THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
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scale. The very plants the bees appear most 
fond of are too often such as i would be utterly 
impossible to cultivate on a large scale, while 
the patch that now is neglected as a miniature 
crop, if grown by the acre, would be visited by 
tens of thousands, while the winged workers 
would simply * roar’ as they pass to and fro from 
the apiary in one continual stream. 
We have then to look to what will produce 
honey on a large scale at the least cost in rent 
and labour when the desirable plant has no other 
use. and the land so occupied has no higher 
value ; while those who have the means of grow- 
ing crops for hay can certainly make it to their 
own advantage to accommodate the bees at the 
same time, and thus secure the best results in a 
douhle harvest. In the case of crops 1 ft for 
seed, there can be no question as to the great 
benefit end more certain profit to be secured 
from the flowers being freely visited by the hive 
bee, and so ensuring the fullest possible fertilisa- 
tion of the bloom and consequently heavy crops 
of fully developed seed. On the other hand, 
when wanted for hay of the highest quality, it 
must be a consideration whether it will pay 
better to let the crop stand a few days lo iger for 
the benefit of the honey crop or be cut im- 
mediately the earlier bloom begins to fade. This 
is rather a delicate question, but one we should 
not hesitate to decide upon in favour of the bees 
on the one condition that the best of weather 
prevailed, and they were making such good 
use of the time as is well-known they can do as 
occasion offers. 
We have considered the question of * planting ' 
in so far as it relates to honey, but while a large 
crop only is of use for that purpose, the quantity 
of pollen that is obtained from a small bed of 
certain plants is something considerable. Never- 
theless we question if many bee-keepers really 
have any need to grow for this purpose, seeing 
how freely this article is generally brought in. 
Wallflowers yield pollen early in considerable 
quantity. Crocuses we cannot recommend, after 
an extensive experience, and we mention the 
fact as so many have thought highly of them 
They come early, and that is nearly all we 
can say for them, as we have watched bee after 
bee, and have been surprised and really dis- 
gusted to note the very long time it took to get 
a load, contrasting very unfavourably with 
the work done on wallflowers and mustard, 
which latter we can recommend as a plant that 
can be brought in to suit almost any district at 
a time of scarcity. Rape sown during the 
previous autumn will give an unlimited supply 
of pollen from the end of April, earlier or later, 
according to the season, for three or four weeks 
just at the right time ; but for the most part 
bee-keepers can use their own judgement, bring- 
ing into bio m what is likely to prove most 
serviceable at a time of scarcity, according to 
their respective needs, while plants grown 
especially for honey may, in many cases, be 
made to bloom several weeks longer than is 
naturally the case, by a judicious pruning of 
the fading flowers, or partial entting of the crop, 
as the case may he. Hritixh tin- Journal. 
A BIG BEE FARM. 
‘ The most extensive bee-farm in tlw world i- probably 
near Becton, in Canada. It covens four acres, and the 
owner, in a favourable year, secures not less than 75,00) 
pounds of honey from Ids 19,000,000 little workers.' — 
.Vrtrgjinjter pa rayraph. 
[i960.] I observe a paragraph in your last 
issue, under the above heading, stating that ‘ the 
most extensive bee-farm in the world is probably 
near Beeton (not Becton) in Canada.' Now, I 
happen to know the owner pretty well, and though 
he is not averse to being puffed a little, I know 
he would at once decline the honour you would 
thrust upon him. I may say that the reputed 
extent of ground, be it ‘ four acres’ as in ihis case, 
or icx) acres, gives no idea of the real magnitude 
of a bee-farm, since the bees from even a single 
hive, occupying it may be a space under a square 
yard, have a range of pasturage in all directions 
of about five miles; and though too colonies were 
kept in the same yard, their united pasturage 
would be no more extensive. The true measure 
of extent in an apiary is the number of colonies 
kept. In Mr. IJ. A. Jones’ apiary, at Beeton, 
there are only hundreds kept, while in others I 
know of there are thousands. 
I have no doubt the most extensive bee-keeper 
in the world is Captain J. E. Hetherington, of 
Cherry Valley, New Vork. He owns about 3000 
colonies, or stocks of bees, kept in fourteen 
different apiaries, from two to twelve miles dis- 
tant from his hour.. The Captain does not appear 
anxious to publish results, but I should guess that 
in a favourable year each ol his stocks would yield 
an average of 175 lbs., in all about 525,000 lbs. 
The late Adam Grimm of lefierson. Illinois, was, 
in his day, the most extensive bee-keeper in the 
States, having about tqoo colonies, and clearing in 
one year from them 10,000 dols. He died in 1S76. 
Mr. J. S. Harbison, of Old Mission Valley, 
San Diego, Cab, some years ago had as many as 
3500 colonies, and it is said to have consigned as 
much as 130 tons of honey at one shipment. He 
has latterly given more attention to fruit-culture, 
so that probably lie is not now the most extensive 
bee-keeper in the world. 
The above are but a few names among many 
who own more colonies than Mr. Jones. But I 
cannot close without inentioniag another, whose 
remarkable story was given lately in the H oman's 
Missionary Advocate (Am.) Her name Is Mrs. 
Sarah Axtell. nf Roseville, Warren Co,. Ill , and 
her portrait is before me as I write, that of a worn- 
looking invalid, for such she is. Eager to work 
in the cause of missions, she busied herself in such 
light handiwork as suited her, selling the proceeds 
for that end. In 1871 she began to keep bees 
‘ for God." and has, ever since they began to pay 
forwarded the proceeds to the missions. Her 
stocks number 200, and her yearly returns have, 
on some occasions, been tnarvellovs. For instance 
in 1S82 , from 180 colonies. 39.000 lbs. of honey 
were taken and that year Mrs. Axtell was able to 
send to the American Board of Missions 'one 
thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight dollars 
and thirty-two cents.' In six years, up to the 
lime the article referaed to was written, she had 
sent in all 7500 dollars, equal to /[1500. Of 
