44 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



make their influence felt, because of their 

 weakness, by reason of the splitting up of 

 the subscription patronage. What would 

 support one would starve three. 



This is a ('((/(( »n7// which is threatened in 

 every bee-keeping country. The power for 

 good and influence for right, which one 

 strong and vigorous publication would 

 maintain, is frittered away by reason of an 

 unhealthy increase of bee-papers. It be- 

 hooves all to look this matter squarely in 

 the face, and refrain from lending their in- 

 fluence to an increase in this line, which is 

 detrimental to the entire craft. 



Until a few years ago, England had no 

 bee-paper — now she has three; two too 

 many ! A quarter of a century ago in 

 America there was but one (the Aiiwi-ican 

 Bee Juurtial), now their names are le- 

 gion, and as a result some of them are sick 

 and dying : others are only half supported, 

 and the influence of all, by reason of the 

 multiplication, is much impaired. 



All this is the result of the suicidal mania 

 for publishing a bee paper ; and if it is not 

 soon stopped, the time will come when 

 many of them will die, and their owners will 

 be poorer but wiser men. 



It is quite time to call for a halt on such 

 reckless increase — which is just as detri- 

 mental in the field of literature as it is in 

 the apiary. In both cases, too much increase 

 will destroy the business, and ruin those who 

 should be benefited by the investment." 



The last twenty-five years have witnessed 

 wonderful progress in the arts and indus- 

 tries. Bee-keeping has not lagged behind. 

 With this progress came an increase in jour- 

 nalism, and in the publication of books, but 

 the production of apicultural literature has 

 not been multiplied to any greater extent 

 than has that devoted to other rural indus- 

 tries. It is true that many bee papers have 

 been born only to struggle and die ; but the 

 same is true of many a venture in all the 

 fields of journalism. It is true that compe- 

 tition is one factor in the combination of 

 causes that has brought failure to so many 

 journalistic efforts, but there is more than 

 one kind of competition. Bro. Newman has 

 mentioned one kind, the competition of 

 numbers, but that of (ftiality is passed unno- 

 ticed. We believe that, in the field of apiul- 

 tural journalism, more failures have come 

 from the superior qualities of competitors 

 than from their numbers. This competition 

 among bee journals is really a benefit to bee- 

 keepers. It acts as a spur to the editors: 

 and, in their efforts at vieing with one an- 

 other, better journals are produced. Too 

 many bee journals have been started with no 

 intention of competing in the race for qual- 

 ify ; the primary object being simply that of 

 furnishing an auxiliary to a supply trade — 



a sort of side issue. Others have been 

 started with no conception of the obstacles 

 to be met and overcome. Many a journal 

 has gone to the wall because the editorial 

 work was done in a listless, dreary, half- 

 hearted way that actually courted failure. 



"Tis not wealth, nor rank, nor state, 



But its ' git up and git ' tliat makes men great." 



To succeed in apicultural journalism, 

 there must be a thorough, practical, working 

 knowledge of bee-keeping ; a personal ac- 

 quaintance with apiarists and with the hobby 

 of each : and the journal must stand first in 

 affections of its editor. In the highest and 

 truest sense, it must be his " baby." For it 

 he must be willing to rise early and work 

 late ; to wear plain clothes, yes, imtched 

 clothes, if necessary : to live on simple fare ; 

 and there must be no hesitation as to wheth- 

 er he can afford this or that for his journal ; 

 he must simply pull out his pocket-book and 

 lay if an the altar. Neither will it answer 

 for him to sit in his office week after week 

 and month after month ; he must work with 

 the bees, get out among bee-keepers, visit 

 conventions and apiaries, and know what is 

 going on ; in short, he must leave no stone 

 unturned in his efforts to bring his journal 

 up to the highest standard. This is only a 

 jKtrt of the price that must be paid for suc- 

 cess in apicultural journalism, and he who 

 cannot pay it willingly, cheerfully, yea, 

 proudlii, would better adopt some other 

 style of wooing the fickle goddess. 



LANGSTKOTH ON THE HONEY-BEE, EEVISED BY 

 iiSlffiffik^L. DADANT. 



Before us lies the difficult, delicate, yet de- 

 lightful task of reviewing " Langstroth on 

 the Honey-Bee, Revised by Dadant." (The 

 work is also published by Dadant & Son, 

 Hamilton, 111. Price, $2.00.) It has .521 

 pages, and 1!)7 engravings, besides K! full- 

 page plates; some of the latter being excel- 

 lent pictures of noted apicultural leaders. 

 The paper is good, the press work excellent, 

 and the composition free from typograph- 

 ical errors. The book is well bound, and, 

 across the front cover, in a diagonal direc- 

 tion, lies a strip of foundation, done in gilt, 

 above which appears, in letters of gilt, "The 

 Honey-Bee." Mechanically, the book is 

 above criticism. — About five years ago. Fath- 

 er Langstroth consulted with Messrs. Dadant 

 & Son in regard to the revision of his book. 

 At that time all agreed upon the prin- 



