VOL. LX.
INDIANAPOLIS, JANUARY 21, 1905.
NO. 3
Baa Keaplnsr: Will It Pay.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Honey has been known and used from
the beginning of history. The history of
Hynrettus furnished a theme for tlie poet.
Locusts and wild honey was the food
of the preacher in the wilderness, and the
absconding swarm that discovered the
carcass, suggested the riddle to the strong
man who slew the lion.
Honey and wax have been conimodoties
since commerce was established. Honey
is food, medicine aud a luxury combined.
It is an easy and pleasant matter for the
ordinary householder, cither in the city or
country to secure enough honey for home
use, and by n little effort create a source
of quite a little revenue; arrd for the specialist it is comparatively easy to make n
living and lay up some money in apiculture.
In fact, thousands of men and women
(for many women make money at it) are
making good profits at bee-keeping.
There is a difference between keeping
a few bees for home use, and making it
a life business, although that applies to
the one, fits the other. A few colonies,
say from 3 to 10, can be kept at no cost
at all except the original outlay, and a
few minutes attention at the proper time,
■while the specialist with hundreds of colonies must give them his time during the
greater portion of the year, as marketing
the honey is n large part of his work and
comes ii> the fall and winter. It is a
small matter indeed to take off and care
for 200 or 300 pounds of honey, but
when it comes to handling tons, it is a
pretty big job.
There are not many localities in the
central states where bees can not be kept
at a profit. There is not a farmer in
this section- whose fruit and crops would
not be benefitted by having a few colonics of bee.i in bis vicinity. There is
not a householder even in the cities but
ca nsupply his table with honey at practically no cost at all except the original
outlay.
But to keep bees at a profit, certain
well established but easily understood
rules must be followed. The day of profits from the old box hives, if there ever
were any profits, has passed. But beekeeping with improved methods, is as profitable and certain as many other lines of
business. Equally fascinating to the
old and young, it offers a healthful and
profitable pastime to the sedentary, and a
restful and profitable relaxation to the
overworked.
To bring the question home, to each of
my readers who may be interested in the
question. "Will it pay to make a specialty
of the business?" I will say that it is
not wise for the novice to invest much
money in the business until he tries it on
a small scale and grows up in it, as it
were.
It is usually the case that persons going into any new business, without previous experience in the details, make a
complete failure. Beekeeping is no exception. It is a business of little details, easily mastered, but if neglected,
failure is almost sure.
I would advise every farmer to keep
bees or encourage- his sons and daughters
to ■ do so. It will help his fruit, his
crops, hi stable anil his pocket. There
are thousands of men who could be independent of hard labor by adopting it as
a profession. There is no lack of market at a good round price. But you
ask. "Will not the market be overstocked?" In answer I will state that my
experience has lieen that, by pushing the
local market, it is practically impossible
to  overstock   the     market. The     local
customer who buys ono case this year,
will buy two next, besides advertising it
to his neighbors.
And again there is one thing
about beekeeping that is not to be overlooked, aud that is the mental happiness
and strength gained in seeing and knowing things. This branch of rural industry is peculiar in giving great scope to
mental  research  and  energy.
"He   who   simply   is,   may   be   a   dull
insensate hind.
But he who knows is iu himself de-
vine."
In conclusion I will state that this ar-
aud keep the manure well spread as it accumulates iu the barn. I sowed 15
acres in rye and timothy last fall, aud intend to sow clover at the rate of 15
pounds per acre in the spring. Am ready
lo try almost .anything that I think will
pay   me   for     my   trouble. Cow   peas
have been tried here but the frost kills
them   before   they   are   ripe. What   is
ihe ilicst seed to sow with oats in the
spring?
Itape seed grows here, but is not large;
it makes valuable hog pasture, but does
them little good if any. What is the
best way to get a heavy set ot grass?
How about soy beans? What time in the
year do they sow them in  the field     to
View on  Pleasant Run, Irvington.
tide is the first, a preface as it were of a
series of articles that will appear, week
by week, giving instructions to beginners,
plain and simple, free from technicality, |
which if followed will enable anyone to
make a successful start in beekeeping, and
by gradually increasing as experience is
gained, can soon build up a profitable and
fascinating business. |
I will be pleased to answer any questions of a general nature that may arise
in your work. Address all communications to Geo. W. Williams.
Redkey,  Ind.
Notes—On Tuesday, the 27th bees were
out for a flight. It looked like June for
awhile. The bees arc wintering well so far.
Close up the entrance enough to keep
the mice out. They like to crawl in if
they can find a place large enough. They
excite the bees and often cause serious
loss.
make a heavy crop, and what do they sell
at per bushel? L. B.
Parke Co.
