1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



679 



Entering Michigan Agricultural College at 15, he 

 graduated at 30, and, on account of his health, 

 went at once to California, where for three years 

 he was a very successful teacher. Returning, he 

 spent a portion of two years at Harvard Universi- 

 ty and Harvard Medical College, with Agassiz, 

 Hazen, and Dr. O. W. Holmes as teachers. In 1866 he 

 was appointed instructor in Michigan Agricultural 

 College, and Professor of Entomology and Zoolo- 

 gy in 1868. He teaches the juniors and seniors, his 

 classes ranging from 30 to 40. Each student who 

 graduates not only studies all about the structure 

 of the bee as an entomologist, but is drilled as a 

 practical bee-keeper, going through the various op- 

 erations of the season, finding queens, putting to- 

 gether sections, putting in foundation, putting 

 them on and taking them otf the hives, extracting, 

 etc. I do not know of any other institution in the 

 world where classes of students are taught in this 

 way. 



The personal influence of such a man as Prof. 

 Cook is no mean factor in the education of a young 

 man; and a special feature in Prof. Cook's work is 

 his Bible-class of students in the Sabbath-school. 

 To this work, which has been carried on for a num- 

 ber of years, he has given much time and labor, 

 and the good resulting therefrom no one can cor- 

 rectly compute. It is much to be regretted that 

 the professor's health is such that lately his physi- 

 cian has peremptorily commanded him to lay aside, 

 at least temporarily, this important work. In this 

 connection I want to say that I wish every young 

 man in the land could have the teaching of Prof. 

 Cook's example in one respect. He is singularly 

 pure and chaste in speech, and I do not believe he 

 ever indulges in any word in any circle, of which 

 he would be ashamed in the presence of the most 

 refined ladies. 



Prof. Cook was one of the originators of the 

 Michigan State Bee-keepers' Association, as also of 

 the Michigan Horticultural Society. . He was on 

 the board of the latter society for some years, and 

 was secretary of the former for several years dur- 

 ing its earlier history, and afterward president for 

 some years. His personal influence has doubtless 

 had much to do with placing Michigan in the tore- 

 ground in apicultural matters. 



To the readers of bee-journals it is not necessary 

 to speak of Prof. Cook's character as a writer. 

 Few have written so much or so well. Besides his 

 contributions to the bee-journals, he writes for the 

 New York Tribune, Philadelphia Press, Rural New- 

 Yorker, Country Oentleman, New Enylaud Home- 

 stead, Science, American Natwalist, etc. His " Manu- 

 al of the Apiary " has reached a sale of 14,000 copies; 

 " Injurious Insects of Michigan," 3000; and 5000 cop- 

 ies have been published of his latest work, "Maple 

 Sugar and the Sugar-bush." 



His labors in the warfare waged against insect- 

 foes have been important. Remedies first advised 

 by him are now common. If I am not mistaken, we 

 are indebted to him for the very important knowl- 

 edge of Paris green as a safe and efficacious remedy 

 for the codlin moth. 



As a lecturer he holds the closest attention of his 

 audience. As a controversialist he is fair, and 

 never forgets to be the Christian gentleman. In 

 conversation he is a charming talker. He takes 

 great pride in his home, and is easily forgiven for 

 thinking that no other man has quite so nice a wife, 

 son, and daughtei', as he. 



Drafts are constantly being made on Prof. Cook's 

 stock of entomological knowledge in the way of 

 giving information about enemies or suspected 

 enemies of bees, and no mere entomologist could 

 be of the same use to the bee-keeping fraternity as 

 one who is also himself an enthusiastic bee-keeper. 



Known the world over as an entomologist and 

 authority on matters scientific and practical in bee 

 culture, those who know him intimately will always 

 like best to think of him as the warm-hearted, un- 

 selfish friend whose charity for all reaches almost 

 to a fault, and whose whole life seems to be a lite of 

 Christian love. C. C. Miller. 



Marengo, 111. 



Friend M., with your permission I want to 

 add a little in regard to our mutual friend 

 Prof. Cook. My tirst acquaintance with him 

 was at the first national bee-keepers' con- 

 vention ever held. It was at Cleveland, in 

 1871. My attention was first attracted by 

 these very qualities which you mention — an 

 intense love of God's works as exhibited 

 through natural science, and with it a great 

 broad comprehensive love for our fellow-men. 

 I have thought, as you say, that his great 

 charity at times seems almost a fault ; but 

 as the years pass by, we begin to conclude 

 that friend Cook has " chosen that better 

 part which shall not be taken away." I do 

 not know where his stock of patience ends ; 

 but I have oftentimes felt grateful to him as 

 I looked back, to think how much patience he 

 has had with your humble servant, not only 

 once or twice, but a good many times. Now, if 

 it had not been for that national bee-keepers' 

 convention, which some people think does 

 not amount to much. I might never have 

 become acquainted with Prof. ( 'ook ; and I 

 tell you, my friends, it would have been a 

 great and lasting misfortune. Yes, it would 

 have been a great misfortune to all of you. 

 Some years afterward I happened to pay him 

 a visit. I do not remember how it happened, 

 but I do remember many things that hap- 

 pened during that visit. It was about fair- 

 time, and he asked me whether I would 

 prefer a trip in the country to visit some 

 bee-keepers, or Ian attendance at a county 

 fair near by. We finally decided on the trip 

 in the country. We passed under a black- 

 walnut-tree. ' Bugs and worms were at work 

 on the foliage, and my friend ran about un- 

 der the tree, picking up horrid-looking green 

 worms, fondling them, and calling them by 

 name as you might your hantam chickens. 

 His love for all God's creatures, and his desire 

 to form a more intimate acquaintance with 

 them, impressed itself on my mind. Of 

 course, we talked about bees and bee-keepers. 

 Now, I have always had the reputation of 

 being a good deal on the side of those w^ho 

 ''think no evil ;" but pretty soon my good 

 friend good-naturedly took me to task for 

 even repeating something I had heard, and 

 then he told me of a resolution he had made 

 years before, not even to repeat things he 

 would not say in the presence of his wife, 

 mother, or sisters. I have never forgotten it. 

 Hundreds of times has the recollection of 

 our pleasant talk on this matter of making 

 speeches, and which I thank God to-day I 

 never did make, come up. 



Later on, friend Cook gave me "^a very 

 warm and pressing invitation to attend some 



