Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-16
Women as Bee-Keepers.

THERE is health in the care of bees
| as wei! as sweetness in the honey
Where is the farmers wife or daughter
or the ha65tue of a suburban home, who
would think for a moment to fOrego the
keeping of bees, for its pleasure and its
profits. But there is no pleasure in the
sting of the bee-of course not. But
there is pride in their management.
when, with steady nerve and practiced
eye, we are able to keep them in place,
and are the conscious masters of their
morals
When out in the fields gathering honey,
the bee avoids all occasion Of quarrel,
and gets out OF the way as soon as pos.
slble, and only when danger threatens
his citadel does he show a disposition to
stand on the defensive. With such an
insect, surely one may, if she choose, be
on good terms; and doing this, one
must learn to govern herself. We have
all been taught to look at the daily labors
Of the bee as valuable examples of in
ustry, but then we must give them an
opportunity to exercise this valuable gift
Of nature.
ASK the farmer who owns and cares fol-
the poultry, and he will tell you it is the
wife or daughter; then why may she not
be the owner Of the swarm of bees:
Their care will give her out door exercise
a better temper, and control of herself
Tor, every time she handles her swarms,
she is admonished that she must bear a
steady hand, and be ready to listen to
the music of her pets, for they have a
music SO varied that it stands them in
place OF words, and their language must
be familiar to her.
L am not going to urge my young lady
or old lady friends to go largely into bee.
keeping as pursuit, for, if l should, it
would bring them disappointment as Ger
tam as the attempt at poultry raising on
a large scale, for it is one of those things
that pertain to the pleasures and profits
OF the household, but cannot, under or
binary conditions, be pursued on a large
scale and as separate industry. A
homestead without trees, without veg
etabIe and flower garden, and with an alb
sence OF poultry and of bees, is not a
homestead, but place to rent to some
lonely wayfarer, whose pilgrimage is one
OF sadness, OF perjury, and Of want, and
whose cloud is embossed with dark,
lowering fringe, destitute of a silver lin
ing.
1t is to add one more itep TO the list of
home-pleasures, home training, and home
comforts, that urge the keeping of bees.
In the suburbs of our cities and villages,
we have fair supply of bee pasturage,
more SO than on the farm, unless we sow
white clover in our pastures and buck
wheat in the fields. Then we can sow
such flowers as produce honey and are
useful for other purposes. Among these,
the Rocky Mountain honey plant (Polini-
ca purpuru) promises to be of value for
chickenfeed as well as for honey. 1t may
be soWn in one corner of the garden, or
in the field, where it will take care of it.
self, for it belongs as yet to the family of
weeds, though it may claim a place
among the useful plants. At the late Bee
Keepers Convention at Indianapolis, it
had worthy mention, and was com.
mended for further trial. It's seeds are
abundant, growing in small pods like the
mustard, only larger.
The care of poultry, of flowers, and of
bees have strong affinity, and all are
identified with home, its love, its adorn,
ments, and its luxuries. We may not call
either Of them pursuit or a separate in.
dustry, but by some more endearine
name, for they are interviewer with the
household and farm, a part of our every.
day selves.
Now is the season for the laying of
plans, the preparation for spring. We
look over the lawn to see what tree shall
give room, or what new conner we shall
welcome; what border shall be given over
to grass. and what new plats shall give
place to flowers, We must plan new
places for chicken coops, and select the
| sunny side of the pines, the spruces, o.
under the broad leaves of some favoTitt
dec:duous tree; and, while we are out OF
doors for this purpose, let us provide fol
one, two, or three swarms of bces-no
close to some we'll trod path, but in the
| background, where we can see then
against the shadows Of the conifers, OF
hear their glad music among the flowers
! Then, some day, when we have placed {
smoking c,icken-pie on the table, thanked
with bouquet of roses, we may also have
dish of honey in its snowy comb, tina
shall make the dinner all the pleasanter
| and present tribute to the taste and care
| of the wife or daughter who sits thu
! queen of the feast.-ElLa, IN Chicago IrlJ
| me.
| Docs addicted to mutton are catching
the shotgun complaint in several local.
ties. They never get over it.
Miner Hilliard, of Rutland, Vt
! r. 70,