234 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



observed, all needful operations can be performed 

 with but little danger. In regard to remedies to al- 

 lay the pain or to prevent swelling when stung, I 

 never use any, and know of nothing that will always 

 give relief. Sometimes saleratus or soda, applied 

 immediately, will alleviate the pain, but it as often 

 fails. The poison is generally inserted so deep that 

 it is hard to reach with any remedy in time to give 

 relief. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



OVERSTOCKING. 

 CAN THE COUNTRY BE OVERSTOCKED WITH BEES ? 



I answer emphatically, Yes, it can ! and permit me 

 here to say, that whoever argues to the contrary is 

 either attempting to mislead and deceive the people 

 or is himself deceived. Whilst I am willing to ad- 

 mit that in almost any region of country where bees 

 are kept, more honey is produced at certain times 

 during the season than there are bees to gather and 

 store it, yet if there were enough bees to fully gather 

 at such times, they would starve and perish at other 

 periods when but little is produced. 



But let us see how the matter stands. From the 

 opening of spring until about the tenth of June, 

 there is but a limited amount of honey-producing 

 flowers, enough, perhaps, to supply thirty or forty 

 colonies to the square mile, and enable them to ad- 

 vance reasonably well until the clover season, when 



