INTRODUCTION. 



THE Culture of Bees is one of the most healthful occupations 

 that can be named, and at the present day it is being 

 adopted as a business, while the number of people in all ranks of 

 life who keep only a few hives as a pleasant pastime is very large, 

 as may be judged from the fact that the members of the various 

 associations in this country make up a total of something like 

 10,000. Consequently, more honey being on offer, it has 

 become much cheaper than it was a few years since, when the 

 supply was very limited. 



While an increased production has lowered the value, there 

 is at the same time, a larger and increasing demand for the 

 bee-keeper's commodity ; and as he now has the benefit of 

 improved appliances there is no difficulty in competing with 

 present rates. In fact, it appears likely that very soon it will not 

 pay foreign countries to send their honey here, as continued 

 improvements are reducing the cost of production at home. 



After honey was superseded by sugar, bee-keeping seems to 

 have fallen into the background, but light began to dawn, and it 

 was some thirty years since, that by using hives wherein all the 

 combs could be removed separately at will, a great stimulus was 

 given to both practical and scientific bee-keeping ; consequently, 

 the ranks began to swell, as it became known that much larger 

 harvests could be secured than by the old fixed-comb methods, 

 and in every way the bees could be brought more under control. 

 But more light was yet needed, and Bee Journals were estab- 

 lished, but it was not until the year 1873 that this country could 



