THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 87 



Management of Three Thousand Colonies Bees in 



Fifty Yards 



By J. J. WILDER, Cordelia, Ga. 



I'roni _^f,o Colonics in Four I'anis to ^^jo in Sci'c/i I'nrds. 



"^^ HE much cherished and long" looked-for time of my life had 

 \Jj now come when I could be in business for myself and in which 

 my whole life was absorbed. Here the dreams of my life 

 began to materialize and the many "air castles" I had built began to 

 appear as real. My experiences had been ripened some and in every 

 particular I was ready for the task. Well, no one but those who have 

 had empty, hungry lives know how I took in the whole situation and 

 went about it. I threw up my job at the shop on the first of the year 

 with the disapproval of the general manager, who stated that I was 

 too much of a mechanical genius and could command too great wages 

 to let go and devote my entire time to such a small, frivolous matter 

 or business as bee-keeping; that I was letting my mind get the better 

 of me. He followed me up thus for several weeks and, lastly, the 

 whole town joined in with him, and finally my wife threw the same 

 thing in my face, and all begged me to go back to the shofj. I assured 

 them that I was sane and making no mistake and thus I persisted, 

 and the result was I was branded with indifference and looked upon 

 by all as not being really sane. It remained thus for nearly two years, 

 when I vindicated myself by passing through my town seated on my 

 wagon with a long chain of drays and wagons behind loaded with 

 honey which I removed from apiaries scattered about over the sur- 

 rounding country. This procession was hailed by the people and 

 stopped in the middle of the town, where the mystery of it was fully 

 made known to all, and from that day to this I have been recognized 

 as one among the best citizens of my town. 



I mention this, dear reader, for no other purpose but to put you 

 on notice that if you take up our business in a way to attain a great 

 success you will have to encounter to some extent the same hindrance. 

 and when you do, make the best of it, for here is where many have 

 turned back or perhaps barely held their own. 



Supplies IVcrc PnycJiascd in. Ample Time. 



But going back for a starting point for the year's work, I first 

 bought a little over $800 worth of supplies, consisting of 200 covers, 

 300 bottoms, 150 hive bodies with frames for increase. 500 supers 

 with shallow frames, and balance in comb foundation. This was all 

 put in readiness for the season in ample time. 



By this time I had been through every "nook and crook" in the 

 country for 25 or 30 miles around in search of bee pasture and apiary 



