Beekeeping

Apiculture - the maintenance of honeybees and hives - provides farmers and hobbyists with a variety of enterprises including production of beeswax, honey and other edible bee products; crop pollination services, and the sale of bees to other beekeepers.

Among the National Agricultural Library's historical resources on bee culture are numerous illustrated works that show the wide variety of hives and equipment that were used in the United States and around the world.

In addition to rare books, nursery and seed trade catalogs advertising beekeepers' supplies provide glimpses into the art and craft of beekeeping.

The NAL's collection on the Internet Archive features digitized historical documents on beekeeping.