474 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



June, 1917 



HEADS OF GRAIN 



keeper has his income entirely from his book- 

 keeping, while the average beekeeper has 

 only part of his income from his bees, and 

 that, generally, the smallest part. If all 

 who keep bees were to be shut off from all 

 other sources of income except their bees, 

 I'm afraid the average income of the book- 

 keeper would exceed that of the beekeeper. 

 Then, too, there is the possibility, if not 

 the probability, that you would be more 

 than an average book-keeper, and have a 

 good deal more than the average income. 

 So if you measure the case in cold figures, it 

 is perhaps safer to prefer the books to the 

 bees. And that's the way a good many 

 would measure it, the only question being, 

 "Which has the most money in it for me?" 

 But your letter indicates that you would 

 view it from a little different standpoint. 

 You have practically said: "The confine- 

 ment of the counting-room is a life of 

 drudgery, the only enjoyment I would have 

 would be outside working hours, while work- 

 ing at the bees is itself a delight, allowing 

 me to enjoy all the waking hours of the 

 twenty-four. ' ' To that might be added that 

 the sleeping hours of a man who has been 

 working in tlie open air at something with 

 which he is thoroly in love are likely to be 

 more restful than those of a man who has 



DIFFERENT FIELDS 



been spending the working hours of the 

 day puzzling over a set of account-books. 



So, setting aside the matter of income, 

 there is no question as to which life you 

 prefer; and the problem is reduced to the 

 one question, "Can I make a living at keep- 

 ing bees?" I can't tell. Yet if others can, 

 why not you? 



For myself, I think I should leave book- 

 keeping to those whose tastes run that way, 

 and take my chances with the bees, even 

 if I couldn't wear quite so good clothes. 



C. C. Miller. 



Soaped Fingers Mrs. Allen, page 291, 



Easily Cleaned April, speaks of the 



awkardness of gloves 

 in the beeyard. I would suggest that she 

 use ' ' soap ' ' gloves, perf erably made with 

 carbolic soap. The hands should be soaped 

 with a wet cake, rubbing it in until it dries. 

 It may feel a little unpleasant at first, but 

 one soon forgets it. One's fingers are not 

 all thumbs, and the "propolis and stuff" 

 roll off quite easily when washing if a good 

 job of soaping has been done; and I am 

 sure one gets very few stings thru the car- 

 bolic gloves. Chas. Bowden. 

 Brantford, Ont. 



THE BACKIiOT BUZZER. 



BV J. H. DONAHBY. 

 " Leare it Iv llw been," .v«y.v nta, "when it comes to doing their bit for Uncle' Sam. They 

 ain't playinij croiivet, lawn tennis, and billiards. No, sir, ee. They're bringin' in the crops." 



