330 OVERSTOCKING. 



was disastrous to most persons engaged in the busi- 

 ness. After being at a heavy expense for hives and 

 feed, many of their bees died from starvation and 

 disease, or were so reduced as to be practically worth- 



. The same results attended bee-raising in the city 

 of San Francisco, and also in several other places in 

 the State of California during the same year. 



It is true, the season was less favorable for the 

 production of honey than some previous ones ; yet 

 wherever a limited number of healthy stock was kept 

 in the vicinity of good pasture, they increased and 

 made honey nearly equal to the average of previous 

 years. 



The testimony of such apiarists as Huber, Bevan, 

 and Quinby, which I have here introduced, (that of 

 others is not wanting) is sufficient of itself to prove 

 that each locality has a capacity to sustain a certain 

 number of bees profitably. Increase that number, 

 without a proportionate increase of pasture, and the 

 production of surplus honey will decrease in propor- 

 tion to the increase of the number of the colonies. 

 Bee pasturage can be increased at pleasure, and paj- 

 as large a profit to the producer as any ordinary crop 

 raised by the farmer; and I would here call the 

 especial attention of the latter to this fact. While 

 all cannot enter largely into the business of bee-rais- 

 ing, yet every owner or occupant of a few acres of 

 land should have his own table supplied with home- 

 made lioney, as regularly as with home-rnade butter. 



