16 
Beekeeping 
obstacles may be overcome, but in a commercial apiary the 
work must be done promptly, for delay means loss. While 
some women have found pleasure and profit in commercial 
beekeeping, it emphatically cannot be recommended for 
the majority of women, and this should be made clear to 
avoid disappointment for those who may be attracted to it. 
Of course, this applies only to those women who have no 
man in the company to do the heavy work. Many a pro¬ 
fessional beekeeper has received assistance of incalculable 
value from the women of the family. It should be made 
clear that the obstacles to the commercial success of women 
beekeepers are physical ones only. 
Advantages in extensive beekeeping. 
Several references have been made to the desirability of 
encouraging professional beekeeping, and this should be ex¬ 
plained to avoid misunderstanding. Everyone who desires 
to keep bees, of course, has that privilege, so long as by so 
doing he does not interfere with the rights of others. By 
common consent, a man’s bees are not considered as tres¬ 
passing when they go outside his land for forage and conse¬ 
quently a beekeeper cannot legally or morally claim the 
exclusive right to keep bees in a locality. The beginner, 
therefore, is not considered as overstepping his rights in 
getting bees. Taking a broader view of the subject, how¬ 
ever, the professional beekeeper by his knowledge of the 
subject is able to produce larger crops, thereby utilizing the 
available nectar more economically. By this same knowl¬ 
edge and his better equipment, he is able to produce a better 
quality of honey. It is therefore evident that from the 
standpoint of conserving a resource to the best advantage 
there is reason to encourage the extensive beekeeper. 
In case a brood disease breaks out in a community, then 
there is every reason for taking sides with the professional 
beekeeper. The man with a few colonies is not financially 
interested to an extent which will compel him to care for 
the disease and in disease control it is usually necessary 
