398 OVERSTOCKINfl. 



supplies for themselves, and a surplus besides. Sometimes 

 indeed, he came near despairing, when April, May and June 

 were continually cold, wet and unproductive ; but in July, 

 his strong colonies speedily filled their garners, and stored 

 up some treasure for him ; while in such seasons, small 

 colonies could not even gather enough to keep them from 

 starvation. 



M. A. Braum states in the Bienenzeitung, September 1854, 

 that he has a mammoth hive furnished with combs contain- 

 ing at least 184,230 cells,* and placed on a platform scale 

 that its vifeight may readily be ascertained at stated periods. 

 On the ISlh of May it gained eighteen pounds and a half 

 On the 18th of June a swarm weighing seven pounds issued 

 from it ; and the following day it gained over six pounds in 

 weight. Ten days of abundant pasturage, would enable 

 such a colony to gather a large surplus ; while five times 

 the number of equally favorable opportunities, would be of 

 small avail to a feeble stock. 



The Island of Corsica paid to Rome an annual tribute of 

 200,000 lbs. of wax, which presupposes the production of 

 from two to three million pounds of honey yearly. The 

 island contains 3790 square miles. 



According to Oetle, (p. 389,) Bohemia contained 160,000 

 colonies in 1853, from a careful estimate, and he thinks the 

 country could readily support four times that number. The 

 kingdom contains 20,200 square miles. 



In the province of Attica, in Greece, containing forty-five 

 square miles, and 20,000 inhabilarils, 20,000 hives are kept, 

 each yielding, on an average, 30 pounds of honey and two 

 pounds of wax. One hive to every man, woman and 

 child ! 



East Friesland, a province of Holland, containing 1,200 

 * Such a hive would hold about three bushels. 



