ia6 SOUTHERN BEE CULTURE 



For surplus honey we depend entirely on sweet clover, Spanish needle, 

 and cotton bloom; but the most important of all is sweet clover, which has 

 been a never-failing source. There are thousands of acres of this plant in 

 East Mississippi that would be a paradise for expert bee-keepers to get into. 



One of the largest bee-keepers in this section has told me time and 

 time again that his ten-year average has been over loo pounds. He also said 

 that he made an average of 140 pounds one season. He handles comb 

 honey entirely. The party in question is Mr. Geo. A. Hummer, of Prairie 

 Point, Miss. ; but by the time this article reaches the press Mr. Hummer will 

 be a resident of Colorado. He is not quitting this section to embark in the 

 bee business in Colorado, as he has other interests that are drawing him to 

 that State. 



Mr. J. S. Cavett, of Macon, Miss., is making a success in bee-keeping, and 

 has produced some large yields of surplus honey. 



Most of the honey produced is comb honey. Very few bee-keepers run 

 for extracted honey. 



The writer of this article has several hundred colonies of bees and 

 made a 90-lb. average this season, notwithstanding the spring was one of the 

 hardest ever experienced in this section, and bees were in very bad shape 

 when the honey-flow commenced. 



There is no section of the United States that is more promising to the 

 man who depends on his own labor that East Mississippi. The land is very 

 productive. All kinds of crops can be grown with success. Alfalfa hay is be- 

 ing grown extensively in this portion of the State, and commands a good 

 price; and at the present time choice alfalfa hay is bringing $20.00 per ton 

 to the producer. . The deep prairie soils of East Mississippi will produce from 

 three to six tons of this hay every season. The mild winters experienced here 

 are very conducive to stock-raising, as stock do not have the attention here 

 they do in the North, and can pasture nine and ten months in the year. The 

 land is reasonably cheap ; in fact, it is not bringing half value. 



What better opportunities could a good hustling bee-keeper want than 

 as outlined above, bee-keeping, stock-raising, and farming? These three are 

 usually followed by the bee-keeper on the farm; that is, the man who owns 

 his own farm. 



W. P. Smith, 



LIST OF SOME OF THE LARGEST BEE-KEEPERS IN MISSISS- 

 IPPI, AND ADDRESSES. 



J. B. Cunningham, Cliftonville ; R. V. Goss, Shannan; Lawrence Gould, 

 Crawford; W. P. Smith, Penn ; C. D. Pritchard, Penn; R. A. Whitfield, 

 Weathersby; Bat Williams, Mayhew; J. S. Cavett, Macon; Francis Stiles, 

 Sessums, and Dr. J. C. Roberts, Agricultural College. 



