THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



251 



three works on bee culture, and those 

 related most entirely to old methods. 

 Frames were used to some extent, 

 but not by those who did as now, 

 give the world the benefit of their 

 growing experience. Not that they 

 would not have done so had they the 

 opportunity, but bee culture had not 

 attained any rank among the indus- 

 tries of the world, and but few jour- 

 nals were published in its interest, 

 and those that were published did 

 not reach the masses, as they were 

 only known to those of experience. 



Bearing in mind the difficulties 

 that beset me at every point in my 

 endeavors to learn, I shall be well 

 repaid for my efforts if I am enabled 

 to aid a few only (I trust I shall aid 

 many) in the most fascinating pur- 

 suit in which I have ever engaged. 

 It will be my aim to state facts only, 

 and those gathered from my own ex- 

 perience, leaving theories to be dis- 

 cussed by those who have a greater 

 taste for them than I have at the 

 present time. 



I do not propose to undertake to 

 fill the position of a text book, as 

 there are a number now published 

 that can be perused with great 

 profit. I shall endeavor simply to 

 give such seasonable hints from 

 month to month, as will enable those 

 who have a real desire to improve, 

 to gain a practical knowledge of 

 methods that will be of use and 

 profit to them. It is now too late 

 to think of purchasing bees, and 

 the prospective beekeeper can make 

 no better use of his time than 

 to procure two or three of the 

 best works on apiculture and study 

 them carefully during the coming 



winter, leaving the matter of pur- 

 chases till spring opens, and all na- 

 ture shows its gladness at seeing the 

 cold dreary reign of winter broken. 

 Among the works published, I will 

 advise " Langstroth on the Hive and 

 Honey Bee, " Quinby's Work" re- 

 vised by L. C. Root, and " Alley's 

 Handy Book" for beekeepers. From 

 a careful study of all these a correct 

 knowledge of principles can be 

 gained, and when their contents are 

 well digested the student may follow 

 them with " Cook's Manual." 



Bee culture can only be learned 

 by study and practice. The prin- 

 ciples should first be fully learned, 

 and then their application can be 

 practically made by actual labor in 

 the apiary. 



In my next article I shall treat of 

 the hive and methods of manipula- 

 tion. 



EDITORIAL. 



In the last issue of the " Api," 

 we stated that tlie season just past 

 had been generally speaking a most 

 prosperous one for the beekeepers. 

 Judging from the reports in our ex- 

 changes, there have been some local- 

 ities where but little honey has been 

 stored. Now this is not the case as 

 a rule. In some parts of the country 

 the season has been too wet, while 

 in other places it has been too dry. 

 Then again, where large crops of 

 honey were made in 1884, the crop 

 for 1885 has been a light one. As 

 we have before stated, all this may 

 be expected, as sure as one season 

 follows another. A fruitful year is 



