342 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



young' bees, than it does to rear scrub 

 stock. A man in the business, as a busi- 

 ness, ought to leave no stone unturned in 

 securing the best possible stock. Then 

 let him keep constantly weeding out those 

 colonies that show any undesirable traits, 

 and breed from those queens whose col- 

 onies show the most desirable traits. 

 Don't keep introducing new and uncertain 

 blood, but g^o on selecting-, selecting, 

 selecting-, year after year. 



Having the location, and the most de- 

 sirable stock, the next vital point is that 

 of keeping bees in sufficient numbers. 1 

 never knew a man to become wealthy, or 

 even gain a competency, from the keep- 

 ing of a few bees. There must be a suf- 

 ficient number so that, when there comes 

 a good year, honey may be secured ton 

 upon ton. Just how many colonies can 

 be profitably kept in one location may 

 never be decided positively. Locations, 

 seasons, methods and men all differ. 1 

 am becoming satisfied, however, that 

 many of us might profitably keep a great 

 many more bees in one location than we 

 have been keeping. It might be necessary 

 to feed in both the spring and the fall, but 

 in the great, rushing, booming harvest 

 time. I doubt if a really good location is 

 very often overstocked. One year ago, in 

 one location, we had 150 colonies, and 

 believed that the number ought not to 

 have been increased. It was increased, 

 however, the next season, to 200 colonies, 

 and then ten colonies, the cream of an 

 apiary moved from Flint to Northern 

 Michigan, stored 1,200 pounds of surplus, 

 when the average of all our apiaries was 

 only about 50 pounds. 1 am satisfied 

 that it is more in the condition of the 

 colonies at the time of the harvest than 

 it is in the number of colonies working in 

 the field. Before starting an out apiary_ 

 let a man consider well, and see what 

 may be done in the way of feeding, and 

 otherwise caring for the home apiary. 

 Let him know beyond a doubt, that he 

 has more bees at home than can be prof- 

 itably kept in that location. L,et him be 

 just as sure as he can be that it will be 



more profitable to move some of them to 

 another field. Let him not forget that 

 just as soon as he starts an out-apiary, 

 he has taken up a new problem in bee 

 culture. Previous knowledge of bee- 

 keeping will help him, but there will be 

 many new elements, many new factors. 

 How often, in reading the bee journals 

 since 1 began operating out yards, do 1 

 come across some method, or plan, or 

 piece of advice that causes me to exclaim : 

 "That is all right for a home-apiary, but 

 of no earthly use in an out-yard." No sort 

 of fussing can be tolerated in an out- 

 apiary. There must be rigid system. 

 There must be simplicity. And the 

 methods must be adapted to the work 

 that is to be accomplished. Details 

 would be out of place here. In fact, a 

 plan or system adapted to one location, 

 or to one man, would be entirely out of 

 plac3 in another State under the man- 

 agement of some other bee-keeper. It 

 is wonderful to me, as I look over the dif- 

 ferent systems of different men who may 

 not even be widely scattered, to see how 

 different are their methods, and yet how 

 appropriate they are to the conditions — 

 to the locations and the men who are 

 accomplishing such results. Know what 

 you wish to accomplish. Study your loca- 

 tion, your object, and yourself, and then 

 adopt such hives, appliances and methods 

 as will best allow you to accomplish your 

 end. Extracted honey may be the most 

 profitable for one man to produce, comb 

 honey for another. Comb honey may be 

 the kind of honey to produce at the great- 

 est profit in one State. Tn another State 

 the conditions may be more fc vorabiy for 

 extracted honey production. Then the 

 markets have a bearing. 



But, if a man will use the same sort of 

 common sense, or business sense, in en- 

 gaging in bee-keeping as a specialty, 

 that he would use in some other business, 

 he may look for abundant success. Stop 

 "fussing" with bees. Stop belittling the 

 pursuit. Hold up your head. Put your 

 whole energy, and tnought, and capital, 

 and labor into the business, just as though 



