At 08:33 AM 2/3/99 -0500, you wrote:
 
>You may remember that about a week ago I ordered this book from
>barnesandnoble.com for $US 8.95 plus shipping?  As expected, today they
>emailed me with the information that this book cannot be obtained
>because it is out of print.  Surprise!
 
I have in my hand the real thing. Fifty Years Among the Bees by C.C.
Miller. Hard Cover Published by Root Co. in 1915.  Good Condition. Price
$50. pp US. (1 copy in stock)
 
Not a real review....just some thoughts on why this book after 84 years is
still a "must read" for old and young bee keepers... Beekeeping as it was
seen by Dr. Miller from 1861 to 1911.
 
I read it again as I did maybe 45 years ago and must say things have not
changed that much with the invention of the honey extractor. Dr. Miller
writes of the comb honey days that most in this generation know nothing
about. His extractor as pictured sets out abandoned in the apiary, like one
of those useless gadgets we now are passing gas about.
 
Miller must have been blessed with daughters as it almost seems he uses
women like we use Mexican American's today, to do all his bee work, at
least judging by his photo illustrations. Moving bees to the bee cellar,
which was the main move, only takes two ladies using a rope sling.
Cleaning, grading honey, and bee cloths for working in the bees, as God
intended it to bee,  just ask my X wife which yours will soon bee if you
follow the illustrations in this book. Miller's wife really did not work in
the bees, she did catch his first swarm that got him started and was stung
bad enough doing it that she stayed out of the bees. But you can be sure
she was very much involved in all the other work.
 
Maybe all of this God sent help gave him lots of times to notice things in
his bee hives and yards such as grading queens, Italians of course. This
was a time of change from the disaster of using native black or brown
stock, depending on the view from your area, to improving with daughters
directly imported from Italy and other places.
 
From the day of the horse when sugar came in a wooden barrel that were just
ideal for bee hives. Ten cents per hour was top wages, and 12 cents was
really big money for honey...the same price for honey we got in the 1950's,
but 50 cents per hour was better wages?
 
Why is this a "must read" bee book? The time it is set in I think, 100
years ago, and the fact that when you read it I guarantee you that you will
come away with not only answers to some question not answered before but
ideas from the early days of beekeeping that you will think are worth a try
today in your own "modern" apiary. None of us knows it all and the few that
do seem to at times forget the roots of their knowledge. Its a chance to
refresh and be refreshed, something for every beekeeper.
 
Want to buy this book, one like it, or any out of print bee books, or just
have a real human look for you from our local book seller, use this book
finder form and you will be contacted... "We supply books to Amazon..B&N
and the rest", "so we have some idea how they work you over". Phoenix Books
of Los Banos.
 
http://www.beenet.com/phoenix/pbook.htm
 
Chow, the OLd Drone
http://beenet.com
 
(c)Permission is given to copy this document
in any form, or to print for any use.
 
(w)OPINIONS are not necessarily facts. USE  AT OWN RISK!