THE APIARY. 85 
of labor, as large an average profit as from $5,000 invested 
in farming lands, at $100, or more, per acre. This 
pursuit, therefore, offers evident inducements to persons 
of moderate means. 
Just what annual percentage from a stated investment 
may be reasonably anticipated, it is impossible to de- 
termine, as the seasons are far from being uniform. I 
shall not encourage beginners to expect an average of 
100°/, upon their investments. Some have represented 
the prospect as much more alluring than this, but in 
many cases the returns are likely to prove much less 
satisfactory. The results attained by the majority of our 
bee-keepers prove that even my estimate is much too 
high. Nevertheless, I know of no substantial business 
that will pay as well for the capital invested, as this of 
bee-keeping. 
OVER-STOCKING, 
What number of stocks can be kept in one place ? 
is a question often asked. I shall differ more in opinion 
with some of our best authors in this, than on most other 
points. Mr. Langstroth expresses himself, very confi- 
dently, that over-stocking has never happened in this 
country, and that there is no prospect of it. He gives us, 
on the authority of Mr. Wagner, the number of stocks to 
the square mile in many sections of Europe. I will give 
one or two items. In the Kingdom of Hanover, 141 
stocks are estimated to the square mile. In the 
Province of Attica, in Greece, containing 45 square miles, 
20,000 hives are kept. A Province in Holland contains 
2,000 colonies per square mile. 
This is, certainly, very good authority for his convic- 
tion, but careful observation and somewhat extended ex- 
perience will not justify me in accepting Mr. Lang- 
stroth’s conclusions. 
I have endeavored to convince myself that, the large 
