Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1880 — Systematic Apiculture. [ARTICLE]

Systematic Apiculture.

This subject may be an old one, but it is oi vast importance. When we consider that the bulk of our honey is gathered in about six weeks, we must at once realize the necessity of system. System is a secret of success, and the more fully we comprehend it as euch, and encourage its practice, the greater will be our success. This applies not only to apiculture but to all kinds of business. ” Show us a man who is prompt and s 0 tematic (other things being equal) and I will showyou one who is generally successful. The result of my investigation is that in no department of business is there so great a lack of svstem as in apiculture. Many bee keepers fail to comprehend the full value of the old adage: “Never put off until to-morrow what can be done today.” The actual time spent in gathering the bulk of our honey crop is Of short duration, leaving so many months to prepare, that we have no valla reason for being be hind with our season’s work.

My experience in managing an apiary for a man in this state (N. Y.), under his supervision, will give a good illustration of the point I took charge of it in March. lat once urged the necessity of being in readiness for our season's work as soon as possible, but be answered: “There is no need of hurry; there is plenty of time.” We bad sixty five colonies, which had been neglected; the hires were filled with drone comb, crossed court*, etc. We had a work shop to saw out the material for seventy-five new hives, 8,000 boxes, 1,000 cases, 800 frames, and nail them together; we had to move the here some distance by hand to our new yard, which had been used the year before for a corn field, and it had to be fixed up and leveled for the hives. We transferred all the bees to the aew hives, took apart and made over 60 old hives, and clipped nearly all the queens’ wings (black queens). Our supplies were ordered late, and our foundation was not all on hand 'on July 4th. When swarming was at its height, I was obliged to befouling up boxes and cases, putting in starters, etc., when I should have been in the bee yard. I might say much more, but any reasonable person can predict the result of such a season’s work. That fall we had 119 colonies, if I remember rigkt, and 1,000 %*.- of extracted and about 400 lbs. of comb honey. I relate this only to substantiate the statement that a large majority of bee keepers are troubled with the same fault. ThU season’s work taught me a lesson which I never shall forget, as regards the ordering of supplies. Already white clover is opening its fragrant petals, filling the air with sweet fragrance, and invites the willing bees to its vast storehouse of the recotr. And yet orders for hives, boxes, come pouriDg

in to the factories end supply dealers, each bee keeper wanting, his goodsUonce; goods which should have been ordered and made up before the bees had left their wilder Quarters. A luge corps of hands •re working as hard as men can work to fill the orders, and yu toe much biame is heaped on the heads of all supply dealers which might be obviated by a little system and forethought on the part of bee- keeper*. Such men aa Oapt. Hetheriagton;jttlius Hoffman, G M. Doolittle, and others, have learned the importance and value of system, and their apiaries and bank accounts attest its beneficial results. Show me a man who lies.on hie oars, so to •peak, and neglects to order hU supplies and put in shape ius hives and surplus arrangements, and prepare for his honey ssassfawssra: Who finds the moulault. How much

' limeoouM thin be devoted to the Lndi vidual wants of our little pets and induetrtooe workers, and to building up strong, active colonies, to gather from nature's -gggf teAink/ttinno nontnv nftnn mnnted RoicaouMß me neemr ama was tea waica hhs wroim such • jjreat ihuusut ? I will ctoee by repeating the words: "System isasecretofraoottt.” Let us adopt it as our watchword.— B. M. Locke, in Amorioan B«e Journal.