BEE-KEEPERS' GUIDE. 



APIARY, Establishment of an.— The 

 proper time for this purpose is about Feb- 

 ruary, or the beginning ot* March, as the 

 stocks have then passed through the win- 

 ter iu safety; the combs are then empty 

 of broods, and light of honey, and may 

 be removed with safety and ease. Stocks 

 should be selected by a competent judge, 

 as the weight alone cannot always be 

 relied on ; such as weigh 1 2 lbs. and up- 

 wards, the number of Bees being also 

 observed, and that they are well combed 

 to near the bottom, may be safely chosen. 

 As soon as they are brought home they 

 should be set in the Bee-house, care being 

 taken to keep them dry and free from the 

 attacks of vermin. The best time for re- 

 moving stocks is in the evening. Swarms 

 should be brought home the same even- 

 ing they are purchased, for if delayed a 

 day or two, the combs will be worked, and 

 subject to be broken in removing. 



BEE-KEEPING, Success in.— Success 

 in bee-keeping, as well as success in every- 

 thing else, depends so much upon taking 

 hold of it the right way and sticking to it 

 with a determination to succeed, that we 

 will offer a few suggestions, which may be 

 of use to the new beginner. 



A person commencing bee-keeping, as 

 well as anything else, had better begin 

 moderately. Two or three, or perhaps 

 four hives, are as many as it would be safe 

 in a majority of cases to commence opera- 

 tions with. These may be purchased of 

 any bee-keeper who has them to spare ; 

 or what may be better, have hives made 

 such as you want, and engage some neigh- 

 bor who keeps bees to put his earliest 

 swarms in them. If the former plan is 

 adopted, March or April is a good time 

 to select and take them home. Choose 

 hives under five years old, and that are 

 strong in bees ; by rapping smartly on a 

 hive early in the morning, or any time in 

 a cold day, you can judge pretty well of 

 its strength ; if there is a vigorous buzzing 

 in answer to the raps, it is probably well 



supplied with bees ; if the rap is but feebly 

 responded to, better try another. They 

 can be taken home any cool day, by shut- 

 ting them in the hive. If the most 

 approved system is to be adopted, the 

 movable comb hive will have to be pro- 

 cured. If common hives are to be used, 

 twelve inches square by fourteen high, 

 inside measurement, is a good size. No 

 one should commence bee-keeping with- 

 out profiting as much as possible by the 

 experience of others, as found in books 

 and agricultural papers. Lanstroth's 

 work on " The Hive and Honey Bee" 

 should be owned and *ead by every bee, 

 keeper. Many are afraid to commence 

 bee-keeping on account ' of the moth. 

 After learning its habits, any intelligent, 

 industrious person can keep as free from 

 it as he can keep his cornfield free from 

 weeds. 



BEE, Pasturage.— The first of March 

 brings the blossoms of the white and sugar 

 maple, quaking asp , elm and some varieties 

 of the willow. April brings with it the 

 perfumed blossoms of the wild plum, 

 cherry and peach, followed by the rose- 

 scented apple blossoms of our tame 

 orchards, and the no less perfumed and 

 honey-yielding crab apple blossoms of 

 our groves and forests. With the floral 

 month of May come flowers innumerable, 

 that yield an enormous quantity of finely 

 flavored honey. Besides the flowers, 

 there is the honey-yielding blossoms of 

 the black and honey locusts, white haw, 

 wild black cherry, raspberry, blackberry 

 and box elder. In June we have, added 

 to the large number of wild flowers, the 

 honey-laden blossoms of our meadows 

 and pastures. The white and red clover 

 blossoms that grow not only in our 

 meadows and pastures, but which are 

 found covering all waysides and outlands, 

 yield an abundant harvest. During the 

 latter part of the month of July, all 

 sources of honey measurably fail, until 

 the fore part of August, which brings, 



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