24 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



TIME TO START. 



May and June are the most favorable months to make a beginning, 

 but July or August will do, provided the novice does not try to 

 increase the stock by division of the colonies. In buying earlier 

 than May, one is not sure of obtaining a strong colony, and the 

 desire to examine and overhaul them may be irresistible, and is 

 likely to prove disastrous to the l^ees. If purchased in September 

 or October, little opportunity is offered for study, and about all that 

 can be done is to see that sufficient food is in the combs for winter 

 use. Winter is a most imwise time to buy bees, and even the ex- 

 perienced bee-keeper avoids purchase then, unless he is thoroughly 

 familiar with conditions as they were in the fall. 



BEES AND THEIR LIFE HISTORY. 



The more complete one's knowledge of the life and habits of the 

 bees the easier and more rapid will be the progress in learning how 

 to keep them and the better the chances for success. 



THE QUEEN. 



The "queen,' 



so-called, is merelj^ the mother bee, and there is 

 normally but one in a colony. (Fig. 19.) 

 She laA's all the eggs from which the bees of 

 the colony are produced. Upon her vigor 

 *and the virtues of her blood and mating 

 depend the thrift of the colony. If she is 

 old or failing, the colony dwindles. If her 

 "blood" is not good her offspring cannot be 

 expected to accomplish the results of off- 

 spring from a better bred queen. She 

 obtains most of her food direct from the 



Fig. 19.-Queen. workers. 



A queen lives for several years, but as a rule is past her prime and 

 period of greatest usefulness after her second summer. There are 



