OVERSTOCKING. 403 
710. According to Oettl (p. 389), Bohemia contained 
160,000 colonies in 1853, from a careful estimate, and he 
thought the country could readily support four times that 
number. This province contains 19,822 square English 
miles. 
We say square English miles, and we insist on the word 
English, for we have read of reports from Germany, show- 
ing incredible figures as to the number of bees, and the 
amount of beeswax and honey gathered on areas of a few 
square miles; and yet, some of these reports may have 
been true, for there are different sized miles, in Germany. 
The German geographical mile is equal to 4.,$)), English 
miles; the German short mile, to 3.49/75; and the German 
long mile to 5.3453,, &c.; the shortest German square mile 
being as about 15 of the English, and the long being about 
equal to 33 of our square miles. ‘This we glean from 
‘‘Chambers Encyclopedia.’’ 
According to an official report, there were in Denmark, 
in 1838, eighty-six thousand and thirty-six colonies of bees. 
The annual product of honey appears to have been about 
1,841,800 lbs. In 1855, the export of wax from that coun- 
try was 118,379 lbs. 
In 1856, according to official returns, there were 58,964 
colonies of bees in the kingdom of Wurtemberg. 
In 1857, the yield of honey and wax in the empire of 
Austria was estimated to be worth over seven millions of 
dollars. 
Doubtless, in these districts, where honey is so largely 
produced, great attention is paid to the cultivation of crops 
which, while in themselves profitable, afford abundant pas- 
turage for bees. 
711. California, which seems to be the Eldorado of bee- 
culture, can probably support the greatest number of bees 
to the square mile, and yet in some seasons the bees starve 
there in great numbers owing to the drouth. 
