372 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL November 



BEEKEEPING IN THE ARKANSAS VALLEY 



Notes on an Auto Trip Among Kansas Beekeepers by a Party of Enthusiastic 



Beemen 



BY FRANK C. PELLETT 



GIVEN g 1 roads, a congenial 

 party "i beel epei a good 

 car and plenty of gasoline, 

 and cue could wish for no better va- 

 cation. In June, Dr. J. H. Merrill, of 

 the Kansas Agricultural ( 

 Charles D. Mize, President of the 

 Beekeepers' Association; L 

 V. Rhine, Deputy Inspector, and the 

 writer made a long drive among the 

 beemen of the Arkansas valley in the 

 vicinity of Wichita, and Hutchinson, 

 Kansas. It was desperately hot, the 

 thermometer registering 110 in the 

 shade, but nobody minded that. The 

 days were spent among the bees, and 

 the evenings in holding miniature 

 conventions in the hotel parlors. 



The Arkansas valley is especially 

 interesting from a beekeeping stand- 

 point from the fact that entire fail- 

 ure is unknown in this section. Al- 

 though southern Kansas is subject 

 to frequent droughts, much of the 

 valley is planted to alfalfa, which is 

 sub-irrigated from the river to a 

 sufficient extent to insure a crop. 

 Alfalfa seems to yield honey most 

 dependably where the roots have- 

 plenty of moisture and the atmos- 

 phere is dry and hot. As much of 

 the valley as is sub-irrigated thus 

 furnishes the ideal condition. In ad- 

 dition, sweet clover has been widely 

 scattered, horsemint is present in 

 abundance, and heartsease adds a 

 dependable flow. Willi four such 

 honey plants available, it would be 

 hard to find a more desirable field 

 for profitable honey production. 



A branch of the State Beekeepers' 



Association has been formed here, 



.is tin- Arkansas Valley Asso- 



1 I I Jones releasing bees from the package in which they were shipped 



ciation. The meetings are well at- 

 tended, and although the total num- 

 ber of commercial honey producers 

 in the valley is not large, as yet, they 

 make up in enthusiasm what they 

 lack in numbers. At Wichita, O. J. 

 Jones is perhaps the most extensive 

 beekeeper. In a discussion of the 

 possibilities of the pound package of 

 bees, he reported that in 1916 he 

 bought 25 one-pound packages. 



Left to right Dr. J. II. Merrill, L. V. Rhine, E. 

 at the Mize apiary 



Jewell and C. I» Mize, 



These were hived on full-drawn 

 combs. In addition to filling the ten- 

 frame hives, he sold $190 worth of 

 honey from them, and left the bees 

 in prime condition for winter. 



At Hutchinson, J. A. Nininger is 

 probably the most extensive honey 

 producer, making it an exclusive 

 business. The season in southern 

 Kansas is long. Although there is 

 some severe weather in winter, 

 there are frequent warm days which 

 give the bees ample opportunity for 

 flight, so that outside wintering is 

 the inle. Mr. Nininger reports that 

 begin gathering pollen in 

 February from soft maple, and 

 shortly after from elm. Brood rear- 

 ing is thus started early, ami he is 

 iometimes able to get some surplus 

 honey from fruit bloom. There are 

 some very large orchards near 

 Huti hinsi m. I here is such an abund- 

 ance of bloom on a full-blown apple 

 tree that it is hard to estimate the 

 possibilities of fruit bloom, if it were 

 only possible to get the bees built up 

 in time to harvest it. Mr. Nininger 

 had some fine honey secured from 

 .1 100 acre apple orchard. The hone} 



n 3 i -I fini quality, mild in lla\ or and 

 of a light amber color. 



In V D. Rafnngton is also an ex- 

 tensive honey producer, who is SO 

 fortunate as to have a good dental 

 practice in addition. The doctor 

 ins bees, and would greatly en- 

 pending all his time among tin- 

 He has proved so efficient at 

 i!,, dental work that the business 

 instead of diminishing, until 

 his friends find him well nigh in de- 



