1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



537 



cultural, enthusiasm. The term " honey-producers " Is here 

 meant to Indicate people who get their livelihood by keeping 

 bees. Strictly speaking, all who keep bees are honey-pro- 

 ducers in a greater or less degree. Even those who keep bees 

 as a scientific pastime get some honey, and are therefore in a 

 sense honey-producers. 



At the very outset Mr. Heddon makes an Incorrect state- 

 ment, which I boldly deny. He says the leaders in our apl- 

 cultural organizations have not been honey-producers. I as- 

 sert, on the contrary, that even in the sense of making a 

 business of honey-production, the leaders in these organiza- 

 tions have been of that class, and I appeal to the records of 

 membership for proof of what I say. 



In answering the question what caused these non-honey- 

 producers to attend conventions and seek a leading position 

 there, he says: "Some de-*ired to be seen." How does he 

 know that ? Did any of them confess to him that this was 

 their motive ? Not likely. Others, he says, had axes to grind. 

 Again, how does he know? He could only suspect, and was 

 be not open to suspicion himself with his pollen theory, his 

 new hive, and other contraptions ? He says further, that 

 these men had some money speculation in view. Suppose 

 they had. If It was honest speculation, there was no harm in 

 that. Why, Mr. Heddon's only object in bee-keeping is to 

 make all the money he can at it. There are some bee-keepers 

 who pursue the business for scientific purposes, or for the pub- 

 lic good. Mr. Heddon is not of that number. He despises all 

 such, and is never tired of pouring contempt on them. He is 

 the last man who should complain of a bee-keeper who goes to 

 a convention to make a little money. He never went to one 

 himself for any other purpose. Time and again he has as- 

 serted that he takes no interest In any phase of bee-keeping 

 except for the money there is in it. 



Mr. Heddon enumerates as the prominent ones at conven- 

 tions : " Preachers, professors, publishers, supply dealers, 

 and a few side-issue bee-keepers, who have been at the front 

 as leaders because of their energies to get there, and the fool- 

 ishness of bee-keepers to assist them." Let us look at the 

 classes here specified, for a moment. 1. "Preachers." Mr. 

 Heddon may kick at the fact as much as he pleases, but he 

 cannot set rid of it as a fact that there is no class who have 

 rendered bee-keeping more substantial service than "preach- 

 ers." If there were only one name of this class to mention, 

 that of Langstroth should be enough to protect it from indig- 

 nity and crown it with honor. But there is a long list of such 

 names, and those which have been connected with apicultural 

 conventions have been no discredit to them. " Some preachers 

 can talk well," Mr. Heddon admits, as if what they said were 

 all talk. Is this honest truth or unfounded slander ? 



Mr. Heddon next pays his respects to " professors." In all 

 the history of our conventions, I can only now think of two 

 "professors:" Prof. KIrtland, who originated the first api- 

 cultural convention held In North America, and Prof. A. J. 

 Cook, who certainly doesn't play second fiddle to Mr. Heddon 

 or any other live bee-keeper on the continent. 3. "Pub- 

 lishers" — who certainly had a right to be there to report the 

 proceedings. 4. "Supply-dealers" — whose business naturally 

 and properly took them there. 5. "A few side-Issue b^- 

 keepers." Why, the vast majority of bee-keepers are of this 

 class. There are liOt half-a-dozen honey producers in Mr. 

 Heddon's exclusive sense on the face of the earth. He is not 

 one himself. Yet he says, " First, give us honey-producers, 

 and then give us the best speakers and writers, from among 

 that class." The italics are his. 



The thing Is absurd on the very face of it. See how it 

 would work in other directions. Would you exclude all but 

 teamsters, cab-drivers and such as handle horses for a living, 

 from Horse Associations? Would you exclude all but farmers 

 from the management of Agricultural Associations ? We have 



"the greatest show on earth " of this kind here in Canada. 

 If you doubt this, come and see it when the North American 

 bee-keepers meet in Toronto, next month. That great Indus- 

 trial Fair was gotten up by business men, and has been run 

 by such from the beginning until now. Mr. Heddon says 

 " the organizers and manipulators of our associations are pos- 

 sessed of too much theoretical talent;" but a man may be a 

 good, practical bee-keeper, and yet have no talent as an organ- 

 izer or manipulator. Mr. Heddon has no talent of this kind 

 himself, or he would have shown It before now. He has had 

 chances enough. 



He says : " Put your preachers, professors, and most of 

 your literary bee- keepers, back on the back-seats, where they 

 can learn something practical," etc. Yes ; get on a hustle, 

 and make a big procession of them — Father Langstroth at the 

 head, and Professor Cook following closely at his heels, other 

 preachers, professors, and most of your literary bee-keepers 

 "comin' arter," and see what a motley crowd you will have 

 left, Mr. Heddon rallying them with a Salvation Army drum, 

 to save the precious remnant — the " righteous few " who have 

 no taint of preaching, professional or literary work upon 

 them. Mr. Heddon is a nice man to be embarking in this 

 kind of crusade. He undertook, all-sufficient practical bee- 

 keeper that he is, to play a lone hand with a very modest 

 literary venture, a bee-quarterly, no less. He would have no 

 literary help — not he. He would "do it all himself, person- 

 ally." Well, he has gotten out six numbers, and in the last 

 makes the following humble confession : 



"Now we begin to see that unless we make some kind of 

 a change, we cannot fill our four large pages with really use- 

 ful editorial matter many more issues, and we may be com- 

 pelled to accept correspondence, and will be very glad to test 

 our skill in selecting writers whose advices if followed will 

 lead the readers on to success. We may also add some of our 

 best original matter on some other subject, but at all events 

 we shall endeavor to overlook nothing of value that appears 

 in our bee-literature and observation." 



Poor man ! He may " be compelled to accept correspond- 

 ence." Who will furnish it ? No self-respecting literary bee- 

 keeper, surely, after the contempt and derision Mr. Heddon 

 has poured on this class of writers. N. B. — There has been 

 great mortality among bee-periodicals. Most of them have 

 failed for want of money. But this one Is i?i arttcu!o mortte 

 for want of brains ! In six quarterly issues this prolific writer 

 has actually run out of topics ! Not only is he afraid he will 

 be "compelled to accept correspondence," but may have to 

 " add some of our best original matter on some other subject." 

 Well, whatever you do, Mr. H., don't follow A. I. Root's ex- 

 ample and give us a sermon, because then you would rank 

 among the preachers. Besides, the kind of discourse you 

 would give would be like the plantation darkey's sermon on 

 pig and chicken stealing — it would " bring a coldness over the 

 meetin'." 



If it be thought by any uader that this article is rather 

 caustic, my apology shall be in Mr. Heddon's own words in 

 the Review article I have been criticizing. They are as fol- 

 lows : 



" Please excuse the plain and frank style of this essay, 

 but you asked me for it and you have it. As you know, I am 

 a very plain and outspoken man, but I mean well. I like to 

 be talked to iu the same way. And when I am wrong that 

 kind of talk does me much good." 



The last sentence Is particularly gratifying. I am quite 

 sure Mr. Heddon is wrong this time, and it is a great satisfac- 

 tion to know that when he is so, it does him good to handle 

 him without gloves. If he shows due Improvement in the 

 present case, I shall be encouraged to do it "some more." 



'I'liut Mew Siuiig: — •• Queenie Jeanette" — which is being 

 sung everywhere, we can send you for 40 cents, postpaid, or club 

 it with the American Uee Journal for one year — both for only 

 $1.10. Or, send us one new subscriber for a year (with $1.00), and 

 we will mail you a copy of the song free. 



