AMERICAN BEJE JOURNAL. 



171 



IWR. JAUES A. GREEN. 



The subject of this sketch is one of 

 the younger bee-keepers of to-day, 

 though he is becoming quite well known 

 by his clear, practical writings, and un- 

 commonly common-sense views of api- 



JAMES A. GREEN. 



arian matters. He was born at Dayton, 

 Ills., on Oct. 20, 1861. Except for a 

 few months spent at school, he has 

 always lived, until very recently. In the 

 house in which he was born. 



His father was a manufacturer of 

 woolen go»ds, and a large part of his 

 son's early life was spent in the woolen 

 mill. A store was also kept where 

 groceries and the products of the woolen 

 mill were sold, and he presided over the 



counters of this for several years. As 

 his labor was needed in these directions, 

 his schooling, after the age of 14, was 

 confined mostly to the winter months; 

 Besides the common school, two terms 

 were spent at a seminary in Aurora, 111., 

 and six at a High School in Ottawa, 

 from which he graduated in 1884, at 

 the age of 22. 



Feeling the need of a better training, 

 this education has been supplemented 

 by considerable reading and private 

 study. In 1891, he received his diploma 

 for the course of reading laid down by 

 the Chautaqua Literary and Scientific 

 Circle, and he expects to be a student all 

 his life. 



In 1876, the woolen business having 

 proved unprofitable, was abandoned, 

 and his father went to Colorado for a 

 time. He had for many years kept a 

 few colonies of bees. In his absence the 

 care of these fell upon James. In this 

 he had the invaluable assistance and 

 encouragement of his mother, to whom 

 is probably due his choice of bee-keep- 

 ing as a business. 



The bees were in box-hives, and had 

 been managed after old methods, receiv- 

 ing but little care. His mother thought 

 there must be better methods of man- 

 agement, and attempted to find some 

 literature on the subject. It seems very 

 strange now to consider how hard a time 

 she had to find anything that related to 

 bees. No one seemed to know where 

 anything of the kind was to be found. 



At last Harbison's work, published 

 some years ago, was procured and care- 

 fully studied. Though there was much 

 valuable information in it, that part of 

 it devoted to hives only led him astray. 

 Finally a copy of the American Bee 

 JouKNAL was procured by Mr. G.. 

 through a newsdealer. He has this yet, 

 the first copy of a bee-paper he ever 

 saw, and he would not part with it foj- 

 a great deal. Through its pages other 

 periodicals and books were learned of 

 and secured. 



About the same time he learned that 

 a farmer not far away had procured 



