FARMEES' BULLETIN, No. 129. 



Conditions are somewhat more difficult for city people, or for those 

 residing in unfavourable localities, who have very limited capital. A good 

 method in such cases is to purchase from a practical apiarist one or two 

 healthy colonies in factory-made hives, and to gain all practical experience 

 possible from these ; it will be found that onq or two colonies will be suffi- 

 cient for this purpose practically anywhere in the State. After some 

 knowledge has been gained in this way, a position should be obtained in the 

 country in a locality favourable for commercial bee-keeping, and a start 

 made in a small way. It is always advisable to have some tuition from a 

 practical apiarist if it can possibly be obtained, and the interested and 

 energetic beginner will usually find some way of getting in touch with the 

 right person. 



Many settlers on small areas that are in fair localities for bee-keeping 

 could improve their income by working small apiaries as a side line. A 

 start should be made as already described, good hives being purchased, and 

 a modern method of management being adopted. An effort should be made, 

 too, to Italianise the colonies. 



Unless the beginner knows of colonies for sale locally, it is a good plan to 

 advertise in a bee journal, or the local or daily papers ; the most convenient 

 and favourable replies can be considered and classed for personal inspection. 

 It is not advisable to purchase more than two or three colonies for a start, 

 and these should, if possible, be obtained from a pmctical apiarist of whom 

 the buyer has some knowledge. Another plan for the beginner is to purchase 

 one or two colonies from a queen-raising apiary. 



THE INTERNAL ECONOMY OF THE HIVE. 



Probably in no form of insect life does the talent for domestic economy 

 attain a more intelligent eminence than among the bees ; the story of their 

 activities is a fascinating fairy tale "come true." Quite distinct from the 

 study's financial aspect — the point of view of the bee-keeper for profit — the 

 history of the hive, the busy duties of its inmates, and the laws which guide 

 them are well worth investigation. 



A colony of bees consists of one queen, a large number of workers, and 

 usually a fair number of drone bees. The queen is a developed female, the 

 workers undeveloped females, and the drone is the male bee. 



The Queen Bee. 



The work of the queen bee is to lay all the eggs, and she may therefore 

 be described as the mother of the colony. She is raised from the same 

 larvse that would produce a worker. 



For instance, if a queen is removed from a normal colony when condi- 

 tions for breeding are favourable, the bees would, within twenty-four hours, 

 prepare to raise another, by feeding a number of very young worker 

 larvje on specially prepared food called " royal jelly." This food is given in 

 abundance, and will cause extra development. To provide for this the bees 

 build the cells out later to about | of an inch past the level of the ordinary 

 brood and extend them in width. The queen tlius raised from the larvw 

 usually issues from the cell on about the fourteenth day, though the con- 

 dition of the weather may cause the period to vary slightly. When a queen 

 emerges from tlie cell, she will very quickly destroy any remaining cells 

 that are in an advanced stage, unless the colony desires to swarm, which 

 seldom occurs in such an instance. Though the foregoing should not b.e 



