■OVEHSTOCKING. 361 



The question how far bees will fly in search of honey, has 

 been very differently answered by different Apiarians. I 

 am satisfied that they will fly over three miles in search of 

 • food, but I believe as a general rule, that if their food is not 

 within a circle of about two miles in every direction from 

 the Apiary, itjey will be able to store up but little surplus 

 honey. The nearer, the better. In all ray arrangements, 

 (see p. 96.) I have made it a constant study to save every 

 step for the bees that I possibly can, economizing to the 

 very utmost, their time, which will all be transmuted into 

 honey ; an inspection of the Frontispiece of this treatise 

 will exhibit the general aspect of the alighting board of my 

 hives, and will show the intelligent Apiarian, with what 

 ease hees will enter such a hive, even in very windy weath- 

 er. By such arrangements, they will be able to store up 

 more honey, even if they have to go a considerable distance 

 in search of it, than they would in many other hives, whea 

 the honey abounded in their more immediate vicinity. Such 

 considerations are entirely overlooked, by most bee-keepers, 

 and they seem to imagine that they are matters of no 

 importance. By the utter neglect of any kind of precau- 

 tions to facilitate the labors of their bees, you might suppose 

 that they imagined these delicate insects to be possessed of 

 nerves of steel and sinews of iron or adamant ; or else that 

 they took them for miniature locomotives, always fired up 

 and capable of an indefinite amount of exertion. A bee 

 ■cannot put forth more than « certain amount of physical ex- 

 ertion, and if a large portion of this is spent in absolutely 

 fighting against difficulties, from which it might easily be 

 guarded, it must be very obvious to any one who thinks on 

 the subject at all, that a great loss must be sustained by its 

 owner. 



If some of these thoughtless owners returning home with 



31 



