THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST. 



91 



first number of the Apicultdrist, 

 with the intention to establish, if 

 possible, an independent bee 

 journal, and one that was in no 

 way connected with the supply- 

 business. 



Those with whom we have been 

 most intimately acquainted will 

 know that we have spared neither 

 pains, time nor money in our en- 

 deavors to carry out our original 

 designs, and, indeed, up to the 

 last issue of our journal we have 

 been true to our trust in the strict- 

 est sense of the word. 



But few of our readers will ever 

 know how hard and exhausting the 

 unequal struggle has been, and it 

 was not enough that we were 

 obliged to pass through the fierce 

 and trying ordeal through which 

 all journals must pass during their 

 early historj^, but also we have 

 been compelled to contend with 

 untold opposition on every hand. 



Had we been abundantly sup- 

 plied with capital at the start, or 

 had the past two years been less 

 trying to our brother beekeepers, 

 our circumstances would have been 

 materially changed ; but, while all 

 things considered, the growth of 

 the Apiculturist since its com- 

 mencement has been unequalled 

 by that of any other journal of a 

 like character, during its early 

 history, yet circumstances, over 

 which we have no control, have 

 compelled us to make the changes 

 which we submit for your consid- 

 eration. 



In the future as in the past, we 

 shall endeavor to conduct the 

 journal in such a manner as to 



advance the cause of apiculture, 

 and further the interest of the pro- 

 ducers and consumers, for their in- 

 terests are mutual. 



We have learned that a bee- 

 journal must be either directl}' or 

 indirectly connected with a well 

 conducted experimental apiar}^ in 

 order that it may be well supplied 

 with a proper amount and variety 

 of information, valuable alike to 

 the expert and novice, and that 

 such apiary be supplied with all 

 the modern appliances and fixtures 

 necessary for conducting scientific 

 and practical experiments and in- 

 vestigations in apiculture. It is 

 also of vital importance that this 

 bee farm be under the personal 

 supervision of an expert who has 

 mastered every branch of apicul- 

 ture. 



It has been our object and in- 

 tention from the first to estab- 

 lish such an apiary in connection 

 with the Apicdlturist, but until 

 the present, this has for many rea- 

 sons been impossible. 



To organize such an enterprise 

 requires a large investment of cap- 

 ital and this we lacked ; again, it 

 must be made self-supporting, 

 which makes it necessary to dis- 

 pose of its productions. This has 

 led us to defer any change until 

 we had given the experiment of 

 publishing an independent journal 

 a fair and thorough trial, which 

 we have done until we have been 

 actually compelled to make a 

 change. 



We entered into this work with 

 a firm resolve to succeed, and 

 with the assistance of our brother 



