17 



Variation in Seasons. 



All years are not equally good for nectar secretion, and some years 

 the flow is so poor that feeding is necessary to keep the bees alive. 

 Such years are of common occurrence to the poor beekeeper, while 

 they are rather a rarity to tlie good, highly skilled beekeeper. By this 

 is meant that the good beekeeper is able to keep his bees in such condi- 

 tion that they are able to take advantage of every hour of nectar secre- 

 tion, while the poor beekeeper does not do this. In the best years 

 every person owning bees toU get some honey, but it is the person 

 who studies the business who can make it pay almost every year. 



Distribution of Bees in the United States, 



The accompanjTug map shows where the bees in the country are 

 mainly located. It indicates also the extent of the business in different 

 sections and gives some idea, by the number of dots on the map, of the 

 most successful territory for beekeeping. Care must be taken in draw- 

 ing conclusions of this kind, for a field or territory may be overpastured, 

 as it were, by bees as well as by cattle. Bees, however, travel many 

 miles. Large apiaries should not be too close together, at least 3 or 



Train what you 

 have left. 



You will not then 

 miss what you 

 have left over 

 there. What j ou 

 have lelt and are 

 bringing home 

 with you is pretty 

 much all of you 

 that counts. You 

 Imowthat. Prove 

 it to others by 

 taking the train- 

 ing which Uncle 

 Sam stands ready 

 to give you en- 

 tirely at his ex- 

 pense. He will 

 pay for your in- 

 struction, and 

 support you and 

 your dependents 

 while you are in 

 training. Don't 

 think about what 

 you left overthcre. 

 Train what you 

 are bringing back 

 home, and forget 

 the rest. 



Fig. 15. — The farmer's apiary will proitably compensate intelligent attention and the bees will in turn 

 increase the yield of farm crops, orchard, and small fruit by cross pollination of the flowers they visit. 



4 miles apart. Although the honey flows of the South do not equal 

 those of the North in intensity, yet, as will be observed from the map, 

 there are more bees in the Southern States than in any other part of 

 the country. Bees in the South can be purchased at small cost, for 

 they are not appreciated and are poorly equipped, being hived largely 

 in boxes and "gums'' which are of course unprofitable. They may be 

 transferred to modem hives, after which they may be managed for 



