Apiarian Exhibits at Fairs 



For fifteen years I did not miss making an annual exhibit of bees 

 and honey at our State fair; and for three or four years I also made 

 exhibits at the State fairs of Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Mis- 

 souri. It will not pay to travel from State to State with an exhibit 

 unless the exhibit is unusually large and attractive — enough so as to 

 win the lion's share of the premiums. On the other hand, it will not 

 pay to get up a large, expensive exhibit unless it is to be exhibited at 

 several fairs. In order thus to make a "circuit" of several State fairs 

 it is necessary to charter a freight car and travel with the exhibit. In 

 no other way is it possible to avoid fatal delays at transfer points. The 

 work is terribly hard. There is the packing-up at night, and traveling 

 nights in a freight-car ; the "hurrah boys" of getting upon the grounds 

 and the exhibit set up in time, and the friendly rivalry with competi- 

 tors ; but there is a fascination about it that, to an old exhibitor, is 

 almost irresistible.. 



There has been, in times past, some opposition to these apiarian 

 exhibits on the ground that they were often made by supply-dealers 

 who, in their eagerness to do business, did not hesitate to urge a man 

 to become a bee-keeper in order to effect a sale. If the fruit of the 

 seed sown at these gatherings were a crop of producers, I might ad- 

 mit that, possibly, there would be some injury to existing bee-keepers; 

 but after the experience that I have had, I am thoroughly convinced 

 that nothing of the kind occurs ; in fact, the exhibition of hives, imple- 

 ments, and large quantities of honey tastily put up, impresses the crowd 

 with the true importance, magnitude, and complexity of modern bee 

 culture, imparting the idea that the bee business is quite a business — 

 one that can not be picked up and learned in a day by some Tom, 

 Dick, or Harry. 



Anything that increases the consumption of honey is a benefit to 

 the pursuit ; and, as usually managed, these bee and honey shows call 

 the attention of crowds of people to the excellence and deliciousness of 

 honey as a food ; and the producer and consumer are brought face to 

 face. At a fair, people are abroad with a disposition for sight-seeing, 

 investigation, and the purchase of novelties and nick-nacks ; and a fine 

 display of honey, together with its sale in fancy packages, can not 



