74 SOUTHERN BEE CUl-TURE 



BEE-KEEPING A PROFITABLE SIDE BUSINESS. 



I am glad that I can conscientiously recommend bee-keeping as a profit- 

 able side line of business for people engaged in almost all callings of life. 



This is a progressive age, and progressive people are considering other 

 lines of business, and adding them from time to time. Bee-keeping is worthy 

 of consideration, and should be added to other main lines of business far 

 more than it is. It i^ true that progressive business men have but little time 

 to spare to side issues, and that they are likely to be neglected; yet it would 

 not require much time to give a small well-establishecf apiary the necessary 

 attention. 



There are but few enterprising or business men who do not have a few 

 spare moments every two or three weeks which could be profitably spent in 

 the apiary, and surely the work would be recreative. Such apiaries shouM 

 be operated for chunk or extracted honey so there would be no swarms to 

 hive, and the honey could be removed from the hives at leisure. Of course it 

 would be necessary to read up some on bee culture ; but this could be done 

 during spare moments at business or at night. It must be remembered that 

 children love the study of bees, and to work among them; and if they are 

 supplied with veils and gloves they will take great interest in the bees, and 

 be of much assistance in apiary work. 



I have a list of names of people who are mayors of cities and towns, 

 railroad employees, bankers, lawyers, doctors, ministers, merchants, etc., and, 

 in fact, men engaged in almost all pursuits of life who are succeeding with 

 bee-keeping as a side line. I have a long list of farmers who are successful 

 bee-keepers and many of them are realizing better results from their apiaries 

 than their farms. There is no reason why any one interested in bee culture 

 should not succeed in following it to some extent as a side line to their main 

 business ; and especially is this true with our farming class of people who are 

 scattered out over the country, and who live surrounded by honey-plants so 

 convenient for the bees, and, as a rule, they have more spare time which 

 they could devote to their bees than any other class of people ; and, too, they 

 are better situated to keep bees. The farmers usually produce what they 

 consume, and honey on their tables as food would certainly be an addition of 

 great value. Many of them raise something for market, and honey to sell 

 would be quite an; item. It is customary for farmers to borrow money in 

 early spring to make their crops on, and they have to pay large per cent 

 interest on it. Suppose they operated progressive apiaries, the products of 

 which could be marketed in early spring when the returns could best be 

 expended on their farms, and the amount of borrowed capital greatly dimin- 

 ished if not completely covered. 



BEE-KEEPING AS A SIDE ISSUE. 

 Bee-keeping is looked upon with much distrust by the uninitiated. The 

 bees are supposed to be desperate in disposition, attacking any one in sight ; 

 and any one seen handling them with apparent ease and indifference is sup- 



