THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 131 



When I let go my "prop" by which I made my entire living, 

 I had over 300 colonies in 5 yards and with such a good start I 

 was able to keep living expenses paid and the business moving. 

 Mr. Hutchinson said "Borrow capital and go into the bee business 

 with it," Of course, this would mean to draw on the bees for your 

 entire living expenses and interest on the borrowed money, also 

 the principal, and we all know such a thing would be the limit. 

 While it could be done, no doubt, in some cases, it would be a better 

 thing if borrowing were to be resorted to, to get only small amounts 

 along when it could best be used for sure and quick returns, but 

 nothing could be better than some other good vocation as a means 

 of livelihood and let the bees pay their own way through. 



Now, let us look at the labor problem just a little, for this 

 is nearly all the time a hindrance in some way. First and last, I 

 have worked hundreds of helpers in my business and I have had 

 some very bitter experiences along this line, both with the experi- 

 enced help as it has come to me from time to time, and the inex- 

 perienced or raw help. As to this raw help you take and school 

 as you want, I must say it is most reliable and in some ways more 

 satisfactory, but it is sometimes the case where you have trained 

 it as you think sufficient to begin to lay some obligations on it, 

 for it seems to be trustworthy in every way, and you trust a por- 

 tion of your business solely in its care, no sooner than you do so 

 he will fall down on you fairly and squarely and great is your loss. 

 At different times I had well trained three helpers and thought I 

 could trust them, which I did, the result being as follows: One 

 working for salary and trusted with the care of 300 colonies 

 resulted in a complete failure when it was too late. The bees were 

 never supered, no supers prepared for them or even the apiaries 

 visited more than once during the season. The bees swarmed and 

 reswarmed and had their own way. And in this case his wife 

 was the direct cause of his failure. In another case a young man 

 did me the same way with about the same number of colonies. 

 While he was directly under my care he was the most timid young 

 man I ever saw among the ladies. He would even blush when he 

 met one on the sidewalk. No sooner than I trusted him off he 

 decided to get married and every young lady in the whole country 

 had his attention in the new field where he went to take charge, 

 and I at last, but too late, discovered this, but I was congratulated 

 by his boarding mistress for having the most popular young man 

 in that entire country in charge of my business at that place. 



Another helper got married without my knowledge shortly 

 after he took charge of one branch of my business and of course 



