104 
BEEKEEPING FOR WOMEN 
courteous gentleman, and lie felt that it was 
outrageous for me to have to do the work 
alone, but he did not dare to come to my 
aid, and I think lie considered my temerity 
in dealing with the swarm as almost scan¬ 
dalous. 
Thus having disposed of all the reasons I 
can think of why women shouldn’t keep 
bees, I turn gladly to the more interesting 
reasons why she should look upon the api¬ 
ary as one of her legitimate fields of labor. 
There are so many reasons for this that T 
could not enumerate them even if a com¬ 
plete number of a bee journal Avere given 
me for the purpose. So I shall speak of 
just a feAv of the most important reasons. 
T should put first of all, and as embracing 
all other reasons, that beekeeping may be 
made an interesting avocation which can 
be carried on coincidentally Avith other em¬ 
ployments; it is an interesting study in 
natural history; it cultivates calmness of 
spirit, self-control, and patience; it is a 
“heap” of fun; incidentally it may sup¬ 
ply the home table with a real luxury; and 
it may add a very considerable amount to 
any woman’s spending-money. It can also 
be carried on as a regular business, to sup¬ 
port a family. 
But it is as an avocation that I am espe¬ 
cially interested in the apiary. Any woman 
Avlio keeps house needs an avocation to take 
the mind and attention completely off her 
household cares at times. There is some¬ 
thing about the daily routine of housekeep¬ 
ing that wears mind and body full of ruts, 
even in the case of those avIio love to do 
houseAvork better than anything else. Talk 
about the servant question! It is not the 
servant question, but the housework ques¬ 
tion. If some means could be devised by 
Avhicli housework could be performed with 
inspiration, zeal, and enthusiasm, the ser¬ 
vant problem Avould solve itself; but this 
ideal way of doing houseAvork can be car¬ 
ried on only Avhen the spirit is freed from 
the sense of eternal drudgery. I am not a 
Avizard to bring about this change; but I 
know one step toward it, and that is the 
establishment of some permanent interest 
for woman that Avill pull her out of the ruts 
and give her body and mind a complete 
change and rest. Embroidery, lace-making, 
weaving, painting, and several other like 
occupations, may serve this purpose in a 
measure; and, perhaps, if carried on in 
the right way, may achieve more in this 
line than they do at present. But these 
are all indoor occupations; and Avhat a 
woman needs is something to take her out¬ 
doors AAdiere she can have fresh air. Excess 
of perspiration induced by the cook-stove 
is weakening; but honest sAveat called forth 
in the open air by the application of gen¬ 
erous sunshine is a source of health and 
strength. 
Beekeeping is one of the best of these 
life-saving, nerve-healing avocations; it 
takes the mind from household cares as 
completely as would a trip to Europe, for 
one cannot work Avith bees and think of 
anything else. Some of the attributes Avhicli 
make beekeeping an interesting avocation I 
AA’ill mention: First of all, bees are such 
Avonderful creatures, and so far beyond our 
comprehension, that they have for us al- 
Avavs the fascination of an unsolved prob¬ 
lem. I never pass our hives without men¬ 
tally asking, “Well, you dear little rascals, 
what will you do next?” Bees are of par¬ 
ticular interest to every woman for several 
reasons; if she likes good housekeeping, 
then the bee is a model; if she likes a 
Avoman of business, again is the bee a shin¬ 
ing light; if she is interested in the care of 
the young, then is the bee-nurse an exam¬ 
ple of perfection; if sh6 believes in the 
political rights of women, she will find 
the highest feminine political Avisdom in 
the constitution of the bee commune. In 
fact, it is only as a Avife that the bee is a 
little too casual to pose as ideal, altho as 
a widow she is certainly remarkable and 
perhaps even notorious. 
Another phase which makes beekeeping a 
pleasing avocation for Avomen is that much 
of the work is interesting and attractive. I 
never sit doAvn to the “job” of folding 
sections and putting in starters Avitbout ex¬ 
periencing joy at the prettiness of the 
work. And if there is any higher artistic 
happiness than comes from cleaning up a 
section holding a pound of Avell-capped 
amber honey and putting the same in a 
dainty carton for market, then I have never 
experienced it; and the making of pictirres 
has been one of my regular avocations. By 
the way, woman has never used her ai’tistic 
talent rightly in this matter of cartons. 
Each woman beekeeper ought to make her 
