HOME FRUITS AND BEES 



they are working for him, in part at least, and 

 without his having to pay for their raiding the 

 nectar from the flowers around. He knows that 

 his efforts in providing favorable working condi- 

 tions for the bees will be repaid by a harvest 

 of salable honey. A colony at full strength 

 just at the right time will invariably gather a 

 surplus. 



First Principles in Beekeeping. The beginner 

 in bee husbandry should purchase established 

 colonies from a reputable business concern or 

 from beekeepers in the neighborhood of his 

 home. He should begin in a small way with a 

 few colonies, learn the business with a small 

 investment and then increase as his liking for 

 the work develops and the market for the 

 product expands. Being able to read the signs 

 at the entrance to the hive is the surest way to 

 success. Too much manipulation is just as 

 harmful as neglect. The novice in beekeeping 

 who is really interested and follows carefully 

 a few details gained from a reliable bee book 

 should harvest at least 30 pounds of honey a 

 year from each colony. Experts get much larger 

 yields and have been known to secure 200 pounds 

 per colony and 200 sections of comb honey from 

 one hive. The deciding factor in producing 

 honey is the skill of the watchful beekeeper, 

 assuming of course that there is a sufficient 



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