128 FIRST PRINCIPLES OF BBE-REEPlNG. 



and I especially recommend one called The British 

 Bee-keepers' Guide-book, by T. W. Cowan, or another 

 called Modern Bee-keeping, published at 6d., by the 

 British Bee-Keepers' Association. 



All that I can now tell you about bee-keeping 

 will be the chief principles on which you must act. 

 I want you so to understand these first principles 

 that you never do anything simply because a book 

 tells you, but rather because from what it tells you — 

 you understand why you are to do it, and why it is 

 the best way. 



And now talking of first principles, the first great 

 rule to be observed is, of course. Never to kill the bees 

 for the sake of the honey. The old-fashioned way of 

 murder in the sulphur-pit must entirely be done away 

 with ; you know, from what has been said before, what 

 a cruel, foolish, and improvident way it is, and I need 

 say no more on the subject. 



But the next great principle I must explain more 

 fully. It is, Always to take care to have a great 

 number of bees in every hive — to keep the colonies 

 strong. This is called 'the golden rule' of bee-keeping. 

 You will learn that this can be done, and how best to 

 do it, at a future time from guide-books. Now I 

 only ask you to remember it as a great principle of 

 successful bee-keeping, that the greater number of 

 bees there are in the hive, the better the work goes 

 on. And this is the case, not only because there 

 are more workers to bring in honey, and ' many hands 

 make light work,' but because a better heat is kept 

 up, and the bees work with greater spirit. It is 

 also a curious fact, as I will explain at a future 



