6 AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



without such experience. I offer this advice with a 

 knowledge of the good results from taking cadets at 

 the Government Apiaries. 



If it is impossible to adopt this plan, then go 

 cautiously to work at first, and don't lay out too much 

 money. Three or four colonies your first season would 

 be ample to work with, and to gain experience by. 

 Some little increase the second season would be 

 advisable, by the end of which sufficient knowledge of 

 the work and your adaptation to it should have been 

 gained to enable you to intelligently decide whether to 

 increase your apiary or not. If you decide to go in 

 on a large scale, then it is absolutely necessary for 

 your own benefit that you choose a good district — a 

 district where, in the first place, there is plenty of white 

 clover — a dairying district — and not too difficult of 

 access to a shipping port. Start with black or com- 

 mon bees, which probably may be obtained near at 

 hand, but directly you decide to enlarge your apiar)' 

 Italianise your colonies at once (see chapter on 

 " Queen Rearing "). 



Don't stint your outlay for good bee literature, for 

 the obtaining of one good " wrinkle " from the expe- 

 rience of a writer may be the means of adding largely 

 to the profits of your apiary. 



AXIOM. 



" The formation of new colonies should ordin- 

 arily 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 PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE USED TO 

 PREVENT ROBBING," Lungstroth. 



