The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-10-11
LOWER VALLEY
Of BATTENKILL
LAND Of HONEY
Chas. II. CrOfut of West Airing
ton Has Successful Season
RAISED 1900 POUNDS
Believes Bennington County Farmers
Could Make Good Money BY
Keeping Bees

Three-quarters of ton of extract
ed honey was produced during the
1918 season by Charles H. Crofut of
West Arlington. Every pound Of it,
except small supply reserved for
home consumption. was disposed of
at 80 cents a pound. transaction
that would appear TO constitute a
fairly good "side line for Ben
nington county farm
AS a guest OF +. Clifford Shaw, the
bennington county farm agent, a rep
resenta,ive of the Banner last week
made an automobile trip through the
beautiful valley OF the lower Batten.
Kill One OF the places visited was
the Crofut farm, where in half an
hour the newspaper man learned
mere about honey and bees than dur
ing his entire previous life.
Mr. Crofut is prosperous farmer
There IS a herd OF excellent Jerseys
on the place and the corn that was
being cnt when the county agent
pu led into the door yard and shut off
the gas on the Tin Lizzie was some
OF the best observed in the county
this season. The buildings though
apparently constructed some years
ago were in good shape. A large rus
( tic outside chimney recently built
4 principally to accommodate fire
place was evidence that the family
( Rcssessed modern IDEAS Of lying.
/ There was genera appearance OF
neatness that was pleasing, yet it was
evident that the serious problem OF
Z putting a balance on the right side Of
the farm ledger was being given prop
4 e. consideration.
NIr Crofut didn't hesitate TO admit
his Jerseys we're in pretty good shape,
he was conscious OF the fact that his
corn was better than on many of the
farms in the county aad he was Just a
little bit proud of the three mounted
deer heads that ornamented the walls
Of the front room. but when he be.
gan 10 talk Of his bees he was in his
elemeu.
ITS great study" he said. And
that's what like about keeping bees;
something to learn all the time.
bought my first colonies because ! al
ways liked honey and the further
went into the business the more
liked IT,"
Beekeepers fail TO obtain results
according to Mr.. Crofut, because they
do not give the business attention at
the proper time In his locality the
largest amount and the best of the
honey is made from the blossoms OF
basswood trees. sweet and white cl0v
er and blue thistle. The blue thistle
is a pest on the land but the bloom
furnishes excellent honey at time
Of year when there is not much else
for the bees TO work upon except
buckwheat and buckwheat honey i:
dark and poorly Favored
Mr.. Crofut is convinced that his
/ success is due to the fact that he has
given his bees an opportunity to pro
duce results, During the period o
bloom he sees to it that the bees have
] ~ the room they need II he oh
serves that hive is crowded he adds
an extension by this means he pre-
vents repeated swarming and in
~raases the size OF his colonies. He
estimates that by far the larger por
lion OF the 1900 pounds of honey tax
an from his hives during the preson
season was made by ten large colon
les, Some of the smaller colonies
made up of a single swarming re
turned something to their owner bu
not much more than will be required
10 keep the bess through the winter
ic takes particular pains that hi
bees shall have sufficient amount o
honey in the hives TO carry the littl'
workers through the winter and hi
has earned that colonies that arr
n aced in proper quarters viii winte
with n much smaller amount Of foo
than is required If the hives are lef
IN the open.
Extracting the honey from tn
comb IS by far the better process, Il
MIR Crofut's opinion. by adoptin
this method tho comb may be r.
e mned repeaiedlv TO the hive and b
. roflled thus giving the bees more tim
/ TO collect the sweet Making OF tn
o comb requires much time, labor an
/ material The extracting process a
g go permits the use Of frames the fu
y dimension of the hive and is a col
siderable caving
h The West Arlington man has an 81
Il tablishcd market for the output of hi
I rniary Late IN the summer afie
p Tho best Of the honey has been take
2 from the hives. extracted and put u
o In cans he takes a trip Of two or thre
4 DAYS with his automobile truck an
A when the returns the entire crop ha
been sold and there are disappointe
customers who have been unable {
share IN the sale The beeman ha