358 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



cannot readily he done. Dzierzon says, in practice at least, 

 " it never is done ;" and Dr. Radlkofer, of Munich, the 

 President of the second Apiarian Convention, declares that 

 his apprehensions on that score were dissipated by observa- 

 tions which he had opportunity and occasion to make, when 

 on his way home from the Convention. I have numerous 

 accounts of Apiaries in pretty close proximity, containing 

 from 200 to 300 colonies each. Ehrenfels had a thousand 

 hives, at three separate establishments indeed, but so close 

 to each other that he could visit them all in half an hour's 

 ride ; and he says that in 1801, the average net yield of his 

 Apiaries was $2 per hive. In Eussia and Hungary, Apia- 

 ries numbering from 2000 to 5000 colonies are said not to 

 be unfrequent ; and we know that as many as 4000 hives are 

 oftentimes congregated, in Autumn, at one point on the heaths 

 of Germany. Hence I think we need not fear that any 

 district of this country, so distinguished for abundant natural 

 vegetation and diversified culture, will very speedily be 

 overstocked, particularly after the importance of having 

 stocks populous early in the Spring, comes to be duly ap- 

 preciated. A week or ten days of favorable weather, at 

 that season, when pasturage abounds, will enable a strong 

 colony to lay up an ample supply for the year, if its labor 

 be properly directed. 



Mr. Kaden, one of the ablest contributors to the Bienen- 

 zeitung, in the number for December, 1852, noticing the 

 communication from Dr. Radlkofer, says : " I also concur 

 in the opinion that a district of country cannot be overstock- 

 ed with bees ; and that, however numerous the colonies, all 

 can procure sufficient sustenance if the surrounding country 

 contain honey-yielding plants and vegetables, in the usual 

 degree. Where utter barrenness prevails, the case is diifer- 

 ent, of course, as well as rare." 



