240 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



leave it there. Number the pages of 

 the book to correspond with the hive 

 numbers, and note down the condition, 

 each time you go over the yard, giving 

 the date, etc. If you keep such a book, 

 it will save you hours everj' time you 

 run over a yard; and you will soon 

 learn from which queen to rear drones 

 and queens. 



6th. You will need to adopt some 

 system of management so that bees 



will not need to be watched in swarm- 

 ing time. 



7th. Yards need to be located four 

 to six miles apart, and as near to the 

 home 3'ard as locations will permit. 



8th. You, dear reader, if intending 

 to gather some nectar around your 

 locality, will need a good stepping 

 team — one that can haul a load, too, 

 if need be. 



Colo, Iowa, Dec. 15, 1904. 



)ini(By 



dairies nim 



A. LAIMG. 



T MAY say, by way of introduction, 

 i that I know of no good reason why 

 any wide awake, intelligent, practical 

 apiarist cannot make a success of out- 

 apiaries, providing he has good loca- 

 tions in which to place them. This 

 point, of course, eacli will have to 

 decide for himself. Further, I know 

 of no obstacles worth mentioning in 

 connection with out-apiaries, to a man 

 who is not afraid of hard work, except 

 swarming; and that means a lot of 

 trouble. Still, this difficulty has been, 

 and is, being surmounted by practical 

 men. 



Before starting an out-apiary I 

 would have at least 150 colonies in the 

 home-yard. If it is a good location, I 

 should consider it much better to do a 

 little stimulative feeding, if necessary, 

 in the home-yard, at times when the 

 bees are not gathering sufficient to 

 keep them breeding properly, than to 

 be driving from six to ten miles from 

 once to three times a week throughout 

 the season to look after half a yard 

 of bees at a distance. 



Unless men wish to work themselves 

 nearly to death, it will be necessary to 



go to considerable expense for each 

 3'ard, so it is best not to be in too big a 

 hurry to start an extra one. 



Let us suppose, however, that you 

 have secured your l.'iO colonies, and 

 wish to establish an out-apiary. The 

 first thing to be decided is the loca- 

 tion. This must be carefull3' selected 

 by looking over the ground to see that 

 you have a plentiful supply of clover, 

 basswood, or other bloom that will be 

 its equal for honey; as well as early 

 and late flowers. Also it is very im- 

 portant that the apiary should be 

 located in a sheltered spot, where the 

 bees can have plenty of shade during 

 the hot summer days. 



I consider it advisable to have a 

 written agreement for lease of ground, 

 say for one or two years, with the 

 option of staying five years if you de- 

 sire. By this arrangement, if you 

 find the locality is not satisfactory, 

 you can leave at the close of the first 

 year or two; if it is good, you have a 

 five years' lease, and the landlord 

 can't kick you out because one of the 

 children get stung. Just here I think 

 it better that the apiary be located a 



