INTRODUCTION 



One morning, five or six of us, who had occupied 

 the same bed-room the previous night diiring the Xorth 

 American Convention at Cincinnati, in ISS"?, were dress- 

 ing preparatory to another day's work. Among the rest 

 were Bingham, of smoker fame, and A'andervort, the 

 foiuidation-mih man. I think it was Prof. Cook who 

 w?s chaffing these inventors, saying something to the 

 effect that they were always at work studying how to 

 get up something different from anybody else, and, if 

 they needed an implement, would spend a dollar and a 

 day's time to get up one "of their own make," rather 

 than pay 25 cents for a better one ready-made. A^ander- 

 vort, who sat contemplatively rubbing his shins, dryly re- 

 plied: "But they take a world of comfort in it." I 

 think all bee-keepers are possessed of more or less of 

 the same spirit. Their own inventions and plans seem 

 best to them, and in many cases they are right, to the 

 extent that two of them, having almost opposite plans, 

 would be losers to exchange plans. 



In visiting and talking with other bee-keepers I am 

 generally prejudiced enough to think my plans are, on 

 the whole, better than theirs and yet I am always very 

 much interested to know just how they manage, especially 

 as to the little details of common operations, and occa- 

 sionally I find something so manifestly better than my 

 own way, that I am compelled to throw aside my preju- 

 dice and adopt their better way. I suppose there are a 

 good many like myself, so I think there may be those 

 who will be interested in these bee-talks, wherein, be- 

 sides talking something of the past, I shall try to tell 

 honest]" '--Qt ho>'- T do. talkino- in a tamiliar manner, 

 without feeling obliged to say 'Sve" when I mean "I." 

 Indeed I shall claim the privilege of putting in the pro- 



