THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



61 



if we can ever rervch any very ac- 

 cui'Mte conclusions, but something 

 can be done by close ronsonino; and 

 observation — certainly some prog- 

 ress has been made. 



If Jones has 100 colonies and 

 his pasturage on an average of 

 years will support 125 colonies, 

 then, if Jones can take care of 

 them, he will be the gainer to in- 

 crease his apiary to the number of 

 125. If 125 be the limit that can 

 be kept busy, then an increase to 

 150 can only be made at a loss 

 and if he decides to go beyond tlie 

 125 it will onl}' be profitably done 

 by establishing one or more out 

 apiaries. Then the question comes 

 as to the matter of distance be- 

 tween apiaries. Toward the solu- 

 tion of this some progress has been 

 made, and I think it is pretty gen 

 erally agreed that out-apiaries nee- 

 not be planted so far apart as wa 

 formerly thought necessary. Per 

 haps about three miles will be pretty 

 generally agreed upon as far 

 enough apart. Further experience 

 and observation may somewhat 

 modify this view. 



As to the number to be kept iif 

 one apiary for greatest profit, what- 

 ever progress is made in arriving 

 at an}' conclusion will be made 

 slowly. If each one will tell all he 

 knows about it, how many is the 

 largest number lie has ever known 

 to be kept in one locality with 

 profit, or still better, what number 

 showed pretty plainly that the lo- 

 cality was overstocked, the colla- 

 tion of such facts, through a series 

 of years, will materially lielp in the 

 solution of the problem. In my 

 own locality, I kept one year about 

 200 colonies in one apiary, I think 

 100 colonies would have been much 

 more profitable, but there is the 

 trouble, I tldnlc. I don't A'?ioio. The 

 200 colonies made a very poor suc- 

 cess but how can I be sure that 

 100 would have done any better? 

 Was it not the season instead of 



the number of colonies ? Neverthe- 

 less, I think pretty strongly that 

 somewhere from 75 to 125 (a pretty 

 wide range, I admit) is the best 

 number to be kept in one apiary 

 in my locality for best results. 

 Whoever can help me, in any de- 

 gree, to decide the matter will de- 

 serve thanks, not only from me 

 but from hundreds of others who 

 are deeply interested. 

 Marengo, III. 



For the American ApiculUirist, 



By Henky Alley. 



OVERSTOCKING PLANTING FOR 



HONEY HOME MARKET HONEY 



ON COMMISSION EXPERIMENTING 



FOUL BROOD HIVES FEED- 

 ING, ETC, 



It seems to us that essays on the 

 subject of " Practical Hints," by 

 such well-known beekeepers as 

 those who were invited to write 

 them for this issue of the Apicdl- 

 TURisT,must be of great value alike 

 to the old veteran and novice in 

 bee culture. 



Although at this date not any 

 manuscript for the essays has 

 reached us, yet we have an idea 

 that the readers of the Api will get 

 the most valuable hints which, if 

 followed, will, as a rule, lead to 

 success in most cases. The con- 

 tributors are known as among some 

 of the best and most practical 

 writers connected with bee culture. 



Perhaps it will not be out of 

 place if the manager of the Api 

 makes an attempt to give a few 

 practical hints to his readers. 



OVERSTOCKING, 



The enterprising Yankee when 

 he enters most any kind of busi- 

 ness is veiy apt to go in pretty 

 steep and in some cases overdo 

 the thing and fails, or gets dis- 

 couraged, not having the patience 

 to wait for returns which are sure 

 to come sooner or later. 



