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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1920)
1 THE OREGOlt STATESMAN t THlTtSDAV, PETinfART M, 1020. Salem Is the Center of a Potentially Great Beekeeping Industry, Which of Necessity Be Made Great, to Assure the Pollination of Fruit Must GET GOLDEN ITALIAN BEES AND KEEP ON THE JOB; AND PROVIDE BEE PASTURE The Greatest Industry of All, Beekeeping, I sBebg Neglected and Left Unprotected Here, and Mr. Alley, a State Wide Authority on Bees, Says Our Fruit Men Will Have to Wake Up and Stay Awake an auger, bore two or three holes in NO FARMER SHOULD BE YITHOUT BEES; AND MORE ESPECIALLY NO FRUIT GROWER . . ... With Proper Care, the Average Yields of Honey in the Willamette Valley Will Exceecl Those of Any Region Except Southern Oregon The Fruit Grower Secures a Double the top of the hive, which was once the bottom of the box. then invert a smaller box over these openings. This was done so that the surplus honey could be taken without dam aging the bees. Put the usual prac tice was to kill the bees in the old One of the outstanding authorities on bee culture in all Oregon Is F. M. Alley, who is employed in the South ern Pacific freight office and whose home is at 371 South Church street. Mr. Alley formerly kept about 25 stands of bees In Salem. He sold most of them to the Cottage Farm of the asylum for the Insane some years ago; but he now has six stands. Mr. Alley was too busy with his work to write an article for this Sa lem slogan issue of The Statesman; but he told the reporter more Inter esting things about bees than could be portrayed in a newspaper page of type. Mr. Alley said It was estimated that bees go an average of two miles from their hires for nectar; and that there , are statements of flights of seven miles. But he said they will not go 700 yards if they don't have to. r- When the maples are in bloom In Salem they go to the first tree; and , In the height of the maple bloom ev ery maple tree is so full ov bees that they sound like a swarm. The bees are working on the wil lows now; but they, are working ' more for pollen than ' tor honey. About the first of March, or a lit tle later (somewhat later this year, from present appearances), they will be working on the maples. The beekeeper harvests only the f surplus; nine-tenths of what they gather Is turned Into brood and bees. Atfer the maples will come the fruit blossoms, and blooms of shrubs and bushes of various kinds, and ber , tj blossoms. 1 Maple blossoms last only about three weeks though some hard ma ples In Salem last longer. Then come locusts and white clov er and various kinds of berries and flowers, weeds, shrubs, etc But by early summer time there Is little bee pasture left here. - During the time when the daylight Is longest and conditions are the most Ideal for the work of the bees, there is little tor them to gather. : The spring flow Is wonderful here: but the spring weather conditions are seldom right to get the whole benefit of the early flow. Mr. Alley - says the orcharaists must sow sweet clover, and lots of it. He says It is a great soil reno- vator and makes good pasturage and ! hay. He knows of a man In Kansas 1 who raises nothing but sweet clover. and he is an extensive stock breeder : as well as beekeeper. Mr. Alley says the 8cotch broom. i which is geeting a great start here. i is fine for bees. It should be scat ; tered everywhere, in forest places ana along road sides. The tire weed, sometimes called L elk weed, or Indian Dink, or rose bay, or willow herb, makes a great i pee pasture. He does not think a rreat deal of i buckwheat, for this part of the coun try: tnougn It is a great bee pasture i la some sections; just as alfalfa east I- of the Missouri river, yields no honey. ' while it is the greatest bee pasture i of all in the west, and more espe- . i eiauy in the Irrigated districts, where r several croDS of It are rrown. Mr. Alley thinks the Italian bees i are the best: the golden Italians. v They throw off the American -and ; European foul brood and other dis- j eases. i Get Italian bees, and keep on the "JOB. That is . the recommendation of I Mr. Alley. - The Valentine Gift Supreme A Box of Spa Chocolates A large assortment, of Red Heart Shaped boxes, tilled with an excel lent selection of our best choco lates will fittingly express the sen timent of the day. THE SPA Ice Cream Confectionery Lunches ROTH GROCERY CO. STAPLE AND FANCY GROCERIES ' ; FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES ' North Liberty Street A PROGRESSIVE STORE Whose Slogan Is: MERCHANDISE OF MERIT, MODERATE PRICES COUR TEOUS SERVICE Dry Goods Ladies' Ready-To-Wear Ladies' Shoes KAFOURY BROS. 466-474 State Street The time is past when a man