AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



125 



another severe drouth during October, 

 November and December. The stock 

 were so eager for green stuff, that they 

 ate the clover and grass down to the 

 roots. There is no doubt but that the 

 range here will yield less clover honey 

 than last year or the year before. 



What shall I do so as not to lose the 

 use of my hives and bees ? Simply this, 

 start more out-apiaries and keep fewer 

 bees in a place ; probably 40 colonies 

 will be as much as any one location will 

 support on white clover, in this vicinity, 

 next season. Afterward, I would mass 

 them on the Spanish-needle level, during 

 July and August. 



No subject connected with bee-culture, 

 has been so little ventilated, as the con- 

 ditions necessary to produce a crop of 

 nectar, not only the condition of the 

 weather during bloom, but from seed- 

 time until harvest. I was glad to see this 

 theory adopted by Professor Cook at the 

 International convention. For the benefit 

 of Dr. Miller and others, I wish to show 

 the advantages to be derived from a 

 thorough understanding of this subject. 



A farmer has a crop of wheat ripe and 

 ready to cut. If he understands his 

 business he knows how much twine to 

 get to tie it up ; how many men to get to 

 stack it ; how much help he needs to 

 thresh it, etc., etc. 



If we understand the conditions that 

 lead up to a honey crop, we may know 

 how many sections to provide, how much 

 foundation to get, what other supplies 

 we will need, and to what apiaries to 

 take our supplies. I will quote from 

 Langstroth, (Revised by Dadant, page 

 303, article 582.) 



"In many years practice in keeping 

 bees in 5 or 6 different apiaries, I have 

 found out that the crop will vary greatly 

 in a few miles, owing to the different 

 flora of the various localities, and more 

 especially to the greater or less amount 

 of rain-fall at the proper time." 



J. M. Hambaugh, of Spring, Ills., 

 harvested altogether different yields, 

 both in quality and quantity, from two 

 apiaries only 2}i miles apart. Does this 

 not prove conclusively that, to secure the 

 best results, the bees must be properly 

 located ? Also, that a location only 2 or 

 3 miles distant from each other, may be 

 able to support twice the number of bees 

 profitably that the home-apiary would. 

 If we must wait to find this out by actual 

 test, by the time we determine to take 

 advantage of the extra yield, the crop 

 will be over. 



So that the position Dr. Miller takes is 

 altogether untenable (page 777, Bee 

 Journal). "That it makes but little 



difference in the practical results whether 

 this theory be true or not." 



If the bee-keepers in different parts of 

 the country would report the condition 

 of white clover in their locality, say on 

 Sept. 1, Nov. 1, and Feb. 1, and then, 

 what their yield is in June, as well as the 

 conditions of the atmosphere and the 

 clover plants, we could soon thoroughly 

 understand this subject. 



Upper Alton, Ills. 



Past aM Fntnre Aricnltnral Journalism. 



THOMAS G. NEWMAN. 



This subject has been assigned to me 

 for some suggestions. As my available 

 time is very limited, I shall be brief, 

 leaving it to you for discussion and 

 amplification. 



THE PAST. 



Apicultural journalism was called into 

 being in America, just 30 years ago to- 

 day, when the lamented Samuel Wagner 

 issued the first number of the American 

 Bee Journal. Its birth occurred then, 

 because it was a necessity — it was 

 demanded by the existing state of apicul- 

 tural progress. 



The movable-frame hive had been in- 

 vented, the mysteries of bee-economy 

 had been manifested, rational bee-man- 

 agement had been inaugurated, the 

 improved races of bees had been imported, 

 and a medium of communication be- 

 tween those engaged in the business of 

 importing and selling bees, of manufac- 

 turing and vending hives, and of produc- 

 ing and disposing of honey, was a 

 "want" which could no longer be left 

 " unfilled !" 



THE PRESENT. 



From one small monthly of 24 pages, 

 American apicultural journalism has 

 now grown to something like a dozen 

 monthlies and one weekly. Meanwhile, 

 over 50 more have existed for a brief 

 time and passed away, and now even 

 their names have been almost forgotten. 

 Samples of about that number are now 

 preserved in my library, to show what 

 " might have been!" Those surviving 

 are exerting a wonderful influence to-day 

 in apicultural progress. 



THE FUTURE. 



That is quite speculative. Apicultural 

 journalism will in the future be just what 

 bee-keepers themselves make it. If they 

 liberally support the best exponents of 

 the vocation, if they generously patronize 

 those which give tone and influence to 



