THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



69 



I should prefer to have nothing over 

 the entrances. If they do get uneasy 

 and try to sjet out, this will irritate 

 them, while the fact that they can 

 come out is not undesirable. Such a 

 screen could serve no good purpose 

 except to keep mice out, and if mice 

 are in the cellar, they .should be caught 

 in a trap.— A. J. Cook. 



I cannot discover as yet just what 

 caused many of my healthy bees to 

 leave their hives, fall, and perish on 

 the cellar bottom. I have thought 

 that such a device as yours (which 

 has been used by others) might be 

 valuable. I do not think that it can 

 produce any bad results the way you 

 have it arranged.— James Heddon. 



Explanatory — The figures before the 

 names indicate the number of years that the 

 person has liept bees. Those after, show 

 the number of colonies the writer had in the 

 previous spring and fall, or fall and spring, 

 as the time of the year may require. 



This mark O Indicates that the apiarist is 

 located near the centre of the State named; 

 3 north of the centre ; 9 south ; 0+ east ; 

 ♦Owcst; and this 6 northeast; ^ northwest; 

 o^ southeast; and P southwest of the centre 

 of the State mentioned. 



For tbe American Bee JoumaL 



Wlioffl flo Bee-ConYeiitions Benefit ? 



DR. C. C. 3IILLEK, (179—340). 



Some time ago a prominent writer 

 in bee-culture asked me the question, 

 *' For whose benefit are bee-conven- 

 tions?" I have never seen the ques- 

 tion answered, and I am not sure 

 ■whether I can give a correct answer 

 in full, although I have given it some 

 thought. It is a matter, however, 

 deserving of some attention, since the 

 manner in which the time is occupied 

 at a convention, depends largely upon 

 the conception had, as to the object 

 of the convention. 



As to the importance of the man- 

 ner in which the time is occupied, it 

 is only necessary to consider the 

 thousands of dollars which these con- 

 ventions annually cost. Take the 

 meeting of the late Detroit conven- 

 tion. Estimate the average traveling 

 e.xpense of each member at SIO ; living 

 expenses for four days (or parts of 

 four days including coming and going) 

 atSl.ia per day— $-5 ; time lost, $o; 

 making S20, probably a very low esti- 

 mate ; but if 100 are in attendance it 

 amounts to $2,000. Other conventions 

 will cost much less, but there are a 

 great many of them. 



I suppose in the case of many indi- 

 viduals the pleasure of social inter- 

 course will amply recompense all 

 cost. I suspect, however, that these 

 meetings would not be very largely 

 attended were it not for the expecta- 

 tion of information to be gained. 



Receiving and giving information is 

 probably the prime object of bee- 

 conventions. 



In attendance are found those who 

 are interested to different degrees in 

 bee-culture, from the man who makes 

 his entire dependence upon the busi- 

 ness for his bread and butter, to the 

 one who has one or two colonies, to 

 which he never has given (and per- 

 haps never will give) much attention. 

 I suppose it is desired that all these 

 classes shall attend— certainly press- 

 ing invitations are given to them. 

 Although all these different classes 

 may tind something of value in any 

 convention, it is hardly to be supposed 

 that the grade of information most 

 needed by the beginner will be such 

 as to be most valuable to the veteran. 



Perhaps it may be well, right here, 

 to consider what are some of the 

 sources whence one can obtain' light 

 as to bee-keeping. I may name these : 

 Observation, experiment and experi- 

 ence ; conversation with, or instruc- 

 tion from other bee-keepers ; books 

 upon bee-keeping ; periodicals de- 

 voted specially to bee-keeping; and 

 conventions. I do not now think of 

 other sources. Perhaps the last three, 

 or, omitting conventions, books and 

 periodicals alone are sufficient for a 

 tolerably full course of instruction in 

 theoretical bee-keeping. Under ordi- 

 nary circumstances, if a young man 

 witii no knowledge of the business, 

 but contemplating entering upon it, 

 should ask my advice as to going 200 

 or .300 miles to attend a convention, I 

 should advise against it. He had 

 better take the money and invest it 

 in books and bee-papers. Let him 

 post himself thoroughly in the several 

 (mind you I don't say one of the sev- 

 eral) excellent bee-books. But no 

 matter how familiar he may be with 

 these, there are always new things 

 coming up, thousands of bee-keepers 

 are experimenting in different direc- 

 tions, and these things he can have 

 thebeneHtof, by taking bee-papers. 