can be a successful beekeeper ' and not keep posted. Fruit growers have got to have bees, for pollination purposes; and they have got to provide bee pastur age. Then they will have a double prof it. Well nourished bees will thrive. They will be strong enough to combat all enemies; diseases as well as others. And there ought to be bee inspec tion. We have got to come to it. The last legislature enacted a law 35 YEARS IN BEE BUSINESS AND NEVER ONE FAILURE Henry WoUfart of St Paul Finds Both Pleasure and Profit in Beekeeping, and He Expects to Remain in the Business as Long as He Is Able to Take Care of His Bees Editor Statesman: In answer to your letter of Feb. 19th, will say that would much rather work on bee supplies than write articles on bees for newspapers. I find bee keeping very interesting work, and also profitable it done right. I have been in the bee business about 30 years and have never had a complete failure In all these years. The most Important thing to keep In mind in honey production is to have all supplies and beekeeping equipment on hand ready for use be fore the money flow and swarming season. I have about 65 colonies, which ANOTHER FRUIT Mr. Hogg Makes His Bees Pay Him More Than a Double Profit for Their Care His Golden Workers Have Already Started Their Spring Labors R. W. Hogg, whose fruit farm is two miles up the Willamette river from the. Polk county end of the big bridge at Salem, is a successful bee keeper. He told the reporter of The States man over the phone that he wiu too busy to write anything on bees. But be said that he has 26 colo nies now, and has kept bees for 15 or 16 years. Last year he sold about 50 supers of honey; 24 pounds to the super, for 6 a super, or case of 24. In other words, about 1200 pounds of honey, at 25 cents a pound, or $300. Mr. Hogg said his bees are now working on the pussy willows, and they soon will be at the vine maple; THREE COLONIES FOR EACH AND That Is the Minimum Recommendation of Mr. Miller; and a Colony for Every Three Acres of Fruit And He Prac tices What He Preaches, and Exceeds the Number He Recommends Editor Statesman: To the average person successful beekeeping is something akin to the Greek language. It is true in the matter of bee keeping, as with other pursuits, that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. That is, it is not conducive to success In a financial war. and may be positively dangerous to the person handling the bees. It was by accident that I became DATES OF SLOGANS IN DAILY STATESMAN (In Twice-a-Week Statesman Following Day) Loganberries, Oct. 9. Prunes, Oct. 16. Dairying October 23. Flax, October SO. Filberts, Nov. t. Walnuts, Nor. 13. Strawberries, Nov. 20. Apples. November 27. Raspberries, December 4. Mint. December 11. Great Cows, December 18. Blackberies. December 2. Cherries. January 1. 1820. - Pears. January 8, 1920. Gooseberries. January 15, 1920. Corn. January 22. 1920. Celery. January 29. Spinach, February 6, 1920. (It will interest some people to know that these back copies are selling fast that, nearly every day, orders are received from near and distant points for the whole series. They will be sold out before the fifty-two Slogans are completed, without doubt. Ed.) under which county courts MAT, oa the petition of seven beekeepers, ap point county inspectors. In the eastern Oregon counties where beekeeping is carried on ex tensively, in the irrigated alfalfa dis tricts, inspectors are being appointed as a matter of course. But beekeeping is more Important here in this great fruit district than elsewhere in the whole state, and there must be inspection, and en forcement of proper bee regulations. We protect other industries, says Mr. Alley; but we are leaving the potentially biggest industry of them all unprotected. gave me from three to four thous and pounds of comb honey annually these last few years. They are in fine condition and give promise of another good crop of hon ey this year. I find both pleasure and profit in beekeeping, and would not be with out bees as long as I am able to take care of them. Hoping this will reach you in time. I am, yours truly, Henry Wohlfart. P. S. Mr. J. N. Skalfe is tery kind to say that I know so much about bees, but I think there are a good many people who know more about bees than I. GROWER SUCCESSFUL YITH BEES then the raspberries, wild blackber ries, loganberries, - etc.; the latter making very fine honey. Mr. Hogg thinks his bees got the nectar from the red clover last j?ar; though many bee men think bees cannot get the nectar from the red clover. He raises bogs, however, and kept the red clover pastured down pretty well. Mr. Hogg's bees are Italians, and he uses golden queens. He says bees are absolutely neces sary in the pollination of the fruit blossoms. He says all fruit growers ought to have bees, even though they never get a pound of surplus honey. Whatever surplus honey thuy get is more than a double profit for the care of the bees. OF BEES EVERY FARMER a beekeeper. When I was a boy of 16 years, we had three boxes, not hives, -of bees. My father gave them what little attention they got. This consisted of shaking a swarm from the limb of a pear or apple tree into an empty box, keg. or any receptacle that was at hand. The following evening they were placed on a bench or platform. Tnis was their perma nent home. The thrifty beekeeper would take Onions. February 12, 1920. Potatoes. February 19. 