THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



281 



lowest possible point, and all would be 

 g'lad to know what that point is. Of 

 course there must be no extravag'ance 

 in buildinf,^s nor supplies, and there 

 must be no loss of valuable time. I 

 have made and submit tentatively some 

 estimates which maj' at least serve as 

 a stimulus to further calculations as 

 well as a conclusion to the su^-g-estions 

 I am making^. For ni}' fig-nres I have 

 taken one lumdred and fiftj' colonies 

 as perhaps the average number that 

 could profitably be kept in one place. 

 The expense is made up of what may 

 be called the fixed charges, i. e. , those 

 that are the same whether the crop is 

 l:irge or small, and the variable 

 charges which are made up of those ex- 

 penses which vary witli the amount of 

 the crop. The larger the crop the less 

 of course the cost per pound, and my 

 figures are made so as to bring- this 

 out somewhat in detail. 



I estimate the value of the necessary 

 plant as follows: 



Shop and cellar J 300 oo 



Tools, cases, and e.xtras 150 00 



ISO colonies bees al $5 750 00 



Total Si, 200 00 



So my table will stand thus: 



FIXED CHARGHS. 



Interest and wear and tear 01 plant at 10 



per cent |r20 00 



One man six weeks <lnriiig: honey harvest 45 00 



Taking bees into and out of cellar ,S 00 



Other manipulations .S 00 



Total $'7590 



VARIABLE CHARGE.S. 



Cost per each 1,500 lbs. surplus, being an average 

 of ten lbs. 



2,'- 00 .sections $ 



Foundation 



Fastening in foundation 



Putting up sections 



Crates for packing lionty 



Packing 



Commissions and freight 



Total $ 50 00 



Total co,st of a ci-op of 10 lbs. on the 

 average; or 1,500 lbs., $225. 



For each additional average of 10 

 lbs. there must be added $50, whence 

 we get the following results: 



Taking 15c as the 

 further step gives us 

 each case, as follows: 



market price, a 

 the net profit in 



These figures are far from di.scour- 

 aging-, but they speak powerfully for 

 keeping expenses down. In an 

 average location one who spends 365 

 days in the year on 150 colonies cannot 

 expect to get rich, but by making six 

 or seven weeks do, he can make his in- 

 vestment pay well. The difference in 

 the number of colonies in different 

 apiaries, the presence of buildings or 

 cellars that can be used without the ex- 

 pense of making special buildings and 

 cellars, and the difference in average 

 yields in different localities, make 

 great difference in the net cost of honey, 

 yet though our circumstances vary 

 greatly in many ways, we can, never- 

 theless, by severally calculating- the 

 cost in our respective cases, assist one 

 another in ptitting the business on a 

 more staple basis than it has hitherto 

 occupied. 



LOW RATES TO COLORADO. 



Via Chicago, Milwaukee & St» Paul 



Railway, 



Only $30.00 Chicago to Colorado and 

 return every day this Summer. Return 

 limit October 31. Two through trains 

 every day from Union Station, Chicago 

 Milwaukee & St. Paul and Union 

 Pacific Line. Leave Chicago 6:05 p.m. 

 arrive Denver 9:30 p.m. next day. Or, 

 leave Chicago 10:25 p.m.. arrive Denver 

 7:50 a.m. the second day. Descriptive 

 book on Colorado and California sent 

 to any address for six cents postage. 

 Folders free. 



R. C. JONES, 



Michigan Passenger Agent, 



32 Campus Martins, Detroit Michigan- 



Now is the Time to Order 



Your Bee-Hives, Sections, Shipping- 

 Cases, Berry Boxes and Crates for the 

 doming- season. By sending a list of 

 g-oods wanted, we can save joti mone}'. 



SHEBOYGAN FRUIT BOX CO., 

 9-05-4t Sheboygan, Wis, 



