THE AMERICAN' APlCULTURISt. 



21 



extends to us a very cordial invitation 

 to be present at the convention at 

 New Orleans, and it is with deep re- 

 gi'et that we replied that it would be 

 impossible. Our brother beekeepers 

 however, have our best wishes. Noth- 

 ing pleases us more than to see the 

 growing- interest in association work. 

 We are looking forward for grand pos- 

 sibilities in this regard in the near fu- 

 ture. 



We but here repeat the call and urge 

 all who can possibly do so to take a 

 trip to New Orleans and help to make 

 the convention a grand success. Ed.] 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



QUESTIONS BY THE EDITOR. 



1. It is a fact that the country is 

 flooded with so great a variety of hives 

 and sections that the beginner is puz- 

 zled to know which to choose. 



Now do you consider this state of 

 aflairs beueticial to the best interests 

 of Apiculture, and why is itso? Also 

 do you think that it is possible to de- 

 vise a simple hive and one that can be, 

 easily constructed that is worthy of 

 general adoption by the beekeepers 

 both of the North and South ? 



2. What do you consider, in the 

 light of your own experience, the duty 

 of the beekeepers regarding any and 

 all kinds of adulteration? 



3. How can the small beekeeper, 

 who owns only a few colonies, secure 

 his honey in the simplest manner pos- 

 sible and dispose of his surplus so as 

 not to conflict with the general honey 

 market to its injury. 



4 Some of the best beekeepers of the 

 world are opposed to conventions and 

 such publications as tend to increase 

 the number of beekeepers and encour- 

 age the production of honey. Is their 

 position well taken? 



5. How can we best call the atten- 

 tion of the public generally to the value 

 of honey as food and medicine, thereby 

 creating a greater demand for the 

 most natural and desirable sweet known 

 to the world? 



6. What is the most important ques- 

 tion of the day in relation to our pur- 

 suit? 



ANSWERS BY J. E. POND, JR. 



1. I have for a long time been of 

 the opinion that a standard frame 

 would prove decidedly advantageous ; 

 in fact I can hardly conceive of any 

 disadvantage that can arise from the 

 adoption of such frame. I can however 

 see no way in or l)y which a unity of 

 ideas can be brought about, to focus up- 

 on any one form of frame that can be 

 devised. 



A standard frame should and must 

 be a compromise; such compromise 

 must retain the good points and drop 

 the poor ones. So long as there is so 

 great feeling upon the subject, and ap- 

 parent belief that upon this or that par- 

 ticular form of frame depends the suc- 

 cess of the upholder thereof, just so 

 long shall we be obliged to take things 

 as they now are, and make the most we 

 can of them. 



2. The duty of every honest man is 

 to set his face hard against any and all 

 adulteration. Policy should have no 

 place in the matter. Exposure should 

 follow every known attempt, and every 

 man should be shown that disgrace 

 would attend any attempt on his part 

 to adulterate even in the least degree 

 any of our products. 



3. By working up his home market 

 thoroughly ; the great trouble has been 

 that every one is anxious to work ofl' 

 his goods too speedily. 



It may be a little trouble so to do, 

 but there is no question but that large 

 quantities of honey might be sold with- 

 in a stone's throw of one's own dwell- 

 ing if pains only were taken to develop 

 the trade. Instead then of rushing off 

 at once to some commission house let 

 the producer inform his neighbors and 

 the near public that he can supply them 

 with a choice article of pure honey, 

 and it must needs be a very thinly set- 

 tled locality that will not make a mar- 

 ket for the yield of quite a large 

 apiary. 



4. The only arguments that I have 

 yet seen are based on selfishness. No 

 position in my mind is well taken, that 

 does not tend to broaden and deepen 

 one's mind, and give him wiser and 

 better views in regard to the world at 

 large. Conventions and special bee 

 literature willhave sucheflect; no one 

 can for a moment doubt this. The 

 laws of supply and demand, produc- 

 tion and consumption, are the only 

 means by which the production of hon- 

 ey as well as other productions can be 

 controlled, and the sooner the would- 

 be specialist in this direction finds this 