1920. Bees. February 26. 1920. Mining. "March 4. 1920. Dehydration. March 11, 1920. Paper Mill. March 18. 1920 Hogs, March 25, 1920. Iand. April 1. 1920. National Advertising, April 8. Sheep. April' 15. Angora Goats, April 22. Hops. April 2 9. Poultry. May 6. (Back copies of Salem Slogan editions of the Daily Oregon Statesman are on hand. They are for sale at 5c each, mailed to any address.) or parent hive at the rloee of the honey season. The usual method of getting rid of the -bees and taking the honey was to dig a small hole in the ground in which about two table spoonfuls of gunpowder was placed, then placing the hive over the pow der land drafwing the loose earth around the bottom of the hive, so that the fumes from the burning powder could not escape. The pow der was then ignited, and it was all oft with that stand of bees. This method did not appeal to me. It did not seem right to rob them of their lives, as well as their stores. Hut an incident which came near causing my father's death ended bee keeping on our ranch for a number of years. ,My father, while hiving a swarm of bees, was so severely stung by them that for a time his life was despaired of. This caused me to revise my opin ion somewhat. My conclusion was that a dead bee was the safest to handle. A few years later I found a colony of bees in a tree. I wanted that honey, but not bad enough to cut the tree and take it. I finally got a man who agreed to help me cut the tree, he to take the bees and one-half of the honey. At the time set I took an ax and a saw to the place of meeting, as agreed upon, but my man did not show up. After waiting nearly two hours for him to come, I started to chop the tree, thinking he would be there be fore I got it down. Finally It fell, but not where I had planned, but in the opposite direction and into a swamp. After waiting quite a while, no man came, and I did cot hear or see any bees near the tree. I finally got up courage enough to go out on the tree. The mud and water was half way up the sides. The entrance which the bees had used was under neath. I was sure the bees were all drowned, so I began ehopplng them out. I'll never forget the sensation I had when the axe went through Into the hollow and the bees came swarming out. I threw the ax and started to run. fell off into the mud and linrbs and got tangled up so badly that I expected the bees to finish me then and there. But no; not a sting. To make a long story shorter. I took that honey and hived those bees and from that time until the present I would rather Handle bees than" any other livestock. What was the reason those bees did not offer to sting? The answer is simple. I had given them time enough to gorge them selves with honey. An amateur bee keeper will do well to remember that a bee with a well-filled stomach is very docile. In fact, with the equip ment to be had at the present time, such as the bee smoker and the mod ern hive, anyone, or most any one, can handle bees with very little dan ger. The main thing is self control. No nervous or hasty movements. Do not try to hurry the bees too much. Use a good bee smoker filled with old burlap or pieces of grain sacks. Light it; get a good smoke going, then open your hive gently. Give them a little smoke. Go slow. Now you are ready to remove the frames or anything you may care to do with your bees. Continued on page 4) EVERY FRUIT MAN AND FARMER MUST HAVE BEES J. N. Skaife, Who Has Had Experience With Bees for 40 Years Within 40 Miles of Salem Says a Colony for Erery 10 Acres of Fruit and Five Acres of Berries Editor Statesman: My experience with and observa tion of the bee business for the last 40 years within 40 miles of Salem has been that it is a failure, only as a pollenizer, which I consider very necessary to every fruit man and farmer. Keep a few and keep them well. Fruit men seem to think it they have 100 acres of fruit they , can keep quite a few bees. They don't consider what their bees will gath er honey from after the fruit blos soms are all gone. Don't forget to provide your bees by sowing