Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1890-04-03
THE APIAkY.
Bre-Keepins as an Occupation for Women.
At the convention of the International

Bee keeping as an Occupation tor Women.
At the convention of the international
American Bee Association, held at
Brantford, Ontario, the following essay
by Miss II. +. Butler was read:
The question may be, and no doubt
often has been asked, rs bee keeping a
suitable or desirable occupation for wo-
men," and after having given it a pretty
fair trial for the last eight years, l am
of the opinion that there is no reason
why any woman of moderate strength
and intelligence, should not be able to
take charge of an apiarJ of from thirty
to fifty colonies, with very little assist
ance, and derive both pleasure and
profit from the employment; at the
same time, l doubt whether there are
many who would succeed very well in
carrying on the business alone, though
of course there are a few who would.
In reading the numerous bee papers
that are published nowadays, one fire.
quentlv meets with articles on the sub
ject of, whether it is best to make a
specially Of Bookkeeping. or combine it
with some other occupation. Now l do
not believe that the farmer can carry on
both farming and Bookkeeping success
fully himself, but if he has either
VI SoIios uo Will IlfihC IL
specially of this department, bee-Eeep-
ing, it may very advantageously be COM
bined with farming; and l do not know
of any reason why girls might not make
as great success of the business as
boys.
The wife is supposed to have her
hands quite full enough with household
work, and, | may say, her head, too, and
for any one, either boy or girl, man or
woman, to do any good with bees, they
must give them their individual atten
ton, and be really interested and en-
thusiastic over their work.
Eternal vigilance is the price of sue
cess" in any business, and in none more
than IN Bookkeeping. 1t is not only
labor, but n science, and will make con-
slant demands, not only on the patience,
but on the bodily strength and intelli-
gence of those who engage in it; at the
same time there is fascination about
the business which relieves it of all
tediousness. A woman will think of her
bees, study about them, and become so
interested as TO he almost paid for her
work by the love of it.
l believe it would be we'll worth while
for any one who has not been in the
way of having the management of an
apiary, to spend one season with a skill
full bee keeper before embarking in the
business on his own account, as he
would then find out not only the best
methods of working, but also whether
the kind of work suited him. However,
even with this preparation, all will not
succeed, for l know lady who took
this course. and afterwards failed en-
tirely when she was working for her.
self; while others. who have only
learned what they could from books and
papers, besides the suggestions and in
structions given them by more expert
enced bee keeping friends, have done
very we'll.
In conclusion, may say that great
deal of the work in the apiarv is quite
as we'll adapted for women as for men,
and also III the care of the honey, and
in preparing it for market.
Where they are most likely to feel
their deficiency. is in the lack of skill
to do the various carpentering jobs
that seem to be inseparably connected
with bee keeping. l imagine that it is
the exception, rather than the rule, to
find woman who knows how to handle
tools. though even this they
may acquire enough of to answer the
purpose, where there is a necessity for
doing so.