16 Beekeeping 



obstacles may be overcome, but in a commercial apiary the 

 work must be done promptly, for delay means loss. While 

 some women have found pleasure and profit in commercial 

 beekeeping, it emphatically cannot be recommended for 

 the majority of women, and this should be made clear to 

 avoid disappointment for those who may be attracted to it. 

 Of course, this applies only to those women who have no 

 man in the company to do the heavy work. Many a pro- 

 fessional beekeeper has received assistance of incalculable 

 value from the women of the family. It should be made 

 clear that the obstacles to the commercial success of women 

 beekeepers are physical ones only. 



Advantages in extensive beekeeping. 



Several references have been made to the desirability of 

 encouraging professional beekeeping, and this should be ex- 

 plained to avoid misunderstanding. Everyone who desires 

 to keep bees, of course, has that privilege, so long as by so 

 doing he does not interfere with the rights of others. By 

 common consent, a man's bees are not considered as tres- 

 passing when they go outside his land for forage and conse- 

 quently a beekeeper cannot legally or morally claim the 

 exclusive right to keep bees in a locality. The beginner, 

 therefore, is not considered as overstepping his rights in 

 getting bees. Taking a broader view of the subject, how- 

 ever, the professional beekeeper by his knowledge of the 

 subject is able to produce larger crops, thereby utilizing the 

 available nectar more economically. By this same knowl- 

 edge and his better equipment, he is able to produce a better 

 quality of honey. It is therefore evident that from the 

 standpoint of conserving a resource to the best advantage 

 there is reason to encourage the extensive beekeeper. 



In case a brood disease breaks out in a community, then 

 there is every reason for taking sides with the professional 

 beekeeper. The man with a few colonies is not financially 

 interested to an extent which will compel him to care for 

 the disease and in disease control it is usually necessary 



