Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained

The text presents a practical manual on bees and apiculture, beginning with the natural history and the distinct roles of queen, workers, and drones, their seasonal cycles and swarming behavior. It then surveys hive design and construction, comparing common, changeable, and patented forms and weighing size, materials, and costs. Detailed management practices follow: comb maintenance and pruning, use of smoke, preventing losses, obtaining surplus honey economically, and remedies for disease or starvation. Guidance emphasizes simplicity, economy, and close observation, drawn from extended hands-on experience in apiaries.