52 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



before purchasing it. Editors should 

 be censured in not testing what they 

 send to the public. 



Mr. Aspinwall. — I would like to 

 know what the convention thinks of 

 publishing so much matter for the in- 

 struction of tlie novice in beekeeping. 

 I wish to know if they advise an over- 

 abundance of it. I would like to know 

 what the convention thinks of publish- 

 ing every large honey report of which 

 we hear. These I claim are not wholly 

 sent by men who rank as our best api- 

 arists and who support our journals. 

 A great many beekeepers report in 

 suca a way as to create an overplus of 

 honey which is detrimental to the best 

 interests of apiculture. 



Mi:. Benedict. —While I for one am 

 not disposed to underestimate the 

 good of our bee journals yet, I would ac- 

 knowledge the power of the pen, and 

 of your associations. I am glad to get 

 instruction and am thankful that we do 

 get instruction from our best apiarists, 

 but there is a certain amount of litera- 

 ture that comes into our journals, which 

 is better that all should not read. 



Mr. Clark. — It is not well for a 

 man to have too many axes to grind; 

 what we want is a journal which has 

 something in it that is practical and 

 will help us in our work. 



Mr. Dickinson. — It is a fact that 

 the editors of our bee journals publish 

 accounts of enormous profits made by 

 novices in the bee business. The ac- 

 counts represent great gains from lit- 

 tle capital and with no labor to speak 

 of, causing others to rush into the bus- 

 iness without carefulstudy. It is hardly 

 fair for the publishers to create such a 

 vast array of beekeepers, there is an 

 over-supply of honey and the profits 

 are greatly reduced. It is for the in- 

 terests of the publishers to print these 

 glowing accounts as it brings tiiem 

 new subscribers and new customers 

 for their supplies. I consider that 

 this system is wholly wrong. 



Mr. Chapmax. — Only the astonish- 

 ing successes are reported ; \^e would 

 like to have reports from the same man 

 year after year, but the editors are not 

 "anxious to publish accounts of failures. 



Mr. L. C Eoot. — Parties who are 

 engaged in the supply business, and do 

 not publish a paper in which to adver- 

 tise their goods, cannot compete 

 with these who do publish such jour- 



throughout the land, always spoken in 

 the defence of the right. 



It is to you, then, I appeal, my fel- 

 low beekeepers, hoping and trusting 

 that you will consider these matters 

 fully and act upon them, thereby has- 

 tening the time when we shall boast 

 of as thorough a system of organiza- 

 tion as any kindred science or industry, 

 and apiculture be clothed with a dig- 

 nity which will command respect from 

 its sister industry, agriculture. 



The convention then took up the sub- 

 ject of " Our Bee Literature. " 



Mr. Betsinger. — I love bee litera- 

 ture, and should be pleased to see some- 

 thing about bees in all our magazines. 

 I like a weekly and would like a daily 

 better. The monthlies often contain 

 too much advertising. 



Mr. Aspinwall. — There is hardly 

 breath enough to warrant a daily. 



Mr. Clark. — I believe the time has 

 come when it is right and proper for 

 this convention to speak out on any 

 subject that interests the future welfare 

 of the beekeepers. The time has come 

 when it is proper to speak on bee litera- 

 ture, and we have a right to discuss 

 any question pertaining to it. I hap- 

 pen to be one of those who have come 

 to the conclusion that there are too 

 many editors who grind their own axes. 

 We want a journal that is filled up with 

 something that is solid, and beneficial 

 to the majority. I do not dispute any 

 man's right to publish a paper so long 

 as he keeps within the law and I have 

 a right to stand by my opinion and we 

 all "should in this discussion, and we 

 can do it all in kindly brotherly love. 

 Let us feel that we have something to 

 do in this discussion and I hope that 

 every one will speak out freely. 



Mr. Benedict. — There is one paper 

 in this country "Gleanings in Bee-cul- 

 ture." (I do not obtain much informa- 

 tion from that paper, but from other bee 

 literature.) The editor thereof claims 

 that his paper has 150,000 readers. Mr. 

 A. I. Eoot is not a practical beekeeper. 

 He jumps at conclusions. He will give 

 some article that he has to sell an edi- 

 torial puff, and 5000 of his readers 

 thinking that the article is agood thing 

 send him a dollar apiece, the result be- 

 ing that Mr. Koot will be in $5000 and 

 5000 hard working men will be out one 

 dqjlar each. I claim that while he may 

 be doing some good, he may do much 

 harm in this way. We want a good 

 thing and want to know that it is such 



