MARCH 1, 1914 



193 



of the bees uiul ut' their doings. In this way 

 lliey did much to popularize honey, and 

 diew the thougiils of many to the marvels 

 of the hive interior. Very many suburban- 

 ites started apiculture, and a beekeeper who 

 went out and in among these, reports records 

 of 60 lbs. of sections; 108 well-tinished sec- 

 tions, and a host of 40 to 50 lbs. surplns. 

 Swarming was not troublesome, as special 

 precautions were taken to avoid it. 



These crops were obtained near Tooting 

 Common, some miles from Epping Forest, 

 Nimbledon, East Ham, Hyde Park, South 



Kensington, Battersea, etc., and most of it 

 was gathered from lime, plane, and fruii 

 trees and bushes ; but a good share was from 

 mixed sources. Racks of sections were taken 

 off perfectly completed, in some cases, in 

 May. Queens have been mated in the city, 

 and turned out quite prolific mothers in the 

 early days of June. Proposals have been 

 made from time to time to start apiaries in 

 the public parks; but the initial cost, and 

 the difficulty in finding qualitied care-takers 

 prevented the idea from bearing fruit. 

 Banff, Scotland. 



SOME DRAWBACKS CONNECTED WITH BEEKEEPING IN A CITY 



BY HENRY REDDERT 



There is no difficulty in keeping bees in or 

 around a large city, provided the beekeeper 

 is democratic and diplomatic. By democrat- 

 ic I mean that he should assure the same 

 rights to his neighbors that he himself would 

 demand if he were in their place. It goes 

 without saying that bees at times will cause 

 trouble to the surrounding population. Here 

 is where diplomacy comes in. The beekeeper 

 should be ready with adequate explanations 

 for any trouble, however great or small, that 

 causes discontent among his neighbors. I 

 liave had sufficient experience along tliese 

 lines to know whereof I speak. I have often 

 I'ead something running like this: " I never 

 have any complaints about my bees from the 

 neighbors;" or, "My bees never sting any 

 one in our neighborhood," and similar re- 

 marks. Notwithstanding these assertions, 

 the fact remains that bees do sting the 

 neighbors sometimes, especially during the 

 lioney harvest. So*ne people being stung 

 are too modest to complain ; others set up a 

 yell like a stuck pig. But just let them be 

 sweetened with a pint or so of honey, and 

 all is well. In due time the neighbor will 

 begin to ask questions about bees, honey, 

 etc.; and if the beekeeper is a good conver- 



sationalist he'll soon have them on his side, 

 and glad to know all about bees and the 

 good they do to humanity. 



I once had a neighbor who complained 

 that my bees were puncturing all his pears. 

 The fact is, he never had such fine pears 

 before my bees pollenized the blossoms ot 

 his trees. This he admitted. After I ex- 

 plained the causes that led to the punctures 

 (birds or hornets), and the good bees do in 

 poUenizing tlie blossoms, he said, " Let the 

 bees come over as much as they please." 



I do not approve of keeping bees in an 

 attic, tower, or housetop. The least seen! 

 coming from the windows of adjoining 

 buildings during fruit and berry preserving 

 time brings them by scores around the win 

 dows, trying to get in, consequently annoy- 

 ing the inmates, Avhich finally leads to con- 

 demnation. These and similar circumstances 

 should be considered when one embarks in 

 the bee business. With tliis in mind, and 

 a fair knowledge of the nature of bees from 

 text-books and bee-journals, with ner\'e 

 thrown in, I don't see why any man or 

 woman Avho loves nature should not kee]i 

 bees. 



Cincinnati, Ohio. 



THE CITY BEEKEEPER CREATES A LARGER DEMAND FOR HONEY 



THAN HE CAN SUPPLY 



BY L. D. MARTINE 



Some of the professional beekeepers may 

 feel that this special number will do them 

 an injustice by encouraging beekeei^ing in 

 cities, as that is wheie they expect the de- 

 mand for their ])roduct. Others, no doubt, 

 will feel that it does not affect them, as they 

 sell to the jobber. Both, however, are mis- 

 taken; for what affects one in tliis case will 

 also affect the other, as it is the demand 



made by the consumer that regulates the 

 price received. The question is, " Will the 

 city beekeeper increase the demand, or 

 merely help supply what already exists?" 

 At present, the consumeis depend on the 

 grocers mainly to supply them with honey. 

 so these grocers are the agents, eitlier direct 

 or indirect, of the honey-producers. He 

 places the honey on the shelves with qthej 



