CHAPTER I 

 WHY KEEP BEES 



THE reasons for keeping bees are many and various ; 

 for it is an industry as many-sided as the cells of 

 a honey-comb, one of its chief charms being that 

 it appeals equally to "many men of many minds." 

 To know all the reasons why one should keep bees 

 one must be conversant with the history of man; he 

 must be familiar with the Vedas of India and master 

 of the hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt; he must study 

 the life of the common people in the Hebrew Scrip- 

 tures and the classic literatures of Greece and Italy, 

 and must be able to translate into terms of common 

 human experiences the myths and legends of diverse 

 peoples. For bees have been a part of the conscious 

 life of man from the beginning. Not only have they 

 sweetened his daily bread with beneficent honey, but 

 they have had their place in his religious rites, and 

 also in his family observances, as millions of happy 

 lovers may attest who have experienced the " honey- 

 moon." However, lacking the erudition necessary 

 to enumerate all, the author of this book is quite 

 content to mention a few of the more cogent reasons 

 why anyone should, in this day and generation, 

 undertake the keeping of bees. 

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