February, igii. 



American Hee Journal 



Few or Many Colonies— A Re- 

 ply to Dr. Niller 



BY L. S. CRAWSHAW. 



I have readyour editorial in the September 

 (loio) issue of the American Bee Journal 

 (page 278). aud I see that you have therein 

 set me a contjenial task in somewhat uncon- 

 genial phraseology. For just what sort of a 

 fight you are spoiling, or under what rules. 

 is not quite clear, as balancing an aggressive 

 chip on your shoulder you throw out to me a 

 public challenge to take you and "gibbet" 

 you forthwith. May I point out. however, 

 that it is not usual for the challenger to 

 choose the weapons, and you will. I think, 

 permit me the usual courtesies of duel, trie 

 more readily as you have seen fit so kindly 

 to appreciate the lighter fare which I am 

 only able to provide for my opponents and 

 my friends. 



Coffee and Biscuits. 



For I myself am in some sort your debtor, 

 having partaken freely, from time to time, 

 of the good things which you set before your 

 guests, and I can not therefore but respect 

 your wishes, ill-chosen though I may con- 

 sider the suggested weapons of your after- 

 dinner challenge. So. willingly though I 

 would cross swords with you in friendly 

 bout. I have no desire to gibbet you. or to 

 see you hanged, otherwise than upon my 

 study wail, were the happy means at my 

 disposal. Indeed. I find myself partially 

 disarmed, and in curious agreement with 

 the spirit of your criticism, although I may 

 be able to make apparent some literal dif- 

 ference in our points of view, if I take your 

 comments seriatim. 



Colony or Hive. 



You first question my use of the term 

 "hive," where the intention is clearly that 

 of colony. I should have expected you to 

 welcome the terser term, but as you do not. 

 will kindly refer to your respected Webster, 

 where you will find full authority for this 

 particular use. The ancient derivation of 

 the word implies a family or colony, and you 

 will find Shakespeare cited as using it in the 

 sense you question. So that I am content to 

 refer " too common error " to these gentle 

 men 



Outrunning Powers. 



If I grant that " the beginner's enjoyment 

 has principal reference to the future." that 

 must be because it is such an excellent argu- 

 ment for the reasonable prolongation of his 

 pleasure of anticipation I Buc I have no de- 

 sire to detract from his present pleasure by 

 warnings as to the future, only rather to say 

 to him. " My young friend, make the most of 

 the present joy. and if you must build cas- 

 tles, build them either lightly in the air. or 

 solidly upon a sound foundation of experi- 

 ence." Not. be it understood. "Do not 

 build." but count the cost of building. 

 Whether or no. I have seen so many cases 

 where a bee-keeper has outrun his powers 

 and become slack, even occasionally a men- 

 ace to others, that I believe my warning to 

 be. in part at least, well founded. Bad sea- 

 sons have come, and the labor and expense 

 of autumn feeding have been either be- 

 grudged or delayed with the usual results. 

 Disease has perhaps crept in. and Disease 

 and Inexperience are a fell pair to run in 

 double harness, whilst Discouragement — 

 their careless foal — listlessly ruins some 

 fair garden. So that, for the happiness of 

 the bee-keeper it is well that plans should 

 not be allowed to outrun powers. For the 

 possession of bee-fever does not necessarily 

 imply either understanding or ability, and 

 though these may exist, the requisite time, 

 or even the necessary appliances, may be 

 inadauately available. I notice that you 

 specify sufHcient leisure, but this is surely 

 to plow crosswise with my postulatory 

 heifer. As who should say. he has the time, 

 ability, and inclination, so how can he out- 

 run his powers! 



Amateur or Professional. 



My warning is. however, essentially in- 

 tended to apply to the beginner, fascinated 

 by his new hobby. And I speak of hobbies 

 as i have known them. Nothing is too good 

 for the hobby lover, the true amateur as 

 such, whereas it is too often the case that a 

 hobby, turned into a business, loses some of 

 its charm. Happy and successful is that 

 man whose business and hobby remain one. 

