46 AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



would not be too many, taking many parts of New 

 Zealand as my guide. I have myself run 200 colonies 

 in one apiary with an average output of about 100 lbs. 

 of honey per colony, and with another apiary of nearly 

 100 colonies less than two miles distant. Experience, 

 however, is the best guide, and an observant man with 

 his heart in his work will have no difficulty in deciding 

 this question. 



There is one point worth considering and that is, while 

 it is not wise to overstock any one apiary to a large 

 extent, it may pay better to do so a little rather than start 

 another. For instance, say the home apiary would be 

 fairly stocked with 100 colonies, it might be more 

 profitable to put down 150 and get a little less average 

 per colony, than to establish another several miles away, 

 with all the trouble and expense of attending to it. 

 It is quite possible to do better with larger and fewer 

 apiaries, than with a greater number of smaller ones. 

 It will also depend upon the amount of bee pasturage 

 in the surrounding district as to the distance the 

 apiaries should be apart. If plentiful, three to four 

 miles, or say four miles in every direction would be far 

 enough. Those I know^ who have several out-apiaries 

 make arrangements with owners of farming land for 

 renting a plot of ground large enough for an apiary, 

 and seemingly have no difficulty in getting the 

 convenience. 



OVERSTOCKING A DISTRICT. 



It is of course conceivable that this may occur, but 

 the chances of two or more large commercial bee farms 

 being established so close together as to materially 

 injure each other I think is rather remote. The last 

 comers would be as badly off as the first, and it is 

 hardly likely experienced men would act so foolishly 

 toward themselves and each other. 



