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THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



May 



restlessness by crawling excitedly about 

 the entrance, flying off a foot or two 

 and returning, they are usually ready to 

 accept cells. This condition can be 

 hastened by shaking them from the 

 combs either in front of or right iiito 

 the hive. 

 Creek, N. C, March 36, 1900. 



Bees Repel Tax Collectors. 



Selah Merrill, the American Consul at 

 Jerusalem, in his report, published by 

 the Bureau of Foreign Commerce of the 

 Department of State, speaks interest- 

 ingly on the subject of 'Bee Raising in 

 Palestine." He says that the credit for 

 the development of the industry by the 

 introduction of improved modern appli- 

 ances is due to a family named Balden- 

 sperger, which went from Switzerland 

 to Palestine, in 1849, settling at Artas, 

 a village about seven miles from 

 Jerusalem. 



Until 1883, however, very little was 

 accomplished. In that year the Balden- 

 spergers adopted the plan of transport- 

 ing their bees from one locality to 

 another, for the purpos(M)f securing the 

 best results from the varieties of orange 

 and lemon blossojus. They had suc- 

 ceeded in establishing the industry on a 

 paying basis, when tiie attention of the 

 government was drawn to their work. 

 and a tax was placed on each hive, 

 which, by an ingenious construction of 

 the tax collector, was made to make a 

 separate hive out of each opening. In 

 this way l'>0 hives in the apiary of the 

 Haldeuspergers became 2,000, subject 

 to taxation. In 1889 the Government 

 secured a judgment against the Bal- 

 denspergers, and their apiaries were 

 advertised for sale; but when S(jld for 

 something like Si. 50 a hive, the govern- 

 ment was unable to deliver the goods, 

 because whenever they attempted to 

 touch the hives, the bees swarmed out 

 and threatened the intruders. A com- 

 promise was effected, the Haldeusper- 



gers paying one-half of the claim 

 against them. 



It seems from the Consul's report that 

 the difficulties of successful bee raising 

 are, however, numerous, owing to the 

 ravages of rats, lizards, moths, hornets 

 and men. The last named are the most 

 to be feared. The sheiks demand a 

 percentage of the honey, and if it is not 

 paid they destroy the hives and the bees. 

 Something like ten per cent, of the crop 

 is demanded as a tithe. These things, 

 added to the taxation, make the success 

 of the industry doubtful, and, at 

 least, requiring patience, tact and 

 perseverence. — Washington Post. 



Told by a Newspaper. 



A Bee Story. — Up in Lake County 

 Billy Reed had several hives of bees. 

 The other day a big swarm came from 

 the hives of his neighbor, J. S. Dewey, 

 and attacked his bees. There was a 

 furious fight. Mr. Reed heard a great 

 buzzing, and saw the unusual commo- 

 tion around his hives and went to see 

 what was the matter; but he soon 

 wished he hadn't and was quite willing 

 to watch the conflict from a distance. 

 When it was all over, he gathered up 

 dead bees by the hatful. He had man- 

 aged to close the hives, but as many of 

 the attacking bees had already got 

 inside, the fight had gone on there just 

 the same. Apparently, the bees had 

 tried to make the conflict one of exter- 

 mination on one side or the other ; but 

 the attacking bees met with such 

 furious resistance that such of them as 

 were left finally flew away, carrying 

 with them all of Reed's honey they could 

 pack. Nearly all of Reed's bees were 

 killed and a great deal of honey was 

 taken. — Sau Francisco Examiner. 



One of the greatest secrets of success- 

 ful honey production is that of having a 

 great force of field workers during the 

 lionev liarvest. — Review. 



