98 BEE PASTURAGE. 



equal to those in Albany Co., — 50 pounds to a colony — as 

 the floAvers appeared to yield abundantly, each hive ob- 

 taining five or six pounds. Is it not evident that we were 

 overstocked after July 1st ? The summer of '64 gave a 

 bounteous yield of honey until July 10th, when the supply 

 was diminished, probably by drought. I say probably , 

 because we can not always tell to what cause to attribute 

 the greateii or less abundance of the supply. Before said 

 date, any number of colonies, apparently, would have done 

 Mell, but since that time, one-tenth of the actual number 

 kept would have collected the whole . yield. Yet it was 

 profitable to keep about fifteen to the square mile. It AvUl 

 always be imjjossible to know exactly how many can be 

 kept; some seasons produce bounteously, others, a partial 

 supply, and some almost none at aU. As it is difficult to 

 tell beforehand what to expect, it is well to exercise some 

 caution. Whoever begins with excessive numbers, must 

 expect sometime to be overtaken with serious disaster. 

 The sight of a hundred or two colonies, actually starving 

 in December, is rather unpleasant to a sensitive mind. 

 One must lay up a store of fortitude, in prosperous times, 

 to last him through such seasons of discouragement. 



It is an advantage to keep as large a number as wiU 

 possibly do well in one yard. They may be taken care of 

 with jnuch less proportional expense. ■ It would not do to 

 hire a man to take charge of every eight or ten hives, al- 

 though the average profit of the few would be much 

 greater than with a large number. One man can take 

 care of 200 stocks, especially if he uses the movable comb 

 hive, and the reduction in the expense would more than 

 balance the larger profits from the smaller apiaries. I 

 would not advise keeping very large apiaries, until war- 

 ranted by experience in their care. Also the resources of 

 a country should be gradually tested. A honey-producing 

 country may be like a grazing region. One field may 



