A SUCCESSFUL LADY BEE-KEEPER

Sir.I am sending you a brief account of my 'bee-experience" this season,
thinking it might perhaps be of interest to your readers. I began the
present season,(my second year of bee-keeping) with two colonies of
ordinary native bees. One of these stocks I bought in May,1907.and the
other hive is occupied by a swarm which came off the original stock a
month later, and with these two hives to start with I am able to finish
off the season with five good stocks of bees, numbered as follows:—1. The
original stock or parent hive.2 Natural swarm from ditto. 3. Artificial
swarm, made on June 2 from Nos. 1 and 2. No. 1 supplying four frames of
brood and No. 3 supplying the flying bees. 4. A stock in a skep bought
on June 9, and transferred the next day, as the combs were broken down in
traveling. 5. Four lots of "driven" bees, which I united, and am
wintering them in the skep seen. I have fed the bees continuously up to
now on thick syrup medicated, and they are doing well. My total "take" of
honey this season weighs 340lb. No. 1 having yielded 120 lb., No. 2 175
1b.. and the rest being made up from Nos.. 3 and 4.
Besides this honey I have fifty-six shallow frame combs cleaned out and
put away in parcels ready for next year ( a valuable asset) and a new
hive ready painted for my first spring clean. I showed some honey at
our county show at Sleaford and took the third prize, this being my first
appearance as an exhibitor on the show bench. I am also pleased to
say, that I passed the third class experts examination on the same day; so
I think I may, without presumption, Mr. Editor, call this a successful
season, Do you not think so too?
I do all the extracting, jarring off or bottling, feeding, painting, &c.,
myself, and thoroughly enjoy the work. In fact, I consider there is no
other "hobby" to equal bee-keeping, and I would not give it up for
anything. I enclose a photo of my little apiary and myself, and if it is
good enough for the RECORD I shall be very pleased to see it there as an
encouragement to other "lady bee-keepers". : MRS.) G. L. PORTER. Hon.
Dist, Sec,. Lincs B.K.A.
[We congratulate Mrs. Porter on her success, and are not only very
pleased to reproduce the photo of her neat little apiary, but heartily
recommend those readers who possess an equal aptitude for bee-work with
the lady was seen to go and do likewise. - Ed.]
THE BEE-KEEPERS RECORD October 1908

HOW TO KEEP BEES FOR BEGINNERS - ANNA B COMSTOCK (15MB)