794 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Dec. 15 



The penalty for nnying a colony in a box hive: transferring it to a regular 



hive. The novice finds this a rather sloppy task with lots of stings 



as an incentive to liaste. 



importance to the true bee-lover, but major 

 in the judgment of the muhitude, and that 

 is the production of honey — one of the 

 most perfect foods consumed by human 

 beings, undoubtedly their first sweet— one 

 that, by those who understand, is partaken 

 of as freely and as regularly as milk or jams. 

 In some seasons the surplus honey of the 

 hive available for human use is considera- 

 ble; in others it is conspicuous by its ab- 

 sence; but taking the average of a series of 

 years in almost every region of this conti- 

 nent, it amounts to 50 pounds, being ex- 

 cellent profit from a hobby that calls for 

 moderate outlay of capital and very little 

 labor. 



The suburbanite who raises flowers and 

 garden truck, or keeps chickens, has plenty 

 of physical labor, generally gets some prod- 

 uce, but ordinarily has difficulty in show- 

 ing an equivalent for labor and money ex- 

 pended. His profit is summed up in one 

 word, " fresh;" that is, his household is ben- 

 efited by fresh blossoms, fresh vegetables, 

 and fresh eggs — doubtless all excellent 

 things in themselves, as the writer knows 

 by practical experience in both raising and 

 using. But-a bee-hive calls for little labor, 

 and is interesting; once in a while when 

 the bee-keeper is foolish it wall give him a 

 little run for his money; for even "heavy 



weights "will sprint 

 a hundred feet in al- 

 most record time 

 when paced by a 

 dozen bees anxious 

 to make acquaint- 

 ance with some spe- 

 cially tender spot in 

 his anatomy; but it 

 will, one year with 

 another, pay at least 

 80 per cent on the 

 outlay, and, with 

 skillful manage- 

 ment, nearer 100 per 

 cent. Stings are not 

 a necessary part of 

 the returns; in fact, 

 the writer as a be- 

 ginner easily got 

 more in the first 

 week's ownership of 

 liis first hive than 

 he now gets in a 

 whole year from 

 three dozen. 



In most regions 

 the best time to be- 

 gin liee-keeping is in 

 the end of April or 

 beginning of May. 

 Not only is it near 

 the commencement 

 of the honey-flow, 

 which in most set- 

 tled communities is 

 from clover in .June, 

 but the risk of loss 

 is at the minimum. 

 Some years many 

 colonies tUe in winter or early spring, so 

 that there is a certain amount of risk in 

 buying after the honey season is past, and 

 therefore it is well worth while to pay dou- 

 ble autumn price in May for a colony in 

 good condition, rather than pay half spring 

 l^rice in October. Then, if there be no ob- 

 jection to increase, one can usually trust 

 for expansion by swarming, but each 

 swarm will be compensated for by less sur- 

 plus honey. 



The beginner should buy only one hive, 

 for one box of tricks is enough for any nov- 

 ice. If you wish to understand bees you 

 will learn as much in the first year from 

 one hive as from twenty; while if you let 

 them run themselves your financial loss 

 will be at a minimum. Bees are a kind of 

 stock that require attention just like chick- 

 ens, sheep, or cattle — not so frequently nor 

 so regularly, by any means; but at certain 

 times they may need assistance, which 

 must be given at once and in full measure 

 if the life of the colony is to be preserved. 

 The man who can not take care of one colo- 

 ny and its increase for one year is lucky to 

 learn his inability at small cost. It is, 

 therefore, wise for the beginner in bee-keep- 

 ing to start with only one colony; and after 

 the first season to invest in increase only 

 such money as the bees have actually earned. 



