35 



heavily laden with honey from the fields. This is, however, not 

 absolutely necessary, as swarms do well that are kept in attics of 

 houses or barns or other buildings, the bees being allowed to enter 

 and leave the hive through small openings in the walls of the 

 buildings. In localities where there is not too great an exposure 

 or winds too strong, hives of bees have been known to prosper 

 when placed upon the flat roof of a city building. 



In locating a hive of bees in a thickly-settled community, it 

 should never be so placed that the bees in leaving or approaching 

 the home would be compelled to cross a path or walk frequented 

 by people. 



During the early part of July the writer examined a year-old 

 swarm of bees, kept in the rear yard of a house in a country town, 

 that had already during the season produced 60 pounds of surplus 

 honey. He has upon his own three-quarters of an acre home lot 

 in a country village six swarms of bees that have, up to date, 

 stored more than 100 pounds of surplus comb honey of the finest 

 quality. In addition to this some have given off large early 

 swarms, each of which should, under favorable conditions, store 

 20 pounds of honey in excess of that required to live upon during 

 the coming winter. 



Considering that a swarm of bees may be purchased, in a 

 modern, movable, frame hive, complete, including a super for 

 holding surplus honey boxes, in May or June for $6 or S7, the 

 yield of 20 to 40 pounds of surplus honey worth from 15 to 25 

 cents per pound, and the production of a swarm of bees that may, 

 under favorable conditions, produce 10 to 20 pounds of surplus 

 honey, or be sold without a hive for $1.50 to S2 50, the return for 

 the money invested is most certainly a good one. 



Such results can only be expected when the conditions for a 

 good and continuous honey flow exist, and the bees are carefully 

 looked after. It is the exception rather than the rule that con- 

 ditions are so unfavorable for honey production that a strong 

 swarm will not gather in excess of that required for brood rearing 

 and winter food supply. 



It is with bee keeping as with every other business, in that it is 

 most successfully conducted when given intelligent and constant 

 care. It usually happens, nevertheless, that with scarcely any 

 care a few swarms of bees will, if favorably located, gather and 

 store surplus honey, the only attention given them being to remove 

 the filled honey boxes in the fall and replace them with empty 

 ones in the early spring. New swarms may or may not be saved. 

 The writer is acquainted with several parties, living in villages, 



