The Townsend Bee Book 3 
changed, and the beginner will have no trouble in finding bees in 
hives containing regular Langstroth frames. This frame has more 
points in its favor than any other at the present time, and I would 
advise the beginner to adopt it. 
There is a great diversity of opinion as to the proper number 
of frames to use in a hive. The majority use eight frames; but 
quite a number use ten frames to the hive, and a few think that 
twelve frames are none too many for the best results. It is not the 
intention of this article to go into the discussion of the hive ques- 
tion; but if the beginner will take my advice he will adopt the ten- 
frame hive for the production of comb honey, but especially for 
extracted honey. 
After deciding on the size of hive it is important to get the 
right number of colonies to start with. Beginners should under- 
stand from the first that there is much to learn, and that the first 
few years will be largely experimental, so that not much money 
wil be made at first. The experience can be acquired about as well 
with a few colonies as with a large number, and the expense is 
much less. When starting on a small scale, the increase of bees 
and experience go together. 
It is noticeable that those who have gone into the bee business 
on a large scale from the very first, without making an effort to 
get the necessary experience, have usually turned their attention 
to something else in a few years, usually going back to what they 
did before. This is the natural thing; for since they knew nothing 
about the producing of a paying crop of honey the venture proves 
a failure. 
I would recommend at the start from two to four colonies, 
‘whether the beginner has much capital or not. I do not think that 
‘one without experience can go into this business and depend upon 
hired experienced help to do the work, for he must know the 
details himself before he can manage others in such a way as to 
‘make a financial success of his plans. 
WHEN TO START 
An experienced beekeeper need not hesitate to buy bees any 
‘season of the year. Some of the best bargaius are found in the 
fall, for it is then much easier to buy bees than in May, when the 
prospect of a honey crop is near at hand. However, for one with- 
out experience, May is the best month to purchase bees, for he will 
be sure of having them through one surplus season at least before 
he has the wintering problem to contend with, and this much 
experience will help him in the solving of the wintering problem. 
