Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-06-08
Is Bookkeeping Profitable :

Under the above heading a practical
bee-keeper of New York gives the re-
suits of his labors with bees for the year
1881, and also some vigorous hints to
those who complain of poor success as
apiarists He claims that much error
and prejudice exists in the minds of
many in regard to Bookkeeping as a
profitable pursuit. He shipped his honey
in lots of 800 pounds to different COM
mission men of New York, Boston and
Philadelphia, which sold quickly at 20
and - cents per pound. A small part
of his stock was shipped with a large
consignment of his neig hbors on the CO.
operative plan, which realized less.
Having kept strict account with his
apiary, he was able to tell, Immediately
after dispo sing of his produce, how
much he had made in the year. The
profit proved to be S29.63 for each coll
ony of bees that he started with in the
spring. Thus, as he had nearly 50 col
onies, he cleared during the year 81, 400.
As the year 1881 was exceptionally ia
vorable in his locality for the production
of honey, he deducts S400 from that
amount to guard against getting the fig
ures too high. For period of nine years
he claims his yearly profit has been over
$1,000 with less than 80 colonies each
year. As an energetic and able bee
keeper can care for nearly 100 colonies
of bees, the profits can be made to reach
S2,963
This apiarist thinks that bee excepting
will compare favorably with any other
pursuit in life, and the cause why so
many fail in it is that it is made auxil-
larry to other business, and does not re-
ceive the care and attention it deserves.
Men will give their cattle and horses the
best of care, but when it comes to the
bees they let them take care of them
selves, with the exception of hiving
swarms and putting on and taking off
boxes. What would they expect from
their cows if treated in that way? The
keeping of cows means milking twice
day at least 210 days out of the year,
and feeding them three times day for
$50 days, to say nothing about cleaning
stables and other work necessary to
carry on dairy. When men are will
ing to thus care for bees, they will find
they will give greater profit than can
be obtained from cows, or any other
branch of rural industry. Bookkeeping
means work, energetic work, tsa place
for everything and everything in its
place." and to know how to do things
just at the right time and in the right
place, if we would make it profitable.
We also want the best bees, the best
beehive, and all the modern appli-
ances, just as our enterprising dairymen
would have the best breed of COWS and
the best utensils to care for the milk.
Also, a man must have 4 liking for the
business. No man will ever make bee
keeping profitable who would rather
lounge about country store or tavern
than De at work at his apiary. In fact,
a person will not succeed well in any
business unless he has love enough for
his calling in life to induce him to be
diligent and faithful thereto. ssSeest
thou a man diligent in his business. he
shall stand before kings was what King
Soloman said TO his son, and the saying
is as true TO-DAY as it ever was Ii
person is not willing to spend the time on
his bees which they require, he had bet
ter keep out of the business: for sooner
or later he will become Disguised with
it, if it is undertaken with the idea that
"bees work for nothing and board them
selves. '-Lomisiana Republican