i64 AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



whether they have been visited by bees or not ; and even 

 during the forenoon, when the bees are not busy, it is by 

 no means certain that they will forestall the stock in visit- 

 ing' any particular flower. If a field were so overstocked 

 that every head of clover should be devoured as soon 

 as it blossomed, then, of course, there would be nothing 

 left for the bees ; but if, on the other hand, as is generally 

 the case, there are always blossoms left standing in the 

 pasture, some of them even till they wither and shed 

 their seeds, then it must often happen that after bees 

 shall have visited such blossoms ten or even twenty 

 times, and thus collected one or even two grains of 

 honey from one head, the grazing animal may, after all, 

 eat that particular plant and enjoy his one-tenth of a 

 grain of honey just as well as if there had never been 

 any bees in the field. If all these chances be taken into 

 account it will be evident that out of the 4 lb. or 5 lb. 

 of honey assumed to be collected by bees from one acre 

 of pasturage, probably not one-tenth, and possibly not 

 one-twentieth, part could under any circumstances have 

 been consumed by the grazing animals — so that it be- 

 comes a question of a few ounces of fattening-matter, 

 more or less, for all the stock fed upon an acre during 

 the whole season ; a matter so ridiculously trivial in 

 itself, and so out of all proportion to the services ren- 

 dered to the pasture by the bees, that it may be safely 

 left out of consideration altogether. 



BEE-KEEPING AS A BRANCH OF FARMING. 



There is still one point which may possibly be raised 

 by the agriculturist or landowner : " If the working of 

 bees is so beneficial to my crops, and if such a large 

 quantity of valuable matter may be taken, in addition 

 to the ordinary crops, without impoverishing my land, 

 why should I not take it instead of another person who 

 has by right no interest in my crop or my land? " The 

 answer to this is obvious. It is, of course, quite open 

 to the agriculturist to keep any number of bees he mav 

 think fit ; only, he must consider Well in how far it will 

 pay him to add the care of an apiary to his other duties. 



