760 



AMEPICAN BEE 10URNAL. 



Nov. 28, 1901. 



M'Mi:i I I - MILES, OF CRAWFORIl CO., IOWA. 



times we must specialize. By this I mean that we must select 

 one line of business and push that one thing. Even what a 

 few years ago would be counted as one line of business, we 

 find now divided into several different and special branches. 

 One man's specialty is extracted honey, another coml), a third 

 queen-rearing, and such division and subdivision. It is possi- 

 ble for one man or firm to handle succes.sfully several lines, 

 but to do so requires a much larj^er outlay of capital. The 

 thought is, the specialist, giving his time and energy to the 

 one thing — mastering all the details and facilitating his pro- 

 duction or conduct of the business— is able to discount all 

 competitors who are less well prepared. The specialist hav- 

 ing acquired the knowledge and facilities for handling the 

 business, adds to its volume at a very nominal additional out- 

 lay, and it is this increased volume of business handled from 

 approximately the same basis of equipment used in the smaller 

 business, that enables the special and extensive operators to 

 discount the lesser. 



It is the argument in favor of great combinations, that 

 the multitude of small factories or businesses, when combined 

 under o«5^t??i£'>-a/ head and management, can be run much 

 more cheaply than when all run separately and independently. 

 Combination gives power, and an unjust use of this power be- 

 comes oppression and extortion. Tlie fact that combination 

 gives a power that often is used for extortion, does not invali- 

 date my argument, but strengthens it— there is no disputing 

 the fact that in union there is strength. The general benefits 

 of co-operation or combination I will not now discuss, nor the 

 wrong use of power, which comes of combination; I have in- 

 troduced the thought here because specialism and combina- 

 tion are things that must be considered in our business calcu- 

 lations. My aim in this series of articles on " Apiculture as a 

 Business" is to get our ideas down to a business basis. The 

 thing most of all that has prompted this discussion, is the fact 

 that there is an epidemic bee-fever in Colorado, and very many 

 are rushing into the business, apparently only to make finan- 

 cial failures. 



I am going to take the proposition of one going into api- 

 culture as a money-making procedure, calculating cost of 

 equipment and all necessary expenditures, and analyzing the 

 business in its details to the final outcome. This will include 

 a consideration of locality, market conditions, ability of apia- 

 rist, and methods to obtain results. 



One of the very first and most common mistakes made by 

 all classes, is a failure to consider the cost, final chances of 

 success, and, whether there is room and opportunity tor their 

 proposed venture. Suppose some one has a longing to embark 

 in the business in my territory here. He thinks I am making 

 money, and surely he is as smart as I am— if Aikin can suc- 

 ceed so can he. He does not stop to think that I am already 

 established in the business, that I have spent years of study 

 and hundreds and hundreds of dollars in investigations, experi- 

 ments and advertising, have built up a trade— in short, have 

 spent years laying the foundation for a luisiness. Few stop 

 to consider that it is not a question simply of mere personal 

 fitness, but of preparation and becoming fitted by practice and 

 familiarity with the thing we are to deal with. 



I note that many of these investors are paying $> a colony 

 for their stock to start with. They, being no judges of the 

 condition of the stock, get good, dad and indifferent, various 

 sized hives, ill-titting supers, queenless colonies, foul stock — 

 many undesirable things. In order to have a basis I shall 



take the So-a-colony price, considering that this price gets 

 regular hives and two supers to the hive. 1 shall also consider 

 that 20U colonies will be all the prospective apiarist can 

 handle, and that some experience has been had to enable the 

 owner to begin with a fair foundation knowledge of the man- 

 agement of bees. 



The 200 colonies at $5 is $1000; honey and storage- 

 room (small) -S 100: smokers, knives, veils, cart or barrow, 

 solar or other wax-extractor, saws, hammers and tools to 

 make or repair hives, etc., i:i2^f; total investment, SL 1 2i'. 



