832 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 15. 



derneath blows the dirt off, and the gold, if 

 any, is found upon the riffles on the lower 

 screen. If by chance there are any nuggets 

 they are caugbt in the nugget-catcher in tbe 

 upper screen It is no light vsork to handle 

 pick and shovel all day; and wben tbe ma- 

 chine is worked it shakes up a lively dust, and 

 the man is soon covered with it. The man in 

 the photo, after a hard day's work, showed us 

 about forty cents' worth as the result of the 

 dav's labor. For several days previously he 

 had received less than that. 



" Well, Brodbeck," said I, " I believe I pre- 

 fer bee-keeping to working a goldmine — too 

 much hard labor and too little pay. My idea 

 of a gold-mine is where we can rattle out Ht 

 least ten dollars a day; that would give a fel- 

 low some encouragement." 



—-«se M GOLD-MINING WITH A DRY WASHER. 



i 3" But, Rambler, you do not get ten dollars 

 a day out of your apiary; then you know in a 

 gold-mine a man may happen to strike a vein 

 that will produce millions. There is no such 

 fascinating thing ahead in the bee business." 



"Yes, gold-mining is very fascinating to 

 some; but when the chances are one in a mil- 

 lion of striking a bonanza I will stick to the 

 bees. I am quite sure of a living from the 

 bees if I give them the attention and enter- 



pri-e I should. Now, here is this miner — been 

 in the business several years ; and still, from 

 what he says, he is living from hand to mouth. 

 I have seen many just like him in the mining- 

 camps of this State. With the same amount 

 of work with bees, intelligently directed, he 

 might have been as well off, or even better off, 

 than you or I." 



" But, Rambler, look at the bee-keepers of 

 'o day in California. How many, aside from 

 \ou or me, are wealthy ? They have been in 

 the business for years, and are still poor ; and 

 it is not only so in California, but all over the 

 country. Then we have our dry seasons and 

 failures." 



"Well, I am always disposed to take a 

 bright view of the business. Many a man, if 

 he is not getting wealth}*, is getting healthy, 

 like you and me ; then there are 

 hundreds of men in California 

 \. who owe their start to success 



j in other lines of business to the 

 bees. Here is Mr. Moffatt, for in- 

 stance, of our Angel City. He 

 | started in the bee business a few 

 years ago, made a few thousand 

 dollars, invested it successfully, 

 married a lady who can sing like 

 a nightingale, and now has given 

 .-?40,000 to the cause which the 

 evangelist Crittenden promotes, 

 and himself and wife are giving 

 their time and voices to the 

 work. There is not an industry 

 that can show a better result. 

 Still, Mr. Moffatt owns an apiary 

 and not a gold-mine ! ' ' 



' ' There are exceptions to all 

 trades, Mr. Rambler, and Mr. 

 Moffatt is one of them; and on 

 the whole the bee business is not 

 considered much of a business. 

 I know, and you know, a gentle- 

 man came here from the East 

 not many years ago and frater- 

 nized quite heartily with the bee- 

 men ; and, though he is still in- 

 terested in the industry, he is not 

 so much interested in the bee- 

 keepers. The fruit-growers are 

 more in accordance with his 

 tastes, for in their ranks are 

 found lawyers, judges, ministers, 

 doctors, and governors — the tal- 

 ent and wealth of our glorious 

 land — and representing the high- 

 est social circles ; and doesn't it 

 make you smile to apply social 

 circle to the bee-keepers ? But, 

 jas you say, it is a healthful em- 

 ployment, and I never enjoy 

 myself better than when out on the ranch." 



" I am pleased that we are in accord in at 

 least one point — that of the healthfulness of 

 the business. Much might be said pro and 

 con about the merits of bee-keeping as com- 

 pared with other industries. Meanwhile the 

 business is developing, and the only way for 

 us to do is to go into it largely and make it 

 pay us at least ten dollars a day. That is not 

 as good as a paying gold-mine, but it is better 



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