The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-30
Is Bookkeeping Profitable.

My crop of honey raised during the
season of 1887 was most of it sent to
commission merchants, as / was mol
able to find sale for it at prices which
| thought it ought 10 sell for. hence the
present time finds me with the last re.
turns which closes out my crop. After
| placing the amount of the last sale on
my ledger it was but natural that ]
should look over the debit and credit
columns to see what my bees had paid
me for my seasons labor. After loot
ing up the whole receipts. and deduct
ing the expense incurred by the bees
therefrom. find 1 have an average
profit of 500. SO for each colony l had
in the spring as cash receipts, free of
all expense, except my labor. Thus it
will be seen, if person can care for
100 colonies of bees, (and it is done by
many of our practical apiarists). this
would give an income of S2,O33. 90 q
year. But to be on the safe side sup
pose we call it so colonies. thus giving
salary of S1,O16.50. The season of
1887 was no better than an average one
for bees in this locality, which being a
fact it would not be unreasonable to
say that the above might be an average
yearly income from bees for any per-
son engaged in agriculture. As proof
that the above is not overdrawn. I will
say that have cleared on an average
over 81. 900 from my bees each year for
the past IA years. with an average of
less than so colonies each year. Don't
understand me that have laid up that
much each year. as some are bound to
have it. only that I have received that
as salary, if I may so put it.
That bee keeping will compare fav-
orably with any other pursuit in life, I
firmly believe. and the trouble why so
many fail in it is that they do not prop
erly 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
exception of living swarms and put
ting 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 for at
least 210 days out of the year, and
feeding them three times day for $50
days, saying 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 as much profit as
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 profit
able.
We also want the best bees, the best
hives and all modern appliances, just
as our enterprising dairymen would
have the best breed of COWS and the
best utensils to care for milk, Also a
man must have liking for the bust
ness. No man will ever make bee
keeping profitable who prefers to
lounge about country tavern or store
instead of working in his apiary. 1t
fact. person will not succeed in any
business unless he has enough love for
his calling in life so he will be diligent
and faithful thereto. ''Seest thou a
man dilligent in his businessP he shall |
stand before kings" was what king
Solomon told his,son, and thesaying is as
rue to-day as it ever was. If person
s not willing to spend the time on his
bees which they require, he had better
Keep out of the business, for sooner or
alter he will turn from it in disgust if |
I is undertaken with the idea that |
bees work for nothing and board |
&c. H. DooLtttte, TN The |