114 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



those big chaps were all the while laughing 

 in their sleeves, because friend 13. had never 

 used tobacco at all. Never mind ; I forgive 

 them, and here is the picture of the man 

 who has sold friend Muth pretty well toward 

 a hundred barrels of beautiful honey, as the 

 l)roduct of his own apiary, in a single sea- 

 son. 



DR. O. ^r. BLANTON, THE HONEY - MAN OF 

 THE SOUTH. 



lie lives in Greenville, Miss.; and if you 

 don't believe his honey is nice, Avhen you 

 take dinner at the lunch-room next time, 

 just ask for some of the palmetto honey. 

 You see, friend Muth sent me a whole dozen 

 jars of it, and I keep it to give bee-friends ; 

 and if friend Muth will send us a photo, we 

 will have a look at his genial face next time; 

 won't we, boysV 



WHO SHOULD k£e:p be:e:s« 



SOMETHING ABOUT OVERSTOCKING, ALSO. 



fRIEND ROOT:— May he you're not my "friend ;" 

 but as long as you claim me for yours I shall 

 hold on to you. Several years ago I enter- 

 tained and freely expressed (that is, as freely as the 

 papers would let me) some conservative ideas re- 

 gai'ding who should keep bees. Since that time I 

 have not changed my mind regarding my conserva- 

 tism; for facts coming up from time to time have 

 forced me to hold the closer to my former conserv- 

 ative opinions. Since that time there has been a 

 great change of belief regarding this question, and 

 how much we should urge others to become bee- 

 keepers; and also a clearer understanding of my 

 former ideas upon the subject. Illustrative of this, 

 compare my former articles with the recent one of 

 Dr. C. C. Miller, in this year's A. B. J., page 30. 

 Here is a man whose head and heart none can be in- 

 duced to doubt. Now you realize (see last Glean- 

 ings) that localities can readily be ovei'stocked, and 

 all can then readily see how important it Is that 

 every apiarist have the whole pasturage of the area 



in which his bees work — an area of about six miles 

 diameter. Now, is it not just, honorable, yea, even a 

 duty to you and yours, and much wiser as well as bet- 

 ter for all concerned, that wo do not " rush in after 

 the neighbors" to come and see the" wonderful " 

 results of a bountiful season? 



Is it not true, that while we might at once in- 

 fluence them with the large profit of our summer's 

 capital and labor, it might take more time and effort 

 than we possess to show them that these results are 

 above the average; that seasons of study, experi- 

 ment, and losses, have been experienced, to get the 

 knowledge which forms the greater factor making 

 up this success; to impress upon their minds that 

 no two apiarists can both lealize such a yield in one 

 field ; that we know, that, if they should keep bees 

 '•just over the way," such bee-keeping would be a 

 direct damage to us (as for economy, we wish to 

 keep all the colonies our field will support); and 

 while their bee-keeping is to us a damaging influ- 

 ence, oitcs will pi'ove /umoas to them. Why should 

 we Zaftor to do justice, when silent rest will accom- 

 plish the same result? 



In years past, some tried to answer these argu- 

 ments by pointing the finger of scorn. While this 

 sometimes silences the one who argues, it never re- 

 plies to his arguments; and sooner or later they 

 arise and demand logical answers. When we were 

 told that our business was exceedingly profitable, 

 and eminently adapted to invalids, children, and 

 women, I thought that was a slur on those succeed- 

 ing in the pursuit, and a rather poor classification 

 for the ladies. I said so, and at the expense of be- 

 ing misunderstood, and consequently condemned, 

 by the gentler sex. 



Were I keeping store, and an agent should appear 

 with a new article of merchandise, and say, "Oh! 

 it's a big thing; profits are enormous; sales are im- 

 mense; you can sell thousands in this village," I 

 would, were I persuaded to think so, say, " Who else 

 here are you going to convince of this, and sell to?" 



Suppose I tell farmer Jones, in township 3, that, 

 with my patent hive (as there are no bees in the 

 township) he can realize large profits on an apiary, 

 and then I go to 3 or 4 of his neighbors and tell them 

 the same thing, and get all of them started in busi- 

 ness once based on fact, but that I told so many 

 times it is now based on falsehood, what would Jones 

 say? What ought he to say? If you should tell me, 

 "Oh! say bee-keeping is just a bonanza," I woald 

 be expected, by this practical world, to say, "Well, 

 well, I see it; just you keep still now, and don't 'kill 

 the goose that lays the golden egg.' " 



One alluring and deceptive fact connected with 

 bee-keeping is, that a few colonies pay much better, 

 pro rata, than a number sufficiently large to make 

 the business a profitable specialty. " One colony of 

 bees paid me $43.28," says one. 



"Well, what of it? that won't buy your clothes, 

 nov board you for a year." 



"Yes, but I'll have 100 colonies; see here: $1338." 

 Comment is unnecessary. 



Well, does this argue in favor or mixed produc- 

 tion, and keeping a few colonies? Not a bit of it. If 

 all kept a "few colonies," overstocking down to a 

 profitless point would continually occur; besides, 

 such is not the nature of things, as specialty carries 

 with it an economy that would soon run the bus- 

 iness all into the hands of about one or two bee- 

 keepers in a township; and the law of the survival 

 of the fittest would select these men. 



Dowagiac, Mich., Feb. 7, 1883. James Heddon. 

 Concluded ?ica:t month. 



