-one heating while the other is in 

 ise — is a most satisfactory arrauge- 

 aent under such circumstances. 



904. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



\n 



E'RE NOT THE "ONLY PEBBLE." 

 The one great problem with publish- 

 rs of periodical journals, etc., is that 

 " how to most expeditiously build up a 

 irculation of paying proportions. No 

 uch publication can long subsist un- 

 ss it succeeds in gaining friends and 

 latrons enough to give it advertising 

 lerit. All kinds of methods are 

 rought into requisition with a view 



establishing and maintaining a prof- 

 :able circulation — some offer premi- 

 ims; some institute special low-rate 

 rial subscriptions; some endeavor to 

 ive such excellent value that every- 

 ne who becomes acquainted with the 

 aper will avail himself of the bene- 

 ts it has to offer; others club with 

 amily magazines at ridiculously low 

 ates, etc., etc. The latest method, 

 owever, recently adopted by one of 

 ie young bee journals is that of en- 

 eavoring to impress upon its readers 

 lat its contemporaries are secretly ar- 

 ayed against the interests of the 

 oney producer, and accordingly insin- 

 ating that the older journals should 

 e dropped and the more worthy youth 

 iibstituted. That is, the new journal 



substance, asks to be sustained at 

 16 expense of the lists established by 

 le older periodicals. In other words, 

 le pitiful appeal of the new publisher 



Stop taking the other journals and 

 ike mine. 



We shall not question the benignity 

 f the new publisher, nor his sincerity 



wishing to assist bee-keepers; but 

 ■cm our view point it appears that if 

 ver a publisher assumed a mistaken 

 olicy, this one has done it. Not to ex- 

 ?ed one in ten of those who keep bees 

 I the United States now take a bee 

 mrnal. The field does therefore not 

 spear to be so much overcrowded that 

 new comer must necessarily feed up- 



the honest accumulations of its co- 

 orkers in order to exist. The Amer- 

 an Bee-Keeper regards such tactics 

 !_ savoring very strongly of jealousy, 

 ingled with unmistakeable odors of 

 ■eed and selfishness. 

 We have not a single name upon our 

 5t which is not esteemed, and we 

 lould like very much to be able to 

 ive each and every one remain with 



while we continue to add many 

 hers, so that a better and larger jour- 

 il may the sooner become possible; 



i 



239 



but we delight in the thought that we 

 have several most worthy, bright, 

 clean and valuable competitors in the 

 field with (not against) us, and all 

 merit patronage and success. 



We want thotisands more to take the 

 American Bee-Keeper, and hope they 

 may do so; but we are disinclined to 

 insult our intelligent readers by tell- 

 ing them that this is the only Avorthy 

 bee journal published. There are 

 others and we are glad of it. We wish 

 them all success. 



STILL ADVANCING. 



At no time during the history of its 

 present management has The Bee- 

 Keeper received so many complimen- 

 tary letters from its readers; nor have 

 we ever had a greater quantity of ex- 

 cellent material on hand for public- 

 ation. Still we need more good material 

 and ask our friends to kindly help us in 

 the effort to fill every issue with inter- 

 esting and spicy matter during the com- 

 ing winter. If each present subscriber 

 would send us one new patron soon, 

 we could add sixteen to twenty-four 

 pages with the beginning of the new 

 year. 



That it it not difficult to secure new 

 subscribers, when a little effort is put 

 forth in that direction, is evidenced by 

 the fact that during the past season 

 many of our readers have sent in from 

 ten to thirty new subscribers each. We 

 will greatly appreciate the reader's 

 kind assistance in this matter; and we 

 will be mutually benefited thereby. 



"\Miy a freezing temperature is so 

 much more disastrous to bees confined 

 in a cellar than it is to those wintering 

 upon the summer stand, in the open 

 air. is a question now agitating the 

 minds of the sages of beedom. Sev- 

 eral of the " great guns," as well as 

 some of the lesser lights, have been 

 guessing as to the "why;" and some 

 of the guesses are quite interesting, if 

 not altogether tenable. Why can not 

 American Bee-Keeper readers indulge 

 somewhat in this guessing contest. No 

 coupon is necessary — guesses are free. 



With the next issue we shall have 

 completed fourteen years of publica- 

 tion without the slip of a belt or cog. 

 The next fourteen years will be easy. 

 The American Bee-Keeper has gained 

 strength constantly, and is permanent- 

 ly established, far beyond the experi- 

 mental stage. 



