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I RAPP-OH ATS I

I 2

I By: W. H. Lyne

I County Agent |

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In response to a recent inquiry regarding our chance status of getting a soil survey underway in Rappahannock in 1953 comes the following from Dr. S. S. Obenshain: “Rappahannock is close to our heart, so far as our interests are concerned right now.' I am sorry there is still nothing definite we can say. The rumor is correct in that we have been trying to work to where we can send a man inot Rappahannock by October 1. There are quite a few hurdles that we have not yet gotten over. ... As soon as anything can be cleared, I assure you we will let you know, but we do not want to build false hope that would then have to be crushed.”

Mr. Parmer, if you are interested in getting a soil survey in Rappahannock and apparently a good many of you are, my advice is to do what you can towards keeping Rappahannock close to Dr. Sam’s heart. Maybe another letter will help. Sam’s address— simply Blacksburg, Va.

H B. Wood, Jock Brown, Jackie Rutherford and yours truly, took in pants of the Bee Keepers Short Course held recently at Winchester. Much to our disappointment we learned, most of all, that the Short Course was designed for those of the Ph.D. class of Bee Husbandry and not for those in the primary grades as we.

So much about the bee business is relative and consequently forgive me if the following is a bit lazy—‘tis to me too.

To be successful with bees you must “work them,” to prevent from swarming or not loose a good part of your working force “shake them up”; always “keep about two weeks ahead” of your bees.

I understand what is meant by working a garden, I dare not ‘shake 'em up' cause they sting me any how. and how can you keep ahead if you don’t know where they are? Hope this sounds as foreign to some of you as it does me ‘cause I like company. On the other hand if it doesn’t come to rescue at least of Jock, H. B., Jackie and one Bill Lyne.

Bees do intrigue me. I know for sure: how good honey is; that bees are most essential to most type of farming; that some bee keepers are making juicey incomes from bees while others are makiqg; near nothing; that a great opportunity awaits someone here in Rappahannock who has “bee know how”

Anyone care to venture a guess what such a man would be worth to the county? I’ll say he could easily make $5-$10,000 annual income. Don’t let those figures stagger you. There’s a man within 100 miles of us doing far better than that for himself through bees.