American T^ee Journal 



December, 1914- 



)^^=^^^ 1 



nothing binding on the beekeeper to 

 clean up. I would consider that the 

 knowledge that if treatment is not 

 given within the time specified that the 

 owner is liable to a fine and perhaps 

 have his bees destroyed, is fairly bind- 

 ing upon the beekeeper. He acts ac- 



cordingly, at any rate. In a majority 

 of cases treatment is given with a good 

 degree of promptness. 



The inspectors have the right to de- 

 stroy diseased colonies and cotnbs in 

 Colorado, and I think the same is true 

 in other States. 



Bee-Keeping 



In Dixie^ 



Conducted by J. J. Wilder. Cordele. Ga, 



Beekeeping as a Business 



The country is experiencing at pres- 

 ent disturbed conditions, and many 

 men in all vocations of life are severely 

 tried financially. Under such coridi- 

 tions it might be a good time to bring 

 up beekeeping as a business and see 

 how it compares with other lines of 

 business. 



We are holding our own very well. 

 Giving my own experience, under the 

 conditions, marketing and collecting 

 has been a little backward, but as yet 

 there has not been any reduction in 

 prices, and I will be able to sell out by 

 the time my new crop is ready for 

 market, should the conditions not get 

 worse. For those who devote their 

 entire time to beekeeping, and have no 

 other business in connection with it, I 

 can frankly say that even the man who 

 is making the poorest showing is mak- 

 ing at least a good living at beekeep- 

 ing. When this season's business is 

 wound up, none of us should have to 

 borrow money with which to do busi- 

 ness. That shows we are doing well. 

 All of my honey is removed and packed 

 ready for our regular customers except 

 about half of our Florida crop, which 

 is yet to be prepared for market. With 

 all thisdone,! am now (Nov. 6) starting 

 with my family to Bradentown, Fla., to 

 spend the winter again. I hope my 

 correspondents will note the change 

 in my post-office address. 



It might be said by some that I have 

 a great number of apiaries irregularly 

 scattered about at farm houses, and I 

 have them cared for by the farmers, 

 but this is not so. Each one of my 

 apiaries is well established, and the 

 man in charge of each branch and its 

 yards makes it his sole business to look 

 after them. My business has six 

 branches or centrally located apiaries 

 where I have packing houses and a 

 home for my apiarist, who looks after 

 his branch. 



Names of branches in Georgia are : 

 Home branch, Suwanoochee Creek 

 branch, and Suwanee River branch. 

 In Florida are the O'Brien branch, 

 Branford branch and Fort White 

 branch. There are 53 apiaries, con- 

 sisting of over 3000 colonies. Fol- 

 lowing are the names of the apiaries: 

 Home yard, Mussellewhite, Jones 

 Creek, Colon, Atkins, O'Brien, Grassey 

 Pond, McAlpin, Barnette, Jumbo, Mul- 

 berry, Landrum, Cowsink, Pinkham, 

 Live Oak, Gilley, Mystery Coon, Her- 

 long Valley, Wilson, Cox, Pond, Fort 

 White, Columbia, Suwanee, Cypress 

 Pond, Fargo, Tupelo, Pine Ridge, 



Fouchton, McCain, Buck Creek, Cos- 

 tine, Clements, Odom, Jackson, Bryant, 

 Williamson, Wray, Wells, Williams, 

 Wheeler, River Lake, Alapaha, Pitts, 

 Seville, Rebecca, Rochell, Sanders, 

 Byron, Gleaton and King. 



The Bitterweed 



This honey plant made its appear- 

 ance in the South about 50 years ago. 



It comes up from seed the latter par 

 of spring, or about May 1, and grows 

 to a height of about 14 inches by the 

 middle of August, when it begins 

 blooming and blooms until ibout the 

 middle of October, dying down just 

 before frost. 



The photograph shows a single 

 stalk of this weed during its blossom- 

 ing period. The husks of the blos- 

 som which cluster about its base soon 

 drop and the tiny seeds ripen. This 

 plant will grow and bloom anywhere 

 and on any kind of soil in the South 

 except on very low wet land, but it 

 spreads slowly except where the seeds 

 are scattered by the tramping of ani- 

 mals and passing vehicles. That is 

 why we see it only along roads and by- 

 places where animals most frequently 

 pass. 



It is truly a nectar-laden plant. 

 Though it does not grow in great 

 fields as yet, bees will store from 20 to 

 35 pounds of surplus per colony from 

 it. Its fiowers are a deep yellow, and 

 the honey light yellow, heavy body, 

 and soon granulates when extracted. 

 It is very bitter ; in fact, it is abo t as 



•rill'', BITTKRWI'.li 

 This specimen is shown during latter part of 



1) OK THE SOUTH 

 its tloweriiiB. (See paee 406 for early bloom. 1 



