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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The Apiari8t'§ " Ten Command- 

 ments.'' 



Written for the " Progressive Bee- Keeper'''' 

 BY GEOBQE KOCKENBACH. 



The following, whether they were 

 written by some modern Moses and en- 

 graved on tablets of stone on Mount 

 Sinai, or not, ought to be engraved in 

 letters of gold in the memory of every 

 apiarist in this broad land. I have been 

 repeatedly urged to draw up a set of 

 rules for the observance of the patrons 

 of honey-production. I have preferred, 

 like Moses, to give my inspiration in the 

 form of a decalogue, without the obser- 

 vance of which no patron need hope to 

 make the land flow with milk and honey : 



1st. — Thou Shalt not starve nor stint 

 thy bees for food, nor give them poor, 

 innutritions or unwholesome food of any 

 kind whatsoever, but an abundance of 

 that which is palatable and good for 

 their system, to retain full strength for 

 the harvest ; for I have given them unto 

 thee an inheritance and a blessing ; and 

 a woe shalt come upon him who offend- 

 eth against them, for his bank account 

 shalt wither away and become as nought ; 

 and he shalt be a bankrupt in the land, 



2nd.— Thou shalt not overdose thy 

 bees with smoke ; and the water that 

 they drink shall be pure water that 

 bubbleth in the crystal fountain, or 

 runneth in the brook, for if thou by 

 sloth compel them to quench their 

 thirst at mud-holes and stagnant pools, 

 there shalt a day overtake thee when 

 thy goods shalt be refused at the hands 

 of the market man, and he shalt set his 

 mark upon thee, and wilt have no fur- 

 ther dealing with thee. 



3rd.— Thou shalt give thy bees ample 

 shade in the summer and warm shelter 

 in the winter, and the latter shalt be 

 kept clean and dry, and be withal well 

 ventilated, so that it shalt not become 

 a stench in the nostrils of the buyer, 

 and he shalt turn away from thee with 

 contempt. 



4th.— Thou shalt not sell, or offer for 

 sale as food for men, dark honey, or 

 adulterated honey, lest the magistrate 

 summon thee to answer before him. 



5th. — Thou shalt be clean, for, lo ! it 

 standeth an everlasting truth that clean- 

 liness is next to godliness ; and if thou 

 keep thy fingers clean, and thy extract- 

 ors and tanks washed and scalded, and 

 everything about thee neat and clean, it 

 shall become a mark of distinction unto 

 thee, and thou shalt be favored before 



thy brethren, and shalt increase in pos- 

 essions and honor. 



6th. — Thou shalt ripen thy honey as 

 soon as drawn from thy extractor, by 

 the best appliance at thy command — not 

 by putting glucose or sugar in it, for 

 that would be a violation of both the 

 law and commandments — but by bring- 

 ing thy honey in contact with the rays 

 of the sun and the hot atmosphere, so 

 that it may become like molasses, which 

 has a wonderful virtue to prevent sour- 

 ing and tainting. It is shrewdly sus- 

 pected by some of the prophets that 

 airing honey is of value. 



7th. — Thou shalt not commit adulter- 

 ation, by adulterating thy honey with 

 burnt sugar or glucose, or any ingredi- 

 ent or compound whatsoever ; nor by 

 feeding vile stuff to thy bees, nor by 

 any mean trick, device or process, 

 known or unknown to be naturally de- 

 praved. The laws of the country, the 

 health of the community, and the lives 

 of the people, especially of the little 

 ones who are likened to the Kingdom of 

 Heaven, cry out against this unpardon- 

 able sin. 



8th. — If thou desirest to be successful, 

 buy thy bee-palaces in the winter, and 

 make all other necessary arrangements. 

 Thus, while the sluggard sleeps, and 

 the indolent bakes his face by the kitch- 

 en fire, waiting for " something to turn 

 up," thou shalt have made arrange- 

 ments to reap the golden harvest, if one 

 should come. Then thou canst go forth 

 in the sunshine of the land, and great 

 blessings shall befall thee. 



9th. — If thou wouldst prosper in all 

 thy ways, thou shouldst be a lover of 

 bee-literature, and shouldst become ac- 

 quainted with all the new devices 

 whereby labor may be performed more 

 easily, and greatly facilitated; and 

 thou canst attain this knowledge only 

 by a careful study of the bee-papers 

 with which the land aboundeth. There- 

 fore, neglect not to subscribe, straight- 

 way, for the bee-paper, or papers, which 

 thou art sure to need in thy business ; 

 and blessings shall follow thee in all 

 thine undertakings. 



10th. — In this progressive day and 

 age thou shalt not rely upon " the wise 

 men of the East" too much, for thou 

 shouldst remember that many wise men 

 have gone West, and are now in thy 

 midst. Hence, when thou art in need of 

 information or supplies for thy apiary, 

 thou shouldst consult with the prophet 

 nearest thy home. Thus, much vexa- 

 tion, time, and heavy transportation 

 charges will be saved by thy wisdom ; 



