182 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



I think, however, that I can see how it 

 pays. To be sure, we have our papers and 

 books, which are the very back-bone of any 

 industry or profession. But how fiat, stale 

 and unprofitable would our books and papers 

 be were it not for the vivifyiny effect of our 

 associations. Who does not feel that Glean- 

 ings has greatly improved since its editor 

 reformed in this matter of conventions? We 

 doubt not that much of the admirable con- 

 duct of the Review comes from inspiration 

 received by its editor in his frequent attend- 

 ance upon such gatherings. I say then that 

 conventions raise the character of our litera- 

 ture and so advance the condition of all, 

 whether they actually attend the meetings 

 or not. 



There is a warmth and sympathy engen- 

 dered by personal contact with our fellows 

 that always calls out the best that is in a 

 person. These conventions liberate much 

 valuable information that else would never 

 come to light. More, many persons never 

 write, and were it not for these gatherings, 

 valuable facts would never go beyond their 

 discoverers. It is often true that some im- 

 portant observation or discovery fails to 

 impress the one who made it. Even though 

 it may interest him, he may lack that pecu- 

 liar ability to turn it to account. Thus 

 meeting in conventions not only scatters 

 facts, but also gives to them a practical 

 trend which else they might never have pos- 

 sessed. 



Perhaps the best use of conventions comes 

 from the valuable influence which they exert 

 socially. To meet and talk with those of 

 like views, desires and thought, softens, ele- 

 vates, and ennobles. W" e go home with more 

 charity in our hearts, more love in our souls. 

 We are better men. If associations then 

 make us both wiser and better, we may well 

 hurrah for conventions. 



All experience, everywhere, so far as I 

 know, urges that in conventions we have 

 essays from those best able to give them; 

 which essays are to be discussed. Such es- 

 says furnish a theme. They are carefully 

 thought out. They secure the best, and 

 prevent rambling and a waste of time. I 

 have no sympathy with the plan of rejecting 

 all essays. Our country is very large— too 

 large to make the attendance at conventions 

 easy. Yet by having short, incisive essays 

 from those best fitted to give them, we can 

 have large conventions in the best sense, 

 though the actual attendance is not large. 

 Next to our bee literature, conventions have 

 done the best work for apiculture of all the 

 agencies that are helping it out. And, as we 

 have seen, our literature owes much of its 

 excellence to these important gatherings. 



I am decidedly of the opinion that bee- 

 keeping should not be confined to specialists. 

 I think no one should be prevented or even 

 discouraged from becoming a specialist; yet 

 I think that apiculture is pre-eminently the 

 business for the amateur, pre-eminently de- 

 sirable as an avocation. Even those who 

 argue otherwise think so; else why do Mr. 

 Heddon and the editor of the Review stick 

 to the bees; though one is an editor and the 

 honored Mayor of a flourishing young city, 

 and the other an able bee-keeping editor? 



Bee-keeping often fails to give success, then 

 some other business keeps want, hunger and 

 discouragement from the door. Bee-keep- 

 ing only occupies one a portion of the year; 

 thus some supplementary pursuit flUs up the 

 time and adds to one's usefulness. 



In every business one can do better work 

 if some variety comes into the life. This 

 rests the mind, brightens the hopes ai d 

 makes the success better in both lines. 

 Thus the minister, the lawyer and the teacher 

 think and speak to better purpose from 

 their work and experience in the apiary. The 

 bee-keeper has clearer thought and better 

 success from his rest periods, when he 

 wrestles with the problems of how he may 

 save souls, save property, or educate his 

 fellows. Experience shows that such combi- 

 nation is helpful. The logic of experience 

 also shows that men live more and happier 

 when they have two strings to their indus- 

 trial bow. 



I know of many of our best and brightest 

 bee-keepers who are at the same time most 

 successful in other lines of work. If such 

 a course adds to the pocket-book, the brain, 

 the health and the happiness, then certainly 

 it is to be advocated. I have not a doubt 

 but that it does. 



WHEN TO EXTEACT. 



I say just before or just as the bees com- 

 mence to cap the honey. Do you say the 

 honey is not so good? Then by all means 

 wait till it is all capped. I can ripen the 

 honey just as well outside the combs and so 

 save much time. I always extract the early 

 honey before it is capped. This is more 

 easily done, and saves uncapping. I keep 

 this in open vessels covered with cheese 

 cloth in a warm room all through July and 

 August. I have yet to see the man who can 

 tell this honey from other that has been 

 capped for months before it is extracted. 

 This is my reason for the faith that is in me. 



Age'l College, Mich., Oct. 31, 1889. 



Bee-Keeping More like Manufacturing than 



Farming.— The Advantages of 



Specialty. 



JAMES heddon. 



{X S to whether any kind of business is 

 If) better to be managed specially and 

 alone, or mixed up with some other 

 kind of business in the hands and 

 brain of the manager and owner, depends 

 entirely upon what the business is. If I 

 were going to buy, to breed up and fatten, a 

 drove of hogs, I would post myself in regard 

 to what kind of hogs are best. I would not, 

 however, add the hog business to the bee 

 business, but I would add it to raising corn 

 and wheat, or running a grist mill or slaugh- 

 ter house. So you see it all depends. 



There is no doubt but what it pays to raise 

 at least a small variety of crops upon a 

 farm, but you may call it all one business, 

 that of farming. Bee keeping is called, and 

 perhaps correctly so, producing, but so far 

 as producing relates to the advantages and 



