MORE HONEY N@EDED. 5 
ever, for thousands of acres of excellent honey plants are inadequately 
‘supplied with bees. 
While beekeeping is usually considered only as the industry of honey 
production, it is important to remember that the honeybee has an 
important place in American agriculture as an agent for cross-fer- 
tilizing flowers. ‘The value of the honeybee in this regard varies in 
different places and with different seasons, but it is conservative to 
state that the bee is of more value in cross-fertilizing than in honey 
production. Many fruit blossoms require cross-fertilization before 
they will set fruit, and the same thing is true of other plants, such as , 
the clovers and buckwheat. While many wild species of insects serve 
this purpose, the honeybee is the only one which can be introduced 
economically to an orchard or farm, and, therefore, may serve as an 
insurance to cross-fertilization if the weather permits their flight 
during the blooming period. 
Even where colonies of bees are sufficiently numerous and where 
nectar is freely secreted, beekeeping is not always considered profitable. 
This results from the nature of the industry. A colony of bees does 
not always gather sufficient honey for its own use and also enough 
so that the beekeeper can take honey for himself. It is only when 
bees are properly handled that they yield to the beekeeper the fullest 
return and, to an unusual degree, beekeeping is profitable to just the 
extent to which the beekeeper applies intelligent care. 
FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL BEEKEEPING. 
Success in beekeeping depends on the beekeeper’s skill in two lines 
of effort. First, he must see to it that every colony is strong in num- 
bers at the beginning of the period when nectar is secreted. This is 
often not accomplished, for if the colony is weakened by poor care in 
winter the secretion of nectar may begin so early in the season that 
the bees have not. time, without aid, to gain sufficiently in strength. 
An example i is found in the white clover region, where nectar secretion 
usually begins about June 1, and most beekeepers lose much of the 
white clover nectar from bad management. In the alfalfa region many 
colonies fail to get nectar from the first crop from the same cause, 
even though this often comes in July. It is evident, therefore, that a_ 
failure to provide proper care in winter and spring may result. in 
almost total failure. This one factor is responsible for heavy losses 
which should be guarded against, especially at this time. 
The requirements for obtaining strong. colonies in time for the nectar 
flow are here outlined. This work begins the previous summer, when 
the beekeeper must see that every colony is sufficiently strong in 
bees to winter successfully, and this can be done only by leaving plenty. 
of stores and space for breeding in the fall. Besides plenty of. honey. 
stores of good quality, bees require abundant protection. from. cold and, 
