THE AUSTRALIAN EEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
171 
In ohapter 6, “ How to Obtain Good Work- 
ing Colonies,” we find the following : — “ The 
secret of successful honey production consists 
in always maintaining the proper proportion 
of adult working bees in relation to the 
quantity of brood and young bees.” That in 
our working colonies we should always hare 
young queens, and retain none that have seen 
their second summer. That queens cannot be 
too prolific, but must do their best before the 
season opens, after which they will simply 
keep pace with the wear and tear upon the 
life of the workers. To provide that the best 
powers of the queen shall be used up before 
actual storage commences, we are to have 
young queens in very strong colonies the fall 
before. 
There is much valuable advice given in the 
chapter on planting for bees, and we are 
assured that systematic planting makes profits 
ctrlain. 
I was much interested in feeding and 
feeders, buying, packing and moving bees, 
and especially in the production of wax, 
non-use of foundation, and management for 
heather honey. 
It gave me great pleasure to see the follow- 
ing under queen-rearing : — ” It has been ob- 
served that a young queen feeds upou pollen 
extensively until she has met the drone, from 
which time she is fed by the bees entirely 
upon digested food. Now just here I wish to 
show the folly of keeping young queens con- 
fined in the frame nurseries for a number of 
days after hatching, as is done exten- 
sively in sever il American queen-rearing 
apiaries. Without the nitrogenous food at 
this time when the constitution should be 
established, they are dragging out their 
existence upou sugar alone at the most im- 
portant period of their growth.” 
Hr, Sinnnins believes, as does Mr. Alley, 
that better queens can be reared by proper 
artificial means than under the swarming 
impulse. 
In justice to the author I refrain from 
giving more of this book, but I can assure the 
readers that I huvu given but a small part of 
its good points. This work is now for sale in 
this country It contains nearly 200 pages, 
and is well illustrated. I advise all pro- 
gressive beekeepers (especially those who make 
it a business) to thoroughly study this book. 
PEACTICA I, HINTS IN BEEKEEPING. 
By Henry Alley. 
From American A picul t wrist, Mareh, 1888. 
Overstocking — planting fob honey— home 
MARKET — HONEY ON COMMISSION — EXPERI- 
MENTING — KO l,' I, BROOD — HIVES — FEEDING, 
RTC. 
Tv seems to us that essays on the subject of 
"Practical Hints,” by such well-known bee- 
keepers as those who were invited to write 
them for this issue of the Apiculturist, must 
be of great value alike to the old veteran and 
novice in bee culture. 
Although at this date not any manuscript 
for the essays has reached us, yet we have an 
idea that the readers of the A pi will get the 
most valuable hints which, if followed, will, 
as a rule, lead to success in most cases. The 
contributors are known as among some of the 
best and most practical writers connected 
with bee culture. 
Perhaps it will not be out of place if the 
manager of the Api makes an attempt to give 
a few practical hints to his readers. 
OVERSTOCKING. 
The enterprising Yankee when he enters 
most any kind of business is very apt to go in 
pretty steep and in some cases overdo the 
thing and fails, or gets discouraged, not 
having the patience to wait for returns which 
are sure to come sooner or later. 
One reason why a good many who have 
started in beekeeping have failed was because 
of overstocking. If one hundred colonies are 
placed in a location where there is but forage 
enough to support properly twenty-five or 
fifty colonies, one will not have long to wait 
to know that beekeeping in such a place can- 
not be made a success. Prom twenty-five to 
fifty colonies of bees w ill do well five seasons 
out of six in most any country town in New 
England, I refer to a location where there is 
no basswood forage, and where the bees 
depend largely on fruit blossoms and white 
clover and have a fair ehance to forage on late 
fall flowers. Well, now if twenty-five colonies 
do well, do not increase the apiary to fifty or 
more colonies at one jump. If twenty-five or 
thirty colonies have done extra well for three 
years in succession, the apiary may safely be 
increased to fifty colonies. Then wait two 
years, and if the fifty colonies seem to store 
large amounts of surplus honey, the apiary 
can be further increased. Do not attempt to 
make beekeeping a special business unless 
your apiary is situated where basswood and 
white clover are very abundant. 
PLANTING FOR HONEY. 
The statements made in the Api of the new 
honey plants by Mr. Tyrrcl and others have 
satisfied me that it will pay to plant for 
honey. If a plant can be found that will 
produce honey of a good quality in' a wet 
season, and one on which bees will work while 
the weather is such that white clover and 
other bloom yield no honey, then the bee- 
keeper has nothing to fear so far as a honey 
dearth is concerned. All who keep bees are 
not so situated that they can plant for 
honey, yet in most country places there is 
plenty of waste land that may be secured at a 
low price and on which one may plant and 
utilise for the use of his apiary ; therefore we 
say, plant for honey, it will pay. 
HOME MARKET. 
The small beekeeper, and those who have 
other business besides keeping bees are not 
