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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



June 22, 190S 



keeping. Just which one the young lady decided to try we 

 shall probably never know, but, if she is like most women, she 

 is experimenting with them all. 



It seems to me there is no comparison, both from a finan- 

 cial standpoint and the labor involved, between caring for a 

 flock of poultry large enough to yield an income, and 30 or 40 

 colonies of bees. I know whereof I speak, for I've tried both. 



How much pleasanter it is on a cold, rainy spring day to 

 think that your bees are safely housed than to don waterproof 

 and rubbers — if they're handy, and if not to wade out without 

 them — to chase some poor half- drowned chickens or turkeys 

 that have been foolish enough to leave their mother's wing. 



Then, too, during our long, cold winters we know that our 

 bees are safe and sound in the cellar without further care 

 from us until the warm April days call them forth. 



So far I have taken care of my 35 or 40 colonies without 



any help except at swarming time. Occasionally an obstinate 

 swarm would take to the top of a tall tree, but I have gen- 

 erally been able to control them with a small spray-pump. 



I have been surprised to find how few women are engaged 

 in this most interesting of all outdoor occupations. How much 

 better to spend our spare time in the sunshine and fresh air, 

 studying and caring for these tireless little workers, than to 

 strain our eyes over the embroidery frame or intricate lace 

 stitches. 



To me there is nothing more fascinating than to watch 

 the bees as they come in with their loads of golden pollen, or 

 to open a hive and study the combs as they are filled with the 

 tiny eggs or the young bees just hatching, and to hunt out the 

 beautiful queen as she moves around among her subjects. 

 Truly we may say, "Marvelous are thy works, O Lord." 



Hennepin Co., Minn. Mrs. W. S. Wingate. 



Conducted by £mm^ M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



What to Combine With Bees 



From time to time the question arises, 

 " "What business combines best with bee- 

 keeping?" However it may be with the 

 brothers, most ot the sisters have no need to 

 cogitate long about it; for them perforce 

 house-iseeping in the fullest acceptation of 

 the term is with bee-keeping the combination. 

 And the combination is not a bad one. A 

 rainy day is not a good time to work with 

 bees; but just the lime to put up fruit. 

 House-keeping keeps one too closely in the 

 house ; the work at the bees gives the chance 

 for the needed sun and air. The sisters who 

 enjoy bee-keeping, it they do not live the 

 longer for it — and many of them do — have at 

 least more of life for their work with the busy 

 little insects. 



See what Mrs. Honaker has to say about it 

 in her article on this page. 



Bar-le-Duc Ppeserves— Currants 

 and Honey 



Inserted is this recipe, which never before 

 appeared in print to my knowledge. Up to- 

 date cooks know that this imported delicacy 

 is becoming more and more popular, as it is 

 better known, though its price made it pro- 

 hibitive where economy was essential. Where 

 time is no object, and is more plentiful than 

 money, one can now make this at home in the 

 currant season, and nothing surpasses it as a 

 company or holiday dainty. 



Take selected red (or white) currants of 

 large size, one by one, carefully make an in- 

 cision in the skin }^ of an inch in size, with 

 tiny embroidery scissors. Through this slit, 

 with a sharp needle, remove the seeds, sep- 

 arately, preserving the shape of the fruit. 

 Take the weight ot the currants in extracted 

 honey, and, when hot, add the currants. Let 

 simmer a minute or two, then seal as jelly. 

 The currants retain their shape, are of a 

 beautiful color, and melt in the mouth. 

 Should the currants liquefy the honey too 

 much, carefully skim them out, reduce the 

 syrup at a gentle simmer to desired consis- 

 tency, and store as befort after adding the 

 fruit. — Boston Cooking School Magazine. 



Bee-Keeping for Woi^en— A Desir- 

 able Occupation 



In almost every rural community there are 

 a number of women with eonsiderable spare 

 time on their hands and with a laudable ambi- 

 tion to engage in some sniull business which 

 will insure them an individual income. To 

 such, when favorably located, I would say, 

 " Try bee-keeping." There is nothing about 

 or connected with the work repulsive to the 

 most fastidious, nor is there with the possible 



exception of cellaring, anything about it be- 

 yond the strength of the ordinary woman. 

 Any woman who is able to do the work of the 

 average household, is able to take care of a 

 small apiary. The returns from even a few 

 colonies should, if bees are well managed, be 

 sufficient to insure financial independence; 

 while as experience is gained and the colonies 

 increase, a larger income may be expected. 



