HOW TO BEGIN BEE-KEEPING 9 



who keeps bees, and buy of him a swarm, which will 

 cost, perhaps, two or three dollars. If the neighbour 

 be a good apiarist, this may be an excellent method, 

 for he will give practical advice and be a most helpful 

 friend in time of future diflSculties and doubts; 

 he will also explain appliances and make the labours 

 and perplexities of the beginner much smoother. 

 Besides these advantages, it is a help to neighbour- 

 liness, for keeping bees is almost as close a bond be- 

 tween two neighbours as an interest in golf or 

 automobiles, and has a much broader and more 

 philosophical basis. 



Of course, the bees may be bought at any time of 

 the year convenient, but the early spring is the 

 best season for beginning, for then one has the ad- 

 vantage of increase by swarms. If one is ingenious 

 and inventive, one may easily construct other hives 

 like the one bought; but there are other things 

 needed which may be obtained cheaper and better 

 from firms that sell apiarists' supplies. However, 

 we are acquainted with several apiarists who furnish 

 all of their own supplies except the sections for comb- 

 honey, the wax foundations, the smoker, the cartons 

 and the honey-extractor. 



The usual way of beginning is to send to some of 

 the dealers in bee-keepers' supplies for a catalogue 

 and to invest in a library of bee books. There is 

 something most fascinating about these books 

 written by bee-keepers, for no one makes a success of 

 bee-keeping unless he loves the bees; and if he loves 

 bees he writes of them so persuadingly, and his lines 



