INTRODUCTION TO PART II, 



STARTING AN APIARY. 



In apiculture, as in all other pursuits, it is all-important to 

 make a good beginning. This demands preparation on the 

 part of the apiarist, the procuring of bees, and location of the 

 apiary. 



PREPARATION. 



• Before starting in the business, the prospective bee-keeper 

 should inform himself in the art. 



READ A GOOD MANUAL. 



To do this, he should procure some gqpd manual, and 

 thoroughly study , especially that portion which treats of the 

 practical part of the business . If accustomed to read, think 

 and study, he should carefully read the whole work, but, 

 otherwise, he will avoid confusion by only studying the meth- 

 ods of practice, leaving the principles and science to strengthen, 

 and be strengthened by, his experience. Unless a student, 

 he had better not take a journal till he begins the actual 

 work, as so much unclassified information, without any expe- 

 rience to correct, ,arrange, and select, will but mystify. For 

 the same reason, he may well be content with reading a single 

 work, till experience, and a thorough study of this one, make 

 him more able to discriminate ; and the same reasoning will 



Ereclude his taking more than one bee-periodical, until he has 

 ad at least a year's actual experience. 



VISIT SOME APIARIST. 



In this work of self-preparation, he will find great aid in 

 visiting the nearest successful and intelligent apiarist. If 

 .successful, such a one will have a reputation ; if intelligent, 

 he wilLtake the journals, and will show by his conversation that 

 he knows the methods and views of his brother apiarists, and, 



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