50 First Annual Report 



bees. They should realize this fact, and should demand that our legislators 

 not only become informed, but act accordingly. 



Agricultural College, Mich. A.J. Cook." 



[We believe this paper to be the best in point of definite facts, and most 

 comprehensive of anything we have ever read . It is so valuable that every 

 reader of this journal should peruse it carefully, that he may be able to talk 

 intelligently to his farming and fruit growing neighbors who unfortunately, in 

 many cases, regard bees as a positive detriment to the proper maturing of 

 fruit. Almost every year we come across farmers in the vicinity of our 

 home apiary and out-yards who persist In saying that our bees are respon- 

 sible for their trees not fruiting, and so this sort of ignorance is gaining cur- 

 rency in many localities, much to the detriment of the bee-keeper and fruit 

 grower. This ignorance, and perhaps prejudice, should be dispelled by solid • 

 facts, such as Prof. Cook gives; and we hope our agricultural exchanges, 

 and journals devoted to fruit-growing in particular, will give this paper of 

 Prof. Cook's a wide circulation . We shall be glad, also, to send extra sam- 

 ple copies of this journal for bee-keepers to distribute among their neighbors 

 who need a little "posting." That the good work may continue to go on we 

 have decided to make this article over into a leaflet for general distribution. 

 To cover bare cost and postage, these leaflets will be sent to all who apply, for 

 5 cts. for 25; 10 cts. for 50; 25 cts for 200; 60 cts. for 500, or $1.00 per 1,000, 

 postpaid. Now let bee keepers do a little missionary work for themselves 

 and neighbors, and thus avoid, in some cases, these unpleasant clashings be- 

 tween the bees and the fruit. ] E . R . 



The following is a clipping from the Prairie Farmer of February 27, by 

 Mrs. L. Harrison, of Peoria : 



FARMER BEE-KEEPERS. 



"Farmers, you should be bee-keepers, every last one of you — Fll make 

 no exceptions. Don't like honey, eh? Gives you a pain in the stomach ? 

 Suppose it does; I expect that you ate some gathered from lobelia. Bees 

 do not make honey, as some suppose, but gather, evaporate and can it up. 

 The bees ran the first cannery in existence, and ran it successfully, too. 

 Now, just for the fun of the thing, and to please me (if you get a chance), eat 

 some pure white clover honey and see if it disagrees with you; my word for 

 it, it will do no such a thing. 



"A few years after my husband and I were married I slyly hinted that I 

 would like to have some bees. I was met with a rebuff something like this: 

 'Bees! what upon earth do you want bees for? You attend to things indoors 

 and I will see to outside affairs . ' But tell a woman she can't have a thing 

 and she will lay awake nights planning how she can get it. Another reason 

 drought forward why I should not keep bees was that neither of us could eat 

 honey. In the early days of our housekeeping we had bought some honey 



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