4 ALEXANDER’S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 
colonies in one yard as it ever did for a less number, and I think the 
same will yet be proven true of any fairly good location. 
In regard to breaking up good colonies just previous to the main 
honey-flow, I can say that I have never advised any one to do this except 
where increase was preferred to surplus honey. I have always advised 
doing every thing possible to build up the colonies so that they will not 
only be strong in bees but have their hives well filled with brood in order 
to keep them strong during the whole honey-flow. Either make the in- 
crease long enough before the harvest to enable all colonies to become 
strong in time for it, as can very easily be done in a buckwheat location, 
or make no increase until the harvest for surplus is over. 
LEAVING THE WELL-BEATEN PATH, AND THE CONSEQUENCES. 
In regard to the wisdom of cautioning beginners about leaving the 
“beaten paths too far, and following what may in their localities turn 
out after all to be a phantom,” I wish to say that, when I was a boy, a 
very small minority of bee-keepers left the well-beaten path of setting 
their best colonies over a brimstone-pit in order to get a little honey, and 
adopted the more humane way of cutting a little out of the sides of their 
hives in order that they might save their bees for another year; and I 
could never see any phantom about that. I can well remember many 
years ago, of a small minority that left the well-beaten path of box hives, 
and in their place adopted movable-comb hives. There was no phantom 
about that either. Also a small minority that left the well-beaten path of 
keeping black bees, and in their place keep only good strains of Italians— 
no phantom about that. Yes, and a small minority that left the well- 
beaten path of squeezing their honey through a bag, and in its place 
adopted the improved honey-extractors of to-day. No phantom about 
that; and it has so happened that a small minority at one time left 
that well-beaten path of producing their surplus comb honey in coarse 
hemlock boxes holding 15 or 20 Ibs. apiece, and adopted the nice at- 
tractive section of the present day—no phantom about leaving that 
beaten path, that I can see. I might continue to cite many more cases 
where a small minority have left beaten paths in all lines of business 
and become the leaders of progress. History shows us, in thousands 
of instances, where minorities have been in the right, and were a target 
for the arrows of critics who only followed in their wake and drifted 
with the masses. 
June, 1906. 
AMOUNT OF HONEY PER COLONY. 
WHAT CAN WE REASONABLY EXPECT TO OBTAIN WHEN WE GIVE OUR BEES THE 
BEST OF CARE? 
This is a question which we are often asked by those who know 
but little about bees, and I sometimes think it might be a good question 
for each one of us to ask ourselves, and then do a little thinking along 
