Our Little Sugar Factory

Image Gallery Pointing to the top entrance. In late years this second entrance, especially in the north, has demonstrated its advantages. It saves the bees from death in case bottom entrance gets clogged with snow or dead leaves. Also provides better ventilation.

WE didn't decide to have bees until we had laying hens, chickens to eat, goats, pigs, and, of course, our garden all producing.

As I look back I believe it was my father who got us interested in the idea of keeping bees. Actually, he didn't know anything about bee-keeping, but every time he visited us he brought along a jar of honey. He liked honey so much and believed it so much more healthful than sugar, he got us interested in producing our own.

Parts of a Modern Beehive

We've found out that doctors do recognize that honey is the perfect sweet - it's easier to digest, furnishes a quick source of energy, and, unlike sugar, contains minerals.

Also about this time we were reading a book called The Farm Primer in which the author says that a hive or two of bees will increase the fruit yield by 30 percent and even make the fruit taste better. Moreover, he pointed out that a hive of bees requires only 8 hours of care per year and gives about 75 pounds of honey. Seventy-five pounds per hive seemed a lot but I've since heard of single hives producing as high as 500 pounds. Of course, it's unlikely a novice will get as much as that.

One lunch hour in New York, I went down to a bee equipment place. All I meant to do was buy a booklet called "Starting Right with Bees" I was going to read first - and get the bees later. I asked them how much the equipment necessary to have one bee hive would cost. They said, "About $20 - including a queen and three pounds of bees - but right now we have only one complete amateur outfit left."

It seems they were having trouble getting zinc to make bee smokers. This is no longer true. Obviously, if I were going to have bees, then I'd best sign up for them right then and there. So I made out a check for the works.

Incidentally, somewhat later on in talking to Mr. C. C. Whitehead, one of the best amateur bee-keepers in Connecticut, I found it was his opinion that the only way to learn about bees is to get up your courage and order a complete beginner's outfit ,as I did and then you'll just have to learn or else -

One of the nice things about bees is that if you sign up for a beginner's outfit in January to March, you'll learn a good deal before the bees arrive.

That's because your outfit arrives in two shipments. The first shipment is equipment - later, sometime in April, depending on the weather, the queen and three pounds of bees - about 15,000 of them - arrive.