MY BEES. 143 



to be stung at all, and that even when a few 

 bees do manage to sting, it is not a very serious 

 matter. Any man who wants a most interest- 

 ing hobby can find no end of interest and some 

 honey by getting a beehive and putting it on 

 the roof, even if he lives in the city. Some 

 years ago one of our downtown janitors, who 

 kept a small apiary on the top of a big 

 office building, had to give it up because a 

 neighboring candy-shop on Broadway com- 

 plained of the clouds of bees which the candy 

 attracted. With judicious management one 

 hive ought to give enough honey for a family, 

 and to require almost no attention. Bees will 

 fly four miles in search of honey, so that 

 our New York city bees get most of their sup- 

 plies in Jersey or over on Long Island. At one 

 time a few years ago California honey seemed 

 about to drive our Eastern bees out of the 

 business. Since then, however, there has been 

 a reaction, and our honey is preferred for its 

 flavor, and higher prices are paid for it. One 

 bee-keeper of Cherry Valley, New York, exports 

 yearly to England $25,000 worth of honey 

 raised by his own bees. I am now about to 



