80 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



March 



some of the cells, from time to time, 

 to excite their propensity towards 

 feeding the queen. This is intensive 

 beekeeping and is difficult to follow 

 on a large number of colonies and es- 

 pecially in outapiaries. A light 

 amount of feeding of the colony is 

 also good to induce extra feeding of 

 the queen by the bees. We know that 

 some object to it, and it is perhaps 

 successful only in instances where 

 there is an interval between one 

 early bloom and another. It is very 

 important that the bees should not 

 lessen the breeding previous to the 

 heavy flow, and some means must be 

 found to secure this continuous lay- 

 ing. 



The difference in results between 

 two apiaries is often due to the dif- 

 ference in the condition of the hives 

 in the two months that precede the 

 honeycrop. In the one case the bees 

 have a sufficient supply of honey and 

 in addition find, readily, pollen, water, 

 and an occasional light flow of nec- 

 tar such as dandelion or fruit bloom 

 — not enough to store a surplus, but 

 enough to enhance brood-rearing. 

 The colony grows apace in numbers 

 and when the real crop comes the 

 supers are soon filled. 



In the other case, the supply of 

 honey in the hive may be scant, the 

 pollen late, the water out of reach; 

 the flow of occasional nectar is per- 

 haps not to be had. The bees in- 

 crease in numbers slowly and the 

 heavy breeding begins only at the 

 opening of the heavy honey flow. So 

 the bees use up the honey they 

 gather, in rearing bees that may be 

 altogether too late for the crop and 

 that will help in consrming the sup- 

 ply instead of having helped to 

 gather it. 



It may be advisable to insist, espe- 

 cially with the novices, upon the sup- 

 ply of honey needed to carry a colony 

 of bees to the main honey flow. In 

 some localities, when the fruit bloom 

 flow comes, it is followed shortly 

 afterwards by another flow of nectar. 

 But in our locality, quite a space of 

 time elapses, after fruit bloom, when 

 there is nothing in the fields but pol- 

 len-producing bloom. Three weeks 

 may elapse between fruit bloom and 

 clover. Then is the important time 

 to make sure of the bees having a 

 sufficiency for breeding. 



An inexperienced horticulturist who 

 had studied a few bee books asked 

 me once to sell him a hive of bees. I 

 told him where he could get a colony 

 cheaper than I could sell him one, 

 and offered him, in case lie made the 

 purchase, to transport it to his yard 

 and place it there for him. It was 

 shortly after fruit bloom. In trans- 

 porting the hive I noticed that it was 

 very light, although strong in bees. 

 After releasing the bees in the se- 

 lected spot, under a fruit tree, I men- 

 tioned to him the probable necessity 

 of having to feed them for a few 

 days, till the clover honey flow. He 

 looked at me with amazement. 

 "What? Feed them now? When 

 summer opens? I to get 



honey from them, not to have to 

 them!" This was a damper on his 

 bee enthusiasm from which he never 



recovered. Too many think the bees 

 should make honey, just because 

 summer is opening, and do not feel 

 either willing or able to look after 

 their possible wants at the critical 

 time when a little support may save 

 them and secure a strong force for 

 the crop. 



The honey flow is often of short 

 duration. In our own experience, we 

 have seen a honey harvest last under 

 30 days oftener than over that length 

 of time. The colony that has a full 

 force at the opening of such a flow 

 may fill every available cell, not only 



in its brood-chamber, but in several 

 supers. The colony which is only 

 beginning its full and active breeding, 

 at that time, will have a field force 

 which may help only in consuming 

 the little which was gathered. 



One of the beekeepers of 30 years 

 ago , Heddon, wrote : "The bee 

 business is a business of details." 

 -This is true; the little details make 

 or mar the success. 



"Large streams from little fountains 



flow; 

 Tall oaks from little acorns grow." 



Blossoms of tli 



Honey From Cotton 



By Frank C. Pellett 



ALTHOUGH the cotton plant is 

 found growing wild in many 

 warm countries, in the United 

 Slates it is known only as a staple 

 in Id crop. It was brought to this 

 country as early as 1621, and has been 

 the most important plant grown on 

 southern plantations since the early 

 development of the country. 



The plant thrives in a warm and 

 humid climate, and needs five to six 

 "i warm weather. However, 

 it is grown successfully under semi- 

 arid conditions in parts of Texas and 

 other southwestern States. The so- 

 called cotton belt extends from the 



northwest corner of Texas south to 

 the Rio Grande, and east to the At- 

 lantic seaboard. A limited acreage 

 is grown in California, but. excepting 

 very restricted areas, it is not im- 

 portant outside the territory men- 

 tioned. Texas, Mississippi, Alabama 

 and Georgia, are perhaps, the most 

 important of the cotton-growing 

 Stati s. The Carolinas, Louisiana and 

 Oklahoma also grow it in large areas. 

 Honey production reaches its high- 

 est development in localities where 

 good nectar-yielding plants are 

 grown in large acreage. Hence we 

 find beekeeping thriving in dairy 

 communities, where alsike and white 

 clover are grown abundantly. We 

 also find the beekeepers prosperous 



