136 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



cereals are grown on an extensive scale, and 

 potatoes, cabbage, and corn, are the main 

 crops, the specialist cannot be expected to 

 abound, but there are comparatively small 

 areas devoted to these crops, with the excep- 

 tion of corn, and even where it is almost ex 

 clusively grown, in wet years when thorough 

 cultivation has been prevented, the yields 

 have been something marvelous, and fortu- 

 nate indeed were those that had the bees, and 

 were ready to improve their opportunity. I 

 have said nothing of white clover and bass- 

 wood, and while the former is somewhat un- 

 reliable and the latter growing more scarce, 

 the former is certainly extending its terri- 

 tory, and the latter is not yet by any means 

 all destroyed, and will afford paying local- 

 ities to many specialists for years to come. 



One word more in favor of the specialists, 

 and I am done. Where bee-keeping is aside 

 issue, it is almost impossible to produce as 

 much per colony and it is equally as certain 

 that as fine an appearing article cannot be 

 produced or handled in as attractive a man- 

 ner by one making it a side issue as by the 

 specialist — and, mark you, honey is a luxury 

 and will never become a staple, and that at- 

 tractive appearance has as much to do with 

 its sale or even more than quality. The 

 drouth that has prevailed so extensively over 

 the country, and the short honey crops that 

 have been so discouragring, are but tempo- 

 ra' y. It may be years before such conditions 

 may obtain again. So let us all take heart 

 of grace and look forward to better times 

 that are near at hand for both producer and 

 consumer." 



Some of the points brought out by my 

 friend are very good. It is true that there 

 are yet large quantities of unreclaimed land 

 in this country, but it is likely that the time 

 will eventually come when all land that can 

 be reclaimed will be under cultivation. The 

 growing of alfalfa in the West is hopeful. I 

 can see its effects in the growing of my sub- 

 scription list in Colorado. At the same time 

 I can see the effect of the changed conditions 

 in some of the other States by the falling 

 away of subscribers who say they " are going 

 out of the business." As I said in my arti- 

 cle, there are some localities, and probably 

 always will be, where bee-keeping as a spec- 

 ialty can be made profitable. There are 

 other localities where it was once profitable 

 but is not now, and probably never will be. 

 It is true that honey is often gotten up in 

 poor shape where bee- keeping is made a side 

 issue. When a farmer takes up bee-keeping 

 as a side issue, he often neglects it and puts 

 up his honey in a slovenly manner, but let a 

 bee-keeping specialist turn farmer, or stock 

 raiser, or dairyman, and make of bee-keep- 

 ing a side issue, his old habits will cling to 

 him — his honey will be as neatly put up as in 

 the days gone by. 



It may seem strange that the editor of a 

 bee journal should call attention to this phase 

 of the business, but I feel that not to do so 

 would be a neglect of duty. If a man is 

 trying to make a living out of bee-keeping 

 where the natural conditions are against 

 him , it is a blessing to have his attention 

 called to the matter. He can then either go 

 to some more favored locality, or embark in 

 some other business, or combine bee-keep- 

 ing with some other business. Friend Flan- 

 agan mentions dairying as being on the in- 

 crease, and this reminds me that I know of 

 no business better adapted for combining 

 with bee-keeping than that of winter dairy- 

 ing. I don't advise every one to abandon 

 bee-keeping because of a failure or two in 

 securing a crop, but I know that there are 

 many localities where it would be folly to t 



attempt lo make a living from bee-keeping I 



alone. 



How Small Hives and Spring Feeding May 

 Lead to Success in Poor Seasons. 



The following article written by C. Daven- 

 port of Southern Minnesota, and published 

 in the American Bee Journal, is a little 

 lengthy, but it contains the best advice that 

 I have seen given in a long time. 



" There has been a good deal said and 

 written about feeding in the spring for the 

 purpose of stimulating brood-rearing in or- 

 der to have a large force of workers at the 

 right time. Some claim there is a big ad- 

 vantage in this, and others say the benefit 

 that can be derived from it is very slight ; 

 and I remember reading one article which 

 claimed that much harm was done by spring 

 feeding. 



I do not think there is any doubt that there 

 is a big profit in both spring and early sum- 

 mer feeding in some seasons. Some years 

 we can get a paying crop without, while in 

 others, at least with me, it is impossible to 

 do so. Not that there is no honey to gather, 

 but because thare has not been enough to be 

 had before the main flow to enable brood- 

 rearing to be kept up as it should have been. 

 Consequently, when the flow did come, 

 there would not be enough workers to 

 store much surplus. But in my opinion, if 

 there is anything about bee-keeping that re- 

 quires skill and judgment, it is this kind of 

 feeding, for in this locality the season, 

 amount of stores in the hives, and other 

 things, must be considered in regard to the 

 time to commence, or whether to commence 

 at all — amount to be fed, and how long it 

 should be continued. There is much more 

 about it than 1 know, or probably ever will 

 know, but some of the things I do know may 

 interest, and possibly benefit, some that 

 have not had much experience in this kind 

 of feeding. 



