ANIMAL LIFE IN THE GARDEN 



347 



poUenation, and if you are interested in the possibility of netting a 

 comfortable sum each year at the cost of an occasional hour or two 

 of pleasant, not difficult or heavy work — ^then plan to add to your 

 garden features some colonies of bees. The initial expense is not 

 heavy. Twenty-five dollars will provide you with a full equipment 

 of tools, a colony of bees including a queen, a completely fitted hive 

 and two more hives to keep in reserve for future swarms. It is not 

 unusual for a colony to double, that is, to produce another by swarm- 

 ing each year, in addition to yielding from 25 to 50 or more pounds 

 of honey a season, depending upon the weather, etc. The bees get 

 their food from flowers over a range of several miles so you are not 

 required to feed them except in emergencies, when a little sugar 

 sirup or surplus honey may be given them. As suggested they 

 poUenate the blossoms of fruits and vegetables and insure heavy sets 

 that could not be duplicated even by extensive, costly hand poUen- 

 izing. And contrary to many opinions, they are quiet, peaceable if 

 not tormented, easily managed by one who knows what he is doing 

 and how to do it, and altogether offer an appropriate and highly 

 desirable feature to be included in the home orchard or even the small 

 home garden. More home gardens should have their apiaries for the 

 sake of both the pleasure and the profit they offer. 



Rabbits: While it is probably true that many exaggerated and 

 unfounded claims have been made as to the money making possi- 

 biUties of rabbit culture, at the same time a few hares, like a small 

 flock of poultry, can be kept on the small place at small expense and 

 little trouble, with benefit to the owner in several ways. Rabbit 

 meat is a real delicacy and under home garden culture conditions can 

 be produced very reasonably; rabbits will consume much of the waste 

 green matter from the garden, save the trouble of getting rid of it, and 

 turn it into delicious meat; a rabbit hutch und pens take up but httle 

 room; the care of rabbits is an interesting task for the boys and girls 

 in the family; and surplus stock can easily be sold, either in the market 

 or as breeding stock to others who want to take up the work. Like 

 chickens, rabbits running wild can soon damage garden crops to a 

 discouraging extent. But such results can easily be prevented by 

 foresight and attention. 



Larger Animals: As consumers of waste products and as a source 

 of valuable manure, pigs are almost invariably to be found on com- 

 mercial truck farms or vegetable growing establishments. Whether 

 conditions (including local statutes) make it possible for you to keep 

 a porker or two on your home grounds to serve these same ends, 

 you must decide for yourself. However, it is well to remember that 



