78 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



February, 1921. 



colonies in gums liought for $2.00 when 

 transferred have brought in over 100 pounds 

 pounds of honey which, at war prices, have 

 returned a thousand per cent profit. 



Where modern methods have been intro- 

 duced the natives have been quick to see 

 the advantage of the new system, and no 

 longer will they part with their gums at 

 $2.00 each. No, sir; some of them are talk- 



Log gums used for producing comb houey, with 'the 

 "supers" in position. 



ing eight and nine dollars where two was 

 sufficient before. You see they have been 

 "educated." Where that is true you must 

 go further south or further back in the 

 woods, and perhaps you can find bees at 

 $2.00. There are plenty of places in the 

 Southland where black bees can be bought 

 at low figures; but, mind you, after you 

 have bought up one lot, transferred them, 

 and shown what can be done, you can buy 

 no more at the former prices. You will have 

 to find ' ' pastures new ' ' where the native 

 beekeeper has not been "educated." 



Unquestionably, the man who has done 

 the most to "educate" the log-gum bee- 

 keeper of North Carolina is C. L. Sams, 



A typical boxhive apiary such as is to be seen all 

 over the Southland. 



operating as a special bee-extension man 

 jointly for the Bureau of Entomology, 

 Washington, D. C, and the Department of 

 Agriculture at Kaleigh, N. C. If there is 

 any man who thoroly knows beekeeping in 

 the State it is Sams. He does not buy up 

 bees at so much per, and then show the 

 box-hive man where he lost out; but he 

 goes out over the State giving demonstra- 



tions not only on how to transfer but how 

 to keep bees better. He will pick out some 

 beekeeper centrally located, then send no- 

 tice to all others in the vicinity that, on a 

 certain date at this place, he will give a 

 demonstration in transferring. At this time 

 he will show . modern hives and modern 

 implements, such as bee-smokers and bee- 

 veils. With these he will transfer several 



Log-gum apiary of .T. S. Kelly near Wilmington, 

 N. C. Mr. Sams holding an empty gum, and altho 

 the bees were stinging him unmercifully, he stood 

 his ground while the Editor was "snapping" him. 



colonies and then ask the box-hive bee- 

 keepers to come back later to see him take 

 off the crop. One intelligent box-hive man 

 ' ' converted ' ' to modern methods with a 

 modern equipment serves as a tremendous 

 object lesson to the whole neighborhood. 

 Mr. Sams gives this one man particular at- 

 tention until he can work alone. Key men 

 like this are being established all over the 

 State, and the effect of this kind of direct 

 instruction, the kind that shows for itself 

 in dollars and cents, can be imagined. 



In some cases Mr. Sams advertises that 

 he will give some live-bee stunts on a eer- 



:\rr. Sums tipping up \ho liives in a box-hive apiary. 



one af1pr another, and looking "up under" to learn 



their condition. Thi.s is all the "inspecting" witli 



bo.\ hives. 



tain day in some citj^ or town. These stunts 

 are usually given in some park or on the 

 grounds of the courthouse. All persons es- 

 pecially interested in bees and all fruit- 

 growers desirous of more and better fruit 

 are especially invited. On the day appoint- 

 ed he will transfer a colony or two from 

 log gums to modern hives. While doing thia 



