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+ 
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CLAIMS. 49 
$30.00. A gentleman in this town, who has used the Protective Bee 
Hive, has realized from one colony, in honey and increase of stock, 
the value of $25.00 in a single year. It 1s a good business, which pays, 
over and above all its necessary expenses, a net profit of 100 per cent. 
per annum upon the investment. Bees do more than this when 
properly managed. I have three swarms, which have paid me in 
honey and increase of stock, upwards of $100 in two years. The 
average profit upon my entire stock for three years has been 327 per 
cent. per annum, or $3.27 cents has been the annual profit on every 
dollar invested. It is strictly true that there is no living creature, 
which is subject to the control of man, which pays so large a per cent- 
age of profit upon the capital invested as the Honey-Bee, when a 
proper mode of culture is adopted. A Bee-keeper, with a judicious 
system of management, may expect to receive a profit upon his invest- 
ment, varying from 100 to 500 per cent. per annum. Such, at least, 
has been my experience, or receipt of profits, for several successive 
years, while others within the circle of my knowledge have done even 
better than this. 
CHAPTER XVI. 
CLAIMS. 
BEE-CULTURE Is an enterprise which has claims peculiar to itself. 
It is recommended to our attention by considerations which can appro- 
priately be urged, relative to few, if any, other enterprises. It is both 
interesting and profitable, and when properly conducted, is conducive 
to mental and moral improvement. There is so much which is truly 
wonderful in the instincts and stereotype habits of the Honey-Bee, 
_ that the most stupid can hardly fail to be attracted by their curious 
economy, when their work or mode of procedure is brought distinctly 
to view, as may be done at any time by the use of an observatory hive. 
The inquisitive, the curious, the philosophical, and the refined, are, as 
a matter of course, most deeply interested in their operations. There 
a is too much true philosophy, and too much scientific accuracy in their 
> 
“ey 
work, to allow it to pass unnoticed and unadmired. ‘The fact that their 
work pays a larger per centage of profit on the capital invested than 
