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 

 Enghsh, 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 i-Yus^ English 

 miles; the German short mile, to 3.j%%''jy; and the German 

 long mile to 5. j^%%, &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 gi-eat numbers owing to the drouth. 



