River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-06-15
Of Anne lean Bee Journal.
Is Bee KeepinQ Profitable /?

My crop OF honey raised during the season
of 1881 was most of 1t sent to commission
merchants, as | was not able to find sale for
| it at prices at which l thought it ought to
sell for, hence the present time finds me
| hearing from the last lot which closes out
my entire stock. The most of my crop was
| shipped in lots of about 300 lbs each to diff
! ferent commission men in New York, Bos-
| ton. Philadelphia, ETC., and was sold quickly
at from 90 to 25 cents per h., while the lot
| just closed out, which was shipped to large
dealer, together with large consignment Of
my neighbors, ON the cooperative plan,
recommended by some, brought from u
cents per ib. up to 90, thus proving that the
cooperative plan is not always the best. AT
| ter placing the amount of this last sale on
my ledger, it vas but natural that | should
| look over the debit and credit columns to see
what my bees have paid me for my seasons
labor. After footing the whole receipts and
deducting the expenses incurred by the bees
| therefrom, find have an average profit of
S29.63 for each colony, | had in the spring,
as the cash receipts free of all expense.
| Thus it will be seen, if perso can care Tor
| 100 colonies OF bees land it is don by many
OF our practical apiaristsl, this would give an
income OF 50, 500 year. But to be on the
safe side, suppose we call it 60 colonies, thus
| giving salary OF 81, 4si.50. | will admit
that the season 1881 was better than an ay-
erage one for honey in this locality, and
| therefore to be sure and not get our figures
too high, we will take off 80 from the
above when we have left 81 900 as an average
yearly income for one person. As proof that
the above is not over drawn, will say that
have cleared on an average oyer $1,000 on
my bees each year for the past nine years
with an average OF less than so colonies each
year.
| That bee keeping will compare favorably
| with any other persuit in life firmly believe;
and the trouble why SO many fail in it is
that they do not properly attend to it. Men
will give their horses and cattle the best OF
care; but when it comes to the bees, they let
them take care of themselves, with the ex-
ception OF living swarms and putting on and
| taking off boxes. What would they expect
of their cows, if treated in that way2 The
keeping of cows means milking twice day
for at least 30 days out OF the year, and feed
ing them three times day for $50 days, say
ing nothing about cleaning stables and other
work necessary to carry ON diary. When
men are willing to thus care for bees they
will find they viii give . greater profit than
can be obtained from cows, or any other
branch OF rural industry Bee keeping
means work, ENERGETIC WORK, a 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 hives, and all the modern APP
planes, just as our enterprising dairyman
would have the best breed of cows, and the
best utensils to care for the milk. Also
man must have liking for the business.
No man will ever make bee keeping profitable
who prefers to lounge about country store,
or tavern, instead OF working in his apairy.
In fact person will not succeed ia any busl-
ness, unless he has enough love for his CALI
ing in life so he will be dlligent and faithful
thereto. 'sSeest thou man diligent in bust
ness, he shall stand before kings" was what
Solomon told his son; and the saying is as
true to-day as it ever was. II a person is not
willing to spend the time on bees which they
require, he had better keep out OF the bust
ness; for sooner or later they will become
disguised with it, if it is undertaken with
the idea, that "bees work for nothing, and
boaId themselves"
e. M. DooLTTLE.