THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



259 



Chicago is a central point, and there 

 will undoubtedly he a large attendance, 

 it is earnestly hoped that bee-keepers will 

 turn out in good strong force. 



!•:. R. Root, 

 Dr. a. B. M.ason. President. 



Secretary. 



UK I.C.IAN H.\RES. 



The Review has had considerable to say 

 rej.jardiui.r this new industry — the breed- 

 ing of Belgian hares. It has paid more 

 attention to it than have the other bee 

 journals. I'erhaps it has devoted too 

 much space to this subject. As a bee 

 journal, perhaps it ought to say nothing 

 on this subject. The point is this: the 

 keeping of bees, or poultry, or Belgian 

 hares, are kindred industries. A person 

 interested in one is quite likely to take 

 an interest in the other. It is not always 

 so, and I am not saying that it is best 

 that it should be so. but the fact remains 

 that it is so. A great many men are so 

 constituted that they delight in a cow, 

 and a garden, and a few bees, and some 

 poultry, etc. Such combinations may 

 not lead to any great financial success. 

 They may lead to a cotnfortable living, 

 but not to the accumulation of wealth 

 th.it m.iy result from a dairy farm, or 

 from several out-apiaries. My own idea, 

 and my advice, is that of concentration 

 of energies and capital. At the same 

 time, I recognize that all men are not 

 adapted to specialization. There are 

 many bee-keepers who will read in the 

 pajjersttbout Belgian hares, and resolve 

 to invest in them. The question is, shall 

 they do it? .\t present a sort of craze is 

 swee])ing over the land, and fabulous 

 prices are boing paid, and those who em- 

 bark in the business now, and get the 

 best stock, will, if they manage rightly, 

 make some mone\', but the business must 

 eventuall}' come down to a meat basis. 

 That is the foundation upon which it 

 must eventually rest. High prices are 

 paid for breeding stock of pigs, poultry, 

 cattle and sheep, but the foundation for 



these prices is the market price of meat, 

 eggs and butter. If there becomes an es- 

 tabli.shed market, at good prices, for the 

 meat and fur of Belgian hares, there will 

 be a certain demand for pedigreed stock, 

 at high prices, just as there is now for 

 other stock of this class. Those who are 

 now furnishing pedigreed stock at fancy 

 prices are certainly making money. There 

 is no question about that. What Prof. 

 Cook wrote about the industry in Califor- 

 nia is undoubtedly t-ue. Dr. Cog.shall, 

 of this place, went to California, stayed 

 there several months, and was so favora- 

 bly impressed v.'ith the business that he 

 and his friends have put one thousand 

 dollars into the business. If any one 

 thinks that all that is necessary to do is 

 to buy a few rabbits, turn them loose in a 

 pen, and feed them occasionally, and then 

 the dollars will roll in, he is certainly 

 mistaken. The business must be entered 

 into as a business, and intelligently, at 

 that. The stock must be well chosen, 

 and well cared for, and well advertised. 

 It is something the same with this busi- 

 ness as it is wilh the queen bee trade. A 

 man may have the best of stock, and 

 rear his queens in tlie best possible man- 

 ner, but no sales will follow unless he 

 lets people know of the merits of his 

 stock. 



Perhaps some will think that I have a 

 mone}' interest in the sale of Belgian 

 hares. I have no pecuniary interest 

 whatever. The members of the Flint 

 Belgian Hare Association are neighbors 

 of mine, men that I have known for 

 years, and I would like to see them suc- 

 ceed, that is true, but not at the expense 

 of my subscribers. If I were interested in 

 booming the business, regardless of the 

 truth, I would never publish such articles 

 as I have in this issue. I wish to get at 

 the exact truth, as nearly as possible. If 

 any of my readers have any criticisms to 

 offer on what has appeared in the Review, 

 I shall be glad to receive it. Of course, I 

 don't expect to go on filling up the Re- 

 view with articles on Belgian hares, and 

 how to rear and care for them and mar- 



