PREFACE. 



So rapid is the present progress of commercial bee- 

 keeping, necessarily accompanied by frequent changes 

 and modifications in apiary appliances and methods of 

 management, that much of the practical instructions 

 embodied in technical works on bee-culture published 

 from time to time, soon become antiquated, and out of 

 date. I realised this in the present case when com- 

 mencing to revise the text matter of the last — in 

 preparation for the new — Edition, and therefore I 

 decided to re-write, and re-construct, the whole of the 

 chapters specially dealing with the Manual work of 

 the apiary, and thereby to bring this Edition right up 

 to date. This has been done to the best of my ability, 

 and I trust that the alterations and new matter, 

 together with the additional illustrations, will meet 

 with the approval of those for whom the book is 

 published. 



My recent position as Chief Government Apiarist in 

 New Zealand afforded me exceptional opportunities for 

 observing how commercial bee-keeping can be, and is, 

 conducted under different conditions, and by different 

 types of bee-keepers. It also enabled me in the course 

 of my duties to carry out experiments at the Govern- 

 ment Apiaries to determine matters of great importance 

 to the industry ; some of the results of which have 

 already been published in " Bulletin " No. i8 on Bee- 

 Culture, obtainable from the offices of the Department 

 of Agriculture. The results of the knowledge thus 

 gained are embodied in the present volume. 



I would draw special attention to the remarkable 

 progress made in commercial bee-keeping in New 

 Zealand since the Government gave its support to the 

 industry. The passing of our Apiaries Act in 1907 was 

 the one thing needed to bring to the front an industrial 



V. 



