SUMMER MEETING. 23 



But it i9 not 1217 object to write a history of apiarian science. As the bee is so 

 closely connected with horticulture by its usefulaess in poUenizing the flowers, 

 and as the fruit-grower, by virtue of his occupation, is a great producer of honey 

 in his fruit-flowers (for honey is a vegetable production and not manufactured by 

 the bees as some have supposed ), hence it seems but natural that he should wish to 

 utilize this wasting ambrosial nectar, by keeping at least a few stands of bees, and 

 deriving both pleasure and profit from the investment, besides adding another of 

 nature's luxuries to his table. There is nothing more attractive to the eye or 

 tempting to the appetite than a virgin conab of beautiful, fragrant white-clover 

 honey for a party lunch or a picnic dinner, especially when we think of it in con- 

 nection with a slice of flaky bread, spread with golden Jersey butter, and enjoyed 

 with a glass of cold rich milk. Hence it is plain that the poet had an eye to busi- 

 ness when he wrote : 



' ' Oh for the life of a farmer'a wife, 



With bread so light 



And honey white. 

 And milk so pure and good ' ' 



Bees occupy but little room in proportion to their importance, and require no 

 great deal of attention except in the swarming season, nor much outlay of capital, 

 and are not taxable in most of the states. 



No one should attempt to keep even a few stands of bees in this day of ad /anc- 

 ing science without first reading some one or more of our good, thorough books on 

 bee-keeping (of which there are many), such as L. L Langstroth, or something more 

 recent if there are no late editions of his book something that treats the subject 

 thoroughly, not some pamphlet telling how to manage somebody 's patent " moth- 

 proof " hive, with which the country is unfortunately flooded. More thorough, 

 practical information can be learned from good books and papers in a few weeks of 

 attentive reading and by experience or conferring with one's neighbors in many 

 years, vastly cheaper and more systematically. Such books and papers will give 

 the information necessary to settle a thousand and one questions daily presenting 

 themselves for solution in the routine of thorough intelligent management and if 

 the precepts are faithfully adhered to, the t*ee-keeper will speedily become inde- 

 pendent of his books and master of his business. 



A few stands of bees can be kept with comparative advantage by any fruit- 

 grower in almost any locality, as the necessary care may be given in the odd 

 moments of leisure without being missed ; besides, the pleasure of studying such a 

 branch of natural history is considerable, even if it did not pay financially. Many 

 successful fruit-growers in favorable localities for bee pasturage have become ex- 

 perts as aparians on a considerable scale, giving good care to both branches, and 

 reaping a double reward from their orchards and fields. 



But if one expects to engage in bee-keeping on a very large scale for commercial 

 purposes, he should not connect it with horticulture, but give it his entire atten- 

 tion, and should be fivorably located as to bee pasturage, market, and last but not 

 least, should be in a good climate, for climate has much to do with both the quan- 

 tity and quality of honey. The colder the climate the thicker the honey and ttie 

 better the flavor, but the more temperate climates produce the largest quantities 

 of honey of medium quality. Extreme wet or extreme dry weather is unfavorable, 

 as in the former case much of the nectar is washed out of the flowers, and in the 

 latter vegetation is shriveled up and flowering ceases, and in very hot weather 

 there is but little honey produced in the flowers, even with fair growth of vegeta- 

 tion. 



