July, 1919 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



even with a niuch lower average of profit, 

 beekeeping in the hands of the intelligent 

 and well-eqnipped operator is an attractive 

 proposition, and, accordingly, what ought to 

 be a satisfactory return on the assumed 

 \aluation may be confidently expected. 

 ]\toreo\er, bees are worth more to the bee- 

 keeper than to persons who do not know how 

 to handle them profitably, and for that rea- 

 son they may often be purchased for much 

 less than their intrinsic value in the hands 

 of the specialist. There are few if any 

 lines of rural husbandry wherein the human 

 factor adds so much of value to the object 

 that is being exploited as a means of live- 

 lihood. 



Choosing Good Locations. 

 Sevei'al factors contribute to success in 

 beekeeping. Location is one of them. The 

 liees should be located within easy reach of 

 ])l?nty of honey-producing flowers. Such 

 locations are common — so much so, indeed, 



grove, palmetto, and many other honey 

 ])lants are common, often two or more of 

 them in the same locality. In the Northeast- 

 ern States considerable buckwheat and gol- 

 denrod honey is produced. 



The value of a location is enhanced if it 

 has several abundant sources of lioney which 

 follow each other in blooming period. Yet, if 

 a locality affords one or two varieties of 

 honey-producing plants that may be relied 

 on, and that occur in great abundance, such 

 a location would be preferable to one with a 

 small area of each of a greater number of 

 varieties. Certain localities in New York 

 State are so much devoted to growing buck- 

 wheat that beekeepers resident there make 

 a specialty of buckwheat honey. The same 

 is true of other honey-producing plants in 

 other localities. 



Importance of Personal Factor. 



Then there is the human factor. To make 

 a commercial success of beekeeping, not 



Many schools now teach beekeeping. This is the Montezuma Mountain Scliool mentioned in Just News. 



that in many parts of our great country, 

 and other countries as well, it is not at all 

 difiicult t» select good locations. 



We have in the Northern and Eastern 

 States the great clover belt which extends, 

 roughly speaking, from the latitude of the 

 Ohio River northward to and beyond our 

 l)0undary, and from the Mississippi River 

 eastward, within which poor locations are 

 the exception. Then there are the great al- 

 falfa regions of the semiarid West, which 

 are wonderful honey-producing areas. In 

 certain localities in California and Florida 

 orange-blossom honey is produced in quan- 

 tity. In certain sections of the Southern 

 States cotton, sweet clover, tupelo', man- 



only are book knowledge and experience 

 necessary, but also especial characteristics 

 of the man. He will surely succeed if he 

 has the adaptability, or what might be more 

 specifically termed the beekeeping instinct. 

 He must be industrious, attentive to details, 

 possess some mechanical ability, be a close 

 observer and something of a naturalist. 



His industrious tendencies will impel him 

 to build up his weak colonies and induce all 

 his queen bees to reach the highest possibili- 

 ties of reproduction of worker bees in time 

 to avail himself of the full benefits of the 

 honey flow. He will have a well-laid-out 

 workroom, and tools and equipment provid- 

 ed, with a view of accomplishing the maxi- 



