14 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



print. As a general rule, a feminine hand 

 writes more acceptable printer's copy than 

 that of the other sex. While I use at our 

 ofKce some poorly scribbled, almost indeci- 

 pherable matter, because the subject-matter 

 is par-excellence, yet the same "par excel- 

 lence" in a good, plain hand gets to the 

 printers at once, and hence is less liable to 

 be held over. The articles of Dr. C, C. Mil- 

 ler and -T. A. Green, for instance, are well 

 nigh faultless, rhetorically speaking ; and as 

 the subject matter is always good, they go 

 straight to the printers at our office, without 

 reading by the editor : and even he sees 

 them only after they are in type. 



Now, perhaps I shall be discouraging some 

 from writing. I should lie sorry to do this. 

 I simply desire to give hints on what sort of 

 matter is most acceptable. Write, by all 

 means, if you have something to tell, even if 

 you are so unfortunate as not to have a wife 

 or children who can copy off your poor 

 scribbling. If you are a woman, I'll risk the 

 legibility of your copy. By the way, it's a 

 pity that more women don't write for the 

 bee papers. 



Another says, " I don't know whether I've 

 got something good to tell or not." If you 

 are passably familiar with bee literatui-e you 

 ought to know. Editors and the general bee 

 keeping public don't care for dry details as 

 to what one, two, or three colonies did for 

 you. Available subject matter, in a word, is 

 what we all want. For instance, if you have 

 had success or failure with the automatic 

 swarmer, or some other new fad, tell us 

 about it. Again, if you can make bees pay, 

 even on a small average surplus per colony, 

 when others, with the same or larger average, 

 fail, tell us about it. If you have discovered 

 a " short cut " by which you have been 

 enabled to save many dollars, let your friends 

 know it through one of the bee papers. If 

 you can manage alone three or four hundred 

 colonies when most others require hired help 

 to manage the same number, let us know 

 how you do it. These are only a few of the 

 acceptable subjects, and a little intelligent 

 thinking on your part will show you others. 

 Watch the journals, and see what editors and 

 their subscribers wish to know. 



Intelligent criticisms, without acrimony, 

 on articles already in print, detailing meth- 

 ods and devices, form good subject matter. 

 Yes, "sail" into the editor, if you think he 

 is wrong, or is possessed of some headstrong 

 notions. It will please him, if you write in 

 a fair and gentlemanly way. Good discus- 



sion always brings out many valuable ideas. 

 If, however, you feel like giving your oppon- 

 ent in discussion a "thrust," or if you want 

 to see how smart you can be in delivering 

 stinging personalties, don't, don't, don't. 

 Forbear to call the editor unfair if he chops 

 you off in discussion. He probably knows 

 better than you that your communication is 

 too personal. 



In conclusion let me say, make your arti- 

 cles short, as a general rule. I agree with 

 the editor, that long articles may be good in 

 proportion to their length : but the average 

 reader prefers those of moderate length. 



Well, I must practice what I preach, and 

 so will stop right here, even at the risk of 

 being abrupt. 



Medina, ( )hio, -Tan. 12th, 1«9L'. 



Comments on a Beginner's Day-Book, . 



E. E. HASTY. 



AN. .5tb, 1880. The ground having 

 quite thawed out, I commenced 

 peelilig the surface of the apiary 

 to kill the sod of winter weeds." 



This mid-winter campaign has my ap- 

 proval still. If one is going to have a clean 

 surface he has got to strike for it. Possibly 

 the blows cost more than the clean surface 

 amounts to, yet the man who can do a thing 

 or two from '' clean spunk " will do the other 

 things all the better for it. My predecessor 

 in the apiary had tried for a clean surface, 

 too, and had gradually allowed himself to be 

 driven to the wall by such weeds as Shep- 

 herd's purse, false fire-weed, chickweed, sor- 

 rel and others — weeds that grow out of due 

 seasoii and pay very little attention to any 

 decent sort of murdering. So I got a nice, 

 sharp shovel and shaved things up, covering 

 the premises with little round heaps of weed 

 sod. Freezing and thawing and rotting 

 would finish them up, I thought, so the heaps 

 could be spread around again in the spring. 

 I (luickly perceived that my foes were not 

 intending to accept that program. There- 

 upon a new program, that had to be accept- 

 ed, quickly came to the front ; and my peel- 

 ings were wheeled off into one great heap 

 outside the limits. But this did not all flow 

 with entire sweetness any more than true 

 love does, for the very next day's entry says. 



"Jan. 6th. Thermometer rising to .V)" ; 

 bees Hew, stung me, and drove me off." 



