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It appears that Advanced Bke Culture has an un- 

 expected merit, one that was not planned — just g^rew of 

 itself. The 5/r/^ is enjoyable. Dr. Miller sa^'s: "It has 

 the fine quality of being: readable." Somnambulist, in 

 the Progressive, says: "From the single spray of white 

 clover which has attracted a golden bee, on the front 

 cover, to the very last page, fascination holds 

 sway." While attending the recent, Michigan con- 

 vention, I had the pleasure, one night, of occupying the 

 same room with Ernest Root, and, in those semi-con- 

 fidential chats that we always have on such occasions, 

 he told me that, once he beg'an reading the book, he 

 could not lay it down; it was simply irresistible — like a 

 story. 



In writing the book there was no attempt, not even 

 a thought of making" it "readable." Had I had this 

 object in view, it is more than likely that I would have 

 spoiled it. I suspect that this very charm lies in its un- 

 conscious simplicity. I was full of my subject, to 

 overflowing, and then tried to write so simply and 

 clearly that my readers would see the ideas rather 

 than the language in which they were expressed; and, 

 now to be told that the book is "readable," "fascina- 

 ting," and "irresistible," brings to me an added pleasure 

 I think that I enjoy tine writing, word pictures, 

 imagery, poetry, etc., as much as any one does, but 

 when it comes to describing the intricacies of bee-keep- 

 ing, simplicity is best. 



There is also one other point along this line that 

 oug-ht to be mentioned, and that is the conciseness of 

 the style — it is boiled down. It would have been an 



