28 



ADVANCED BEH-CULTURE. 



with all the advantages that specialty- 

 brings, then it cannot be made profitable 

 as a subsidiary pursuit. We see this 

 demonstrated in practice. It is not the 

 specialist, but the «o«-specialist that 

 fails." 



Many professional men take up bee- 

 keeping as a pastime. With them I can- 

 not have any more argument than with 

 the bee-keeper who studies music for 

 pleasure. But upon a money basis it is a 

 far different thing. When a man is engag- 

 ed in some pursuit that is capable of ab- 

 sorbing all of his energy and capital, I 

 doubt if he can add to his pleasure or 

 pocketbook by adding some other busi- 

 ness to his regular occupation. The bee- 

 keeping specialist, with his hundreds of 

 colonies, his improved hives, appliances 

 and methods, can and does raise honey 

 more cheaply than the man with a few 

 colonies. By specially is not meant that 

 a man does «oMz«^ else, but that it is his 

 main business. 



It is true that there are industries in 

 which there is a mutual advantage in 

 their combination. The fattening of 

 hogs and the running of a grist mill, or 

 of a slaughter house, is an example. 

 The keeping of swine and the raising of 

 apples also brings about a mutual advan- 

 tage. The swine enrich and "cultivate" 

 the soil, and eat the wormy apples that 

 fall. This is good for the trees, and the 

 apples are good for the hogs. There is 

 no business that can be united with bee- 

 keeping to a.ny great mutual advantage. 

 There is a slight mutual advantage in the 

 keeping of bees and the raising of fruit 

 (not small fruits that must be picked in 

 swarming time), alsike or buckwheat; 

 but not sufficient to warrant a bee-keeper 

 in buying a farm, or a farmer or fruit 

 grower to run an apiary. 



I hope no one will imagine that I 

 would advise bee-keeping as a specialty 

 without previous experience. How this 

 experience shall be acquired, although 



an interesting topic, is not the one under 

 discussion. I might say, however, that 

 nearly all of our specialists acquired this 

 knowledge by beginning in a small way 

 in connection with some other pursuit. 

 They were better fitted for bee-keeping, 

 and, at last, the old business was drop- 

 ped for the new. Some of our specialists 

 learned their business by an apprentice- 

 ship to some successful bee-keeper, which 

 is the quickest and most preferable 

 method. 



Let us suppose that the highest success 

 is attainable only by specialty. Having 

 done this, we must not forget that there 

 are "many men of many minds," and 

 that "circumstances alter cases;" that all 

 men and all circumstances are not fitted 

 for specialty. Some men prefer to lessen 

 the risk of a total failure, by having the 

 eggs in more than one basket, even if it 

 makes costly eggs. A man with a. small 

 farm may have time to care for a few 

 bees; or a farmer may have sons or 

 daughters who can do a large share of 

 the work. The reasons why a man may 

 sometimes desire, or be compelled, to mix 

 something else with bees are too varied 

 for mention here. It is evident that the 

 greatest success can be hoped for only 

 through specialty; yet no cut and dried, 

 cast-iron rules can be laid down. A man 

 must study himself, his surroundings, 

 and the conditions of his particular case. 

 It will be evident that those occupations 

 will best mix with bee-keeping that can 

 be followed in the winter; or, at least, 

 those requiring little or no attention dur- 

 ing the busy season with bees. What 

 would be best for one man would be a 

 poor business for another. Among the 

 vocations that have been mentioned are 

 wood chopping, teaching district school 

 in winter, or teaching singing or writing 

 school, raising grapes or apples or other 

 fall fruits, keeping Jerseys and making 

 winter butter, canvassing, bropm-making, 

 etc., etc. 



