THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



255 



■would be relinquished by almost, if not 

 quite, all of the citizens. 



15. Instead of this place one or two 

 colonics in non-nvnrniing hives on each 

 hundred acre lot and each might furnish 

 one or two hundred pounds from each 

 lumdred acres. This result might be 

 proved 15 or 20 years with no trouble but 

 to place the surplus boxes in order in 

 their season, and remove them when 

 filled. So much diflorcnce may be proved 

 by experiment on a larger or smaller scale. 

 '"Woodstock. Yt. Jasper Hazen. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bee Prospects. 



la looking over our bee journals 

 •\ve often see leports that read some- 

 thino- like tliis : "We have commenc- 

 ed scientific bee-keeping" and are very 

 successful. We are trying to induce 

 our neighbors to use the movable 

 fi-ame hive and to do away with the 

 sulphur match, etc. But they say we 

 don't want any of your new tangled 

 things, they are humbugs." 



Now, brother bee-keepers, if this is 

 the easel believe it to be your fault 

 and not that of your neighbors. Al- 

 though I am a novice, my experience 

 has been ditierent. I have kept bees 

 for many years but never made it 

 profitable until the last three years, 

 I saved six swarms from the great 

 bee disaster of the winter of 1872. 

 Transferred tliem in the spring into 

 the Pallace liive (which has the Lang- 

 stroth frame with the Johnson sec- 

 tional honey box). During tliat sea- 

 son, increased to I'o by artificial 

 swarming, sold $120 wortli of cap 

 lioney. In the spring of 1873 I com- 

 menced with 13 swarms (lost three 

 during the winter on account of their 

 not being strong enough in the fall) 

 increased to 20 swarms and sold $300 

 worth of box honey. Started tliis 

 spring with 2(J swarms, increased by 

 ni'tificial swarming to 61, have taken 

 oir 160 boxes of honev which weigh 

 12 lbs. to the box, or 1,920 lbs., which 

 we sell at 21: cents ^ttj. Have ex- 

 tracted 500 lbs. and sold it at 18 cents 

 "{?K). Sales of lioney amount to $550.- 

 80. Considering increase of stock, 35 

 swarms at $6.~[^ swarm amounts to 

 $204:. Total amount for apiary $751.- 

 80. Paid for material for liives and 

 lionev boxes $72.50, leaving a profit 

 of $6y2.30. 



Now, to return to my subject. My 

 neighbors have been Avatching my 

 progress with an unflinching eye, and 



the moment you prove to them that 

 there are dollars and cents connected 

 with the business, that moment they 

 are ready to take hold. 



The result is tliat over 25 of my 

 neighbors are using the same kind of 

 hive that I do, and if you should visit 

 them in tlie summer, you would see 

 them armed with a bee hat and busily 

 at Avork with the little harvesters. 

 And almost daily some one is visiting 

 my apiary with observing eyes and 

 attentive ears, to learn what they can. 

 1 am always glad to im])art know- 

 ledge such as I have, for I like to do 

 all the good I can. I believe that the 

 era of bee-keeping has just begun, 

 and the time is not far hence when 

 tons of hone}' will be sold where only 

 pounds are sold now. I think our 

 locality here is as good as anywhere. 

 We liave early in the spring plenty of 

 willow, elm, soft maple and many 

 other spring flowers. Tlien comes an 

 abundance of fruit blossom, which 

 lasts until the wliite clover begins to 

 appear. The white Avood (liriolen- 

 dron tulipiCcra) comes on about this 

 time, which our bees do excellent on. 

 We liave basswood or linden in 

 abundance. A good deal of buck-, 

 wheat is raised. In the fall we have 

 a great crop of boneset, we have a 

 good many species but the most com- 

 mon and most profitable to bee-keep- 

 ers is the eupatorium perfoliatum in 

 our localitj^ it yields a quantity next 

 to linden. The last bloom that Ave 

 have in the fall is the golden rod, and 

 some other plants belonging to the 

 composital order. But no matter how 

 good a locality Ave have, I believe 

 there is yet something for bee-keep- 

 ers to do to aid nature. 



I believe Ave should make the 

 honey plant a study, and those of us 

 Avho have the lime and means should 

 experiment and find out Avhich are 

 the best and most profitable for the 

 bee-keeper and farmer. 



I think by the cultivation of such 

 plants Ave can get a far better yield of 

 lioney than Avith natural advantages 

 alone. I should like to hear more 

 through the JornxAL about the grow- 

 of honey plants. 



It is through the Joui:xal that we 

 must become posted and up Avith the 

 times. W. L. I'oHTEii. 



West Ogden, ]\Iich. 



The sting of a bee is a barbed spear, 

 projected by the insect in defence from 

 real or supposed danger. 



