Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-04-18
BEES WILL HELP
PROVIDE SWEETS
Better Care Of Colonies Is Best
Way to Quicken Supply Of
This Crop.
SUGAR NEEDED TO HELP WAR
Present Stock Of Honey Could Be In.
creased 10 to 20 Times Without
Appreciate increase in
Cost Per Pound.

More honey Is needed to help the
sugar Supply-and needed in 1918. 1t
is imperative. using the language Of
officials Of the United States depart
ment Of agriculture In a recent publ
cation, that we increase not only the
sugar crop In the United States, but
every possible supply Of sweets, and
honey Is one Of the supplemental
sweets the supply of which can be EN-
larged without great effort. Not only
should those who already keep bees
enlarge the number Of their colonies.
but the industry should also be extend
ed, say federal officials, to localities
where Bookkeeping has not been tried
on a commercial scale. 1t Is important
that efforts be made to make the honey
increase immediate-more honey this
year.
Provides Nutritious Food.
1t Is quite possibly for the Ameri-
can beekeeping industry to be devel-
oped so that the honey crop will be ten
times what 1t is at present. Not only
would such a development be valuable
In an emergency, such as the present
crisis, but in normal times, to which
all hope the nation may speedily re-
turn, the beekeeping industry can pro-
vide a concentrated nutritious food,
almost universally liked and %assuredly
an article Of diet preferable to the In
fefi0r sirups and jams so commonly
used. The Bookkeeping industry may be
the means of conserving d national re-
source now largely wasted, changing
1t into natures own sweet. The raw
material Is free on every hand; the In
vestment for equipment is small In
comparison with other branches Of
agriculture; the profits are fully COM
mensurate with the study and labor in
volved. II would seem profitable to
stop such q waste of SO desirable q
supply Of sugar. This waste can be
prevented only by the education Of bee
keepers.
In selecting a place for commercial
~beekeeping, attention should be paid to
the regions best adapted to the In
dustry, and It should also be remem-
bered that not oil localities within q
main region are equally valuable. The
chief honey regions Of the United
States are az the white clover region
Of the Northeast. (2) the southeastern
region, west to eastern Texas, with q
vide variety Of nectar sources; (3) the
alfalfa region Of the West; (4) the
mountain.sage region Of southern Call.
fornIa. and (5) the semIarid region OF
Texas and adjacent states. In oil OF
these regions commercial beekeeping
IL practiced extensively and IN all Of
them, too, there u room for q great
expansion Of the industry as q com
mercial enterprise. In addition Il
these larger regions many more re
stricted areas offer special induce
ments to the beekeeper.
Not Always Profitable.
But even where colonies Of bees ar,
suficiently numerous and where nectal
q freely secreted. beekeeping Is not al
ways considered profitable. This re
suits from the nature Of the industry
A colony Of bees does not Away
gather SUFFICIENT honey for its own u.s.
and also enough - that the beekeepe
can take honey for himself. II 10 onl,
when bses are properly handled thu
thsy yield to The bsekeeper the fulles
return. and to On unusual degree be-
keeping 10 profitable TO Just the exten
70 which the bsskssper applies intsllI
gent care.
Success In beekesping depends upo
the beekeeper's skill IN two lines Of d
bookkeeping the colonies strong b
proper care In winter and keeping tn
colonies from swarIning. The failur
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