BEGINNING WITH BEES 
121 
some other line of business. (See Bees 
and Fruit-growing; also Bees and Poul¬ 
try.) Many a professional man desires 
some sort of light recreation, and a few 
bees will afford him just the diversion he 
needs. Farmers, fruit-growers, or horti¬ 
culturists may keep from 50 to 100 colo¬ 
nies without greatly interfering with any 
other work; and nearly every one, as ex¬ 
plained under Apiary, can keep a few colo¬ 
nies in his back yard. Ten or twenty colo¬ 
nies will be almost certain to yield a much 
larger revenue, per colony, than ten times 
that number. See Baciclot Beekeeping. 
HOW AND WHERE TO BUY BEES. 
In practically all of the northern States, 
and in*all of the western States, bees are 
kept almost entirely in movable-frame 
speeted, and whether he can show a certifi¬ 
cate to that effect, telling when the bees 
were examined. Even then it will be well, 
before closing the contract, to have it un¬ 
derstood that the seller guarantees the bees 
to be free from disease of any kind, and 
to replace at his own cost any that, within 
ten days from purchase, show disease. 
Swarms of bees during the swarming 
season can often be purchased of farmer 
beekeepers for from 50 cents to $1.00 per 
pound. A medium swarm will weigh about 
five pounds and a large one eight or nine 
pounds. These, if hived on frames of 
comb foundation, would not carry bee dis¬ 
ease even from a yard or colony contain¬ 
ing foul brood. (See Foul Brood.) Where 
bees can be purchased in this form locally, 
Father’s liew pets. The whole family is interested when the beginner’s 
outfit (bees and all) arrives and is being set up. 
hives of some sort. Were it not for the 
danger of contracting bee disease it would 
be advisable for the beginner to buy two 
colonies from some local beekeeper. If he 
can be assured that the latter has no dis¬ 
ease, this is the thing to do. In some of 
the southern States black bees in box hives 
can be furnished at very reasonable rates. 
As a rule, these bees are free from disease. 
In some States the owner of bees will not 
be able to sell them without a permit from 
the State inspector. It would be advisable, 
therefore, before purchasing, to ask Mr. 
Beekeeper whether his bees have been in- 
at say, 50 cents per pound, they would be 
a good investment. Swarms at even a dol¬ 
lar or a dollar and a half a pound would 
pay if they can be purchased at a time 
when there will be a couple of weeks of 
honey flow ahead. They would then nearly 
pay for themselves the fii’st season. 
It would be well to hive them the same as 
package or combless bees obtained from 
the South. These will be mentioned fur¬ 
ther on. 
As a rule, it will be much safer for the 
beginner to buy of some reputable dealer 
who makes a business of furnishing first- 
