1877 Preface 



In preparing this work I have been much in 'ebted to the books of Langstroth, :sioses 

 Quinby, Prof. A. J. Cook, King, and some others, as well as to all the bee-joiirnals; but, 

 more than to all these, have I been indebted to the thousands of friends scattered far and 

 wide who have so kindly furnished the fullest particulars in regard to all the new improve- 

 ments as they have come up in our beloved branch of rural industry. Those who ques- 

 tioned me so much a few years ago are now repaying by giving me such long kind letters 

 in answer to any inquiry I may happen to make that I often feel ashamed to think what 

 meager answers I have been obliged to give them under similar circumstances. A great 

 part of this ABC book is really the work of the people; and the task that devolves on me 

 is to collect, condense, verify, and utilize what has lieen scattered through thousands of 

 letters for years past. My own apiary has been grea ly devoted to testing carefully each 

 new device, invention, or process as it came up. The task has been a very pleasant one; 

 and if the perusal of the following pages affords you as much pleasure I shall feel amply 

 repaid. 



November, 1877. A. I. Root. 



Preface to Later Editions 



Many years have passed since the original preface by A. I. Root was written. Since 

 tiiat time there have been fourteen distinct editions, of anywhere from 2000 to 15,000 copies, 

 making a total of 131,000. While the original wcrk contained only about 200 pages it will 

 be seen that this one has over 600. So rapid have been the advances in apiculture that it 

 has been necessary to make frequent revisions, and soexttnsive have been the changes 

 that some editions seem almost like new works. As these pflges are kept in standing lype 

 changes can easily be made. 



After the revision of 18S3, ill health and interest in other matters compelled A. I. Root 

 to drop the subject of bee culture to a great extent. Since that time the work of revision 

 has devolved almost entirely upon his eldest son, the writer. About the time that we 

 took up this work we began to assume editorial charge of Gleanings in Bee C ulture, a semi 

 monthly magazine, and since 1887 we have had almost entire charge of both except that we 

 have been very ably assisted in the last year or two by a younger brother, H. H. Root. In 

 order that we might keep in close touch with the best practices in vogue, we made a num- 

 1 er of extended trips, visiting some of the most successful bee-keepers in the country, tak- 

 ing along with us camera and note-book. One year we traveled thus equipped over seven 

 thousand miles, covering a large portion of the West and at other times the entire eastern 

 p.irt of the country. Many of the photographs taken at the time are scattered throughout 

 the work. This extended travel among bee-beepers, together with a large acquaintance 

 and general correspondence, has enabled us to incorporate, as we believe, new and valua- 

 ble matter in these pages; and the work, so far from being an A B C only, is also an X Y Z 

 of bee culture. Originally, A. I. Root intended it to be a work purely for beginners; and 

 while it still is primarily for that class, yet we have sought in the later editions to incoi- 

 porate general matter of interest and of value to the advanced bee-keeper. 



So great have been the general changes in the practices and general systems of man- 

 agement that it has been found necessary during the last fifteen or twenty years to re-write 

 almost whole articles. So much ol new matter and new subjects has been added that 

 practically three -fourths of the present volume is the work of the reviser. In this ( on- 

 nection we are desirous of acknowledging our indebtedness to specialists who have written 

 certain articles of a technical nature, which articles will be found scattered here and there 

 throughout the work. Inasmuch as some of these are the work of two or three people, the 

 discriminating reader will notice here and there a change of style. Although this is una- 

 voidable we believe that the general teachings harmonize throughout 



We offer no apologies for lack of literary style. Much of the w ork of revision and the 

 re-writing of new articles has been done under pressure of other work; but we have 

 endeavored to use the simplest and i)l dnest language possible to describe each process, 

 device, or method. Eknkst R. Root. 



