Fkbrtarv. 1919 



a T. E A N I N G S IN BEE CULTURE 



83 



A FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



est profits, highest yields, and best ('.\liil)its 

 at county and state fairs. 



Altho 191S was one of the poorest lioney 

 seasons in the history of the State, a num- 

 ber of young beekeepers produced over 100 

 pounds of surplus per hive. The first prize 

 in production went to Roy Smith, an ophan 

 boy of Darlington, whose colony of three- 

 banded Italians stored 125 pounds of sur- 

 l)lus honey. A little girl, Edith Couch of 

 Choctaw, Okla., came second with 122% 

 ])ounds. Her sister Edna, who was also a 



A mc:iil,ev of the Oklahoma Boys and Girls' Beie 

 Club who uses homemade packing (:ase.s for win- 

 tering. 



club member, had a colony that stored 112 

 [jounds in the supers. These two girls have 

 a brother who also aspired to be a real bee- 

 keeper. Altho he made a good record, he 

 was beaten by both his sisters. His bees 

 produced 68 pounds. 



One of the most progressive and enter- 

 prizing bee-club members is Neil Wood 

 ward, who lives on a farm near Oklahoma 

 City. He started the season last year with 

 five colonies. He had two swarms, sold 

 cue colony, and secured 200 pounds surplus, 

 which was sold at a good price in the city. 

 He winters his colonies in wooden packing 

 cases with two hives to the case. He has 

 never had a loss with this method. 



At the Masonic Home at Darlington, 

 Okla., 10 boys and girls became interested 

 in beekeeping and joined the club. The 

 Trustees of the Home bought each of them 

 a hive of bees. None of these youngsters 

 had ever worked with bees, and some of 

 them had never seen a real honeybee at 

 close range, yet under the instructions of 



l\Ir. Stiles they were abl(> to secui'e a com- 

 bined sur|)lus of 1,100 pounds, and increase 

 their colonics to 2.5. Two of these were 

 transferred from boxes and the remainder 

 were swarms. A yield of 125 pounds, the 

 state record, was made by Roy Smith, one 

 of the youngest members. 



The bee club is a comparatively new thing 

 in Oklahoma, but its effects are already be- 

 ginning to be seen. Its membership of 97, 

 which will be doubled in 1919, is scattered 

 over the greater part of the State. Boys 

 and girls who knew absolutely nothing 

 about bee culture, are becoming experienced 

 apiarists. The old folks, seeing what their 

 children or their neighbor's children are 

 doing, are beginning to realize the possibili- 

 ties of keeping a few bees for pleasure and 

 l)rofit. It is exjjected by the men who are 

 back of the movement that the boys and 

 girls' bee club will make a great change in 

 the beekeeping map of Oklahoma within the 

 next few vears. W. J. Green. 



Stillwater, Okla. 



HOMEMADE HIVES 



Are They Always a Nuisance ? A Beekeeper Who 

 Thinks They Are Not 



When the_ bees from that two-frame nu- 

 cleus you received and placed in the back 

 lot with so much pleasure begin to in- 

 crease, and there is need of new hives, do 

 not be discouraged because you have no 

 money to buy them. I will tell a little of 

 my experience, hoping it may be of some 

 help to those situated as I was. 



From local merchants I purchased soft- 

 pine drygoods boxes, and with only a hand- 



A liomcmade hive with hive-stand and bottom-board 

 comiiined. 



saw, square, plane, and hammer, I made 

 them into hives which have been in use 

 since 1912. The intention was to let the 

 bees earn money enough to buy themselves 

 a new house; but I see no reason why I 



