PREFACE. 11 
Under the old methods of bee keeping, bees required 
x great deal of care and attention, especially during the 
summer season. And then the winters were very destruc- 
tive to them, many often losing their entire stock ; or if 
they were not a total loss, they were so damaged by the 
winter as to be of no profit, and two severe winters in 
succession were quite sure to finish them. 
This was very discouraging, and many have abandoned 
bee keeping, entirely discouraged. 
On my plan a complete revolution is effected in bee 
management, as will be shown in this work. 
There is in my opinion no pursuit which offers greater 
inducements than bee keeping, especially to women. 
There are very many who are confined indoors nearly 
the whole time, excluded from the air and sunshine, to 
the great injury of their health; and after this sacrifice 
they barely succeed in obtaining a livelihood. To such, 
bee keeping offers great inducements, such as improved 
health, and a handsome recompense for all labor per- 
formed. I am acquainted with many who have com- 
menced bee keeping on my plan, who are meeting with 
complete success. A lady boughta swarm of Italian bees 
of me in 1874, and she writes me that from that one 
she increased her stock to over twenty swarms the third 
season; besides she got over one hundred pounds of 
nice honey from the swarm I sent her the first season. 
Here I wish to be clearly understood ; I do not wish to 
hold out inducements which will never be realized, for 
the purpose of causing any one to commence bee keep- 
