250 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



November, 



includes the names of Newman, Hutch- 

 inson, Root, York and others. We 

 should be the last to depreciate, even 

 to the smallest degree, the humblest 

 effort of officer or lay member if di- 

 rected with a view to the betterment 

 of apicultural conditions in the United 

 States. All honor to those who have 

 done, and are yet doing so. These con- 

 cessions, however, in nowise affect the 

 fact that we derive pleasure from a 

 contemplation of the passing of the 

 National's affairs into the hands of ac- 

 tive producers of honey. We have 

 not said, nor intended to infer that 

 " the Association has suffered because 

 among its officers have been men who 

 were not active producers of honey." 

 The recent progress of the Association 

 is in itself ample evidence of the good 

 work of its previous officers. They 

 have reason to reflect with pride upon 

 their accomplishments; and their faith- 

 ful service is, we believe, with few ex- 

 ceptions, i-egarded with satisfaction by 

 the membership. But does all this 

 preclude the possibility of grefiter 

 strides under change 1 conditions inci- 

 dental to the passing of time? Does 

 it even imply, of necessity, that there 

 has been nothing possible left unac- 

 complished? We have said bee-keep- 

 ers themselves, perhaps, know better 

 than any one else what they want," 

 and the faith still abides. If they 

 don't, we don't know who knows bet- 

 ter than they. They ought to know as 

 well as any bne lUot a bee-keeper, 

 surely. 



The doctor's second proposition is 

 the easiest thing that's been sprung 



on us for a long while, and substan- 

 tially makes good our claim that bee- 

 keepers do know better than any one 

 else what they want. Any editor, "if 

 he is fit to be an editor," closely studies 

 the "wants" of bee-keepers, or down 

 would go his journal. He is, in fact, 

 dependent wholly upon either his pat- 

 rons or his personal experience in their 

 ranks for knowledge of their wants; 

 and we maintain that no amount of 

 training at the editorial desk will yield 

 the knowledge essential to the best 

 results either in the management of 

 an apicultiiral .iournal or an apicultural 

 association. Note the zest character- 

 istic of editorials written under the 

 inspil-ation of a day's contact with 

 practical apiary work, as displayed, 

 for example, in the case of Mr. Root, 

 editor of Gleanings. occasionally. 

 Whence cometh this distinguishing ac- 

 tivity and practical tone which arrests 

 the interest of the reader and causes 

 him to feel that he is an eye witness, 

 if not a participant in the operations 

 about which he i-eads? Whence? From 

 the fountain head which is the source 

 of knowledge upon which our industry 

 is based, and without which it is im- 

 probable, to our mind, that any man 

 is better qualified to direct, than those 

 who have freely imbibed. Is it not 

 within the bounds of legitimate reason 

 to anticipate a similar influence upon 

 the affairs of the National Association 

 as a result of this contact with the 

 practical side of the duties we have 

 espoused? We trust Doctor Miller may 

 be spared to see and recognize the be- 

 nign influence of such contact. — Ed. 



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THE 



Bee « Keeping World 



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AUSTRIA. 



The picture below shows a portable 

 apiary (on wheels) as shown in Vienna 

 at the international apicultural exhibi- 

 tion, 1903. 



The Bienen-Vater gives a brief his- 

 tory of a eentarian bee hive as fol- 



lows: The hive measures two meters 

 in diameter and contains six colonies. 

 It is now owned by Ilerr iNIansbart in 

 Zauchtl and has been in the family 

 since 18.30. The record of this giant 

 hive dates back to the year 1793. 

 Hundreds of swarms have issued from 



