4 The Townsend Bee Book 
NOT NECESSARY TO BUY OLD HIVES 
When buying bees, see that the combs are in good modern 
frames of Langstroth size. The hive is of secondary importance ; 
for if the combs are of the worker size, and straight and true, they 
can be transferred to frames in new hives. This is the way most 
of our buying is done; for after the bees are transferred the old 
hives are returned, for we do not want them. Ifthe beginner were 
to buy three or four old hives, and use them in connection with 
new ones, they would never be satisfactory. It usually happens 
that bees can be bought enough cheaper without the hives to make 
it more economical all around to buy new hives outright. 
THE SELECTION OF THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 
I would recommend that the beginner commence his bee- 
keeping career with the production of comb honey, and that all 
increase be made by natural swarms. Gradually the production 
of extracted honey can be taken up. I know it is generally con- 
sidered that extracted-honey production is more easily learned 
than comb-honey production; and I admit that, if the beginner 
were to commence the season with half of his colonies worked for 
comb honey and half for extracted, the half worked for extracted 
honey would probably be the more profitable that season; but 
there are many pitfalls in the production of extracted honey not 
found in the production of comb, and the beginner might be the 
loser in the end if he produced extracted honey from the start. A 
part of the danger lies in the fact that, in producing extracted 
honey, much of the increase has to be made artificially. Besides 
this, one not entirely familiar with the business might allow more 
extracted-honey colonies to starve than he would comb-honey 
colonies, for the latter will have a good stock of the early or better 
quality of honey for winter stores. In the case of colonies run for 
extracted honey, on the other hand, the early and better honey is 
more likely to be placed in the upper story, which usually contains 
an abundance of comb room. It is true that sugar syrup could be 
fed to make up this deficit ; but this would only add another bur- 
den, which the beginner had better avoid at the start. 
All artificial-swarming methods should be avoided for the 
first few years until the beginner has more experience, and until 
some of the known principles are learned. After this, these other 
principles of beekeeping can be taken up. 
If more comb honey than extracted is to be produced the first 
season, it will be necessary to buy rather more supplies. I assume 