 Just where the line between amateur and 

 professional lies in our craft, it is difficult 

 to say, unless a very hard and fast line be 

 drawn. I do not think it lies between " 1000 



and 5000 pounds." But my critic appears to 

 lose sight of the trend of my perhaps rather 

 loosely constructed paragraph, when he 

 speaks of fewer colonies or more help. That 

 is essentially an argument which must apply 

 to the professional, and not to the amateur, 

 whose delight in his hobby can not be ob- 

 tained by proxy. And I do not address the 

 professional, who may be supposed to have 

 discovered for himself his powers or his 

 limitations. 



Locality. 



Whether a difference be admitted or not 

 in the point of view, professional or ama- 

 teur, from which we discuss this subject, 

 something may be conceded to locality, that 

 apparently potent source of bee-men's dif- 

 ference. Conditions in the Motherland may 

 not be quite the same as in the United 

 States. Here we have lecturers, who preach, 

 both in and out of season, the advantages to 

 be derived from the pursuit of bee-keeping. 

 And one result of their (in my opinion) too 

 often ill-judged assurance of profits to all 

 and sundry, is the creation of a number of 

 bee-owners who are not best fitted to pur- 

 sue the craft to any length. 



Again, bee-keepingas taughtand practiced 

 here, is apparently a more complicated busi- 

 ness than your own. This may be mainly 

 due to our much shorter and more precari- 

 ous honey season. Exceptions in the form 

 of good seed and sheep locations occur, no 

 doubt, but the text upon which you base 

 your critical sermon, may reach many 

 other districts where bee-keeping on a large 

 scale is not possible. 



My Own Experience. 



You ask especially after this, and I may 

 tell you that until the past 2/i years (when I 

 left the parental roof to set up a home'of 

 my own, and to be rewarded a few days ago 

 by such another "Brighteyes" as "Uncle 

 Amos " used to tell about) I lived in a dis- 

 trict where a surplus was hardly possible at 

 all. The only honey obtainable was that of 

 early spring from the trees — mainly a green 

 and unattractive honey from the sycamores 

 — and an occasional autumn flow from the 

 ling or common heather, only to be secured 

 by a wagon journey over the rough roads of 

 half a mountain or moor. To obtain the 

 first, considerable care or skill was neces- 

 sary, and the flow was by no means certain. 

 And to obtain the second, three conditions 

 were essential: Good weather, a plant- 

 yield, and considerable strength of stock 

 already provided with worked out sections. 

 In my particular district, it was rarely, per- 

 haps once in 7 years, that these conditions 

 obtained coincidentally. Worked sections 

 were difficult to obtain, as there was no 

 clover to build up the colonies, and often 

 when all was otherwise favorable for the 

 later flow, the conditions of the summer had 

 alrear'y rendered it useless. When I say 

 that 1 h ive kept all my early enthusiasms 

 througn such conditions, you will perhaps 

 understand that I have known and over- 

 come at least some difficulties. 



Tons of Honey. 



Ahl dear critic, that is not " fighting fair," 

 To set my mouth awatering at the thought 

 of those snowy sections, and then to call a 

 fresh tune because I can no longer whistle 

 my own, It is as though one showed cut 

 lemons to a German band, and then dealt 

 blame because the music was too liquid. 

 But I will confess that I. too. share the 

 pleasures of anticipation with the veriest 

 beginner, and yet I look forward to the day 

 when I shall work from dawn to eve in a 

 city of myriad wings. How I should like to 

 share with you the joy of knowing that the 

 best had come. Some day. some day. per- 

 hapsl But. with other burdens to carry, the 

 apicultural hill is a long one. and the climb- 

 ing weeds out the unfit, just as upon any 

 other ladder of life. How few there be who 

 have attained the top. Those who have 

 done so may retain their old-time interest, 

 and the key to their happiness lies, not in 

 the business /nr sc, but in its entire suit- 

 ability to their particular temperament. 

