242 



HORTICULTURE 



February 25, 1911 



The Honey Bee and Its Uses 



Bees are often to be found near the home of the farmer 

 and horticulturist and are one of nature's greatest assets 

 — far more so than the casual observer would credit, 

 helping her along in her great work, apparently unno- 

 ticed. We have men in business todaj' who rely on the 

 honey flow and the manufacture of bee-keeping appli- 

 ances for a livelihood. This shows what strides — I was 

 going to say — the bees have made, but I guess they 

 stepped just as lively in Biblical days. 



Bees seem to have been part of the world ever since its 

 beginning. Biblical allusions to them are many — the 

 promised land was said to flow with milk and honey. 

 Bees abound in Palestine and other parts of the world 

 in a wild state and it was from these the Jews of old 

 obtained their supplies. Works of ancient writers speak 

 of the honey bee and its golden harvest. Savages hunted 

 their nests and devastated them of all their luscious 

 wealth. Savages who could not build a permanent 

 home for themselves, whose sport was wiping a neighbor- 

 hood tribe out of existence, could not be expected to 

 make a home for the bee, but with the advance of civiliza- 

 tion bee keeping has become an art and an industry. 

 See the many appliances of any up-to-date apiary, the 

 knowledge of a bee's requirements, their diseases, etc., 

 and the complete control an experienced hand will have 

 over an army of workers, gently driving them like so 

 many sheep. 



Bees are kept for both pleasure and profit. The pleas- 

 ure of getting stung would be a poor recreation to many, 

 yet a bee sting has its good point (always good and 

 sharp, admitted). Members of the medical profession 

 tell us that the poison from one of these little fellows has 

 a power for good on rlieuniatism. If managed in a 

 proper manner, however, stings will be few and far be- 

 tween — in fact a friend of mine, an old expert, on seeing 

 a slight addition to hand or face would tell me I de- 

 served all I got for only bad management brought it on. 

 I found this out to my sorrow more than once. Nervous- 

 ness often causes a lot of trouble this way and only by 

 constantly working amongst them can this be overcome. 

 They are as harmless as a fly when treated right, but 

 resent any "dirty tricks" in no uncertain manner. 



I chanced to be passing by some hives last summer, 

 and suddenly saw what proved to be the owner fighting 

 with both hands and making a speedy retreat. On in- 

 quiring found he was trying to put on some supers — per- 

 force jarring the top off any old way and giving them a 

 general shaking up, then wondered why they stung. 

 You hear the argument advanced by some "they won't 

 sting 'so and so' but they always do me." Wliy? Be- 

 cause "so and so" knows how to handle them and can 

 take a frame out and look at the brood without thinking 

 of meeting any resistance. 



Speaking of brood brings me to one of the most inter- 

 esting parts of bee keeping. Special "observatory hives" 

 are made so that any one can watch these most wonderful 

 changes taking place. They are made in various shapes 



and sizes having interior walls of glass. Queen raising 

 is another novelty in itself. Much could be said 

 about this interesting part, but more anon. To turn to 

 the question of profit. As a hobby or sideline I know of 

 no better paying proposition. Speaking from experi- 

 ence — I started when eleven years old and kept "tab" 

 of every cent. Each year I put my savings into new 

 hives and appliances and the fourth year I had six stocks 

 and a balance in hand. I got the bee fever early and 

 never wholly forgot it. As stated above bee keeping on 

 a commercial basis is a paying business, but no novice 

 wants to take it up without acquiring some knowledge 

 beforehand. 



A mistake often made by many is that they consider it 

 necessary to have a large flower garden and produce the 

 flowers for the bees. This is all unnecessary — ridiculous 

 in fact, for bees will travel three miles or more where- 

 ever they can find a honey or pollen producing flower. 

 Instinct of bees is of a high order for, should a crop 

 of anything come into flower, whole colonies will work 

 on it, providing there is work for all. No unemployed 

 are kept here. The loafers or drones are turned out be- 

 fore the winter sets in. Three or four workers can be 

 seen hauling one of these great fellows out and after this 

 he is an exile. 



The most important part bees play, looking at it from 

 a gardener's point of view, is that of hybridization. As 

 they flit from flower to flower, seeking the honey which 

 is secreted down in the segments, the head and legs are 

 forced to brush past the anthers laden with their open 

 pollen sacks. These are partly emptied on the bee as it 

 enters and quite probably as it comes out some grains 

 of pollen are either knocked directly on to the stigma or 

 carried there via bees' legs. Thus some flowers are fer- 

 tilized with their own pollen, others have it carried to 

 them from neighbors. It is essential for all fruit trees 

 to have blooms properly fertilized. Many evenings can 

 be profitably spent by the gardener who handles fifteen or 

 twenty hives. There is always a good demand for pure 

 honey and beeswax. Although there are thousands of 

 bee keepers in this great country producing hundreds of 

 tons of honey yearly great quantities are imported. 

 Great Britain imports as much as she can produce her- 

 self. For beeswax made from old combs, cappings, etc., 

 there is also a good demand. 



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--tTw., 



Mr. Penson'B next notes wm be on Thinning Early Peaches; 

 Vines in Flower; Setting Peaches In DuU Weather: Hot Beds; 

 Forcing Rhubarb. 



H. T. Rose Mme, Second Weber 



Our cover illustration, for wliich we are indebted to 

 H. A. Dreer, Eiverton, N. J., shows one of the most 

 promising of the recent rose novelties. This is the intro- 

 duction of Soupert & Netting, 1908, and is recognized 

 by rosarians as one of the grandest novelties of recent 

 years. Color yellow ochre suffused with carmine, bud 

 long and pointed opening into an enormous bloom, de- 

 lightfully fragrant. Eose fanciers will do well to look 

 it up. 



