572 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



September. 1919 



BEEKEEPING IN ONTARIO 



Large Producti've oApiaries, Many 



'Producing an Average of T^wo 



Hundred Pounds 



By G G. Gemmell 



ONTAEIO, 

 one of the 

 great un- 

 written honey lo- 

 calities of the 

 world, may be 

 divided into 

 three regions. 

 The well-culti- 

 vated fields and 



undulating areas of the southern part of 

 the province produce large quantities of al- 

 sike clover and buckwheat honey; while the 

 wild rocky timber regions of northern On- 

 tario give rich yields from fireweed and oth- 

 er wild bloom; and the Niagara peninsula 

 with the aid of bees produces large quanti- 

 ties of plums, grapes, and other small fruits. 

 In many parts, beekeeping is still primi- 

 tive as seen in Fig. 1, but where intensive 



ever, is making 

 great bounds to- 

 ward a general 

 up - to - date sys- 

 tem. The box- 

 hive beekeeper 

 is beginning to 

 introduce stan- 

 dard hives into 

 his yard and is 

 beginning to read good bee literature. The 

 beemen are also getting together and form- 

 ing large beekeepers ' associations. This is 

 one of the best methods for promoting profit- 

 able beekeeping. 



Fi° 



-James Wri^ktson's vard of 200 Lox hives. 



bee culture has been practiced, large produc- 

 tive apiaries are operated successfully as 

 will be seen by Fig. 12. Beekeeping, how- 



Fig. 2. — Deep hives used by A. E. Jones. These 

 162 colonies produced 200 lbs. per colony last year. 



The enthusiasm of these beekeepers is 

 commendable. James S. Schrank, ex-in- 

 spector of Port Elgin, is a fitting example. 

 For five successive years, Mr. Schrank suf- 

 fered a failure in the honey crop; but still 

 he did not give up his faith in bees, and for 

 this faith he was justly rewarded in the 

 sixth vear when his bees harvested a bounti- 





Fig 3. — Thi.s thii-Ulx piiimlated yard of .J. S. Schrank, exliee iii^iiri ujr of Bruce County, contain.s ."^OO 



colonies. 



