THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



13 



the location, the earlier will the 

 bees swarm and the better will they 

 thrive in every respect. 



{To he contiiuied.) 

 Bodheim, Germany, July 25,1783. 



EDITORIAL. 



Once more and almost regret- 

 fnlly we realize that we must for- 

 ever bid adieu to the old year, 

 which, while it has brought to us 

 so many cares, trials and burdens, 

 has also been fraught with so many 

 endearing and hallowed associa- 

 tions, and has developed and rip- 

 ened so many new and valuable 

 experiences and friendships. 



To-day, as we realize that a cur- 

 tain has gently fallen between us 

 and the past, leaving us standing 

 on the threshold of a new year, the 

 untried and unknown future, we 

 are more deeply impressed than 

 ever Mith the importance of the 

 mission upon which we have en- 

 tered and the weight}' responsibil- 

 it}' which rests ui*)on us as one to 

 whom thousands of hard-toiling 

 producers look for counsel and ad- 

 vice. Thus, it is only after mature 

 deliberation, aided b}' advanced 

 experience and a better knowl- 

 edge of the varied needs of those 

 in whose interests our journal is 

 published, that we reach forward 

 into the beyond, grasp the grand 

 possibilities that may come to api- 

 culture through a careful, thorough 

 and systematic solving of all the 

 great problems which come to us 

 for consideration, and present them 



in as simple and practical a man- 

 ner as possible to our readers. 



It is not enough that financial 

 success is crowning our efforts, but 

 if after all that we have said and 

 done, we have lightened no bur- 

 dens, given no counsel or advice 

 that has benefited our brother bee- 

 keepers we have accomplished but 

 little. 



As this number of our journal 

 will reach a large number who have 

 not been acquainted with the ob- 

 ject of our mission, ourreaders will 

 doubtless bear with us patiently if 

 we repeat some statements that 

 we have made before. 



It is a mistaken idea and one 

 with which we totally disagree that, 

 because on account of lack of or- 

 ganization and unsystematic man- 

 agement, our honey market has 

 been glutted, that apiculture has 

 reached its ultimatum, and hence 

 no new fields open before us for 

 investigation or development. On 

 the contrary, we are free to state, 

 fearless of contradiction, that when 

 the great greed for individual gain 

 and aggrandizement gives way to 

 the loftier aims of equal rights and 

 the desire to impart the greatest 

 good to the largest number, apicul- 

 ture will become a remunerative 

 vocation and one in which we can 

 invest capital with full assurance 

 of abundant success, opinions of 

 others to the contrary notwith- 

 standing. Apiculture is properly 

 and legitimately a branch of agri- 

 culture, and until this fact is rec- 

 ognized and every agricultural 

 college in our country follows the 

 example of the Michigan State Ag- 



