688 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Future of Bee-Keeping.— 



Mr. C. H. Dibbern, the very practical 

 and helpful apiarian department editor 

 of the Western Ploivman, comments so 

 sensibly u,pon the past few poor seasons 

 in bee-keeping, and also looks so hope- 

 fully toward its future, that we feel that 

 every bee-keeper in the land should have 

 an opportunity to read what he has to 

 say. 



This is a subject that interests every 

 honey-producer, hence we call particular 

 attention to the following paragraphs, 

 written by Mr. D., who has had 25 

 years' experience in the business, has 

 been through all its " ups and downs," 

 and now says that he knows of "no 

 other industry that offers so many op- 

 portunities to a poor man as bee-keeping 

 to get a start in life." Here is what he 

 says on the subject : 



What about the future of bee-keeping? 

 It is true the last few years have been 

 rather poor over a part of our country, 

 and no doubt many have become dis- 

 couraged, and turned to something else. 

 There has been plenty of hard work, 

 and great fortunes have not been made, 

 and yet the future is bright with prom- 

 ise. The seasons certainly will not 

 always fail, and the "good old years" 

 will surely come again, when " the fields 

 will laugh with a harvest." 



The bee-keepers who have studied the 

 various problems of the business, have 

 learned much during the last few years 

 that will be turned to some account 

 hereafter. In our locality there is no 

 reason why the seasons should not be as 

 good as they used to be. In fact, there 

 are many reasons why they should 

 be better. More land is being used for 

 pasturage year after year, giving the 

 white clover a chance. Alsike clover is 

 also being cultivated to some extent, and 

 sweet clover has " come to stay" in all 

 the out-of-the-way nooks and corners. 

 More basswood and honey-locusts are 

 growing up than are being cut down, 

 and yet the last few seasons have been 

 poor for some cause. Climatic causes 

 have had more to do with these failures 

 than any other one thing. 



We believe it was the late M. Quinby 

 who said : " Get the bees, and at some 

 time every year they will furnish the 

 honey." That has not proved true in 

 late years. For several years we had 

 hives overflowing with bees all summer, 



only to be obliged to feed them up in the 

 fall for winter. But all this will be 

 changed again. Those who stick to the 

 business through thick and thin are the 

 ones who will succeed. 



Just now some are anxious to get 

 out of the business ; others are going to 

 California and other favored climes, and 

 are offering their bees at ridiculously 

 low figures. This will be a good chance 

 for some one to get a start, and no doubt 

 some one will take advantage of it. 

 After more than 25 years' experience 

 we know of no other industry that offers 

 so many opportunities to a poor man as 

 bee-keeping to get a start in life. 



The World's Fair Women 



" Souvenir " is the daintiest and pret- 

 tiest book issued in connection with the 

 World's Fair. It is by Josephine D. 

 Hill— a noted society lady of the West— 

 and contains superb full-page portraits 

 and sketches of 31 of the World'3 Fair 

 women and wives of prominent officials 

 connected with the great Fair. It is 

 printed on enameled paper, with half- 

 tone engravings, and is bound in cloth, 

 and also in black,, red, white or blue 

 leatherette, gold lettered. Just the 

 thing for a Christmas gift to your friend. 

 We will send it postpaid for $1.00, or 

 give it for two new subscribers to the 

 Bee Journal for a year, at $1.00 each. 

 Every woman will want a copy of this 

 book, we feel sure. 



Bees in a Conservatory.— 



Carrie B. Aaron, of Philadelphia, Pa., 

 writes us a very interesting report of 

 her experience with bees the past sea- 

 son. At the end of her letter she asks a 

 few questions, which show that she pro- 

 poses carrying on some profitable experi- 

 ments during the coming winter. Her 

 letter is as follows : 



On the 9th of last June I commenced 

 bee-keeping on a small scale with one 

 hive of Italian bees, desiring to begin at 

 the bottom and gradually, but rapidly, 

 acquire that knowledge which will come 

 to all who devote the greater part of a 

 summer to the close study of the habits 

 of bees. The success which followed 

 has been more than anticipated, as 