 These giants are. therefore, not entirely 

 qualified to judge the failures to be, nor is it 

 reasonable to expect that the pigmies shall 

 be able to stride along in their seven-league 

 boots. 



the original position. 



And it is to make clear to the tyro, that 

 happiness lies within himself, and not nec- 

 essarily in greatness of possessions, that I 

 still cry my cry, I would particularly direct 

 your notice to that word " necessarily " in 

 my original argument, for bee-hives— I beg 

 your pardon— colonies of bees, are very 

 much like other possessions, and multi- 

 plicity of cattle, or dollars, or houses, or 



wives, does not. I believe, "necessarily" 

 bring increase of true happiness or peace of 

 mind even to the wisest, or the most under- 

 standingof men. I do not speak of all these 

 things from " my own experience." so that I 

 am quite open to be further corrected by my 

 good critic, should he desire to exgibbet his 

 powers! He has. however, already properly 

 appreciated my prime intention, as he 

 echoes the oft uttered and wisely endorsed 

 warning to beginners, " Not to outrun their 

 powers." Norton, Malton. England. 



Webster is not the only dictionary 

 which supports the use of the word 

 " hive " as representing the little folk 

 that dwell in the hive. But the diction- 

 aries can only make record of what is 

 customary, and sometimes what is cus- 

 tomary is not the very best. Although 

 referred to Messrs. Webster and Shakes- 

 peare, any plea I can make to them will 

 hardly avail. Language, however, is 

 always more or less in a formative 

 stage; and I take it that every man 

 who uses a language has a little influ- 

 ence in deciding how that language 

 shall be used, however infinitesmal that 

 little may be. So I make my appeal to 

 you. Brother Crawshaw, as one having 

 more than the average influence in de- 

 ciding what names things shall have in 

 the realm of bee-keeping, to do your 

 part toward helping to avoid the con- 

 fusion that arises from having too 

 many different things for the same 

 name, and too many different names 

 for the same thing. 



It will, no doubt, be generally agreed 

 that the word "hive" is entirely appro- 

 priate as the name of the structure in 

 which a colony of bees dwells, and it 

 will save confusion if the word is 

 always used among bee-keepers with 

 that one meaning, just as it will save 

 confusion if we avoid calling a colony 

 a stock, a stand, or a swarm. If a man 

 writes asking what it will cost him to 

 buy " one or two hives," I will have no 

 difficulty in making some kind of an 

 answer, provided the word "hive" be 

 always and only used to mean the 

 dwelling that a colony inhabits. But 

 if it be used also to mean what is in 

 the hive, then my brain is sadly puzzled 

 to know which meaning is intended. 

 Such puzzling of the brain is not con- 

 ducive to longevity. I'd like to live as 

 long as possible; so I appeal to you 

 for help in that direction by using your 

 influence in the interest of simplicity 

 and clearness. 



As for the rest, any difference of 

 opinion between us may be due to our 

 different standpoints. No hurry about 

 deciding ; I am quite willing to wait 

 until you can view the matter from the 

 standpoint of one who counts his colo- 

 nies by the hundred; and if you then 

 say that your enjoyment has decreased 

 with the increase of numbers, I shall 

 cheerfully agree that I was mistaken — 

 in you. C. C. M. 



Bee Journal " Good as Ever " 



Dear Bko. York:— In looking over the last 

 number (November) of the American Bee 

 Journal. I could not help talking to myself 

 what an interesting and valuable number it 

 was. When you first changed from a weekly 

 to a monthly, I felt a bit disappointed, but 

 of late I am reconciled and think the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal is as good as ever, 



Eugene Secor. 



Forest City, Iowa, Dec. 6. 



Wanted.— Thousands of both new and re- 

 newal subscriptions for the American Bee 

 Journal during the present or 51st year. 

 Why not each present regular subscriber 

 send in one or two new suoscriptions dur- 

 ing the next 30 days ? 



