can probably be secured for $50. An extractor will be needed when you reach the 50-colony mark. As soon as you reach this number you can begin to run for extracted honey and increase at the same time, until 100 or 150 colonies are secured. A profit of at least $12 or $15 per colony may be expected, if the bees are given reasonable care. Even greater profits can be secured by those who develop an aptitude for the work and study their bees. Estimating your average yearly crop per colony at 125 pounds (which is very conservative for Florida), and selling at 20c per pound retail, you can realize $25 gross profit per colony. Expenses will not be more than $2 per colony. One hundred fifty colonies can net $3,000 annually on an investment of $1,500. This will pay one’s expenses in Florida and leave some thing as profit. In time a larger apiary or series of apiaries may be built up, with a resuiting enlargement of the honey income.

The demand for honey is growing every day, and this means more bees must be kept. To those who supply the demand for honey, a very fair profit is possible and quite easy to secure, especially in the “Land of Flowers.’’