clover, alsike, vetch or buckwheat. A good colony of bees contains about 30,000. so you may judge the amount of pollenizing one colony may do. Don't buy all crooked comb, dis eased colonies, but buy your bees by the pound from some reliable apiary, use full sheet, wired In foundation. Those banded Italian bees are the best. Look through your colonies now. See that they have plenty of stores to laft until the honey flow comes Moths never kill a strong colony; it Is only the weak ones that go. Keep your colonies two feet or more from the ground, good and dry. and with an east front, so that they get the early morning sun. I would say one colony of bees to every ten acres of fruit or five ac res of berries. Don't spray your fruit while io blossom. It will kill your bees, and horticulturists say It does no good- Every person owning one colony should own one of those books. Profit From Bees ("Beekeeping for the Oregon Far mer" is the title of Extension Bulle tin 282 of the Oregon Agricultural college extension service. It is by A. L. Lovett. professor of entomol ogy. It is dated November. 1919. Following are excerpts from this Bulletin: ) Beekeeping for the Oregon Farmer. Commercial beekeeping is a spe cialized branch of agriculture re quiring careful study and attention to detail. In order to succeed finan cially the beekeeper must be well acquainted- with the various manipu lations necessary about an apiary and must have access to the periodi cals containing specialized Informa tion on the subject. The occupation Is thus rather for the occasional man with special qualification than for the average farmer. As a pastime, however, lor persons faiily adapted to the work. It offers great possibili ties. This bulletin is prepared for beginners in beekeeping, and espe cially for the farmer or orchardlst who desires a few stands of bees for polllnizing purposes and for secur ing sufficient honey for home use. iNO FARMER SHOULD BE WITH OUT A FEW 8TANDS OF BEES; for, with proper care and manipu lation, enough honey for home con sumption can be secured from one or two colonies. A fruit grower ran secure a DOUBLE PROFIT from his bees in the honey and wax obtained and In the added value given his fruit through cross-pollination. The pollination of fruit trees is an im portant consideration In the north west; it has many times been shown that insects furnish the most im portant means of distributing pollen to self-sterile plants, and that of these the honey-bee Is probably the most important. Though It is prob ably the exceptional season when honey-bees are of much service In polllnizing red clover, many other field crops are benefited. As the acreage of alsike clover Increases there will be a real- field for the bees, both for pollination and for the collection of a fair excess of excel lent honey. Jloney is a product which occurs In nature In the shape of nectar in the flowers of plants, and Is made available for our use only through the aid of bees. Wax. a secondary consideration, is a prod uct of the bees themselves and Is produced from glands within the tody of the worker bee. When once the initial apprehen sion of handling bees is overcome and the simple manipulations mas tered, beekeeping becomes a fascin ating pursuit. It takes one out of doors, affords opportunity to study and know intimately one of nature's most Interesting forms, and provides a pleasurable avocation which pays its way or, pursued more diligently, may yield a fair profit. The beginner, however, should view the other side of the picture as well. Profitable beekeeping requires close study and application to detail; work, and that too at the proper time. Particularly in western Ore- "1000 Questions About Dees An- swered," by C. C. Miller. J. N. Skalfe. Salem, Or., Feb. 21. (Mr. Skaife enclosed the following clipping from the American Bee Journal, Hamilton. Illinois:) 1000 Questions About Dees an swered by Dr. C. C. Miller For many years Dr. Miller has conduct ed the question and answer depart ment in The American Bee Journal. During that time he has answered questions relating to every phase of beekeeping. These questions have been sifted and arranged by M. O. Dadant and are now offered In book form. No matter what your problem Is. you will find the answer in this book for beekeepers of all ages and all stages of experience have brought their queries to Dr. Miller. The book Is intended to supplement the regular text books on beekeeping, and will be an invaluable aid to ev ery beekeeper, whether be be a nov ice 6r an expert. The texts tell a connected stoVy of bee life and the principles of hon ey production, while this takes up singly the many questions that con front the beekeeper In his everyday practice in the apiary. Dozens