idy6. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



439 



After being so arbitrary (which I can't help, because I so 

 thoroughly believe in the foregoing), it is rather a relief to 

 find something to be cautious about. I will just give it as one 

 of my notions that Mr. Abbott's argument — "The ordinary 

 every-day work of life must [?J be done, and it is generally 

 done by those who are not specialists" — while good as far as 

 it goes, does not go far. Even now, a large proportion have 

 the choice between specialty and non-specialty in most of 

 their work, and the whole tendency of the age is to keep in- 

 creasing that proportion. Suppose we all took a notion to be 

 specialists — would stable-cleaning, and milking, and sweeping, 

 and washing clothes, go by default? How about making a 

 relaxation out of them? For instance, I do just as Mr. Ab- 

 bott does. I clean my own hen-house (I wouldn't have a horse 

 on the place), and do my own house-keeping — all but the 

 starched clothes, which I am proud to say I use as little as 

 possible, B. Taylor and W. Z. Hutchinson to the contrary not- 

 withstanding. As for blacking my shoes to work among the 

 bees, I would be ashamed to think of such a thing. Selah. 



The necessary readjustments take some stretching of the 

 imagination. Hut man is a various animal, and we can't tell 

 what may happen — certainly queer things Jkidc happened. 

 But given what I believe to be an impregnable fact — that 

 singleness of purpose and concentration of energy (with any 

 desired subordinate variety) bring out the highest development 

 of man — it seems to me that specialty for all is only a question 

 of time ; if so, that end should be kept in view, however dis- 

 tant. The greatest obstacle in the way is the existence of 

 useless luxuries, and in this respect, I admit, human nature 

 seems likely to stand in its own way for a few thousand years 

 to come, more or less. Still, that need not prevent individuals 

 from being sensible ; and that a condition is difficult of attain- 

 ment does not prove it is not the very thing to strive for. 

 " Whatever is, is right," is not sense. 



As to how far specialty can be now applied (without ref- 

 erence to its desirability), Mr. Abbott knows, or if he doesn't 

 he ought to, about 25 times as much as I do. It is evident, 

 however, that it is not practiced as much as it can be even 

 now. 



To say as some do, " Most people have to work with their 

 hands, therefore should not take mind-work into considera- 

 tion," is one of those intellectual flim-flams that do not impose 

 on a healthy mind for a raTment, but themselves illustrate the 

 necessity for more wide-spread mental training. It does not 

 need much thinking to show that while at present few have 

 the opportunity for liberal education, many may take advan- 

 tage of the mental benefits of specialty, by which I do not 

 mean factory piece-work, but something which is capable of 

 development, which repays original thought. 



Specialty in the country is the only great influence to op- 

 pose to the hybrid specialties of the city — factory work, clerk- 

 ing, cab-driving, etc. People can understand how there is no 

 more drudgery in particular farming than in anything else, 

 and that it does not require rising at nerve-depressing hours ; 

 but it won't do to puff general farming, for that is the cause 

 of the exodus from country to city. Arvada, Colo. 



A Ne'W Binder for holding a year's numbers of the 

 American Bee Journal, we propose to mail, postpaid, to every 

 subscriber who sends us 15 cents. It is called "The Wood 

 Binder," is patented, and is an entirely new and very simple 

 arrangement. Full printed directions accompany each Binder. 

 Every reader should get it, and preserve the copies of the Bee 

 Journal as fast as they are received. They are invaluable for 

 reference, and at the low price of the Binder you can afford to 

 get it yearly. 



*-*-*' 



Xlie Names and Addresses of all your bee- 

 friends, who are not now taking the Bee Journal, are wanted 

 at this office. Send them in, please, when sample copies will 

 be mailed to them. Then you can secure their suliscriptions, 

 and earn some of the premiums we have offered. The 

 next few months will be just the time to easily get new sub- 

 scribers. Try it earnestly, at least. 



Xhe McEvoy Foul Brood Xreatnient is 



given in Dr. Howard's pamphlet on " Foul Brood ; Its Natural 

 History and Rational "Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be in the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the Bee Journal for one year 

 —both for $1.10. 



PERSONAL MENTION. 



Mr. Hakrt Lathbop, of Browntown, Wis., wrote us on 

 June 25 : "Bees are rolling in the honey from linden." 



Mr. F. A. Gemmill, of Stratford, Ont., received a visit 

 from the reporter of the Stratford Beacon, which printed a 

 full column about Mr. G.'s bees and apiary. He purchased 

 his first Italian queen in 1864, and the reporter says his api- 

 ary is one of the finest and best managed in that region. 



Mb. E. J. Baxter, of Nauvoo, 111., gave us a very 

 pleasant call last week. He is a son-in-law of Mr. Chas. 

 Dadant, and has 250 colonies of bees. He will have some 

 honey this year, having taken several thousand pounds from 

 white clover thus far. Mr. B. is also extensively engaged in 

 strawberry and grape growing. 



Me. W. S. G. Mason, of Morenci, Mich., called on us for 

 a few minutes last week. Mr. M. has been a constant reader 

 of the Bee Journal for many years. Though never having 

 met before, it is often the case with many of our readers who 

 call on us, we seem to have been old friends, upon the first 

 meeting. So it seemed when Mr. Mason came in. 



Db. Gallup, of Santa Ana, Calif., has sent us a copy of 

 The Evening Blade — a local newspaper — containing almost a 

 page description of Catalina Island, the great summer and 

 winter pleasure resort of the Pacific Coast. It is 25 miles off 

 the coast of Los Angeles county, and is about 8x21 miles in 

 size. This is the place where it was reported some time ago 

 that a certain enterprising bee-keeper expected to establish a 

 queen-rearing apiary. But we have not yet learned whether 

 the project was carried through or not. 



NO'W is the Xime to work for new subscribers. 

 Why not take advantage of the offers made on page 4'±5 ? 



The Page & Lyon Mfg. Co., of New London, Wis., 

 were given a whole page write-up, with illustration of their 

 manufacturing plant, in a neat local pamphlet issued recently 

 describing the various business enterprises and prominent 

 men of that wide-awake Wisconsin city. H. H. Page is the 

 President of the company ; Vice-President, T. Knapstein ; 

 Secretary, A. C. Daugherty ; and Treasurer-Manager, M. D. 

 Keith. They are one of the largest and best known manufac- 

 turers of and dealers in bee-keepers' supplies in the State. 

 Their advertisement runs regularly in the American Bee 

 Journal, just as should all who expect to reach the consumers 

 of apiarian necessities. 



Mb. W. F. Marks, of Chapinville, N. Y., in a sort of por- 

 cupinish article in the June American Bee-Keeper, says that 

 " at no very distant date Apis dorsata will be domesticated, 

 and will remain to bless mankind long after tttey and their 

 memories shall be dead and forgotten." The " they " which 

 we have put in Italics refers to all those who in the American 

 Bee Journal opposed the scheme of the Government making 

 the attempt to get " the giant bees " into this country. 



Now, we don't see what is to hinder Mr. Marks and his 

 like-thinking friends from themselves going ahead and getting 

 those big bees, and not wait for the Government and what he 

 almost intimates are asinine bee-keepers, to help them. Just, 

 think of the glory to be reaped from such an undertaking ! 



Now, we gladly give our full permission for them or any 

 one else to go right after Apis dorsata. And if they deserve 

 a crown for their unselfish work, the American Bee Journal 

 will very willingly do its part in securing it for them, and also 

 a suitable monument to mark their last resting place, or any 

 other deserved " Marks " of honorable recognition that being 

 martyrs to the big sting of Apis dorsata entitles them. 



