25 



Number of Colonies Needed to Make a Living. 



In deciding on beekeeping as a life work, one.should have Bome idea 

 of the necessary amount to invest and the work entailed. There are 

 many persons in the country who earn a livelihood almost or entirely 

 from bees, and the number is increasing every year. In the Eastern 

 States, where the weather during the summer may interfere with the 

 work of the bee keeper, a skilled man may care for perhaps 600 colonies. 

 In the West, however, where the weather does not so greatly enter into 

 the beekeeper's calculations, this number may be increased to 1,000. 

 In giving these figures, it is assumed that the bee keeper is able to put 

 in a full day's work, is capable of considerable physical effort, and is a 

 good manager. If he does not possess these qualifications, he may be 

 much behind in his work at critical times, which necessarily means 

 loss of honey, perhaps a total loss of the year's work. 



Fig. 24. — An apiary handled by negroes in their pioneer farming in the South 



During and since the war, prices for honey have been high, making 

 the returns larger than one may ordinarily expect. Perhaps the safest 

 plan is to use figures which applied before the war, although in all 

 probability honey prices will not for a long period, if ever, drop to their 

 former level. With honey figured at prewar price of 25 cents a pound 

 retail, the good bee keeper may confidently expect to average 5ilO a 

 colony. This is on the basis of extracted honey, which will probably be 

 produced by those about to engage in the business, certainly after the 

 first year's experience. The expense in addition to labor per colony 

 will not average more than 51 a year. Income may be greatly increased 

 by selling honey locally at retail. 



For one whose physical condition does not permit regular and hard 

 work, the number of colonies must be correspondingly smaller, at least 

 at first. When one has thoroughly mastered the business, the actual 

 physical labor may be greatly reduced and by the proper hiring of 



