ed to write for a sample of
"Gleanings in Bee Culture" Medina, Ohio, or to American Bee
Journal, Hamilton, Illinois, so as to get in touch with the
publishers, who issue books adapted to the wants of beginners.
These magazines also issue supply catalogues and in other ways are
quite helpful. Splendid books can be purchased at a low price
giving complete information with regard to the bee industry. Many
persons have learned the whole art of beekeeping by a careful study
of a good book on bee culture supplemented of course by
observation.

Nothing very important, however, can be learned about bees unless
one possesses a colony of bees in a movable comb hive. In fact it
is useless to attempt to obtain a knowledge of bees without a hive
to work with. I, therefore, earnestly recommend any beginner to
obtain a colony at the earliest opportunity. Very often an ordinary
box hive can be secured for a "song." This will do to begin with.
Next send for two complete standard Langstroth hives, a smoker, a
veil and a bee book; also a swarm-catcher.

If the box hive is of a medium size it will probably east two
swarms in spring about fruit-bloom time or a little later. When the
swarms emerge they may be quickly taken down by means of the
swarm-catcher, if they happen to lodge in a branch of a tree, as
they usually do. If the hives are in readiness it is no great feat
to safely place the swarms in their new homes and all will go well.
The parent colony may be disposed of in a week or ten days (not
later) after the second swarm issues, by drumming the bees out of
the box into the hive which holds the second swarm. This is done by
giving them smoke from the smoker and then battering on the hive
with a stick, which so alarms the inmates that they rush over the
side of the upturned hive into the new one. What is left is simply
a lot of dirty combs fit only for the melting pot. This is
probably, the neatest, cleanest and cheapest method of making a
start in beekeeping. It is well within the ability of most men and
the cost is comparatively small. If the bees are native blacks,
later on they may be changed to Italians simply by purchasing young
pure bred queens for about a dollar each. The old queens are killed
and new ones introduced in a cage till the bees make her
acquaintance, when she is automatically released. In two months'
time very few of the original bees will be found, all having died
from hard work and old age, and their place