14 ALEXANDER'S WRITINGS ON PRACTICAL BEE CULTURP 



keep a close watch on your apiary, and treat them as above described, 

 you can save nearly all of your weak colonies with but little trouble, 

 and at the same time prevent your apiary from getting into that demor- 

 alized condition which they frequently do when they find several weak 

 colonies which they can overpower with but little loss of bees. 



A CAUTION AGAINST MAKING INCEEASE TOO RAPIDLY. 



Then the desire for more bees is almost sure to tempt the inex- 

 perienced to divide his colonies to that extent that they are almost 

 worthless, either for surplus or to try to winter. So, don't make your 

 increase too fast. If you do, you will not only lose your prospect of se- 

 curing a fair surplus, but the chances are that you will lose many col- 

 onies during the following winter. 



KEEP GOOD BEES AND PEODLCE GOOD HONEY. 



Then don't be contented in keeping bees that are not good honey- 

 gatherers. This is the principal thing we keep bees for; and if they fail 

 to give us a good surplus when they should, supersede their queens with 

 queens of a good honey-gathering strain. 



Then don't produce poor-looking comb honey. You have no more 

 excuse for producing poor stuff than the dairyman has for producing 

 poor butter; but produce a quality that you will take pride in stamping 

 on every package of it your name and address. 



SOME GOOD "DON'TS." 



Don't set your bees in a place where they will annoy the public. 

 Either keep them where they will not disturb any one, or sell them and 

 go out of the business. 



Don't allow drone comb in any hive except one or two, and see that 

 these hives have choice breeding queens. There is no more profit in 

 keeping a colony of bees where a large per cent of their combs is drone 

 comb than there would be in keeping a poultry-yard of roosters. 



Don't allow king birds, skunks, toads, and snakes to hang around 

 your apiary. If you do they will weaken the working force of every 

 colony. 



Don't think that bees will give you good results in either increase 

 or surplus honey if you neglect them and fail to do your part. The day 

 is past when the word "luck" has any bearing on bee-keeping. The man 

 who conducts his business in a careless slipshod way, taking it for 

 granted that this and that will come out all right, is only fooling him- 

 self; and the sooner he realizes it to be a fact, the better for all con- 

 cerned. So, don't try any thing of the kind, but look close to all the 

 minor parts; and when you have united them into one fine method for 

 practice you will be well rewarded for your study and perseverance. 



Don't spend any time in worrying over the frequency of poor sea- 

 sons, but spend your time in preparing your bees to make the most they 

 can of any kind of season that comes, then you will be almost surprised 

 to see how few poor seasons there are. We have not had a really poor 