A 2o-pound yield from the 200 colonies would give 500i) 

 pounds — but suppose a 50 pound crop — 10,000 pounds. Ac- 

 cording to a former estimate (see article No. 2) U>.< 'OO 

 pounds costs in fovindation, sections, and cases, $200. The 

 bees assessed at $1 a colony and at a general total tax of 2}^ 

 percent, is S-5 — a total outlay of cash for the 10,000 pounds 

 of honey, S20.5. At the average price noted in article No. 2, 

 this crop of honey being 4 1 6 cases and a fraction (we will 

 drop the fraction) brings $915.20. Take from this the $iOb, 

 cash paid, and yTl0.2o remains to pay interest on the in- 

 vestment and for the apiarist's labor and living. 



Now let us run the calculations through on an average 

 yield of half the foregoing. We have 2o8 cases at $2.2" — 

 S45T.H0: taking from this $105 for sections, foundation, 

 cases and taxes, leaves for the labor and interest $352.(50. A 

 glance at these figures shows at once that if the owner can 

 not handle the stock himself and alpne. if for any reason he 

 has to have hired help, very little will be left of the income. 



But I know many will say, "What of the increase? That 

 is worth something." Let us see what it is worth. A fair in- 

 crease for 200 colonies would be 100, when handled at all 

 with a view to getting the surplus yields I have allowed in the 

 foregoing estimates. 100 new hives, two supers each, will 

 cost in the flat aliout $1.50 each; nailed and painted, with 

 starters in the brood-frames, the apiarist doing the labor, the 

 hives cost about $2.00 each. I allowed at the start $5 a col- 

 ony for the stock purchased to begin with, but it would not be 

 a safe price on the increase. There is a limit to all things. 

 "Vou do not expect to go on increasing and selling your in- 

 crease to your neighbors to go into business and be your com- 

 petitors; and not only competitors, but to overstock your pas- 

 turage and cut down your yields. Even if you did expect to 

 sell the increase there would soon be no market for it — you 

 could not continue that line of policy very long. I should say 

 that $3 a colony would be a good, big allowance for the in- 

 crease. 



So far. we have gone on the assumption that the original 

 stock remains intact, no losses in winter from queenlessness 

 or any other cause. A small annual increase is necessary to 

 make up for the unavoidable losses: it is a rare thing to get 

 through the winter without a few losses from queenless colo- 

 nies at least. This necessitates, then, some additional capital 

 invested in hives. If we must, in order to keep up the stock, 

 have some extra hives for increase, our capital put into the 

 business is greater than the $1120. given at the start. To 

 have a really safe basis to keep up the original stock, one 

 should have about 25 extra hives, making so much increase 

 in them to be doubled back or substituted for the vinavoidable 

 losses. 



There is still another item not yet considered. No matter 

 whether the yield be 5, OOO or I 0. 00" pounds, there will be 

 of necessity a surplus of sections and foundation, for one can 

 not time to an exact count. The unfinished sections left over 

 when you have clean<'(l up 5,000 pounds of marketable honey 

 or any other amount, will be from 10 to 20 percent, some- 

 times reaching 40 or 50 percent. This represents only the 

 sections used or placed on the hives, while there must, of 

 necessity, be an additional stock carried in order to have 

 enough. If we anticipate a 10,000-pound yield, we can 

 scarcely do less than buy and p7ii up at least 1 0,00o sections, 

 even though we do not get half of them filled. And, if one 

 expects to do the work and care for the stock himself, it be- 

 comes a necessity that sMprospectively needed \\\\eii,seQt\ons, 

 and all supplies except cases, be purchased ahead and pre- 

 pared, enough to hold the biggest crop expected, for 200 col- 

 onies will keep one hand hustling during the honey-flow. 



These extra supplies needed and carried in stock, must be 

 added to the investment of bees, honey-house and tools. Two 

 hundred colonies in one apiary are too many — they should be 

 in two places. If in two yards, a horse and wagon will be 

 needed. Witliout any more itemizing I am going to put the 

 necessary money capital to be invested in a 200-colony busi- 

 ness where $5 a colon v has to be paid for the bees, at §1500. 

 Ordinarily it is not done for less. 



In the foregoing estimates I have put the figure much 

 higher than any green hand could accomplish. I have taken 

 it for granted that a// the product was No. 1 honey, whereas 



