82 



THE r.ER-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



it, howevei'. every word, and future 

 issues of the Review will contain 

 frequent comments upon wliat I liave 

 read in "I^'orty Years Amony tlie 

 Bees." 



•^^■"^•^^^^■■^ 



SUCCESSFUr^ COMMERCIAI, BEE-KEEPING. 



Nearly all bee-lveeping is commer- 

 cial l)ee keeping in the sense that it is 

 followed for the profit that it affords. 

 A friend of mine who receives, I have 

 been told, a large salary as superin- 

 tendent of a manufacturing concern, 

 is also an amateiu- bee-keeper. He 

 was once enumerating the different 

 points lie kept in view that liis profits 

 miglit grow larger and larger, when I 

 said to him, "Bro. D., I thought you 

 were keeping bees for pleasure, and 

 did not concern yourself very much 

 al)out the profits." His reply covers 

 the ground of nearly all amateur bee- 

 keeping. He said, '"Bro. H., it is true 

 that I am keeping bees for pleasure, 

 but the greater the profit, the greater 

 th(> pleasure." With the majority of 

 us the chief end of bee-keeping is the 

 profit. I don't deny that there is a 

 rare pleasure in tlie work, as tliere 

 should be, and is, in all work except 

 to the man who has missed liis call- 

 ing, but tlie main object In keeping 

 bees is to gain a liveliliood, to secure 

 money with which to buy the neces- 

 sities, comforts and pleasures of life. 

 With the men wlio are keeping bees 

 for this purpose I wisli to have a 

 lusirt to heart talk. It may be some- 

 wliat rambling, and sever.al points 

 m;iy be brought up. but they will all 

 have a bearing ni>on the subject under 

 discussion. 



First a few words about health. Of 

 course, good healtli is necessary in 

 all callings. The sick or sickly man 

 c;ni not accomplish much. If yon 

 h.ave losl your her.lth, the first step is 

 to regain it. INIedicine is sometimes 

 necessary, but, oftener, it is some 



needed change in the maimer of liv- 

 nig. The food we eat, the li(!ulds avc 

 (h'iiik. tlie clothes we wear, the air 

 we breathe, the exercise we take, our 

 habits of life, make or mar us phys- 

 ically; and a physical wreck event- 

 n.-iUy becomes a menial wreck. Of 

 course, the Review can not go into 

 any elaborate discussion of the liealth 

 problem, but please allow one little il- 

 lustration. Almost every fall, for 

 several years, I have been laid up 

 with a sort of rheumatic fever. Two 

 years ago we began using distilled 

 water, and not one sick day have I 

 seen since. I have never felt fresher, 

 stronger nor younger. For some otln^r 

 person, or locality, something ditfei'- 

 ent miglit liave been the needed pan- 

 acea. If you are not well, the first 

 step is to go resolutely to work to 

 learn the cause, and effect its remov- 

 al. Tliere are several journals and 

 boolvS devoted solely to health, to 

 teaching right methods of living, and 

 a few dollars spent in securing them, 

 and a few hours in studying them, 

 would probably do more towards re- 

 storing your liealth. provided the ad- 

 vice is heeded, than would ten times 

 the amount spent in medicines. A 

 physician's advice and medicine are 

 often needed, but no one knows bet- 

 ter than he, tliat were the laws of 

 healtli Avell known and heeded his 

 services would seldom be re(iuired. 

 Ill-health is largely the I'esult of ig- 

 norance. Study and remove tliis ig- 

 norance. Become as earnest and en- 

 thusiastic in regaining and keejiing 

 your health as you arc^ in securing a 

 big crop of honey. Then you will 

 eventually put yourself in a condition 

 so that you can secnre the big crop. 



If you are well and sti'oiig, tlie next 

 step is a thorough examination of 

 your business to see if some radical 

 changes are not nc^eded. In the first 

 place, avo yon keeping enough bees"^ 



