1879 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



467 



THE 



A B C of BEE 



FOR several years, it has been my ambition to lie 

 . able to write a book on bee culture, so clear and 

 plain that not only any boy or girl,lbut even an old 

 man or woman, with the book and a" hive of bees, 

 could learn modern bee culture, and make a fair, 

 paying business, even the first season. This is a great 

 undertaking, I grant; and it will require some one 

 with far greater wisdom than mine, to do it the first 

 time trying. After watching beginners, and an- 

 swering their questions almost constantly, for years, 

 I came to the conclusion, that the only way to do it 

 was to "cut and try," as carpenters say, when they 

 can't get the exact dimensions of the article they 

 wish to make. 



To cut and try on the A B^C book, I have invested 

 over $2,000 in type, chases, etc., sufficient to keep 

 my whole book standing constantly in type, that can 

 be changed at a moment's notice. The books are 

 printed only as fast as wanted, and just as soon ; s I 

 see I have omitted anything, or have made any mis- 

 take, the correction is made before any more books 

 are sent out. To show you how it works, and how 

 it succeeds, I will give you an illustration. 



A beginner writes to know if it is of Jany use to 

 keep a queen, after she is eighteen days old and 

 does not lay. Now I know very well that a queen 

 should lay when from ten days to two weeks old; 

 and also, that they will sometimes not commence 

 until they are three weeks old, and then make good 

 queens. Now, although I directed that they should 

 be tossed up in the air, to see if their wings were 

 good, when they did not lay at two weeks of age, I 

 did not say, if their wingsjproved to be good, how 

 long we should keep them. If 1 could spare the 

 time of the colony, I would keep a' good looking 

 queen that could fly well, until she is 25 days old; if 

 crowded for a place to put cells, I would kill all that 

 do not lay at 18 or 20 days old. 



I have just put the above in the ABC, and that is 

 just the way I am going to keep dning. You see, 

 you beginners are, ultimately, to build up the book. 



The book, as it is now, contains nbout 275 pages 

 and about 175 engravings. It is furniahod complete 

 in one, or in 5 different parts. The contents and 

 trices are as follows: 



Part First, will tell you all about the latest im- 

 provements in securing and Marketing Honey, 

 the new 1 ft. Section Honey Boxes, mak- 

 ing Artificial Honey Comb. Candy for 

 Bees, Bee Hunting, Artificial Swarming:, 

 Bee Moth. &c, &c. 



Part Second, tells all about Hive Making, 

 Diseases of Bees, Drones, How to Make an 

 Extractor, Extracted Honey, Feeding and 

 Feeders, Foul Brood, etc, etc. 



Part Third, tells all about Honey Conib, Hon- 

 ey Den', Hybrids, Italianizing, King Birds, 

 'I'he Locust Tree, Movins: Bees, Tlie Lamp 

 Nursery, Mignonnette, Milkweed, Mother- 

 wort, Mustard, Nucleus, Pollen, Pro- 

 polis, and Queens. 



Part Fourth tells all about Rape, Raspberry, 

 Kat-.in, Robbing, Rocky Mountain Bee 

 Plant, Sage, Smokers, including instructions 

 for making with illustrations. Soldering, Sour- 

 wood, Stings, Sumac, Spider Mower, Sun- 

 flow* r, Swarming, Teasel, Toads, Trans- 

 ferring, and Turnip. 



Part Fifth tells about Uniting' Bees, Veils, 

 Ventilation, Vinegar. Max, Water for 

 Bees, Whitewood, and Wintering. It also 

 includes a (Glossary of Terms and Abbrevia- 

 tions used in Bee Culture. 



1^~A11 are Profusely Illustrated with En- 

 gravings. 



Nothing Patented. Either one will be mailed 

 for 25c; »/» doz., $1.25; 1 doz., $2.25; 40, $6.00. 



The five parts bound in one, in paper, mailed, for 

 $1.00. At wholesale, same price as Glkanings, 

 with which it may be clubbed. One copy, $1.00; 

 three copies, $2.50; five copies, $3.75; ten copies, 

 $fi 00. 



The same neatly bound in cloth, with the covers 

 neatly embellished in embossing and gold, one onpy, 

 $1.25; three copies, $3.25; five copies, $5.00; ten 

 copies. $8.50. If ordered by freight or Express, the 

 pi >stayre may be deducted, which will be 3c on each 

 25c book, I0e on the complete book in paper, and 12c 

 each, on the complete book in cloth. 



A. I. ROOT, Medina, O. 



