1883 



glea:nings in bee cultukE. 



525 



SUCCESS WITH BEES. 



A GOOD REPORT FROM THE AUTHOR OF "BLESSED 

 BEES." 



fjIIE following, from the Io^va City Ee- 

 publican, is interesting to us, from the 

 — ■ fact that it shows that tlie author of 

 "•Blessed Bees " has done something with 

 bees besides write fiction. Since reading 

 the book I have many a time felt anxious to 

 know how far friend Clute had succeeded in 

 making the pleasant hction a reality. 



Our townsman, Rev. O. Clute, has lor several 

 years made bee-keeping a recreation. Many gentle- 

 men get relaxation and amusement with the horse, 

 the gun, or the flshing-rod. Mr. Clute gets it among 

 his bees. And in his case the pleasure brings profit 

 also, for he makes bee-keeping a financial success. 



A year ago he began the season with 110 stands of 

 bees — 80 in his apiai-y, and 30 in charge of Mr. Ed. 

 Younkin, on College Hill. The spring and early 

 summer last year were most unfavorable for bees. 

 The weather was cold, and the rain was exces-sive. 

 But by daily feeding he kept his hives rearing large 

 quantities of brood so that they were very strong in 

 bees. After the middle of June the weather became 

 favorable, and the white clover bloomed in groat 

 profusion. The constant rains of spring and early 

 summer had saturated the ground so that the clover 

 remained in bloom a long time. It yielded honey 

 well, and the linn, or basswood, also yielded well. 

 From these two sources an excellent harvest was 

 secured. 



In favorable seasons there is a good flow of honey 

 here from fall flowers, including asters, goldenrod, 

 figwort, boneset, sunflosvers, Sp.inish-needle, heari's- 

 ease, and some others. In this locality, heart's-ease 

 is found in large quantities. Last fall it seemed es- 

 pecially abundant. The frost held off until lute, so 

 that the season was long. The clover, the linn, and 

 the fall flowers combined gave a splendid honey 

 yield. When the stason was over, the crop from 

 the 110 stands was found tobe a little over 17,000 lbs., 

 an average of 154 lbs. per stand, spring count. In 

 addition to this yield of honey, the stock of bees 

 was nearly doubkd. 



A part of this excellent success was due to the 

 good management given by Mr. Ed. Younkin to the 

 thirty stands in his care. From these he obtained 

 more than 60no ibi. of honey — a little more than 200 

 lbs. per stand. He also doubled the stock of bees 

 Mr. Younkin had for his share one-half of the honey 

 and one-half of the increase of bees, which gave hiiii 

 a very good return for his summer's work. 



The winter and spring brought some losses in 

 stock; still, Mr. Clute brought his bees through in 

 lair shape. He bred his queens last year from an 

 imported queen, obtained directly from Italy, and 

 from a beautiful queen given him by his friend Dr. 

 I. P. Wilson, of Burlington, one of the professors in 

 the Dental School in our University. Being bred 

 from- such superior queens, bis stock v/as very ex- 

 cellent, and this spring has been in large demand. 

 He has sold to different parties in Iowa and other 

 States, 138 colonies, which have brought him in cash, 

 J11133. 



In sending out this large number, not a single ac- 

 cident has happened. The bees have been so well 

 put up that every swarm has gone safely to its des- 

 tination, with no complaints from express compa- 

 nies on account of inferior packing. 



Mr. Clute begins the season with about 70 stands 

 In good condition, which will be managed for surplus 

 honey, and about 30 stands in not so good condition, 

 which will be used for growing queens and increas- 

 ing stock. The season thus far this spring has been 

 about as unfavorable tor bee-keepers as was last 

 year. Cold weather and rains have kept every 

 thing back. But the white clover now promises a 

 most abundant bloom ; and should the weather for 

 the next two months be good, the harvest from this 

 and from linn will probably be large. 



