary branch of agriculture. How many
farmers make 8 per cent on their ordi-
nary farm investmentsf How many
make so or even rs per cent on any of
the side lines, such as poultry, sheep,
hogs, fruit growing and dairyingi In
intelligent, careful Bookkeeping one may
double his investment the first year
and have it all practically clear profit
in the succeeding years. In other
words, each swarm of bees in modern
movable frame hive will cost about So,
and if given careful, scientific atten-
ton will yield the first year from 81
to So, and sometimes more. After the
first year this annual cost will be only
about so cents per hive for wax
foundation and an occasional painting.
A low average income from each hive
from year to year will be about SIS. A
number of times / have been censured
at the close Of my lecture ON bee cult
ure for placing the annual yield per
colony at this low figure 1851. My
compliments would claim So, $40 and
sometimes SIS and $40 per hive. Such
heavy yields are frequently obtained in
good honey years and where not too
many hives are kept in one place. Take
it from year to year, the average yield
from the large and small apiaries can
be conservatively placed at about S..
Again, the labor required to care for
an apiary of so or 100 stands is hardly
to be considered, for much of the work
can be done at times when other farm
work cannot be done. Having good
honey house, the apiarist can work
during the cold, wet days of winter
mailing together and painting his
hives; wiring the frames and putting
in wax foundations, labelling his cans
and bottles. melting up old combs, etc.
When tho spring days come and the
honey flow is on, an average of ono
hour each day in the bee yard putting
on empty supers and taking off supers
filled with honey will be fair esti-
mate of the time required. The ex-
tracing of the honey or grading d:
the sections for the market can be
done at ones leisure on wet days OF
during the after-supper hours. Of
course, the amount of labor required de-
ponds upon the size of the apiary and
the strength of the honey flow.
Observe that in all this ! have re-
ferred to intelligent, scientific bee-keep.
ing. / am talking about the man who
has posted himself-knows how and is
aggressive. Ignorance or carelessness
in bee-keepipg means failure. Don't at
tempt to keep bees unless you have
educated yourself in all the modern, up
to-date methods and expect to be care
full and energetic.
Tennessee offers many advantages
for Bookkeeping and with proper educa-
tion and protection the industry could
easily be brought from an annual in
come of $25O,OO0, as at present, up to
the magnificent sum of 100000. Is
not the possibility of such an asset to
the people of the rural districts worthy
of consideration and attention Our
winters are not so cold that bees have
to be put in cellars, as in the Northern
States, where the losses from freezing
are heavy. Neither do we have to buy
expensive winter hives or winter cases.
We simply see that the bees have plenty
of stores, and let them remain outdoors
all winter in the summer hives. Again,
we have but little of the deadly bee
diseases in the state, and having an
apiary law and an inspector Of apiaries,
we hope to check the progress Of these
diseases, which have cost the, agricult-
ural interests in other states thousands
and thousands of dollars. New York
alone during the years 1899 and 1905
spent over 100000 fighting foul brood
diseases, to say nothing Of the losses
in honey and wax and the use of the
bees in the pollination of fruit blooms.
We will. have no such losses in Ten
nessee.
Again, Tennessee's fora yields nectar
in abundance, Many of its sections
could be referred to as paradises for
bees. All over the state do We have in
the springtime acres and acres OF
blooming white clover, from which we
get the finest of honey. Scattered over
the state are hundreds of farmers who
are tied to the post of constant toll for
the necessities Of life. The children of
many of them are being deprived of
educational advantages to help stay
the 'wolf' from the door, when there
is enough honey going to waste in the
fields, along the bitches, in the fence
corners, over the waste land and in the
forest to help make them independent
if they would only bestir themselves to
the possibilities and gather in the har-
vest which nature has placed at their
doors.
Phosphate beds, believed to be of