be secured. There are seasons when honey 

 is very plentiful, and an averaged location 

 vpill exceed 5.000 lbs.; yet in 3 years out of 4 

 the yield will bring it down to this average. 

 Labor can be procured for less than $2.00 

 per day, but the man who possesses the 

 skill and energy to successfully manage 100 

 colonies of bees would connnand more had 

 his attention been directed to other fields of 

 labor. Money is worth but 7 per cent, in 

 many States, while here in the West it 

 readily conunands 10, and taxes and insur- 

 ance will nialce the latter figure an average. 

 Herbert A. Burch. 

 South Haven, Mich. 



Hints to Beginners. 



In offering a few remarks upon bee-cul- 

 ture, I wish to state in the outset, that 1 

 shall not present anything especially new 

 or instructive to very many of those present. 

 But I have endeavored very briefly to indi- 

 cate for the benefit of beginners, some of 

 the principles, a knowledge of which 1 con- 

 sider indispensable to success in this calling. 

 I shall not give any particular details of 

 the practice, but simply offer a few hints, 

 such as seem to me most important. 



A question which naturally arises when 

 we observe the large proportion of failures 

 among those who undertake bee-keeping, is 

 as to ttie cause or causes. These failures 

 may, I think, be accounted for very easily, 

 by any thoughtful bee-keeper of much ex- 

 perience. The old opinion, which ought, by 

 this time, to be entirely exploded, that bees 

 will generally take care of themselves and 

 bring us fabulous returns for little or no 

 Investment of capital or labor, is still a 

 stumbling-block to prosperous bee-keeping. 

 Added to this are the deliberate misrepre- 

 sentations of imscrupulous dealers, whose 

 advertisements are sure to mislead the un- 

 informed. 



None of us like to parade our failures, our 

 " bad years," before the public, ami conse- 

 quently the reports in the papers generally 

 show only the bright side, and remarkable 

 yields. Ignorance of the business, then, is 

 responsible for a large proportion of ill suc- 

 cess. 



What, then, is essential ? A thorough 

 knowledge of the business ; plenty of appli- 

 cation and hard work. Do not begin where 

 the individual did who once wrote us that 

 he had decided to pursue bee-keeping, and 

 wanted to know the price of a pair of bees 

 to begin witii. I maintain that it is as im- 

 portant to serve an apprenticeship attliis as 

 at any trade or profession. Much general 

 and useful information may be obtained by 

 reading the best works and papers on the 

 subject, but actual practice in an apiary is 

 indispensible. Many persons are naturally 

 unfit for the business, from carelessness and 

 * inaccuracy about their work. I know of no 

 out-door pursuit where so much depends on 

 the right thing being done at the right time 

 and in the right way. A willingness to work 

 hard and a determination to succeed are 

 characteristics of th.e prosperous bee-keeper. 



WHEN AND HOW TO START AN APIARY. 



Avoid the common blunder of rusiiing 

 into Ijee-keeping just after there have been 

 one or two particularly good seasons. The 



results of a favorable year are generally 

 very alluring to beginners. The fact is that 

 an extra good yield is usually followed by a 

 very moderate or poor one, and the reverse. 

 So, if one wishes to increase the chances of 

 success in his first venture, he had better 

 begin directly after a poor season. Begin- 

 ners should purchase but a small number of 

 colonies at first, and increase as experience 

 and success will warrant. Obtain the best 

 that can be found even at a greater expense. 

 It will often prove a gain before the season 

 closes. Spring is the preferable time to 

 purchase bees, and if they are transported a 

 long distance, they will be benefitted by the 

 shipment. Use some practical form of 

 movable comb hive, as otherwise the best 

 results can not be realized. 



FEAR OF STINGS. 



A very great hindrance to the practical 

 handling of bees is the fear of stings. 

 Every beginner should supply himself or 

 herself with a bee-veil, which will protect 

 the face. A prime necessity, also, is a bel- 

 lows smoker. This mode of applying 

 smoke for quieting bees is being adopted by 

 nearly all bee-keepers, and is proving invalu- 

 able. The extractor for removing honey 

 from the combs without injuring them is a 

 very important implement. Comb-founda- 

 tion for the brood-chamber is underestimated 

 by many. I anticipate for it a place by the 

 side of the leading inventions of the day. 



1 have barely mentioned some of the 

 most necessary fixtures of a first-class 

 apiary, without which success can be but 

 limited. But do not make the common 

 mistake of thinking that securing these ap- 

 pliances will ensure success. They are only 

 aids, profitable when intelligently used. 



ITALIAN BEES. 



The merits of the Italian bee are thor- 

 oughly established among enlightened bee- 

 keepers. I can not, at this time, enumerate 

 their special points of superiority, but ear- 

 nestly advise a careful trial of both Italians 

 and natives, that each nmy determine for 

 himself which are best adapted to a particu- 

 lar locality. The truth that should stand 

 out most prominently is, that a large force 

 will do a large amount of work, and every 

 effort should be made to secure a large stock 

 of working bees. 



A piece of drone comb two inches square 

 in the center of the brood-chamber, is a 

 small thing, yet it is a space in which every 

 21 days 200 worker bees might be raised. 

 This is not all. If it is located at the center 

 of the cluster there will often be a useless 

 number of drones reared for this season, 

 which are not only useless, but being con- 

 sumers, are an absolute disadvantage. The 

 management necessary to secure a large 

 working force, is at the very foundation of 

 success and is borne in mind by every intel- 

 ligent bee-keeper during the entire year. 

 The difference between a poor and good 

 queen may be sufficient to make the differ- 

 ence between the failure and prosperity of 

 a colony. Many practical bee-keepers fail 

 to attach importance enough to the selection 

 of proper stock from v/hich to rear queens. 



The problem of successful wintering has 



