54 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



one straw about our success after pocketing the fee of 

 successful hmnbuggery." 



In making these quotations and statements, we know 

 that the prejudices of some of our readers, and the selfish- 

 ness of others, will he offended. We are sorry for this, 

 but we cannot help it. 



It is well known that in fine seasons for honey, there 

 are considerable profits derived from the produce of small 

 hives ; but we wish the reader to know that in such 

 favourable seasons the produce and profits from large 

 hives, well managed, are incomparably larger. The 

 writer's father once realised £20 profit from two hives 

 in one season, and £9, 12s. from another, held jointly by 

 him and James Brown of the same place. The profits 

 came from the honey gathered by the bees, not from 

 swarms sold at an exorbitant price, a practice common 

 in our day. 



Since the first edition of this work was published, we 

 have received some hundreds of letters from the mansions 

 of the rich and the cottages of the poor, intimating how 

 well its lessons have been learned, and the great success 

 and satisfaction that have been realised from putting them 

 into practice. In the township in which we live (we 

 might venture to say the county), swarms were never 

 known to rise beyond 40 lb. each tOl our teaching and 

 example were followed. The best swarms last year (1874, 

 which was not a very good one) rose to 100 lb. each — 

 quite equal to those of Carluke last year. 



The adoption of large hives by many of the bee-keepers 

 of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire put them last year in the 

 van of the advancing hosts. In a private letter which 

 lies before us, it is stated that the first swarms obtained 

 last year about the 1st of July rose to great weights. 

 One belonging to Mr Gordon rose to 164 lb. Swarms 

 belonging to other bee-keepers rose to 128 lb., 126 lb., 



