ADVANCED BBE-CULTURE. 



89 



standard hives or implements, and that 

 before they have fairly learned the busi- 

 ness. 



Others make the mistake of adopting 

 new hives, implements, methods or vari- 

 eties of bees upon too large a scale be- 

 fore they are certain that the change will 

 be desirable. When a new thing with 

 one advantage is held up before our eyes, 

 we are too much given to forgetting the 

 man)' advantages possessed by the article 

 that we are asked to lay aside for the new 

 comer. As a rule, the rank and file can. 

 afford to wait until at least good reports 

 are given in regard to a novelty. Then 

 it will be in order to experiment upon no 

 larger scale than that upon which failure 

 can be met and borne. 



Speaking of the "rank and file," wait- 

 ing for the leaders or others to try novel- 

 ities, reminds me that it is a mistake to 

 have undue confidence in the leaders in 



bee-culture. It is possible that they may 

 be in error, or some unknown circum- 

 stances may cause different results at 

 different times in other localities. It is 

 a mistake to pin one's faith blindly to 

 another. Do your own thinking, be 

 original, try things for yourself until you 

 are sure you are right, then go ahead. 



One expensive mistake, yet one that is 

 easily avoided, is made year after year by 

 many bee-keepers, and that is in not 

 securing hives, sections, foundation and 

 other supplies in season. They intend to 

 buy them soon enough, but wait until the 

 last moment. So many others do the 

 same thing that dealers and manufactur- 

 ers are over-run with orders, and expen- 

 sive and vexatious delays occur. A de- 

 lay of only a few days at just the right 

 time sometimes means the loss of a crop 

 of honey. 



