BEE-KEEPING SIMPLIFIED 



FOR THE 



COTTAGER AND SMALLHOLDER 



I.— THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE BEE COMMUNITY. 



To be successful, the bee-keeper, no matter how humble his 

 circumstances, should know a little of the habits and require- 

 ments of bees. This knowledge should be obtained before, 

 and not after, procuring his stock. Practical knowledge 

 gained by one's own experience is excellent, but by obtaining 

 it in this way a great deal of unprofitable time must be 

 spent, and costly mistakes made. The wise take advantage 

 of the experience of others, and read what they have written 

 before commencing any pursuit connected with living 

 creatures. 



After studying this small treatise, and a start has been 

 made, the bee-keeper will profit by taking either " The British 

 Bee Journal," 2d. weekly, post free 10s. lOd. p«r annum, or 

 " The Bee-keepers' Record," 2d. monthly, post free 2s. 6d. per 

 annum, from the office, 23, Bedford Street, Strand. He will 

 also do well to join the local or County Bee-keepers' 

 Association. 



In Great Britain there are over two hundred different 

 species of bees, the majority of them solitary, and, with the 

 exception of the honey bee, " Apis Mellifica " (which is wild 

 by nature), none are social during the winter. The workers 

 and drones of all the other species die off in the autumn, the 

 queen hibernates during the cold months and commences 

 breeding in the spring. 



B 



