THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



13 



edition of this book, that I could 

 have had such a profit and produce 

 from twentj'-fivegood colonies, nor 

 would he now believe me if he had 

 not seen it with his own e3es. He 

 has found and computed that a 

 ver}^ fortunate colony under this 

 treatment has alread}' brought 15 

 raaas or 75 pounds of hone^^ and 

 5 pounds of wax interest, against 

 an outlay of twenty florins. Bee- 

 keepers who use straw hives, and 

 have put no boxes under them this 

 year, lose, b}^ twenty colonies, one 

 ohm or 80 maas (400 pounds) of 

 honey. What does that amount to 

 in the whole? 



As to the additions and improve- 

 ments concerning this edition, they 

 do not change anything in the 

 main, that the owners of the first 

 Avould think that useless ; but con- 

 tain a few new facts and descrip- 

 tions of the different conveniences 

 regarding the management of the 

 bees and their products, although 

 it was not necessar}' to print them 

 specially and send them out as 

 additions. I have therefore con- 

 densed them so as not to be ab- 

 ambiguous, and to keep the matter 

 popular. 



Eodheivi, July 25, 1783. 



EDITORIAL. 

 Never, since the first number of 

 the Apiculturist was issued, have 

 the importance and magnitude of 

 the enterprise in which we have en- 

 gaged been more clearl}' presented 

 to us, or more deeply impressed up- 

 on our minds. 



It has been said that " the pen is 

 mightier than the sword, " and of 

 a truth there is no more powerful 

 factor, either for weal or woe, to 

 the beekeepers, than the journals 

 and associations which are in real- 

 ty the great fountain-heads whence 

 disseminates the knowledge of 

 apiculture. How very imi)ortant 

 it is, then, that these should be 

 kept 25?we; for, if corrupt, the 

 poison is imparted to and felt by 

 every individual member of the 

 fraternity, who must suffer the loss. 



When the leaders and teachers 

 are whole-souled, true, and wholly 

 devoted to the interests of the bee- 

 keepers, then apiculture grows and 

 thrives ; but when they are enslaved 

 by self-interest, and fettered by 

 policy, our interests sufl[er loss, 

 and the progress of apiculture is 

 retarded. 



Why is it that so many of our 

 most prominent and successful bee- 

 masters, and those who in times 

 past have taken such deep interest 

 and active part both in conducting 

 our conventions and supporting 

 our journals, are silent now ? Why 

 is it that neither their voices nor 

 their pens longer take part in pro- 

 mulgating or defending the great 

 truths of apiculture? There must 

 be some valid reason why this is 

 so ; these parties are still engaged 

 in apiculture, and are among our 

 most successful apiarists. 



It is a patent fact that, for a 

 long time there has been a deep- 

 rooted conviction in the minds of 

 the more thoughtful, as the great 

 educators of the masses, our asso- 

 ciations and bee journals were not 