 Indeed, if I were restricted to only 

 one source of information outside of 

 my own experience, I would unhesi- 

 tatingly take the bee-papers. The 

 days for the arrival by mail of my 

 bee-papers are as distinctly marked 

 in my mental calendar as are Satur- 

 days in that of the school-boy ; and I 

 never expect to become so advanced 

 in the management of bees that I 

 shall not be interested in these printed 

 messengers. What, then, is the need 

 of conventions, if books and papers 

 are so complete V 



In reading a communication in a 

 paper, no matter how fully the writer 

 may treat his subject, there are likely 

 to be left out points on which we 

 would like to question him ; at a con- 

 vention we have the opportunity to 

 do this. Then, too, at a convention, 

 aside from the social privileges, there 

 is a sort of mental stimulus from the 

 meeting of so many interested in the 

 same pursuit, that seems to stir up 

 some to bring out important facts 

 that otherwise might never come to 

 light. Suppose, now, at a convention 

 some one happens in who has a few 

 bees — perhaps in box-hives — and he 

 considers that here is a fine chance to 



gain some information, so he begins 

 asking whether the queen or the 

 drone lays theeggs(andl have known 

 something not so very far removed 

 from this to happen) ; how much time 

 do you think he ought to be entitled 

 to occupy in this way V And yet the 

 elementary facts, such as are familiar 

 to even those of very limited experi- 

 ence are just the ones which this man 

 needs to learn, and the time of the 

 convention could not be spent more 

 profitably, to him, than iii dealing with 

 justthe.se elementary matters. But 

 if the time were taken up in this way, 

 how many, think you, would be in 

 attendance whose experience and 

 wisdom would make aconveution valu- 

 able V It is not probable that diverse 

 interests will allow all to be united 

 in their views, but looking from the 

 stand-point of one making bee-keep- 

 ing not merely a recreation, but the 

 means of livelihood, I should say that 

 the chief participants should be (and 

 perhaps they usually are) those of 

 experience, who, by a mutual inter- 

 ^change of thought may each give and 

 receive information. If the inexperi- 

 enced, by their attendance, can catch 

 some of the sparks as they fly, so 

 much the better for the inexperienced. 



Whilst upon this subject I will 

 refer to another matter that needs 

 correction. In the report of the 

 Detroit Convention, page 810 of the 

 American Bee .Journal for 188.5, it 

 is stated, " Only about one-third 

 present at the meeting had become 

 members of the Society ;" that is to 

 say, about 200 persons were there who 

 had the full benefit of the convention 

 and contributed nothing toward it— 

 not even the paltry sum required as 

 an annual membership-fee. Is not 

 this being a little too free V 



Marengo, 5 Ills. 



For the American Bee Joomal 



PreservinE Bee-Papers [or Reference, 



REUBEN HAVENS. 



Having been confined to my room 

 the greater part of the time for the 

 last three months, with rheumatism, 

 I have improved the time in review- 

 ing and studying up bee-culture. I 

 find the bound volumes of tbe Ajieri- 

 CAN Bee Journal very convenient, 

 and intensely interesting. I have an 

 Emerson Binder in which I preserve 

 the numbers throughout the year, 

 and then have them neatly bound. 

 With the index of subjects treated, 

 and the index to correspondents, it is 

 almost invaluable as a book of refer- 

 ence. In this way I often get needed 

 information with but little trouble, 

 and with no delay. 



In uo business is the motto " Strike 

 while the iron is hot," or in other 

 words, do everything in its right time, 

 of more importance than in the bee- 

 business ; ill fact, success almost en- 

 tirely depends upon it. A little delay 

 often causes heavy losses. If this 

 view is correct, and I think every 

 thoughtful person will accede to it, 

 then no better investment can be 

 made by beekeepers than to take the 



