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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1 



THE BIG FIELD DAY AT JENKINTOWN, 

 JUNE 26, 1906. 



The Largest Gathering of Bee-keepers ever As- 

 sembled in the United States. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



As previously announced, the big field day 

 at the A. I. Root Co.'s exhibition apiary at 

 Jenkintown, Pa., was more than a success. 

 Indeed, the attendance was said to be phe- 

 nomenal and the arrangements superb. As 

 our Mr. Selser had expected, there were 

 something over one thousand bee-keepers 

 who were present at various times during 

 the day and evening. Nearly 900 were ac- 

 tually fed by ticket at the noon hour. So 

 perfect were the arrangements made by Mr. 

 Selser, "field marshal of the day, " that the 

 nearly 900 were supplied with picnic rations 

 inside of the small space of 38 minutes. 

 Every thing else moved off in the same way. 



The field day of a year ago had been such 

 a complete success, at which something like 

 400 were present, that Mr. Selser, when the 

 strong call came in for another meeting, 

 was given carte-blanche instructions to go 

 ahead at the expense of the Root Co , to is- 

 sue the invitations, and make all arrange- 



ments for a big crowd who were to be the 

 guests of the company at its exhibition 

 apiary. 



When we started out we did not expect 

 that there would be a much larger attendance 

 than we had the year before; but when the 

 responses began to pour in, in answer to the 

 invitations issued, it was apparent that there 

 would be over 100'> bee-keepers present, and 

 the estimates were fully confirmed by the 

 actual attendance. 



The field marshal, Mr. Selser, as shown 

 by the front cover page of this issue, was 

 dressed in white, and carried with him much 

 of the time a speaking-trumpet, in order 

 that he might announce to the crowds what 

 demonstrations were to come off and when. 



The day was all that could be desired. 

 The day previous— in fact, for a whole week 

 back — i t had been raining and bad. But June 

 26 opened up, not with a bright sky, but 

 with one darkened just enough by clouds to 

 make it comfortable for the crowds out in 

 the open. 



The large illustration will show the vari- 

 ous roped- off inclosures where the different 

 speakers were to talk to their groups of 

 bee keepers; for it must be explained there 

 were several stunts going on at once. In 

 order that each bee-keeper might hear each 



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MR. DOOLITTLE AT THEi FIELDtDAY ABOUT TO BEGIN HIS DEMONSTRATION. 



[The Doolittleand Pratt work at the Field Day was pei formed on an elevated platform about four feet from 

 the ground.— Ed.] 



