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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



devoted the time and energy to pro- 

 duce the essays, are entitled to thanJis 

 rather than even the slightest blame ! 



We are well aware that Dr. Miller did 

 not intend to censure any one. He 

 discussed the subject upon its merits ; 

 but still his condemnation Ts stamped 

 upon the whole business. — Ed.] 



Can a Woman Keen Bees and Poultry 



MES. M^OODWORTH. 



I see no reason why she cannot. I, for 

 one, would like to know who raises the 

 chickens that supply Rockford ? 



I am sure that the greater part is 

 raised by the women and children on the 

 farms ; for farmers, as a rule, have no 

 time to fuss with such small things. He 

 would think he could plow an acre of 

 corn, while wasting his time fussing 

 with an old hen. 



So, who is it Rockford gets her supply 

 of eggs and chickens from, if not from 

 the wives and daughters of the farmers ? 



I must say the little girl is far more 

 regular and methodic in gathering or 

 hunting the eggs and feeding the chick- 

 ens than the little boy is.^ But I suppose 

 it is natural. The boy always wants to 

 do as papa does. 



They never think of chickens nor eggs 

 until they see them on the table in a 

 luscious form of some kind — chicken pie, 

 or baked chicken with gravy, or fried 

 eggs with ham for breakfast. Is not 

 that, gentlemen, the most satisfactory 

 part in connection with chickens and 

 eggs. 



I can eat them, but they are too trifling 

 for me to spend my time with. I could 

 raise a horse with less trouble. 



Now, about a man making a business 

 of poultry raising. Why ! he has capital, 

 so has good houses and coops, and 

 strength to keep them clean. He puts 

 in all his time. He does not stop to wash 

 the dishes, or make the bread. His pro- 

 duce he ships to the large cities. Rock- 

 ford does not get much of it. 



But by way of divergence, let me add, 

 Rockford will soon be a large city. She 

 is something like a motherly old hen 

 herself, trying to spread out and brood 

 all the ends and additions, until our very 

 farms are being lost in the city. It will 

 take a great many poultry-raisers to 

 supply the market, if she keeps on 

 booming. 



This raising poultry as a side issue on 

 a farm is quite different from making a 



general business of it, and having every- 

 thing handy and convenient. Give a 

 woman the same advantage, and her 

 strength being equal, I think she would 

 be fully as successful at the business as 

 a man. 



But allow me to remark, the work of 

 raising poultry and eggs, as usually done 

 by women on a farm, would be much 

 pleasanter, and I think just as profitable, 

 if men would furnish houses and coops, 

 and keep them clean, for most women 

 have too many household cares to attend 

 to everything properly, and a little assis 

 tance with the rough work would help 

 them out amazingly. 



Supposing you try it gentlemen. It 

 will not take much time, " and there is 

 no great loss without some small gain." 

 It may not be in a pecuniary sense, but 

 your wife will be better natured, and 

 that is something. 



As for keeping bees, I think a woman 

 can do that just as well as a man, pro- 

 viding she has the'inclination and a suffi- 

 cient number of colonies to begin with. 



She can purchase material for her 

 hives ready prepared. She can nail 

 them together herself, or she can hire a 

 man to help her a day or two ; it matters 

 not how, only that she gets them made, 

 then she can do the rest herself. It 

 surely is not so hard as putting down a 

 carpet, or churning. 



As for painting, where is the woman 

 that cannot paint a bee-hive, and decor- 

 ate it, too, for that matter. As for the 

 small fixtures, it is easy, light work ; 

 she can get every piece ready in the 

 Winter and Spring, just as well as a 

 man. She can have them placed into 

 the cellar in the Fall, and carried out in 

 the Spring. She can smoke them, and 

 examine them. She can tell if they are 

 queenless, and also knows if they are 

 weak or strong. 



She can divide the comb ; she can feed 

 them. She can tell a drone from a 

 working-bee, or a queen-cell from other 

 cells. She has all the supers ready, and 

 can put them on at the right time. When 

 they are about to swarm, she is on the 

 watch. She has her hives all in readi- 

 ness. She has her queen-cage ready, or 

 divides the comb and cuts out the queen- 

 cells, just as she feels about increasing 

 or merely keeping her number good. 



I enjoyed raising poultry, but bees are 

 my favorites, and if I could give them 

 my undivided attention, I think I could 

 manage them as well as the average 

 man. Of course they have a business 

 end that we should be cautious of, but a 

 woman need have no more fear of get- 

 ting stung than a man. They are sharp, 



