1889 - BEE-KEEPING FOR WOMEN FROM A WOMAN'S STANDPOINT

from: The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture

I really like the advice given in this article.  While currently everyone says one should start with a minimum of two hives so you can compare their behaviors, this article takes it a step further and recommends the first year to approach the hives more like a naturalist/scientist.  That is a very attractive approach for me.  

This series of papers, “Women's Chances as Breadwinners”,  was commenced in the January number (Ladies' Home Journal, Volumes 7-8) with “How to Become a Trained Nurse,” and continued in the February number with “Women as Stenographers,” and in March with “Women as Dressmakers.” ... 

Future papers in the series will consider - “Women as Telegraphers", "Women Behind the Counter”,  “Women as Journalists”, “Women on the Stage” - "Women as Artists”, “Women as Doctors”, “Women as Teachers”, “Women as Type-setters", etc., etc

IV.—BEE-KEEPING FOR WOMEN FROM A WOMAN'S STANDPOINT

BY JULIA ALLYN

BEE-KEEPING offers to women an agreeable, healthful, and lucrative employment. While there may be no fortunes in bee-keeping, except to the few, yet to all there is, usually, satisfactory reward for labor and money expended. Thousands of women long for a change of occupation—for release from the store, the shop, the factory, the school; indeed, in many cases, the saving or prolongation of life demands a change.

Naturally, their thoughts turn to the country—to a life that may bring them into the open air a part of the time. It is saying very little for bee-keeping to say that it will bring more than thousands of women earn by city occupations. Indeed, bee-keeping has proved so profitable to farmers and others successful in other occupations that they have given all their attention and time to the production of honey.

There are many women bee-keepers in the land, and they are as successful as men. A school-teacher was told that she must find employment that would take her into the open air. She became a bee-keeper, was successful, had a large apiary, and employed several women to help her. Health, enjoyment, independence and money was the result. Women ought to be better bee-keepers than men for they have, usually, a gentler, finer touch than men.

The qualifications of a beekeeper are  patience, absence of fear and perfect command of self. Fear must be overcome or concealed. It may be present at first, but usually gives place to confidence after a little experience. The theory that bees instinctively select some persons as natural enemies, has no foundation in fact. 

Nearly all bee-keepers wear veils, and all beginners should wear gloves of rubber. The dress is a divided skirt, but made so full that it is not noticed. Each part of the skirt, is gathered at the bottom into a hem or band to button round the ankle below the top of the boot. In working among bees, the bees often crawl over the person, but they do not sting except in self-defense when pinched in the folds of the clothing, or otherwise. To begin bee-keeping, buy in the spring two colonies of Italian bees, and then with bees and books serve an apprenticeship during the season. 

Let no beginner attempt to keep bees for profit the first season. It has been done, and been successful, but it is the exception, and often, if not usually, has resulted in loss and disappointment. The bees should be bought as near home as possible to save express charges, and long journey for the bees. When the bees come, place them where they are to remain. One colony is to serve as a standard. It is to be studied as a full colony, and allowed to swarm in the natural way that the bee-keeper may have the experience of hiving a swarm. 

While the beginner is acquiring experience, she may raise bees for use next year. Therefore, the other colony is divided immediately on arrival, placing half of the colony in a new hive, and removing to the place where it is to remain. There are now three colonies, a full colony and two half colonies. Later in the season, when the half colonies have become whole colonies, they are divided again. Supposing that the standard colony will cast a swarm, there will be six colonies in the fall with which to begin in the spring. The swarm cast by the standard colony may be divided, also, if desired, giving seven in all. Of course, the divided colonies will store no honey, only honey for their own use. 

With a year's study and practice the student of apiculture is prepared to undertake beekeeping for profit. In the spring the six or seven colonies may be increased to twelve or fourteen, and that number will be enough to manage in the first year of actual work. The different methods adopted for the production of honey need not be given here. When the bee-keeper comes to the practical work in an apiary, she will have learned of these methods and will follow the one that seems to be best. 

As to product of honey. In an ordinary season, a colony of bees, by the non-swarming, double-hive system, will produce not less than fifty pounds of honey, often seventy-five and a hundred pounds. This honey, if properly marketed, will bring the producer twenty cents a pound. By the system referred to, one person, with occasional help, may attend to one hundred colonies if comb-honey be the product. If extracted honey be the object, assistance will be required in extracting the honey. As to the sale of honey. This fact may throw some light upon it. Though millions of pounds of honey are produced every year, yet honey is practically unknown to the great body of the people. On the tables of the rich or poor it is a comparative stranger. In some of the larger cities very little honey is on sale.

There are abandoned farms north, east, south and west, and there are tons of honey on these farms running to waste; and at the same time there are thousands of women pinched by want, wearied by toil, who could earn on these farms, with the help of the bees, more than they earn now and be comfortable and contented.