I do not mean to infer by this that women 

 should endeavor to support themselves by any 

 kind of special effort, but only to encourage 

 those who are able and anxious to "do some- 

 thing," by pointing out to them the advan- 

 tages of this most desirable occupation for the 

 ambitious woman. For indeed it is a desirable 

 occupation in more respects than one. Profit- 

 able, and moreover strengthening and up- 

 lifting to body, mind and soul, it is well able 

 to supply the needs of many classes of women. 

 There is possibly no occupation open to 

 women capable of inspiring so much interest, 

 enthusiasm and spiritual contemplation as 

 that of apiculture. Even a woman's natural 

 repugnance to "crawling things " is forgot- 

 ten, and the wonder and admiration excited 

 by a closer acquaintance with the busy little 

 workers leads her to a greater appreciation of 

 the provision of an all-wise Creator for the 

 " children ot men." 



Then because of this same uplifting and 

 ennobling influence, I would say to those 

 women who are bowed down with mental 

 care and worry, and who feel that life has 

 brought to them too little of its sweets and 

 too much of its bitter dregs, " Try bee-keep- 

 ing." Oftentimes this would prove more 

 diverting, more effective than a change of 

 scene and habit which physicians are so prone 



to advise. For most country women, espe- 

 cially those whose interests are centered in a 

 farm home, there is small opportunity, and, 

 only too often, small means for travel, in 

 consequence of which the soul-sick and sor- 

 row-burdened woman struggles on in suffer- 

 ing and despair until roused in some chance 

 way, or until death ends the scene. If such a 

 one could or would be induced to undertake 

 the care of a few colonies of bees, untold 

 good would probably result, and life would 

 soon take on a new and broader meaning. 



Not only is bee-keeping conducive to men- 

 tal and moral health, but to physical as well. 

 There is nothing which calls into play all the 

 muscles of the body more effectually, and 

 that, too, in the open air, than the various 

 changes of work called for in bee-keeping. 

 To those, then, who are in declining health, 

 and who feel the need of wholesome outdoor 

 exercise during the pleasant days of summer, 

 I would say, "Try bee-keeping." Many a 

 consumptive and rheumatic sufferer might 

 have been relieved, and possibly cured, if bee- 

 keeping had been engaged in at an early stage 

 in the progress of the disease. Many another 

 might be saved now, by engaging in it before 

 it is too late for any means to avail. 



Ot course a certain amount ot time must be 

 available for the purpose before bee-keeping 

 should be engaged in by any one, whether 

 man or woman, whatever the object. For this 

 reason it should not be undertaken by women 

 whose hands are already full to overflowing 

 with other work. But otherwise, other things 

 being favorable, it is an occupation suitable 

 in every way for women — that is, for those 

 classes and under the circumstances named 

 above. Mrs. Millie Hokaker. 



Vernon Co., Wis. 



Bees Working Well 



My bees are getting lots ot honey now. 

 They are working well on a good flow. I have 

 12 strong colonies, all mixed bees. I had all 

 Italians last year, but now all are mixed, I 

 believe. Mrs. D. Mater. 



Cherokee Co., Tex., .June 5. 



/T 



ITiw :^asty 5 Clftcrtt?oucsI?ts 



The "Old Reliable" seen through New and Unreliable Glasses. 

 By E. E. Hasty, Sta. B. Rural, Toledo, Ohio. 



BUYING QUEENS AND FOUL BROOD. 



I wish to call attention to the fact that the 

 Illinois Inspector thinks buying queens to be 

 a leading cause ot the spread of foul brood 

 into clean territory. The Wisconsin Inspector 

 is on record in the same direction, I believe. 

 Let's have a National Inspector of the queen- 

 breeding yards — bound to publish just what 

 conditions he finds in every apiary that adver- 

 tises queens for sale. Page 342. 



CUT LOAF SUGAR FOR BEE-FEEDING. 



Cut loaf sugar as a : ubstitute for candy to 

 put over a colony for wintering seems to have, 

 at least one excellent testimonial from ihe 



sister on page 343. Bees can work at but one 

 side of a candy-cake, while Old Zero works at 

 the other side. The cubes of loaf sugar will 

 be more nearly enveloped by warm bees dur- 

 ing the process of slow liqueficalion. This 

 sister seems to find that they eat the most of 

 it even in hives where they do not absolutely 

 need it. And that's a good recommend for 

 the form of feeding. 



This lady seems to think it remarkable that 

 it took her all last year to learn the ditterent 

 bee-traits. If she actually did all that we 

 shall have to part with her— for the good of 

 the human race. She must enter one of the 

 great astronomical observatories, and in two 



