1905. THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



WORTH REMEMBERING. 



Long ago, at that period of life when 

 'he adolescent youth is averse to any 

 ;xertion, the writer among other 

 ,chool duties, was to learn and "speak 

 I oiece." With customary procrasti- 

 lation the preparatio'^ was avoided un- 

 il, when the morning of the fateful 

 lay arrived, nothing had been learned, 

 n desperation a '"oere couplet was 

 elected and committed to memory. 



The hour arrived and before the 

 vhole school the little tale was told, 

 vhen instead of being permitted to 

 tep down, the soeaker was ieft 

 tanding. Matters grew uncomforta- 

 ile, the school tittered, the seconds 

 eemed hours, when suddenly, came 

 he voice of the fine old instructor — 



193 



to write of it for the benefit of the craft. 

 In bee-keeping as in farming, lack 

 of sufficient capital to properly con- 

 duct the business is +.he rule. A mer- 

 chant or manufacturer trying to do 

 business thus handicapped is pretty 

 sure to fail, in fact one of the com- 

 monest causes of business failure is 

 tryino- to do too much business for 

 the capital employed. It speaks well 

 for the possibilities of bee-keeping and 

 farming that so much can be accom- 

 '^lished with them on so little capital, 

 but the lack of sufficient capital re- 

 sults in an inadequate supply of im- 

 plements hence greater labor and high- 

 er cost of the produ'-.ts, but still worse 

 it often forces the sale of the goods at 

 inopportune times. We invite a dis- 

 cussion of the subject believing that 



.early scarmg away our last bit of ^ ,o„,i^eration of the costs of different 

 el -possession-saying: I .rust you t,j„, ^,,11 ^^ ^f ^^fi^it, benefit to 



^'ill always remember tiiat and live 

 ip to it. That is all. ' 



It is always remembered — geiierally 

 00 late. This is the couplet: 



If wisdom's ways you'd wisely seek, 

 Five things observe with care, 



)f whom you speak, to whom you 

 speak. 

 And how, and when, and where." 



THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF 

 BEE CULTURE. 



So rarely is anything said on the 

 )olitical economy of bee culture that 

 pneral recognitionof its existence may 

 veil be doubted. A.nd as one visits 

 lifferent apiaries and notes the pre- 

 'ailing lack of sufficient equipment, 

 )f slack methods, of absence of fore- 

 hought, the need of instruction along 

 uch lines is quite anoarent. To be 

 ure. articles appear from time to time 

 )n the wisdom of getting hives, sec- 

 ions, etc., in advance of the time of 

 leed and now and then a word is said 

 m the desirability of having a full liiic 

 )f the implements o'' the craft. Mucli 

 )f what has been said in the line of 

 nil equipment has been by persons 

 nore or less directly interested in the 

 ale of supplies and hence has been 

 aken with a large grain of salt, 

 vlethods of honey production and sys- 

 ems of manageme'^t are freely dis- 

 ussed, but the details of manipula- 

 ion generally obscure the broader 

 )rinciples of the economics of the 

 lusiness. Here anr" there individual 

 lee-keepers grasp the subject and in- 

 tinctively give proper value to each 

 letail, but thus far they have failed 



sys 



all who keep bees for profit, or who 

 keep bees for fun and expect them to 

 pav for it. 



The points we particularly have in 

 mind are the question of the amount 

 of capital per colony necessary for 

 the greatest economy of production, 

 the equipment in implements, the num- 

 ber of combs, supers, etc., needed per 

 colony together with an idea of the 

 number of hours o^ labor per colony 

 per year that can profitably be be- 

 stowed. A better idea of these things 

 should lead to lessened cost of honey 

 oroduction, to the substitution of more 

 hives and implements for labor in one 

 case or vice versa in another. 



HONEY CROP SHORT— GRAD- 

 ING RULES. 



Alanager Leo F. Hanegan, of the 

 St. Croix Valley Honey Producers' 

 Association, Glenwood, W^is., under 

 date of July 20, writes: 



■'The honey crop ui north Atlantic 

 states is from nothing to one-fourth, 

 with some small favored localities 

 having a fair crop. The quality will 

 be fine. Our reports indicate that the 

 crop in the arid West to date, is from 

 no crop at all and feeding, to not more 

 than one-fourth of a crop." 



The following is a ^^ortion of a 

 circular sent to members of this asso- 

 ciation, and at this season will, doubt- 

 less, prove cf interest to others than 

 members: 



Glenwood, W'^., Julj- 15, 1905. 

 Members of the St. Croix Vallej'- 

 Honey Producers" Association: 



Kind Friend: Your report card 



