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THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



patronage by the advent of a rival, unless 

 said rival is more deserving of said patron- 

 age. Without the least thought of boasting 

 I can honestly say that, since beginning the 

 publication of the Review, not a bee journal, 

 old or new, has so much as thrown the 

 shadow of a jealous pang across my breast. 

 I have no reason for jealousy. I doubt if the 

 journals already in existence when the Re- 

 view made its debut, or those that have 

 since " come upon the carpet " have robbed 

 it of a single subscriber. 



And yet, how few are the bee journals 

 started within the last half a dozen years 

 that the laying of "Vol. I, No. 1," upon my 

 desk has aroused other feelings than those of 

 sorrow and sympathy. The fact that they 

 could not live was too apparent. They filled no 

 niche. Why they were started was an enigma. 

 The field that they attempted to occupy was 

 already filled with laborers who were doing 

 the work in a better manner than the new 

 comer could ever hope to do it. The paper, 

 the ink, the press work, the type, the "make 

 up," the subject matter, and, above all, the 

 editorial spirit that prevades the pages of a 

 journal, all combine to tell the practical eye 

 whether or no the new venture will be a suc- 

 cess. Some journals now dead, beamed 

 with hopeful promises in the earlier issues. 

 Their editors were full of enthusiasm, 

 bound to make a success, and the result of 

 this condition showed most clearly upon 

 the pages they sent forth. But the starting 

 of a bee journal, and the building of it up 

 into a paying business, is a slow process; one 

 requiring pluck, energy, determination, 

 skill of the right kind and money. When 

 but few subscribers come in and advertising 

 patronage is meager, there seems to be a 

 disposition to retrench expenses; to use 

 poorer paper and ink, to pay less attention 

 to the securing of first class correspondence, 

 and the discouraged state of mind into which 

 the editor falls is refiected upon his paper. 

 When a paper reaches this stage it is practi- 

 cally dead; and everybody knows it except 

 the poor fellow who is kicking against fate. 

 Nine-tenths of the bee journals have been 

 started with no conception of the require- 

 ments of successful journalism, of the down- 

 right hard work, both mental and physical, 

 of the time, patience, perseverance, skill and 

 money required. Many bee journals have 

 been started from unwise motives. Perhaps 

 a man already in possession of a printing 

 office starts a bee journal because he can do 



the printing so cheaply. Unless he has the 

 stuff in him from which apicultural editors 

 are formed, such a venture is so much capi- 

 tal and labor wasted. Another journal is 

 started that its proprietor may thereby ad- 

 vertise his business. Unless he can make a 

 journal that would be a success aside from 

 its aid as an advertiser, said proprietor will 

 find said advertising the most expensive he 

 ever bought. Other journals are started 

 with a view to catering to the needs of a 

 single State or locality. From the very 

 nature of things, such journals cannot suc- 

 ceed. There are not enough bee keepers in 

 any one State, or two or three States, that 

 will subscribe for a bee journal, to enable a 

 "local" journal to succeed. Neither can a 

 journal devoted to one single branch of bee 

 keeping be successful. To succeed, a journal 

 must be broad in its scope, and gather its 

 subscribers from every State in the Union; 

 its editor must have a thorough knowledge 

 of bee-keeping and be well and favorably 

 known. There is more in this last point 

 than many would-be editors dream. Lastly, 

 bee journals fail because they are not good 

 enough. Instead of seeking for new fields, 

 where ordinary ability might hope to suc- 

 cess, they enter fields already occupied and 

 then fall behind in the competitive race. 

 He who strikes out in a new path has a 

 great advantage over those who attempt to 

 follow. / should never have attempted the 

 publication of a bee journal upon the same 

 plans as those already in practice. 



I presume but few will realize the amount 

 of courage required to enable the editor of a 

 bee journal to write as I have done, but, con- 

 sidering the mania there has been for start- 

 ing bee journals, it seems as though some- 

 thing ought to be said. Before a man 

 starts a bee journal let him search diligently 

 for a new field. Failing to find one, let him 

 be sure that he can out-do some of the old 

 journals before spending time and money in 

 entering a profession in which will be found 

 stings as well as honey. 



MISGXnDED CRITICISM. 



To review a book fairly and honestly, to 

 point out its faults and foibles, to enumerate 

 its virtues, to show where it is lacking and 

 where it is overflowing with wit and wisdom, to 

 do all this fearlessly,yet in such an honorable, 

 straight forward, manly way that even the 

 Author will admit that it is fairly done, is a 