—You ought to inoculate you soil with
the improved inoculation wc have several
times  referred   to. Write  the   Depart
ment of Agriculture for a package and
directions, for using it. Also ask for bulletin on bacteria and the nitrogen problem,
by Geo. T. Moore. The inoculating material you will get will make the clover
grow thick and rank. Try Canada field
peas instead of Southern cow peas. Sow
clover with oats, but do not expect a big
crop of either until your soil is improved.
After you have turned under a crop of
clover, grass will have something to feed
on-. Soy beans will  grow on poor soil,
but not to do much good. They need
nitrogen, and that is what your soil lacks.
With tlie improved bacteria they can get
it from the air. Sow early in spring.
Seed costs .2 to ?3 per bushel.
he  represents about 1,,",00  of our earths  and
his orbit round  the sun is so large that,
though  he travels swiftly, it takes     him
almost twelve of our years to make the
journey;  so  distant is  he  from tho  sun
that he receives  only  one-twonty-seventh
as much heat and light as does our earth.
Slake   the   acquaintance   of   this   regal
planet so as to bo  able to    locate    him
whenever visible.        The    other magnificent planet you will see in the southwestern sky just at, aud long after sunset, a
brilliant planet sometimes visible  in day
time   is   the   goddess   of   Beauty—Venus.
This planet is much nearer the sun than
is our earth and is seen part of the year
in the western sky as evening star,  and
the  other  portion   of   the  year       before
sunrise as morning star.        Her diameter
is nearly that of the earth, and her axial
revolution,  a day,  about 23 hours.    Tho
sign given this beautiful planet in books
and almanacs is a hami mirror since she
must see how beautiful she is—in this respect    our wives,    daughters and    sweethearts have been prone to follow her example.        In her journey round tlie sun
Venus may be near the earth or far away,
a fact which accounts for her variation in
size.        Her greatest ami least apparent
sizes to the observers are as 10 and C5.
I set us try to locate these prominent
and beautiful plantets so that we may
recognize them when we see them shining
down upon us. Then we would do well
to learn .ud describe some of the nnre
important constellations visible in this
latitude such as the Dragon, Auriga, Inverted Chair, Northern Cross, Corona,
Dolphin, Arc of Perseus, Aquilla, Lyra
and the most beautiful of all, Orion,
wh'k-h can be seen any clear night; it bear's
the form of a warrior carrying a hugh
club with which he is fighting the tall
Taurus. The   warrior  wears   a  girdle
which is composed of three very beautiful
stars, a sword made up of stars hangs
from this girdle.
Why not give up a part of our time
devoted to trifles and Iear nto read God's
handiwork which the firmament showeth?
Why not open up our hearts and minds
In receive some of the knowledge which
night unto night teacheth?" No study will
reveal the wisdom and greatness of God
like a study of Astronomy. It will
broaden our minds, and lift us out of the
petty trials of daily life, when alone at
night these distant acquaintances will look
down upon us in friendly recognition, they
will elevate and cheer us, and when by
patient study we have • learned their
names and movements we will believe as
never before the words of the Psalmist
—"The Heavens declare the glory of
God." A. B. Milligan.
Spencer.
Several Queries.
We could not do without your paper,
and as I am a young farmer will ask a
few questions. I
In the l-'armer December 10th was ait
article about our Canadian neighbors fattening out so many hogs on pasture. I
have sowed red clover on the old home
place for four years, and it does not yield
over half a ton .per aero. The ground
is white clay land and well ditched. I
get an even stand, but it is not as heavy
as I thJi.'c it ought to be. I cnt the first
crop for liny, and let the rest stay on the
ground. The farm has 115 acres, and
I have all kinds of goorl stock on hands,
Two Beautiful Planets.
Editirs Indiana Farmer:
Through the medium of the Farmer let
me call the attention of my yonng friends
to a beautiful sight given to us "without
money and without price" now on any
clear evening at sunset. Looking to the
southeast and upward high above the horizon toward the zenith you will see .Tupitor,
the kind of planets, so' called from the
name the ancients gave to the king of
their gods. He is an immense world,
his average distance from the sun about
-ISO, 000.000 miles, which is more than five
times the distance of our earth. In volume
The cut shows a bend in Pleasant Run.
in our J. G. K's little farm at Irvington,
as the heavy freshets left at March 25 arrd
April 1st. The first rainfall was over
5 inches in less than two days.the second
was over two inches within two hours.
The mass of stones and gravel wero washed in by the Hood. The house on the hill
to the right is the, home of one of Mr. K's
sons. To the left beyond the trees is a
rich bottom li-hl that will bo put in Alfalfa this spring.
To aid the School Board to suppress
cigarette smoking among the pupils the
Town Council, of Petersburg, has ordered
the mrrshal to arrest all boy smokers.
One boy is reported suffering with iiarnlv-
six of the fare, while another has lost his
voire, du° to cigarettes.