GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



February, 1919 



SOME REMARKABLE RESULTS 



Accomplished by Members of the Oklahoma Boys 

 and Girls' Bee Club 



To increase the beekeeping industry of 

 the State and to train up young beekeepers 

 is the object of the Oklahoma Boys and 

 Girls ' Bee Club, in which 97 members have 

 just completed their first year 's work. This 

 club is organized and directed by C. F. 

 Stiles, Field Agent in Beekeeping of the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the 

 Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical 

 College, under the supervision of John E. 

 Swaim, State Boys' Club Agent. 



The rules for the bee club were made out 

 with the idea of developing good, practical 

 beekeepers. Any boy or girl between the 

 ages of 10 and 18 years, inclusive, may 

 join, if he will agree to follow instructions 

 and keep a yearly record of his work. 

 Members are required to have or purchase 

 at least one colony of Italian bees in a 

 modern 10-frame hive. If Italian bees can 

 not be purchased, any kind may be purchas- 

 ed, but an Italian queen must be introduced 

 early in the season. The lO-frame hive is 

 specified, because it has been found by ex- 

 perience to be best adapted to Oklahoma 

 conditions. Timely instructions are pre- 

 pared and sent to the members about every 

 two months. These written instructions are 

 supplemented by personal visits by Mr. 

 Stiles. Practically all the hives are run 

 for chunk honey, altho a few of the boys 

 and girls use an extractor. The use of the 



section suj^er is discouraged, as the average 

 season is not adapted to the production of 

 fancy section honey. 



Each club member is required to keep a 

 complete expense-and-production record. It 

 includes such items as number and value of 



One of the Oklahoma girls busy in her study of bees. 



colonies at beginning and end of season, 

 number of hours member worked each 

 month, cost of supplies, value of surplus 

 honey and wax, and yearly profit. Other 

 data, such as number and dates of honey 

 flows, date of swarming, etc., are kept. The 

 record book, together with a story of the 

 year 's work, is handed in to be graded. 

 Prizes are given for the best records, great- 



C. F. Styles, Stillwater, Okla., director of the Oklahoma Boys and Girls' Bee Clul 



successful labors. 



on the scene of his 