of subjects which have been overlooked elsewhere are taken up and made clear by the most popular writer on beekeeping. Should be Included in every list of bee books. Attractive cloth cover: 200 pages. Sold only as a premium with The American Hee Journal. Price with one year's subscription, $1.73. gon. where climatic conditions are not ideal, and at bst are variable In the spring, wisely administered man ipulations are essential to the great est success. Beet have Infectious diseases. It Is necessay to know something of the nature of these dis orders and to be willing to combat them where present If one would suc ceed In a large way. Opportunities for lleekecplag la Oregon. There is probably no section of Oregon where a few stands of bees cannot be successfully maintained, and In an average season made to produce a surplus of honey. Since each locality has its own peculiari ties and problems as to climatic fac tors and honey plants. It Is advisable for one contemplating commercial beekeeiping to study the locality well and adapt to the conditions such special manipulations as the occasion warrants for obtaining the maximum yields of surplus honey. Broadly speaking, the state divides Itself Into six beekeeping districts, each with Its own peculiar problems and plants. Columbia basin district. , Blue Mountain district. Central Oregon district. Southern Oregon district. Willamette valley district. Coast district. The Colunibla basin district has many successful commercial apiar ies. Climatic conditions are gener ally good, the season long, and the honey plants varied and abundant No definite reports re available of the heaviest yielding hrney plants. but they Include alfalfa, sweet clover. lire weed, dandelion, etc. The Blue MounUln and Central Oregon districts Include oar largest commercial apiaries. The cllraatie conditions more nearly approach those of the apiary sections of the east. This region Is In the heart of the Irrigated alfalfa section, and al falfa and sweet clover are the princi pal nectar-producing plants. 'Southern Oregon has tewer large commensal apiaries, but leads In the average maximum jrlU obtained from individual colonies. Climatic conditions are good. The honey plants are alfalfa, sweet clover, vetch and white clover. Until a few years ago commercial beekeeping was considered generally" unprofitable In the Willamette val ley and coast districts because of excessive spring rains. A few men here and there were succeeding, but many were hardly holding their own. Due principally to new honey plants, but partly to improved meth ods In handling the .bees, this con dition Is rapidly changing and. par ticularly In the Willamette -valley, the. average yields, considered for a period of years, will exceed those OF ANY REGION EXCEPT SOUTH ERN OREGON. Improved methods of handling will Improve the con ditions In the coast region as well. Honey plants are plentiful. Includ ing maple, vetch, fire weed. French pink, alsike clover and white clover. The development of special manipu lations to get the bees la condition to harvest the maximum yields from the numerous toeetar flowers will transform these questlonabe districts into profitable apiary sections. Getting a Mart. Methods of Starting. There are a number of ways by which the ama teur may get a start with bees. These are listed in the order of their rela tive practicability, the most feasible first and the least advisable at the end. 1. Purchase pure bred Italian bees In a modern hive from a reliable bee keeper. 2. Have a neighbor beekeeper hive a swarm for you. 3. Anchor decoy hives and cap-j ture stray swarms. 4. Buy bees In an old box hive and transfer to a modern hive. 5. Hive them from a bee tree. 6. Buy a nucleus from a reliable dealer. 7. Purchase bees by the pound with a queen. The first method is the advisable one in the majority of rases. Spring is tne dcsi time to buy, as errors made during the honey flow need not result so seriously as later. After one has mistered the more simple manipulations, additions to the api ary may be made by ony.one of the other methods more cheaply than by direct purchase of the first-class hive and colony. It is to the pure-bred standard, however, that we should endeavor finally to bring all the coloniea In the apiary. Pure-bred bees are more docile to handle, more resistant to disease and to wax moths, and generally do not swarm so badly as hybrids. By purchasing from a bee man It Is generally pos sible to obtain his advice and as sistance In the beginning steps and manipulations, which, though seem ingly complicated, are easily mas tered. Methods 2 and 3 are simple. Usu ally the swarm obtained Is composed of hybrid or black bees. They may prove difficult to handle and must