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TBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



dustry of itself. The specialist with his 

 hundreds of colonies, his improved hives, 

 appliances and methods, can and does raise 

 honey cheaper than the man with a few col- 

 onies. Is there a reader of the Review who 

 doubts this? If the specialist, with all the 

 advantages that specialty gives, cannot raise 

 honey at a profit, no one can. By specialty 

 is not meant that a man does nothittg else, 

 but that it is his main business. Bee-keep- 

 ing was once our specialty. We owned a 

 small farm, but hired nearly all of the work 

 done ; and may say right here that the farm 

 was always an " aggravation" to us ; we dis- 

 liked to be "bothered" with it — preferred 

 to be at work with the bees. We kept some 

 sheep and hogs, and the land in grass as 

 much as possible, in order to lessen the farm 

 work. We also wrote quite a little upon api- 

 cultural topics ; but bee-keeping was our bus- 

 iness, and with it we allowed nothing to in- 

 terfere. Now our business is publishing the 

 Review. True, we yet own the bees, but the 

 greater portion of them are managed on 

 shares by a brother who has worked for us 

 and been with us as a partner several years. 

 After we have worked hard in the office two 

 or three weeks, and the 'Review is finally 

 "out" and mailed, what a relief, what a 

 pleasui-e, to take one or two of the little girls 

 and hie us away for a ten-mile ride on the 

 cars out to the old home at Rogersville, and 

 work with "Elmer" among the bees a day 

 or two. We have met with reverses in bee- 

 keeping. There have been poor seasons, and 

 twice we have seen an apiary of nearly 100 

 colonies reduced to less than twenty " weak- 

 lings." Surli experience usually "cooks" 

 the non-specialist : but we bought more bees, 

 and with our location, our hives, fixtures and 

 combs, and our knowledge of the business, 

 all losses were soon made good. We hope no 

 one thinks we would advise bee-keeping as a 

 specialty, without previous experience. How 

 this shall be acquired, although an interest- 

 ing topic, is not e.raetUj the one under dis- 

 cussion. We might say, however, that nearly 

 all of our specialists acquired their knowl- 

 edge by beginning in a small way in c(nuiec- 

 tion with some other pursuit. They were 

 better fitted for bee-keeping, and, at last, the 

 old business was dropped for the new. There 

 are hundreds of men now, with an apiary and 

 a farm on their hands, who are asking them- 

 selves " Which shall we give up, the bees or 

 the farm, or what sJuill we do? " It was 

 to assist such men in making a decision that 



the special topic of this month was introdu- 

 ced ; and we doubt if better advice could be 

 found than that which appears in this num- 

 ber. It is true that there are industries in 

 which there is a mutual advantage in their 

 combination. Mr. Heddon mentions the 

 combination of fattening hogs and running 

 a grist-mill, or a slaughter-house. The keep- 

 ing of hogs and the raising of apples also 

 brings about a mutual benefit. The swine 

 enrich and "cultivate" the soil and eat the 

 wormy apples that fall. Tliis is good for 

 the trees, and the apples are good for the 

 hogs. Now, is there any business that can 

 be combined with bee-keeping to their mu- 

 tual advantage? There is a slight mutual 

 advantage in the keeping of bees and the 

 raising of fruit, alsike clover or buckwheat ; 

 but not sufficient to induce a bee-keeper to 

 buy a farm or a farmer or fruit-grower to run 

 an apiary. Now that we have this topic so well 

 in hand, let us continue its discussion in the 

 December number, but with a little varia- 

 tion. We will suppose it is admitted that 

 the highest success can be secured only by 

 specialty. Having done this, we must not 

 forget that there are "many men of many 

 minds ; " that " circumstances alter cases ; " 

 that all men and all circumstances are not 

 fitted for specialty. The reasons ichy a man 

 may sometimes be compelled, or desire, to 

 mix bees with something else are too varied 

 for mention here, but it is a fact. Now, for 

 our December topic, let's take the following : 

 "What business will best combine with bee- 

 keeping, and what shall bee-keepers do win- 

 ters?" During the winter there is practi- 

 cally but little to be done in the apiary. Un- 

 less a man has nothing else to do, he can 

 scarcely afford to pass the winter making his 

 " supplies." Svecialty can furnish them " too 

 cheap." But it does seem to us that, in many 

 instances, something might be profitaly com- 

 bined with bee-keeping at this season of the 

 year. For instance, one man might "can- 

 vass;" another teach "singing schools;" 

 another writing schools ; another a district 

 school. A farmer-bee-keeper might make a 

 specialty of sheep-husbandry which calls for 

 but little attention during the busy time with 

 bees. Of course, personal taste and adapta- 

 bility and existing circumstances, must 

 largely influence one in a choice, but it must 

 be a "winter pursuit, " or else one that may 

 be instantly dropped, or else — well, we shall 

 be very glad to have our "mixed" readers 

 tell us what else. 



