OR, MANUAI, OF THE APIARY. SIS 



AXIOMS. 



The following axioms, g-iven by Mr. L,angstroth, are just 

 as true to-day as they were when written by that noted author : 



There are a ie-^ first principles in bee-keeping which ought 

 to be as familiar to the apiarist as the letters of the alphabet. 



First. — Bees gorged with honey never volunteer an attack. 



Second. — Bees may always be made peaceable by inducing 

 them to accept of liquid sweets. 



Third. — Bees, when frightened by smoke or by drumming 

 on their hives, fill themselves with honey and lose all disposi- 

 tion to sting, unless they are hurt. 



Fourth. — Bees dislike any quick movements about their 

 hives, especially any motion which /ar^ their combs. 



Fifth. — In districts where forage is abundant only for a 

 short period, the largest yield of honey will be secured by a 

 very moderate increase of colonies. 



Sixth. — A moderate increase of colonies in any one season 

 will, in the long run, prove to be the easist, safest, and cheapest 

 mode of managing bees. 



Seventh. — A queenless colony, unless supplied with a queen, 

 will inevitably dwindle away, or be destroyed by the bee-moth 

 or by robber-bees. 



Eighth. — The formation of new colonies should ordinarily 

 be confined to the season when bees are accumulating honey ; 

 and if this or any other operation must be performed when 

 forage is scarce, the greatest precaution should be used to 

 prevent robbing. 



The essence of all profitable bee-keeping is contained in 

 Oettl's Golden Rule : Kbbp your coi.onibs strong. If you 

 can not succeed in doing this, the more money you invest in 

 bees the heavier will be your losses ; while, if your colonies 

 are strong, you will show that you are a bee-master as well as 

 a bee-keeper, and may safely calculate on generous returns 

 from your industrious subjects. 



" Keep all colonies strong." 



