138 My Bees 



It is some five years since, thus induced to 

 consider the bee business as something which of- 

 fered me exactly what I wanted a life of ease, 

 with nothing to do and plenty of money, I 

 paid $15 for my hive stocked with bees, $i for a 

 veil to put over my head, $2 for a pair of rubber 

 gloves, and several dollars more for various im- 

 plements to be used, as I found out afterwards, 

 in fighting the infuriated insects. My bill for 

 the original outfit was $20 and some cents, ac- 

 cording to the accounts of the business, which 

 I have kept with great care, and which are now 

 before me. During these five years I have had 

 an experience worth all the money paid out, 

 and as there may be some other people anxious 

 for a life of ease and plenty of money, my ex- 

 perience may not be without interest and profit 

 to them. Seriously, I have not had a bad time 

 of it, and for the number of hours and the 

 amount of money which I have devoted to my 

 bees, I am inclined to congratulate myself over 

 the result, and to advise others to at least make 

 the experiment of keeping a few hives. I have 

 never thought of honey-making as anything 

 but the amusement of idle hours in the coun- 



