Departaent op Agriculture. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



FARMERS' Bulletin, No. 129. 



THE BEGINNER IN BEE CULTURE. 



INTRODUCTION. 



SmCE the introduction of the bar frame hive, many scientific as well as 

 practical apiarists have made a close study of bee-keeping, contributing 

 opinions which it behoves us to consider carefully. It is not suggested that, to 

 be successful, the apiarist should necessarily be a scientist, but it is intended 

 rather to stress the advantage to be derived from associating with practical 

 experience a sound knowledge of the main principles of apiculture. As in 

 other activities, the start is all-important. A start in the wrong direction 

 leads to all sorts of troubles, and in no case is this better instanced than 

 where the beginner purchases bees in any odd-sized hives, thus inaugurating 

 an "any old way" system at the opposite pole to any which characterise 

 profitable modern bee-keeping. 



Five well-hived colonies containing a fair breed of bees will, with ordinary 

 attention, equal thirty of the " kept any way " sort, so far as production is 

 concerned. Surely then it is easier to attend to five hives than thirty 1 It 

 is quality, not number, that counts ; and the beginner's first aim should be 

 to keep bees the right way. A very comfortable living can be made from 

 apiculture, providing the apiarist will properly qualify himself to become a 

 producer. The three main things are experience, locality, and energy. 

 Small apiaries can be profitably worked as a side line with other industries, 

 providing time can be found for ordinary attention during the season. 



The manner in which a start is to be made will largely depend on the 

 prospective bee-keeper's experience, capital, and available stocks. For 

 instance, if one good season's experience with a practical apiarist has been 

 gained and he has £150 to £200 and the opportunity of purchasing, say, a 

 hundred colonies within reasonable distance of a selected locality, .then a 

 good start may be made— especially if the purchase is made in the sprin" 

 with something like favourable prospects as to flora for the first season. 



Many of our successful apiairists embarked in the industry in a very small 

 way and with limited capital. With two or three colonies hived in factory- 

 made hives they gained practical experience, and improved their knowledge 

 by reading books on bee culture. Others, again, had the advantage of 

 gaining some experience from practical apiarists in their[,locality, and were 

 able to build up their stocks by small purchases or from "bee trees." Generally, 

 however, the bees paid for the extension. In the majority of cases tlie 

 apiarist was working in or near localities favourable for commercial bee- 

 keeping, and gave attention to the bees' in his spare time until he was able 

 to make a clear start on his own. 

 t 79/"79-B 



