THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



373 



years ag'o? Most of them would prob- 

 ably be of some use in puttins^ an 

 extra polish on sections when the pro- 

 polis was cold and brittle, but they 

 were of no use when it was soft and 

 sticky, and a very little honey on the 

 outside mof the section soon put them 

 out of CO mission. 



Now we have a scheme for cleaning- 

 the propolis off from sections bj^ rub- 

 bing' them on a piece of coarse wire 

 cloth stretched tig-htly over a strong 

 frame. Perhaps I oug^ht not to con- 

 demn the plan without having" tried it, 

 but I am afraid it would be of little 

 use unless the propolis is cold and 

 brittle. In this country, at least, most 

 of the sections must be cleaned before 

 the propolis is in really good condi- 

 tion to scrape. 



ADOPTING APICULTURE. 



If We are Going to Make a Business of 



Bee-Keeping, How Shall We Go at It 



to Learn the Business? 



There are probably some of the read- 

 ers of the Review who are keeping- bees 

 in a small way, only; and there may 

 be some of these who are thinking of 

 going into the busihess extensively; 

 and some of these may be asking them- 

 selves: "How shall I learn the busi- 

 ness ?" If there are any such, I know 

 of no better advice than that given 

 years ago by Mr. James Heddon in his 

 book "Success in Bee Culture" On 

 this subject he says: — 



When one has decided to adopt bee- 

 keeping as a business, the question 

 may then well be asked, "how shall I 

 commence ?" I will give you my opin- 

 ions regarding the subject — opinions 

 based on experience. 



In these remarks I shall suppose that 

 the sole purpose of adopting our pur- 

 suit is tliat of making money at a 

 reasonably agreeable calling-. For all 

 other classes I have nothing- to say. 

 But now let me consider the best way 

 to get properl}' started in the business, 

 With this, like all other pursuits, the 

 very first acquisition needed is a 

 knowledge of its laws and principles. 

 With this knowledge you will know 

 how to choose a good field. You will 

 know enough to choose one that is un- 



occupied, and that you can likely hold 

 sole possession of. Besides these basic 

 principles, you will have an under- 

 standing of the detail manipulation of 

 the apiar3^ 



Now, in my judgment, the best way 

 to get possession of this knowledge, 

 which is .absolutely necessary to suc- 

 cess, is to do just as you would if you 

 were going to practice law, ship 

 building, rearing silk worms or 

 speckled trout, viz: Engage yourself 

 with some experienced and successful 

 business man of the same calling, and 

 with him and his fixtures study the 

 business both in theory and practice. 

 You will get your theory from the best 

 literatvire upon the subject, and social 

 converse with your employer. This 

 will increase your talent. You will 

 get your practical kiiowledge, made up 

 of thousands of methods, styles and 

 movements, by working at the busi- 

 ness and among its fixtures. That 

 knowlege will increase your tact. 

 Now, the reason why I suggested the 

 successful man only, is because this 

 tact is usually found in company with 

 success — in fact it is a parent of suc- 

 cess, and is to a certain degree catch- 

 ing, and the ways and means adopted 

 by the man of tact, are authors of suc- 

 cess. 



During this apprenticeship you must 

 mingle your thought with your labor 

 in a proper degree, for in the business 

 you are as much a student as an appren- 

 tice. After 3'ou have spent one or two 

 seasons according to your aptitude) in 

 this way, 3'ou are competent to start in 

 the business, with a capital that will 

 support you and 3'ours, and command 

 your best mental and physical efforts, 

 for most of the 3'ear. If you have not 

 the capital, you are fitted to command 

 wages in advance of the common 

 laborer, and if acquaintance has in- 

 spired your emplo3'er with full faith 

 in your integrity, 3'ou can like]3' get all 

 the capital you need, to accompany 

 your strength and skill. Man3' offer 

 bees for sale, but I want to tell you 

 that if I could get competent, honest 

 men to work for me, at wages hinted at 

 above, or work an apiary on shares, I 

 could make more by not selling a bee, 

 but placing- my surplus stocl^s in an- 

 other unoccupied field, with this em- 

 ploye to handle them. 



I give it as my solemn conviction, 

 that no man should ever attempt this 

 business that has failed in all others 

 in which he has been engaged. The 

 bees do not "work for nothing and 



