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CHICAGO, ILL., AUGUST 20, 1896. 



No. 34. 



MR. ALLEN PRINOLE. 



In last week's issue of the Bee Journal we announced the 

 sad news of the unexpected death of one of Canada's most 

 prominent bee-keepers — Mr. Allen Pringle, of Selby, Ont. — on 

 July 22, 1896. We are glad to be able, this week, to pre- 

 sent to our readers not only the excellent and latest picture of 

 our departed friend, but also something about his life, par- 

 ticularly as a bee-keeper. 



In the American Bee Jou-rnal for May 18, 1893, we pub- 

 lished a biographical sketch of Mr. Pringle (in connection 

 with his portrait) and from it we glean some things that will 

 be of special interest now. 



At the age of 10 young Pringle might have been seen on 

 a wood sleigh one fine morning in April, accompanying his 

 father to a neighboring house three miles off to get their first 

 " skep " of bees. The colony was in what is now called " the 

 old box-hive," and they got it home in good condition on the 

 sled. Thus commenced the young lad's experience in bee- 

 keeping. 



Up to the age of 15 he attended the local school in winter 

 and assisted with the bees and farm work in summer. By 

 that time he had acquired all the learning the average country 

 school pedagogue could impart, besides quite a fund of anti- 

 quated bee-lore. He now began to think of doing something 

 for himself on his own account. Accordingly one morning in 

 May, bright and early, the self-reliant and ambitious youth 

 started off on foot and alone to a neighboring town several 

 miles away to attend an examination of candidates for teach- 

 ers' certificates. He was successful, and duly received his 

 certificate of qualification to teach any common school in the 

 county. 



Soon after, at the age of 15, he took a situation as 

 teacher without assistant, and there ended his own schooling 

 with the exception of a subsequent term or two in a high 

 school. His education was acquired for the most part outside 

 of schools and colleges. For several years the winters were 

 spent teaching the " young idea how to shoot " In some of the 

 largest and most difficult schools to manage in the whole 

 county, and with every success ; while the summers were 

 mostly spent on the farm and amongst the bees, which, under 



skillful management, had increased from the original old box- 

 hive to over half a hundred prosperous colonies. 



Having readily absorbed the bee-lore possessed by all the 

 wiseacres of the neighborhood, and hearing that a great book 

 had been published on bees, he sent for it and got it in due 

 course by mail. It was Quinby's " Mysteries of Bee-Keeping 

 Explained." From this he got new hints and valuable infor- 

 mation, and rapidly came to the front in the science and art 

 of bee-culture as practiced in those days. He discarded the 

 box-hive and used a movable frame, from which he extracted 

 the honey with an old-fashioned extractor, getting the nearest 

 blacksmith to make him an uncapping-knife from an old file, 

 which he used ever afterward, and which, during a quarter of 

 a century, has shaved the caps off many tons of honey 



Allen Pringle. 



Through a strong love of bees, and a natural adaptation 

 to the handling and management of them, supplemented by a 

 long experience, Mr. Pringle became one of the most skillful 

 apiarists in America, and was looked to as an authority on 

 bee-culture by all who knew him. Though never seeking 

 oOBce, the office sought him, and he served as President and 



