84 A Modern Bee-Farm 
During the season a fair colony requires for its support 
during six months of actual work—while feeding large 
patches of uncapped brood, in feeding thousands of young 
bees before they are able to work, in sustaining the wear 
and tear consequent upon the constant activity of the 
-adult bees themselves, wax-working, &c.—something like 
Io Ibs. weight of honey, or its equivalent, weekly ; or 
some 200 lbs. actually consumed during the several busiest 
months.* Add to this, 30 Ibs. left as winter store, and 
70 lbs. as a surplus, all items being really under-estimated, 
we have then the large total of 300 Ibs. required by each 
populous ‘hive. For 50 colonies this would amount to 
15,000 lbs., or over six tons of honey to be gathered in one 
busy season. 
The surplus would be put at 3,500 lbs. in the above case, 
but, dear reader, there is another way to look at this 
matter. The correct practice would be that of uniting 
two stocks into one at the commencement of the honey 
flow. This brings in a larger surplus, with a smaller 
consumption of valuable stores for the total number of 
bees cultivated. Thus the balance of available produce 
would be at the rate of three times 70 lbs. to each of the 
united 25 hives; z.e, 200 lbs., or 5,000 lbs. instead of 
3,500 Ibs. from 50; with a consumption in balancing wear 
and tear, etc., one-third less, or say 130 Ibs. to each of 
25 hives, in place of 200 lbs. to each of 50, an enormous 
economy in valuable material, and one which fully accounts 
for the larger yield given by the smaller number of more 
populous stocks. 
These doubled colonies, moreover, will seldom require 
* It may be said that during a dearth of honey at mid-season it 
is known that stocks do not consume as much as this. But it 
should be considered they are’ then almost inactive, and have little 
wear and tear to provide for. 
