AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



517 



The most flattering report of our own 

 State, this year, is given by Mr. Man- 

 ford, of Hamilton county, to our State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association. He began 

 the season with 10 colonies, worth $6 

 per colony ; produced 200 pounds of 

 surplus per colony of extracted-honey, 

 and sold it at 16 cents per pound, mak- 

 ing a net profit of $32 per colony, or a 

 total of $320, almost net profit. This 

 report is in the very face of the fact 

 that the past season was one almost 

 unparalleled for drouths and unfavorable 

 conditions, for even the very flowers 

 were roasted alive. Honey production 

 should inspire us all with unbounded 

 faith in the honey-bee, as one of the 

 greatest factors in developing our untold 

 wealth. 



My own report for the past year, on 

 110 colonies, gives less than one-half 

 per colony, as compared with Mr. Man- 

 ford's bees, my net surplus being nearly 

 72 pounds per colony. The best colony 

 produced only 108 pounds of surplus, 

 yet it must be considered that ray efforts 

 were directed toward the production of 

 a higher grade of honey, namely, fancy 

 comb, much of which finds ready custo- 

 mers at 25 cents per pound in the city, 

 and first premium at our State Fair. 

 Such a product is always scarce, and 

 higher, and cannot be controlled by any 

 monopoly, but awaits your own pleas- 

 ure of naming the price ; and while it is 

 conceded by all that nearly, or about 

 twice, the amount can be obtained by 

 the extracting method, it is yet a debat- 

 able question as to which method is most 

 profitable in dollars. The facts are 

 about as follows : 



While Mr. Manford has the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing his bees work with all 

 possible speed through the entire honey 

 harvest, my bees may have taken a 

 "fool notion" to swarm, and may ab- 

 solutely refuse to perform any labor for 

 days or weeks. This is our darkest 

 hour, and we are found meditating 

 earnestly — a most peculiar "strike," 

 this; and were it among the "men" in 

 this case, it would not be worth a mo- 

 ment's notice. Yet, to our utter morti- 

 fication we see it is our most industrious 

 little " women" that are "in it." The 

 " men " of the colony, instead of chastis- 

 ing them, as would be supposed, stand 

 back and " laugh " and " wink " at each 

 other. 



The "strike," like all others, is just 

 at the time when labor is most needed, 

 and in this case is usually right in the 

 midst of our honey harvest, and incurs 

 a loss of from 10 to 30 pounds of honey 

 per day, to the striking colony. 



While ray crop is not large, less than 

 four tons, it brought over $1,500, be- 

 sides several fine swarras as increase ; 

 and as bees are non-taxable in our 

 county, leaves a net profit of at least 

 $1,400, allowing $100 for the labor 

 incurred. This will over-balance the net 

 profits of my farm of 200 acres, by 

 more than $400. Let me see: 110 col- 

 onies. Spring count, worth $660 ; profit, 

 net, $1,400. Farm, 200 acres of good 

 land, worth $12,000; profit, about 

 $900. These are surely strange figures, 

 yet they are such that can be verified 

 by hundreds of men besides myself. 



Now, I will say to you, fellow farmers, 

 do not rush wildly into apiculture, ex- 

 pecting the bees to make a fortune while 

 you lounge around ; you will be disap- 

 pointed, and, just as with other stock of 

 the farm, you must learn their charac- 

 teristics ; you must be a man of delibera- 

 tion and judgment ; you must know the 

 true condition of the colony at all times ; 

 you must be able to judge at once when 

 the colony is in prime condition, and 

 when not, and how to place it in such 

 condition as will insure success ; in 

 short, you must be the director of the 

 entire work, and understand them just 

 as well as you do your hogs, horses, 

 cattle and chickens, and be able to 

 handle and inspect them just as easily 

 without any gloves or veils, and without 

 fussiitg and fighting with them. 



This is so easily learned, requiring 

 only an outlay of about $1.50 for any 

 of the many valuable standard books on 

 apiculture, as a reference guide ; and 

 about one day's practical experience 

 with some live apiarist. It is also neces- 

 sary that your wives, sons and daughters 

 should be equally well posted in this 

 most important industry of the farm, 

 and I can say, and boast with pride, 

 that my own dear better-half, besides 

 acting the noble part of mother for nine 

 children, is equally as competent as her 

 much-elated husband in solving all the 

 most intricate problems of our large 

 apiary at a single glance. 



Bees are not disagreeable, fussing 

 creatures, as many are led to suppose, 

 but, on the contrary, they are very in- 

 telligent, quiet and unassuming; never 

 offering resistance save in defense of 

 their lives or homes. Their language is 

 well understood by each other, and par- 

 tially understood by many distinguished 

 apiarists. While their greatest useful- 

 ness, aside from gathering honey, is not 

 generally known by the masses, it is 

 well understood by our great scientists, 

 that the true design of the Wise Creator 

 was that the bees should act as the most 