be re-queened. The fourth practice Is a very com mon method of getting a atari. Transferring Is not a pleasant task for even the experienced beekeeper and may be a discouraging expert- ence for the beginner. Practice t. Las the same disadvantages as the fourth and In larger degree. Practices and 7 are methods fre quently employed by experienced bee keepers for rapid Increase. A fair knowledge of bees and their care Is essential to success by these Beth ods. Races of Dees. There are a Bom ber of strains or varieties of the honey bee. The two motttommoa forms In the west are the black or German bees, and the Italian. Vari ous crosses of the two occur, known as hybrids, these generally being less desirable than either ot the pure strains. The Italian bees have many points In their favor and are the general choice of American beekeepers. They are not easily excited, do not swarm, excessively, keep their hires clean of wax moths, sre resistant to disease and are excellent honey gatherers. There are two strains, the three banded or leather-colored Italian and., the golden Italian. Either, 11 from good stock, will be found sallsfac tory. Cbooeias; the Locality. When attempting to decide spoa a location for aa apiary, there art two points especially Important la consider: the honey plants and the site for the apiary. Honey Plants. For a number of reasons It haa been Impossible to make a cartful survey of the honey plants of Oregon, their time of bloe somlng. etc AH ot these mature are Important where one Is especially interested in honey production. Beekeepers In the locality caa bI of Invaluable assistance la pointing est the heavy aectax-Brodncinsr plants. Wild bees sre usually pres ent In sufficient numbers so that a -careful survey of the flora of a dls- ' trlct will reveal the plants oa which the bees sre working. A note book, should be carried and seasonal notes on honey plants Jotted down. That more common, valuable honey plants of Oregn. with their approximate time of bloomiag. are., listed, below These, do not occur la all sections ot course, snd many ot raise are ua- doubtedly not included. Two miles Is the average range of a bee's flight from the colony for nectar. February. April: Willow, dxnde- lion. (May. June: Maple, snowberry. and veteh. ., June. July: Vetch. French plak. alfalfa, the clovers, snowberry, fire- weed, sweet clover, raspberry, cur- ) rant. - - July. August: The clovers, alfalfa. fireweed. sweet clover, golden rod, lobellla, flax, thistle. (August. September: Goldea rod. buckwheat, forget-me-not, fireweed, sier. The Site. There are a number of ' points to consider when selecting a site for the apiary. Limited space.; makes It advisable to list some of the more Imports at factors to eon- slder. leaving It to the Individual to.. maae tne adjustments to his car-. tlcular conditions. 1. Have bees where yoa caa ob serve them regularly. 2. Good drainage and fresh water to drink. , 3. Protection from the trrersJltnr cold winds. Bees eat more dor and are liable to dysentery where, cold wind strikes wet hives. wn. breaks on north and west are eetMcl.1 ally good. Do sot have hive face prevailing wind. 4. Plenty of sunlight in early" morning snd late afternoon. (Avoid J west side of building.) 4 5. Where hives are to be oa elop-- lag ground, arrange so as to carry ? heavy supers of surplus honey down hill, empty frames up hllL . If splsry is Is hills, locate la" valley, since bees fly up hill for aee-e tar and down when laden. 7. Avoid locating apiary near tall trees. They invite swarms snd from, them recovery of the bees Is diffi cult. f. Bees adjacent to highway or to watering troughs for stock msy frenzy animals and prove a nuisance. Where necessary to locate near. the street, build fence high enoegti o compel bee to. rise shove passers- by when starting out. t. Bees with la one-hal? mile of a X large river are often lost during m heavy honey flow. Returning laden I with honey they become tired and -drop Into water. ? Placing the Hives. The hives should not rest directly oa the ground. Pieces of 2x4 1 amber, bricks, or a special stand may be used for supporting the hives. K -level stand 8 Inches high Is Ideal. . This permits one to get the feet un-1 derneeth the hive when lifting, elim inates much stooping, snd keeps out toads. Two hives taciag the same way may rest on one stand. A slop- s, lag board should be placed from the -ground to the entrance. This per- . mlts laden bees to drop Bear the hive and ascend by means ot the board to the entrance. The hive should be perfectly level, otherwise ' straight combs sre not possible. Ds r- -Ing the ralsy season raise the back -of the hive rne Inch so it may drala r freely. It Is desirable to place the Continued on page 4)