78 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



very extensive series of experiments were conducted at one of 

 our New York State experiment stations a few years ago at 

 the request of the fruit men, who expected to prove that the 

 good offices of the bees were not necessary to secure a full crop 

 of fruit. But they were greatly surprised to learn that but 

 little fruit set without their»aid, owing to the scarcity of other 

 insects so early in the season. 



It has been my privilege to test nearly all the known races 

 of bees, and I consider a good strain of Italian bees superior, 

 not only on account of gentleness and honey-gathering qual- 

 ities, but also from the fact that they resist bee enemies and 

 disease better than any other race. 



One or two such colonies are enough for the inexperienced 

 to start with, while fifty or seventy-five are none too many 

 for the man who has a knowledge of the business. Women 

 make very good bee keepers, for the reason that they attend 

 to all the little details ; but they rarely do a large business as 

 they seem to lack confidence, and when they contemplate an 

 investment in this pursuit they usually ask the advice of an 

 inexperienced man, who tells them that if they have made a 

 little money they had better keep it. If the average profit in 

 a given locality per year is $15 for five colonies, it is but 

 reasonable to expect $300 from one hundred colonies, which 

 we consider small enough for a fair locality for honey. Occa- 

 sionally a location may be found where, owing to a great 

 abundance of some particular honey-producing plants, a much 

 greater number may be profitably kept. 



I might here mention E. W. Alexander & Son of New York 

 State, who keep about eight hundred colonies on one apiary, 

 — their main flow coming from buckwheat, which is the prin- 

 cipal crop of that section. 



Bee keepers may be divided into two classes, — those who 

 use single walled hives and winter in the cellar, and those 

 who use double walled hives and winter out of doors. Which- 

 ever plan you adopt use some standard frame and section. 

 Many of our most successful men use the Langstroth ten- 

 frame hive and four and a quarter inch section and usually 

 get a stock of all needed supplies prepared during the winter. 



