THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



59 



Some ten years ago I lived on a 

 farm large enough to occupy most of 

 my time. I kept fifty to seventy-five 

 colonies. Some poor seasons I only 

 got a few hundred pounds of honey 

 to sell ; other seasons the surplus lan 

 up into the thousands of pounds, and 

 it mattered hut little whether nnich or 

 little was sold and at about the same 

 price. When a poor crop in our lo- 

 cality, the crop was good in oilier 

 places, and the deficit supplied by 

 dealers. \V^hen we had an extra large 

 crop, how did we get rid of it? wliy, 

 bj' pushing the sales more vigorously. 

 Now, 1 handle from tiiirty to fifty 

 thousand pounds every fall ; how is 

 this? 1 answer by a greater effort. 



If every beekeeper would do this, 

 five times the amount of honey would 

 be sold each year, or at least might be 

 sold. It is not that the rich buy 

 more freely than other classes. The 

 laboring classes buy of us twice 

 tlie amount that the vvealthy do. If 

 the way I have suggested is not fea- 

 sible and not in line with a correct 

 solution of the problem of how to 

 disi)ose of a large crop of surplus 

 honey, I want the man who has a bet- 

 ter plan to take the floor and tell what 

 he knows. We do not care whether 

 we can educate people to eat honey 

 or not habitually. Just so they do 

 buy of us when we extend oiu' press- 

 ing invitation, is all that is needed, 

 all we desire. 



Mr. Tyrrel gives utterance to words 

 of wisdom when he cautions begin- 

 ners against an attempt at making the 

 production of honey his only means 

 of livelihood. 



The veteran who can handle large 

 numbers of colonies to the best ad- 

 vantage, having secured a good field, 

 may successfully engage as a special- 

 ist, occupying his time in the summer 

 procuring the crop, and agnin his time 

 in the fall and winter in disposing of 

 his surplus, as far as possible, direct 

 to consumers, therel)}' obtaining the 

 most mone}^ for his product. 

 Hollidays Cove, W. Va, 



iToreign ^otes. 



CONDUCTED BV I>. STACHELH AUSEN. 



Beekeeping in Germany has not ad- 

 vanced since 1873. The census of 

 tliat year gives 1,453,764 colonies in 

 tlie kingdom of Prussia. In 1883 she 

 had 1,237,991 only, consequently lost 

 215,773 colonies. The census of 1893 

 will very probably show another re- 

 duction. This is the more strikii 

 as many swarms and full colonies were 

 imj^orted from Italy and Carniola. 



One of the great differences in bee- 

 keeping between the United States 

 and Germany is, that the most of the 

 German beekeepers keep a few only 

 and beekeeping there is rather a hobby 

 than a busmess. A large per cent of 

 German beekeepers are gentlemen or 

 teachers. Of course they wish to get a 

 cash income f rom beekeej^ing, but they 

 do not depend upon it. Some farmers 

 keep bees, but generally the wealthier 

 l^eople. As a consequence of this, 

 hives and appliances are complicated 

 and costly and less adapted for quick 

 management. The poorer people, s uch 

 as they call cottagers in England, are 

 very indili'erent in regard to the mov- 

 able frame hive and modern bee-keep- 

 ing. 



Mr. Tony Kellen wrote a report of 

 the Paris exhibition for the /Sc/i/Peizer 

 JiienenfreiDid. He says, " The Eng- 

 lish and Americans have noticeably 

 surpassed the German beekeepers 

 (not to speak of others) in many re- 

 spects. They may at first have learned 

 many things of Germans, I admit, but 

 they have learned how to apply science 

 and do not remain stationary. To- 

 day can the German and Frenchman 

 go to the Englishman and American 

 for instruction. Already what be- 

 longs to beekeepers, the EarojDeans 

 can no longer measure with the Amer- 

 icans. 



Many judicious and thinking men 

 across the water see this truth ve3y 

 well, while some other one expects to 

 take the lead by severely criticising 



