8 Contrilmtes to the Nation's Wealth. 



ADDS TO THE NATION'S WEALTH. 



An excellent authority places tlie number of colonies of bees 

 in the United States, in 1881, at 3,000,000, and the honey 

 production, for the year, at more than .200, 000, 000 lbs. The 

 production for that year was not up to the average, and yet 

 the cash value of the year's honey crop exceeds $30,000,000. 

 We may safely add as much more as the value of the increase 

 of colonies, and we have a grand total of $60,000,000, nearly 

 enough to pay the interest on the national debt, were the 

 bonds all refunded. And yet all this is but gathered nectar, 

 which would go to waste were it not for the apiarist and his 

 bees. We thus save to the country that which would other- 

 wise be a total loss. Apiculture then, in adding so immensely 

 to the productive capital of the country, is worthy, as an art, 

 to receive the encouragement and fostering care of the State. 

 And the thought that he is performing substantial service to 

 the State, may well add to the pleasure of the apiarist, as he 

 performs his daily round of labor. 



WHAT SUCCESSFUL BEE-KEEPING EEQIHRES. 



MENTAL EFFORT. 



No one should commence this business who is not willing to 

 read, think, and study. To be sure, the ignorant and un- 

 thinking may stumble on success for a time, but sooner or 

 later failure will set her seal upon their eflfbrts. Those of our 

 apiarists who have studied the hardest, observed the closest, 

 and thought the deepest, have even passed the late terrible 

 winters with but slight loss. 



Of course the novice wiU ask, "How and what shall I 

 study?" 



EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. 



Nothing will take the place of real experience. Commence 

 with a few colonies, even one or two is best, and make the 

 bees your companions at every possible opportunity. Note 

 every change, whether of the bees, their development, or 

 work, and then by earnest thought strive to divine the cause. 



