Under the above title it is intended to give a series of six papers on the subject of “Practical Bee-keeping,” of which this one is the first.
[Illustration: STOCK-BOX AND FLOOR, SHOWING QUILTS AND FRAMES.]
It is presumed that the reader is a stranger as yet to the pleasures of bee-keeping, but has some desire to know a little about these extraordinary, interesting and useful insects, and thus to solve some of the mysteries of the hive. The best way to do this is to keep a hive of bees of your own, and the following papers, as they appear month by month, will aim at giving seasonable directions for establishing and managing it.
Bee-keeping is a pursuit that has several peculiar advantages to recommend it. Much pleasure is derived in obtaining an insight into the habits and requirements of these interesting insects by actual handling and observation. There is also the aid to health, which a moderate amount of exercise in fresh air and sunlight, with a restful change of occupation for the mind, cannot fail to bring. And last, but not least, there is the honey—the prize at the end of the season for the diligent bee-keeper, the sum-total of little tokens of gratitude contributed by thousands of little workers, each so tiny, but which, when put together, form a very substantial and adequate return for all the trouble and attention bestowed upon them. This last brings with it the pleasure of being able to place on the family table the product of one’s own bees, or if it amounts to more than can well be disposed of at home, there will be the profit that will accrue from disposing of it at a fair price to friends. There are, indeed, many people living in the country who are able to make quite a useful addition to their income by following this pursuit.
Perhaps the only thing that can be said against commencing bee-keeping is the possibility of getting stung, but this is almost always the result of too frequent or careless handling; it is seldom worse than a passing inconvenience, and the bee-keeper soon learns to look upon it as a factor not worth taking into account. The timid, however, may render themselves nearly sting-proof by the use of india-rubber gloves lined with wool, besides the veil usually worn by bee-keepers to protect the face.