The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-06-13
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
Appreciable Increase in
Cost Per Pound.

More honey is needed to help the
sugar supply-and needed in 1915 1t
is imperative, using the language of
officials of the United States depart
ment OF agriculture in recent puDli
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 commercial scale. 1t is important
that efforts be made to make the honey
increase limmediate-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 win be ten
times what it is at present. Not only
would such development be valuable
4 y,
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
ferior sirups and jams SO commonly
used. The beekeeping 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
yestment for equipment is small in
comparison with other branches of
agriculture; the profits are fully COM
mensurate with the study and labor in
volved. 1t would seem profitable to
stop such a waste of so desirable a
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 te
the regions best adapted to the in
dustry, and it should also be remem
bered that not all localities within &
main region are equally valuable. The
chief honey regions of the United
States are "a the white clover region
Of the Northeast, (2) the southeastern
, region, west to eastern Texas, with
wide variety of nectar sources; CD tn,
alfalfa region of the West; "a tn,
mOuntain-sage region of southern Cali
: fornia, and (5) the semiarid region o
Texas and adjacent states. In all O
these regions commercial beekeepin
+ Is practiced extensively and in all O
/. them, too, there Is room for a grea
j, expansion of the industry as a com
mercial enterprise. In addition Il
I these larger regions many more re
e stricted areas offer special induce
u ments to the beekeeper.
!, Not Always Profitable. -'
/ But even where colonies Of bees ar
IS sufficiently numerous and where necta
is freely secreted. Bookkeeping is notsa
e ways considered profitable This ri
u suits from the nature of the industr,
A colony of. bees does not Away
9 gather sufficient honey for its own us
I, and also enough so that the beekeepe
) can take honey for himself. It is onl
re when bees are properly handled tbs
l. they yield to the beekeeper the fulle.
ID return, and to an unusual degree be,
n, keeping is profitable to just the exteI
4 to which the beekeeper applies INTEL
- gent care.
= Success in beekeeping depends upo
the beekeeper's skill In two lines Of e
fort-keeping the colonies strong /
proper care in winter and keeping Il
colonies from swarming. The failm
" RI tako nroner care of bees In winter