18 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



January 



tongue. His love of bees has stimula- 

 ted an appetite for knowledge beyond 

 that afforded in the literature of his 

 own country. Every item of informa- 

 tion which sheds a ray of light upon 

 the subject by which he has been fas- 

 cinated, is appropriated and cherished 

 as a precious morsel. As an example 

 of his commendable efforts, and as an 

 illustration of the great difficulties un- 

 der which these efforts are exerted, it 

 is no violation of confidence, we think, 

 to reproduce in his own style an ex- 

 tract from the missive referred to: 



"Mr. H. E. Hill, 



My Dear Sir. I am a poor bee-keep- 

 er who have a few colonies in my 

 back-yard, and am also a reader of The 

 American Bee-Keeper, and I ask you 

 the question on the bee-keeomg. 

 Please send me the answers by mail. 



"1. How will do to compound the 

 royal ielly to rear queen cells? 



"2. How will to do the proportion of 

 feet to be give instead of coUen for the 

 broods? 



"3. What are very best m all the 

 methods of queen-rearing performing 

 in American at present? 



"4. Which are most appropriate for 

 a beginner in the text-books on a list 

 of 'books for bee-keepers' in the ad- 

 vertisement in the American Bee-Keep- 

 er?" 



Observe the candor, of our corre- 

 spondent. Reflect upon the exertion 

 which was necessary in order to make 

 the appeal for light. Consider the de- 

 termination which actuated his effort. 

 Imagine, if possible, the delight that 

 he would derive from' an ability to read 

 and comprehend all that is written in 

 English upon the subject of apiculture. 

 Consider his great disadvantage, as 

 compared with ourselves. 



Is there not something in such an ap- 

 peal which touches the heart of every 

 bee-keeper, and reveals the opportunity 

 that is before him? As wc have ob- 

 served elsewhere, we are led to wonder 

 whether we are making the best of our 

 advantages. 



A rem'arkable example of comb- 

 building in the open air, and an instance 

 in which the combs penetrated the 

 snow which spread to the depth of a 

 foot upon the ground, is illustrated in 

 the September number of the Bee- 

 Keepers' Record, of London, England. 

 Through the kindness of Editor W. 

 Broughton Carr we have secured the 

 original photograph, which will be re- 

 produced in these columns next month. 



Every subscriber to this journal is in- 

 vited to freely participate in the dis- 

 cussion of any and all subjects in which 

 he feels an interest. All apicultural 

 knowledge is derived either through the 

 generous courtesy of our co-workers 

 or a combination of this and personal 

 observation and genius; hence our re- 

 sponsibility one to another, for a free 

 and unselfish exchage of ideas, in order 

 that the wheels of progress may not be 

 staid by the necessity for individual ex- 

 periment at each step. 



Maurice Maeterlinck's charming 

 book, "The Life of the Bee," which has 

 been repeatedly derided, ridiculed and 

 defamed by a few of that class who 

 grasp every opportunity to air their su- 

 perior knowledge of apicultural mat- 

 ters, is refreshingly defended by Mr. C. 

 P. Dadant, in a recent number of the 

 American Bee Journal. It's a blessed 

 good thing for the fraternity, and hu- 

 manity in general, that the self-suffi- 

 ciency and egotism of all men is not 

 such as to preclude charity for the triv- 

 ial failings of their fellows. 



The Rocky Mountain Bee Journal ob- 

 serves that "production is the easy side 

 to successful bee-keeping. Distribu- 

 tion is the hardest task." And this fact 

 is becoming daily more apparent. 



The editor of Gleanings has reliable 

 information to the effect that at pres- 

 ent Cuba produces about 200 carloads 

 of honey annually, and that it is not 

 too much to suppose that it is capable 

 of producing 5(X) carloads. He says: 

 '•California has put out in one season 

 an amount equal to this. But prob- 

 ably Cuba has better and more ex- 

 tended resources than any other prov- 

 ince, state or island on this hemi- 

 sphere." And still. West Indian com- 

 petition cuts no figure (?). We wonder 

 what has become of the American Bee 

 Journal's correspondent. Mr. Rocken- 

 back, who gave up Cuban apiculture as 

 a lost cause, several years ago. 



