INTEODUCTION 



One morning, five or six of us, who had occupied the same 

 bed-room the previous night during the North American 

 Convention at Cincinnati, in 1882, were dressing preparatory 

 to another day's work. Among the rest were Bingham, of 

 smoker fame, and Vandervort, the foundation-mill man. I 

 think it was Prof. Cook who was chaffing these inventors, 

 saying something to the effect that they were always at work 

 studying how to get up something different from anybody else, 

 and, if they needed an implement, would spend a dollar and a 

 day's time to get up one " of their own make," rather than pay 

 25 cents for a better one ready-made. Vandervort, who sat 

 contemplatively rubbing his shins, dryly replied : " But they 

 take a world of comfort in it." I think all beekeepers are 

 possessed of more or less of the same spirit. Their own inven- 

 tions and plans seem best to them, and in many eases they are 

 right, to the extent that two of them, having almost opposite 

 plans, would be losers to exchange plans. 



In visiting and talking with other beekeepers I am generally 

 prejudiced enough to think my plans are, on the whole, better 

 than theirs and yet I am always very much interested to know 

 just how they manage, especially as to the little details of 

 common operations, and occasionally I find something so mani- 

 festly better than my own way, that I am compelled to throw 

 aside my prejudice and adopt their better way. I suppose there 

 are a good many like myself, so I think there may be those who 

 wUl be interested in these bee-talks, wherein, besides talking 

 something of the past, I shall try to tell honestly just how I do, 

 talking in a familiar manner, without feeling obliged to say 

 " we " when I mean " I." Indeed, I shall claim the privilege of 

 putting in the pronoun of the first person as often as I please ; 

 and if the printer runs out of big I's toward the last of the 

 book, he can put in little i's. 



