The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-29
ISN'T A SOFT SNAP.
E. Davidson o. Garden City Discusses
Details of Bee Business.

of Garden City. who read paper last
night before the Kansas Beekeepers
association. Beekeeping requires the
best thought. attention and energy OIL
any man, he declared, and the novice
becomes competent to keep bees oniy
after hard study. Hard work brings
returns this as well as any other IN
dustry according to Mr. Davidson, but
the FORK must be done and properly
dee.
The fact that people expect easy
money causes many of them to rail- III
beekeeping, he said, and this Injuries
the industry. Mr.. Davidson said:
1.-The ar ateur who is thinking OF 60
ing into the bee business as PROBES
sion must first make up his MIND TO
learn the business before he is COM
petent to make it a success There isn't
one person in a hundred who starts out
to keep bees and succeeds. The reason
of this is they think there is nothing or
very little to be learned, and that all
they have to do is to get a few DeeS
and the bees will do the rest.
1T takes years of reading after the
masters. and at the same time prac-
teal work in the apiary. Reading and
what you hear from others are only
t',nor-- but going into the bee yard and
working with +-afn is the practical part
of it. Theory and practice go hand IN
hand. A doctor who got enthused and
thought he would like to get some bees
and work them for profit, asked a bee
keeper how long it would take him TO
learn the business The beekeeper said:
1T would take you as long to learn the
science of beekeeping as it would for
one to learn to be practic1ng physi-
cian.' The doctor never got any bees
That was too much for him.
IF a persc~ is d student and likes
the business it will then take several
years to get bees enough so that he
can turn his whole attention to 1t, II
he only adds to his apiary as he Is COM
petent to handle item to profit
Location is one of the important
things to be taken into account. The
expert beekeeper may fail if his loca-
ton Is poor. There are many good 10
cations yet unoccupied. Never go into the
country that other. good beekeepers
failed in. If you find a place that 9TH
ers have succeeded with a large num-
Der of bees, you may take 1t for grant,
ed that what others have done you can
do also, if you have the qualifications
Good locations are more plentiful than
good beekeepers. Good beekeepers are
few and far between-if you judge them
by their fruits. Location has much to
do with the fruit of the apiary, but not
all Much depends on the skill that Is
put into the management of the ousl-
ness.
Market is an important factor which
must be taken into consideration.
may say that there is no end to the
market, but much depends on the dis
tance you have to send your product to
market. Happy is the man who has d
home market for all his product, but
very few extensive beekeepers enjoy
that kind of market. Build up your
trade by fair and honest dealing. Moth
ing helps a man in business so mucn
as a pleased customer. A pleased Gus
toner will always return and bring
others with him. Produce a good
article, be careful in grading, give
little rather than take little. Adver-
tise your business in every way possi- |
BILE. A comb of honey given away will
create a friendly feeling. Stuff your
neighbors' kids with honey once in a
while. Even the older ones like to be
stuffed.
"If 1 were looking up a location, I
would first inquire into the kind and
quality as we'll as the quantity of honey |
that could be produced 1 think that
some of our honey dew men will feel
the full force of this suggestion
1.-THE beekeeper must decide for him |
self the number Of colonies that can be |
kept in one yard. The experienced per- |
son will not be long in deciding that
matter correctly. The cost of handling |
bees so that one can make good lfF- |
ing out of them is no small matter. I
would say that $1,000 would be a very
conservative estimate, and with that !
years work for one crop of honey. If
that fails you have to do like the farm |
er that loses his crop, grin and bear it.
The assessor came to my place one
year on his rounds and among other
questions, he asked how many bees L
had. how much honey 1 had and what I
got for it. I told him. He rolled up his
eyes and looked at me with a surprised |
look and said, Well declare, that's a
good deal to get for nothing. That was
his conception of the bee business. Peo-
pie with that sort of an idea of the bee
business always fail. He. thought it
was all clear profit and no work. l
have r---a out different. 1 have found
out fo- a person TO succeed in anything !
and especially the bee business, he must ,
rive it his best energy and thought. He
must be a student all the time. So I
might sum up the whole matter by say
ing First learn the business Look we'll !
to your location, to the market. kind
and quality of honey. Order supplies
early and do much Of your work before |
you have to go among the bees in the |
spring''
Monday afternoon the beekeepers
transferred their HEADQUARTERS to the |
Commercial club rooms because the at |
tendance was so much larger than ex- |
pected that the rooms in the hotel could
not accommodate them. The evening
session was also held in the CONNER
cial club rooms.
AS was predicted the old officers of
the association We're reelected. They |
are P. r. Hobhle Dodge City. presi- |
d~,+ Mrs. 7. D Smith Troy, vice presi- |
dent: Q. A. Keene. topeka. secretary |
and treasurer. The Shawnee County |
Reekeepers' association also elected Of |
ficers at the meeting last night They !
are o. Raiders. Topeka, president; ]. |
P. Lucas, Topeka, secretary and treas |
urer.
The next meeting of the beekeepers |
will be held in Topeka, the date to be |
decided pom later.
Tho mee+in~ o,,oeaa with a s'honey"
hanouet at the Trap cafe. 1t
clared that the meeting which ended
last night was the best ever held in the |
state
McNEAI SPEAKS FOR STUBS.