Mr. Clute manages his apiary mainly for extracted 

 honey, which he thinks is more protitable in this lo- 

 cality than comb honey. Not nearly so many pounds 

 of comb honey can be obtained per hive, and it is 

 more difficult to store it after taken from the hives, 

 to prepare it for market, and to send it to market in 

 good condition. The extracted honey is simply 

 thrown out of the combs, run from the extractor di- 



rectly into nice kegs or bairels, bunged up, rolled 

 into the store-ror m, and gives no further trout le. 

 When time for marketing comes it can t)e weighed, 

 loaded on a dray, sent to the railroad station, and go 

 thence around the W(.)rld with no loss from broken 

 combs and mussed honey. 



Within a few years the production of extracted 

 honey, and the demand for it, have assumed large 

 pr(iportions. It can n^v^r supersede comb honey, 

 for the laitfr hss (xcellence and bcanty which will 

 always be in demaud. But the demand for extract- 

 ed honey will in a tew years Le immensely greater 

 than it is now. People are learning that it is a de- 

 licious, healthful, and cheap article t)f food, and are 

 beginning to use in place of the inferior and un- 

 heathful s.vrups with which the market has of late 

 years been flooded. 



It will be well for more of our intelligent men and 

 and women to turn their attention to bee-keeping as 

 a regular business. It is healthful, independent 

 work, and on an average gives lair profits. It re- 

 quires intelligence to learn it, and skill and delicacy 

 in manipulation. Our young friei.d Ed. Younkin 

 spent three months vvith Mr. Clute in the summer 

 of '81. Lust summer he took care of 30 stands of 

 bees with the success we have mentioned above. 

 This spring he has gone to Davenport, on recom- 

 mendation of Mr. Clute, to maiisge 100 stands lor 

 Mr. George B. Eugle, Jr., who gives bioi his board 

 for the summer, and one-half the honey and one- 

 half the increase of bees. If the season is fax orablc 

 he will have a profitable year — more protilable than 

 most cleiks and young professional men. 



Mr. Clute has been sulicitPd to open a school of 

 bee-keeping at his apiary, and give to a class of stu- 

 dents a thorough course of instruction in the theory 

 and nractice of this fiiscinating puratiit. At one 

 time ho thought of having such a school this sum- 

 mer; but his health has been S) impaired by several 

 years' close application to his professional duties 

 that ho finds it best not to attempt at present this 

 delightful work. 



A few years ago, under the pseudonym of "John 

 Alkn," through the house of G. P. Putnam's Sons, 

 New Y<irk, Mr. Clute published a romance of b( e- 

 kccping, entitled, "The Blessed Bees." It has had a 

 most cordial reception from the literary and bet- 

 keeping pul)lic, and is having a steady sale from 

 year to year. 



The friends who have read " Blessed Bees'' 

 will remember that the strongest point in 

 the little romance, perhaps, was th:it our 

 hero had every thing so well arranged th;it 

 fnilure was almost impossible. In the aliove 

 report, where he speaks of shipping bees 

 without accid( nt. I was reminded of this 

 especial point. Were we to visit friend 

 Clute's apiary, I incsurae we should tind 

 that he is a remarkable workman and a nice 

 manipulator. 1 feel, after reading the above, 

 as if 1 should like to go and get " Blessed 

 Bees " and read it over again. 



iriRS. COTTON, AND THE GOODS SHE OF- 

 FERS FOR SALE. 



CAN WE RECOMMEND HER AMONG THE REST OF OUR 

 SUPPLY DEALERS? 



^j^jLEASE inform me if you have ever seen or 

 JSp^ heard of the party, Lizzie B. Cotton, W. Gor- 

 ~ ham. Me., and also what you think of her 



hive. I do not like the spirit she manifests. 

 Boston, Mass., Aug. 17, 1883. W. A. Richards. 



Yes, friend R., we have heard a very great 

 deal in regard to Mrs. Cotton. If you will 

 look over our back volumes you will be very 

 well satistied of the fact. I do not knoAv 

 how to answer you much better than to give 

 the following, which came only a short time 

 before your letter : 



Friend Root— 



Last spring F sent to Mrs. Cotton for a hive of her 

 Italian bees. They arrived in deplorable condition, 



