THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



329 



ough discussion. It is very imsatisfactory 

 to have an important discussion in full blast 

 cut off short and perhaps referred to a com- 

 mittee in order to aive room to the next 

 topic. A full convention can bring out all 

 the points much more fully than a few men 

 in a committee room. One suggestion leads 

 to another and " in the multitude of coun- 

 selors there is wisdom." The questions in 

 the question box (often of importance) are 

 frequently referred to a committee to be 

 answered. A discussion in full convention 

 is more likely to bring out the truth. If any 

 one has any topic or question that he would 

 like discussed and will not be present to ask 

 for its discussion, let him write to me at once 

 and I will see that the matter is brought to 

 the notice of the conveution. The discus- 

 sion of a topic often leads to another which 

 it would be very desirable to discuss, but 

 lack of time prevents. It is believed that 

 the above programme will allow a reason- 

 able time for the discussion of these inter- 

 esting side-questions that are continually 

 springing up. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, Sec. 



IN THE FUTUEE THE BEVIEW WILL NOT BE CUT 

 OFF SHOKT WHEN SUBSCRIPTIONS EXPIKE. 



Most of the older readers of the Review 

 will remember how I have opposed the prac- 

 tice of continuing to send papers after the 

 subscription had expired. I took this 

 ground because I supposed that everybody 

 looked upon this continuance as a sort of 

 attempt to force the paper upon them whether 

 they wanted it or not. I have learned, to 

 my surprise, that the majority of people 

 do not view the matter in this light. Let 

 me tell how I learned this fact. 



One year ago, as I sat looking over the 

 subscription book, I fell to wondering why 

 those who did not renew had failed to do so. 

 I thought what an immense advantage it 

 would be if a puhlisher could always know 

 why a subscriber did not renew. As I thought 

 the matter over, I decided to ask each 

 subscriber who had not renewed why, hav- 

 ing once been a subscriber, he was not one 

 now. I at once prepared a circular letter 

 and sent a copy to each old subscriber who 

 had not renewed. It was not written in a 

 a fault-iinding spirit, but the recipient was 

 told that no person failed to renew unless 

 there was some r«?a.so}), and that if the pub- 

 lisher could always know what that reason 



was it would be an //h hi pxsfi advantage. If 

 there were faults in the Review, he was asked 

 to point them out, not sparing the "feel- 

 ings" of its editor, otherwise the reply would 

 be of no value. The idea was that from a 

 knowledge of where I had failed in the past 

 I might gain wisdom, and so conduct the 

 Review iu the future that the number who 

 failed to renew would be lessened as the 

 years went by. 



With the circular was enclosed an addressed 

 and stamped envelope and a sheet of 

 paper with which to make a reply. One or 

 two late issues of the Review were sent each 

 person receiving the circular, and to those 

 who liked the Review but had aHowed their 

 subscriptions to expire simply from neglect, 

 the back numbers were offerd at half price 

 if they renewed their subscription to the 

 end of the next year. 



About one in four renewed his subscription 

 and most of them in renewing took advan- 

 tage of the offer of back numbers at half 

 price. Perhaps one-third, who did not re- 

 new, wrote and told why they did not. The 

 others paid no attention to the matter. 



I don't know whether any other publisher 

 ever adopted such a plan. It certainly was 

 original with me and seemed like quite a 

 novel scheme to get a peep behind the scenes. 



And it ivas a peep behind the scenes. I 

 tell you those letters were rich, racy and 

 overflowing with advice — some of them. I 

 think most of the writers were perfectly 

 frank. As I had expected, quite a number 

 had dropped the Review because the price 

 was raised to $1.00. Other journals that cost 

 no more came oftener or contained more 

 reading matter. Of course, when a man 

 thinks the Review isn't worth |1.00 a year, 

 I can't have any argument with him. I will 

 say this, however, many who wrote thus have 

 since sent in their subscriptions. 



Quite a good many had died, and the pa- 

 thetic letters written by wives, daughters or 

 sons caused my heart to go out in sympathy 

 to the sorrowing writers. 



As the letters were received, I wrote in 

 red ink just over each name in the subscrip- 

 tion book, the reason why that subscriber 

 did not renew. As I glance along over the 

 pages, it is surprising to see how often oc- 

 curs the following entry : "Out of the biz." 

 I tell you the last few years have been try- 

 ing ones to bee-keeping. Those who are 

 now in the ranks may be considered the 

 cream, 



