trait. It requires steady nerves, a desire for 

 investigation, and a tact forgetting up every- 

 thing in good order. 



2. A knowledge of the nature and habits 

 of the bees. How is this knowledge to be 

 obtained? By study and practice. For 

 illustration, we will take the profession of 

 a physician. What is requisite for his 

 success ? 



Is it not necessary for him to select the 

 works of the best authors for his study, and 

 to read the different periodicals published, 

 where all matters pertainining to his 

 profession are discussed ; and then, with an 

 untiring energy, devote his time to study 

 and investigation ? Tne same can be said 

 of bee-keeping. In order to be successful 

 you must procure the best works on this 

 subject, and acquaint yourself with the 

 nature and habits of the bee. You must 

 read the bee periodicals, keep postsd in all 

 modern improvements and be up with the 

 times. Without this, failure is inevitable. 

 A sailor might as well attempt to steer his 

 ship across the briny ocean, without sails to 

 catch the breeze, as for a man to attempt to 

 keep bees for profit without keeping up 

 with the times. 



One of the best works published (though 

 not up the times in the way of modern im- 

 provements) is " Quinby's Mysteries of Bee 

 Keeping." It is a clear, plain, and practical 

 work on bee culture. Both interesting and 

 instructive. It should be in the hands of 

 every bee-keeper. From the information 

 gained from reading this book I realized 

 $150.00 iu one year. Of a more recent date, 

 we have Prof. A. J. Cook's " New Manual 

 of the Apiary," and "King's Text Book," 

 both highly recommended. 1 cannot too 

 strongly impress upon your minds the im- 

 portance of reading these works. 



Next in order is a movable comb hive. 

 Let it be as simple as possible. Let all 

 complicated moth-trap hives alone. I have 

 neither time nor space to enter into details 

 for its use. 



I will now speak of Kentucky and its 

 resources. Only a few years have elapsed 

 since this magnificent country of ours was a 

 vast, unbroken wilderness. These beautiful 

 fields and pastures were a dense cane brake, 

 inhabited only by wild beasts and the Red 

 Man of the forest. The monotony of the 

 scene was broken only by the howling of 

 the wolf or the whoop of the wild Indian, 

 as he chased the deer from its hiding place. 

 The rapid strides of civilization in its 

 onward march have converted it into one of 

 the loveliest countries on the globe. Where 

 once the Indian wigwam stood, and the Red 

 Man sang and danced merrily around his 

 bright camp fires, we have now stately resi- 

 dences, with yards filled with beautiful 

 flowers. Herds of fine cattle and flocks of 

 bleating sheep have taken the place of wild 

 beast, aiuLblue grass and white clover have 

 assumed the place of the dense cane brake. 

 White clover is a spontaneous growth in 

 Kentucky. Cast your eye over these hills 

 and valleys during the clover bloom, and the 

 earth looks almost as white as if it were 

 covered with a mantle of snow. White 

 clover is the great honey source, yielding 

 immense quantities of beautiful white 

 honey. 



Passingon to our forest trees, we have the 

 willow, and elm, putting forth their buds at 

 the first appearance of spring. Following 

 in quick succession is the locust, wild cherry 

 and the sugar maple, with its thousand of 

 of silken tassels, all furnishing a supply of 

 honey and pollen. There is the stately old 

 linden, with its graceful clusters scattering 

 its fragrance on every breeze, yielding great 

 quantities of delicious honey, as clear and 

 transparent as water. The old poplar 

 stands in all its glory, spreading its branches 

 further and lifting its head higher than any 

 other tree of the forest ; its beautiful tulip- 

 shaped bloom, tinged with red and yellow, 

 opens its petals, invitingly to the bee, and 

 furnishes a rich harvest! The amount of 

 honey secreted in the poplar bloom is almost 

 incredible. In our orchards, we have the 

 apple, pear, peach and cherry. In the gar- 

 den is the raspberry, strawberry, mustard, 

 rapp, turnip, and almost every vegetable 

 grown for our use, furnishing the bee with a 

 wasting drop of sweetness. Mother-wort 

 and mint are also our honey producers. 



In the fields is that pest of the farmer, the 

 spanish-needle, in some sections yielding 

 almost as much honey as clover. Catnip 

 ana horehound are found in almost every 

 fence corner of the barn-yard lot. The 

 homely dandelion flourishes every where. 

 Almost everything from the most insignifi- 

 cient weed to the largest forest tree solicits 

 the attention of the bee. 



It is with you, bee-keepers of Kentucky, to 

 develop the great resources of honey in 

 this country. 



Allow me a parting word of advice. Mr. 

 Thomas G. Newman, the editor of the 

 American Bee Journae, is present to- 

 day ; before leaving this house let me urge 

 you all to subscribe for his journal ; it is 

 the best that is published. 



Improved Met hods of Bee Culture. 



The President introduced Mr. Thos. G. 

 Newman, of Chicago, III., editor of the 

 American Bee Journal, President of 

 the National Bee-Keepers' Convention and 

 American Representative to the Interna- 

 tional Conventions of Europe, during this 

 season. 



Mr. Newman said he was gratified to meet 

 so many intelligent gentlemen. The intel- 

 ligence necessary to successful bee-keeping 

 is capable of success in everything. 



He then entered into an interesting and 

 amusing description of "old fogy" bee- 

 keepers, the "log gums" of our grandfathers 

 and the box-hives of our fathers. He des- 

 cribed the great advantages of the movable- 

 frame hives of the present, and enforced the 

 necessity of a thorough knowledge of not 

 only the habits of the bee but also the 

 adoption of the newest and most desirable 

 methods of manipulation. He advised all 

 to study the latest works on bee-culture, 

 especially Cook's Manual, which was a 

 thorough and masterly production, alike 

 valuable to the scholar, the specialist and 

 the beginner. The more simple the hive 

 the better. All knew that he was partial to 

 the Langstroth hive ; neverertheless there 

 were very few movable comb hives that 

 contained no good feature. With almost 

 any of them the apiarist could be successful, 



