424 PASTURAGE AND OVERSTOCKING. 



end of the year 1905. Mr. Alexander reported a crop of 

 about 70j000 lbs. of honey in one -season. But in years of 

 scarcity of honey, it is quite probable that many colonies will 

 starve in a very large apiary, while a small apiary might 

 gather enough for Winter. 



yiO. Aeeording to Oettl (p. 389), Bohemia contained 

 160,000 colonies in 1853, from a careful estimate, and he 

 thought the country could readily support four times that 

 number. This province contains 19,822 square English miles. 



We say square English miles, and we insist on the word 

 English, for we have read of reports from Germany, show- 

 ing incredible figures as to the number of bees, and the amount 

 of beeswax and honey gathered on areas of a few square 

 miles; and yet, some of these reports may have been true, 

 for there are different sized miles, in Germany. The German 

 geographical mile is equal to 4. 611-1000 English miles; the 

 German short mile, to 3. 897-1000; and the German long mile 

 to 5. 753-1000, &c., the shortest German square mile being as 

 about 15 of the English, and the long being about equal to 

 33 of our square miles. This we glean from "Chambers 

 Enej'clopedia." 



According to an official report, there were in Denmark, in 

 1838, eighty-six thousand and thirty-six colonies of bees. The 

 annual product of honey appears to have been about 1,841,- 

 800 lbs. In 1855, the export of wax from that country was 

 118,379 lbs. 



In 1856, according to official returns, there were 58,964 

 colonies of bees in the kingdom of Wurtemberg. 



In 1857, the yield of honey and wax in the empire of 

 Austria was estimated to be worth over seven millions of 

 dollars. 



Doubtless, in these districts, where honey is so largely pro- 

 duced, great attention is paid to the cultivation of crops 

 which, while in themselves profitable, afEord abundant pas- 

 turage for bees. 



711. California, which seems to be the Eldorado of bee- 



