328 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



Early in the year 1S73, ^t his oflfice in 

 Saginaw, I met the late Dr. L. C. Whit- 

 ing, and learned, from some chance word, 

 that to the duties of his profession he add- 

 ed the pleasures of bee-keeping. During 

 the remainder of that sitting every op- 

 portunity for articulate speech on my 

 part was filled by a question. I think Dr. 

 Whiting recognized it, compassionately, 

 as a case of bee-fever in the acute stage; 

 for, in addition to the kindly patience 

 with which he answered all my queries, 

 he quite overwhelmed me with gratitude 

 by offering to loan me a bound volume of 

 the American Bee Journal. It was, I 

 think, the fitst volume after the in- 

 terruption in publication made during 

 the war. As I turned its pages at home, 

 I could scarcely believe in my good for- 

 tune: That a stranger from the remote 

 backwoods should have been trusted with 

 such a treasure ! It was our open scsa)ne 

 into the bee-keeping world. 



We soon had in our possession the 

 works of L,angstroth and Quinby, while 

 the American Bee Journal, the Bee- Keep- 

 er's Magazine and Gleanings — we began 

 with the first tiny copy of the latter — were 

 regular visitants. 



And thenceforth how we studied, and 

 experimented, and rejoiced over our bees. 

 Ah me ! That such enjoyment cannot 

 last: That the enthusiasm must die out, 

 leaving only a faint thrill at the memory 

 thereof — the memory of those early days 

 when the bee-yard was a charmed spot — 

 a refuge from loneliness, despondency, 

 even one's own bad temper ! And later, 

 when we had more work than play in the 

 apiary , it was still enchanted ground; a 

 place where one could forget the dinner 

 hour (if there chanced to be a maid in 

 the kitchen ) , forget the temperature 

 (with the mercury in the nineties), and 

 be totally' unmindful and unconscious of 

 extreme weariness — until nightfall and 

 a summons to the supper-table made it 

 only too apparent. 



It would have been pleasant employ- 

 ment to the last, had health and strength 

 remained equal to its demands; but there 



came a time when we thought best to rec- 

 ognize the need of almost total absti- 

 nence from the bee-yard. For several 

 years we have aimed to begin the season 

 with no more than two or three colonies, 

 and to give these the least attention pos- 

 sible; without a murmur to let swarms es- 

 cape and go to the woods; and to cheer- 

 fully put off till to-morrow, or next week, 

 or next month, even, the removal of sec- 

 tions which should come off to-day. 



Did we find onr bee-keeping profitable 

 employment ? 



That depends; if you mean something 

 more than modest wages for time and 

 labor spent — no ! 



But if we may count as gains returns 

 which cannot be measured in dollars and 

 cents — yes ! 



Nov. 3, li 



CYUI.A LiNSWIK. 



^^•^^^^==?^5^-^B":^^>';f<?^ 



FENCE-SEPARATORS. 



An Explanation in Regard to a Misunder- 

 stood Article. 



J. A. GOI.DEN. 



■T F the October 

 1 Review is a 

 fair sample of 

 what is to fol- 

 low, it behooves 

 the correspond- 

 ents of our bee- 

 journals to use 

 greater care in 

 preijaring arti- 

 cles for publica- 

 tion. For my 

 part, I hail criticism with delight so long 

 as it is kind and reaches from the highest 

 to the lowest — the rich and the poor alike. 

 I am glad that Mr. Taylor criticised my 

 article describing the experiments with 

 separators; as I presume that others took 



