4-28 



GT^EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



July, 1919 



a most inspiring sight. The hnin of the 

 bees as they steadily pour into the hives, in- 

 tent only on garnering the precious and 

 wholesome treasure from the blossoms of 

 the fields, is music to him, and his occupa- 

 tion of turning the God-given instinct of the 

 bee to work for the benefit of mankind is 

 a pleasure most satisfji^ng. 



The specialist beekeeper has outdoor em- 

 ployment in abundance in the temperate cli- 

 mates commencing with the first warm days 

 of spring, and continuing until the begin- 

 ning of winter weather. 



Beekeeping as a Source of Livelihood. 



However, the uppermost question in refer- 

 ence to beekeeping, in the mind of the aver- 

 age inquirer, is, "Does beekeeping pay in 



Hives tiered as high as this are a common sight 

 in a good locality. 



dollars and cents?" for, no matter what 

 compensation in pleasure and healthfulness 

 it affords, the monetary rewards must be 

 sufficient to satisfy the requirements of 

 the individual who is seeking a good occu- 

 pation for a living. 



To answer this question, let us take an 

 example of a real beekeeper in a good but 

 by no means exceptional location for honey 

 production, operating not so many bees but 

 that he can, if necessary, do nearly all his 

 work single-handed, and therefore not men- 

 aced by strikes or other labor troubles — a 

 scientific and up-to-date beekeeper, if you 

 please, and such a one as beginners wouM 

 do well to emulate. 



Returns at Times Very High. 



For such an exanii)le I have before me a 

 report of a beekeeper of Michigan who last 

 season jiroduced, from 280 colonies of bees, 

 honey that sold for $7,486.87 — an average 

 of nearly $27.00 per colony, while some of 

 his best colonies made as high as $78.00. 

 Besides the honey he produced 350 pounds 

 of beeswax and increased his apiary by 45 

 colonies. It seems fair to place the value 

 of the 45 colonies' increase, especially in this 

 beekeeper's hands, at $32.00 per colony, 

 which would amount to $1,440; and the bees- 

 wax, at 40 cents a pound, net, which would 

 amount to $140, making a grand total gross 

 income from the apiary of $9,066 — an actual 

 average of over $32.00 per colony. The ex- 



penses of operation are not given, but they 

 would be comparatively trifling, probably 

 coming well within $1,500, and would con- 

 sist chiefly of containers for honey, com- 

 plete hives for increase, and necessary help 

 and transportation. 



As a means of money-making, the value 

 of this investment to the beekeeper may be 

 readily calculated if we know or assume the 

 percentage of profit on his capital that will 

 meet his expectations. Suppose he is satis- 

 fied with 25 per cent gross. Then his invest- 

 ment in bees and equipment would be valued 

 at $36,264, as 25 per cent of $36,264 equals 

 $9,066; and his original 280 colonies have 

 a valuation of $129.50 each, as 280 is con- 

 tained in 36,264 about 129.50 times. This 

 seems high for bees; but it also seems 

 difficult to get away from it except upon 

 the theory that the labor and skill of the 

 beekeeper are the chief factors in the pro- 

 duction of a crop of honey. 



Suppose we examine the proposition from 

 another angle, and imagine the beekeeper 

 docs not object to being classed as a " profi- 

 teer ' ' and will be satisfied with nothing less 

 than 100 per cent gross profit. Then if he 

 makes $9,066, or 100 per cent, on 280 colo- 

 nies of bees, they must represent a capital 

 of $9,066, or $32'.37 per colony. While last 

 season 's crop of honey was not abnormal, 

 tlie jobbing price was higher than may be 

 expected in the future; but the percentage 

 of profit on the valuation of $32.00 per colo- 

 ny may be considerably reduced before it 

 ceases to be attractive to the beekeeper. 



Let it also be said that this case repre- 

 sents something near the high-water mark 



Another paying proposition. 



in beekeeping, but not the highest. Others 

 liave realized larger returns for last season's 

 crop. Dr. C. C. Miller is acquainted with a 

 man who has produced a higher average in 

 dollars and cents per colony when honey was 

 only about half the prices of 1918. These 

 are reliable illustrations of the possibilities 

 of beekeeping in the hands of those operat- 

 ing such a number of colonies as may be 

 properly cared for with little outside help, 

 and, of course, represent above the average 

 in beekeeping. They serve to show that, 



