Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-23
ROTARY HEARS
TALK ON BEES
AT NOONLUNCH
l.. E. Baldwin Says Industry
Has Big Future in
Montana.

IL. II. bdlQWlH spoke dt tnt lsctais
luncheon on the Keeping of Bees as
colonies of bees, which fly the country
from Fort Shaw to Simms. He ex,
pressed confidence in the commercial
Importance of bee keeping for those
portions of Montana where there is SUI
ficient irrigated acreage.
Baldwin is able to give figures sup
porting faith in his industry. He out
lined for the Rotarians the profit to
the owner of the bees, as well as the
coordinate benefit to the fruit raiser
and to the producer of seeds and all
vine products. In the Sun River val
ley. for instance, no cucumbers prac-
tically were raised at all before the
bees came. Last year. there were more
cucumbers than could be sold. One
farmer near Malta is promoting the
culture of bees as a help for the quail
ity of his alfalfa seed.
with the present course Of events,
a car of honey could be shipped every
day for so days in the course of. five
years or so from this district-taking
into account the probable rotation OF
crops in alfalfa and sweet clover on
10000 acres of irrigated land of the
Greenfield bench and 10000 acres more
of the Fort Shaw unit. In this coun-
try. two acres is sufficient range for
a colony of bees. The productive time
is the long SUMMER days from June 70
to September J.. Bees produce per-
haps an average of 100 pounds per
season per colony. In the territory
1,250,000 pounds of honey at a value
of s cents a pound.
Large Irrigated Area
Making a larger picture. and taking
in the Waller project, with its 10000
acres. the Biackfoot project, with its
i1S,0O0 acres. the Milk River project,
with its 100000 acres, and the Bynum
project, with 10000 acres. we would
then have 1888, 600 acres. We would
then get into such figures as 10000
colonies Of bees producing 100000
pounds of honey and one car could be
shipped on 300 days of each year. This
is not visionary, said the speaker, be-
cause in Georgia we have one owner
producing 100000 pounds of honey
in Il season. Another in Cuba pro-
duces 2.0G0 barrles.
Baldwin went on to outline that the
keeping of bees requires trained men.
This training is available because n
year ago we established a department
for this work at the Montana State
tUIlept, WjlpTP INSTRUCTION Is plNtH, i lie
government is encouraging the instruc-
ton of disabled soldiers in bee cul:
ture. Our faith is justified because
Montana ranks at the top in the pro-
duction of honey. We produce more
honey per colony than does California
with all its sunshine and its flowers,
and our principal problem is to get
our bees through the winter safely. all
of which is now being accomplished
in a satisfactory way by the use of
the so-called government quadruple
outdoor packing case.
The speaker told of one of his col
onies which produced II. pounds of
honey in a single day and of another =,
colony which produced 400 pounds of
honey in a season. SO far. all of this
has been accomplished without any
concerted action for the sale of the
product or advertising in order to Gre
ate a demand. Each American con-
sumes about 100 pounds of sweet per
capita per year. Wherein is the op
portunity. therefore. for development
and profit in the bee industry.
Boost Football Game
Rotarian /. ". Church called atten-
ton to the football game on next Sat
urday between Great Falls and Harlow
ton. This city guarantees $500 for the
game. 1t was urged that every RO-
tartan should be present. An effort
will be made to have the Rotarians at
tend, perhaps in a body. as has been
done in one or two other cities of Mon
tana this year.
Rotarian Athletic Director Arthur
K. Barkemeyer said that on a week
from next Friday, the Rotarian volley
ball team would play the Kiwanian
volley bail team. On Friday next, at
5:15 o'clock in the afternoon. there viii
be practice under the direction Of Ro-
tartan Gene Owens and the following
who are supposed to be skill
full in volley ball, are asked to meet at
that time for training previous to the
desired victory: A. f. B~arkemeyer,
!. W. Church. Charles F. Coulter, f. L.
Graybill. William Fl. Gunniss, Robert
f. Keister, Scott Leayitt, George San
ford, II. A. Templeton, A. E. Wiggin,
Harry Yaw.
A solo was given by George NJ. VIII
cox, who sang "On the Road TO Manda-
and for an encore gave THE Bowl
of Roses Rotarian Merrick was at
the piano.