The Osceola times., 1885-07-18
BEE CULTURE.
Suggestions to Persons Who Contemplate
Engaging In the Business OF Bookkeeping.


Suggestions to Persons who Contemplate
Engaging In the Business Of Bookkeeping.
That many persons fail at reaching
success in keeping bees is undoubtedly
true. That more money has been spent
in some localities for colonies of bees,
hives, honey-extractors, boxes and
frames than the purchasers ever realize
for honey sold in the market or eaten in
their own houses is also undoubtedly
true. Every few years there is honey
craze that affects entire communities.
The inventor of some new-fangled bee
hive obtains a patent on 1t and adver-
tises to sell territorial rights. Enter.
prising agents scour the country and by
means of plausible talk and tempting
circulars induce many persons to en-
gage in the business of keeping bees.
Several enthusiasts have written books
on the profits of bee-culture which are
misleading. Occasionally maya
zine writer prepares an article on this
subject which secures million readers
| and gains many thousands of
converts to the belief that almost any
person can gain fortune by keeping
bees. Paragraphs in newspapers,
! which become sweeter every time they
are copied. state how some crippled
soldier, lone widow orfrendless orphan
secured a colony of bees, and in the
course of a few years had an apiary of
thousand hives and the income of
retired capitalist. The press is always
ready to chronicle success in any de-
partment of husbandry. 1t is responsi-
BILE for many of the failures in fruit
raising, sugar-making, poultry-breed
ing and bee keeping, because it does
not give the number and extent Of the
failures that occur. 1t presents the
bright side of every portion of farm
life The local paper will inform the
public if one of its subscribers quad
ruplcd his colonies in year and lifted
a mortgage with the money received
from the sale of honey. 1t will make
no mention of the losses sustained by
another person living in the same town.
That many persons fail in keeping
bees is not wonderful They 90 into
the business with no knowledge to it
derived from books. observation or ex-
p'iltuNts iit Doi ihdDttu W IL
by nature and do not take kindly TO il.
They are not situated where they can
keep bees to advantage, and they have
little or no time TO devote to them. They
read that Bookkeeping pays and they
are desirous of making money without
work. They should not expect to sue
ceed in business that requires knowl-
edge skill, care and watchfulness, as
well as a favorable location. That many
persons have found bee excepting both
pleasant and profitable is certain. Not
only men but women and youths have
succeeded in keeping bees. In Germany
boys and girls manage apiaries and de-
rive large incomes from them. That
many persons in this country would find
the keeping of bees pleasant and profit
able employment seems certain. They
should, however, exercise caution and
discretion in commencing it. They
should acquire considerable knowl-
edge from books before they purchase
their first colony of bees.
1t is stated by those who have bees.
hives and books 20 sell that bees can be
kept. in city, village or country to ex-
cellent advantage. This may be true if
an expert keeps the bees There are To-
cations particularly adapted to the sue
cessful keeping of bees as there are To-
cations specially suited to these in
dustries A good location for bees
may be determined by an abundance of
flowers yielding honey during several
months in the year. Considerable may
be done in raising crops on farm
where bees are kept that furnish honey
that can be gathered. Still. there is
little evidence to show that there is any
profit in raising flowers simply to pro-
duce honey. Buckwheat is profitable
crop to raise for producing grain, and
the honey furnished by the blossoms
will enable bees to fill the combs in their
hives. White clover is desirable in
every pasture. as it furnishes excellent
food for stock, while it yields large
amount of honey. Many other plants
can be raised in field or garden that
will return a profit on their production
and besides yield a considerable amount
of honey. Still, the bee-keeper must
rely principally on trees and minor
plants of spontaneous production
for honey. In this part of
the country the linden, or bass
wood, locust, tulip, willow and
box-elder trees yield the largest amount
of honey. An apiary established near
large collections of these trees will have
great advantage over one located on a
,reeless prairie or near woods consist
ing of trees that do not blossom. or
whose flowers contain little or no
honey. In newly-settled portions of
the country most of the honey will be
furnished by native trees. but in places
long settled the supply will be derived
from fruit trees and small plants that
have been introduced. Persons con-
templatng engaging in Bookkeeping
would do well to take these facts into
consideration. They would also do
well to ascertain if the territory Is not
already well occupied by persons who
have established apiaries
Persons who have had no experience
in Bookkeeping would do well to COM
mence on very small scale. A start
can be made with a single colony. This
will cost but a small sum, and the man
agement of it and the swarms it will
produce will afford the needed expert
ence. IL is best 10 obtain the colony
from some reliable dealer during the
months of April or May. BY securing
the colony early in the season the pur-
chaser has the benefit of the Increase
If hive of bees is removed after it is
partially filled with new honey the