1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



sen ted to Dr. Riley in the conversa- 

 tion mentioned above. I again said 

 that it seemed to me that Mr. Benton 

 should be the proper man to send if 

 any such quest was attempted. I 

 think no one will doubt that Mr. Ben- 

 ton's experience should be very valua- 

 ble in case any such attempt was made. 



It is greatly to be regretted that 

 since the St. Joseph North American 

 Bee Keepers' convention there has 

 been a serious rupture between Mr. 

 Benton and the leading bee keepers of 

 our country, which has led many of 

 the latter to consider him as not the 

 proper man to be sent to India or 

 Ceylon in case the attempt to intro- 

 duce these bees should be made. 1 

 have no bias in favor of Mr. Benton 

 that would make me feel that he was 

 the only man to do this work. If 

 from his temperament or individual 

 peculiarities he is unfitted to carry out 

 this enterprise, then certainly some 

 other person should be secured. I 

 think there are others who would do 

 the work well, and the very work that 

 Mr. Benton did would be a great help 

 to any one else who might undertake 

 the enterprise. 



I feel very certain that if the bee- 

 keepers of the country were united, 

 and should ask the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture to introduce 

 this bee among us, all technical diffi- 

 culties would be removed and the work 

 would be done. I believe the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture wishes to do the 

 utmost possible to benefit agriculture 

 in all its lines, and I believe that any 

 such large work as this would especi- 

 ally appeal to the broad-minded men 

 at tne head of the Department. There- 

 fore it is that I wish further to com- 

 ment upon this matter. 



The objection has been raised that 

 we might introduce another "English 

 sparrow." I feel, myself, that there 

 is no peril in this direction. None of 

 the honey gathering bees are even in 

 the least degree mischievous. They 

 are always and everywhere friends. 

 Their honey gathering habit, and their 

 great numbers, especially early in the 

 season, make them par excellence the 

 most valuable agents in cross pollinat- 

 ing the flowers of our fruits and vege- 

 tables. This work has an importance 

 that few even of bee keepers suffici- 

 ently appreciate. If bees anywhere 

 had any evil traits we might look as- 

 kance at this enterprise, fearing that 

 its consummation might be another of 

 the list so disastrous to America in the 

 importation of the rabbit. As it is I 

 am sure we need have no fear in this 

 direction. This, and the possibility, 

 very likely — we may say probability — 

 that these bees may be of no value if 

 brought amoug us, are the only objec- 

 tions to this enterprise that I have 

 heard mentioned. 



I wish now to present what seemed 

 to me advantages. There are among 

 us many enterprising men like D. A. 

 Jones, who will constantly feel a de- 

 sire that these large bees of India 

 might be among us. They will con- 

 stantly be feeling about for some meth- 

 od of doing the work. They have not, 

 nor can they 'ave, the facilities which 

 the Depart- it of Agriculture pos- 

 sesses. Therfciore, any action that 

 they may take will be attended with 

 very large expense, even if it succeed 

 at all. Therefore, in quieting this 

 very unrest, it seems to me this under- 

 taking on the part of the Government 

 is most desirable. If any work should 

 not be left to the individual surely 

 this work should not be. 



