Edward Kretchmer, a bee supply manufacturer living in Iowa, wrote the American Beekeepers' Guide, published in 1872. It had a large sale for a time, but since it was aimed to promote sales of supplies was soon forgotten.

T. B. Miner's American Beekeepers' Manual, published in 1849, was a more pretentious volume than most of those of its time. It contained 349 pages and ran through several editions.

N. C. Mitchell was author of First Lessons in Bee Culture, which was published in Indianapolis in 1871.

G. L. Tinker published a pamphlet, Beekeeping for Profit, in 1890, which was of little importance. Edward Townley, in 1843, was responsible for A Practical Treatise on Humanity to Honeybees, published in New York. In Boston, in 1829, appeared A Practical Treatise on the Management of Bees, by James Thacher, M. D., and, in 1836, A Manual or an Easy Method of Managing Bees, by J. M. Weeks, was published at Middlebury, Vermont. A later edition revised and enlarged was published at Boston.

Coming later, but still to be included in this list, was The Honey Bee, by Frank Benton, published by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1895. An edition of 1,000 copies was soon distributed and, in 1896, an edition of 20,000 copies was authorized. Another edition appeared in. 1899. A book of 118 pages, with the authority of the government behind it, it was insured wide recognition. It was translated into Japanese and published at Tokio in 1900. Benton is probably entitled to more credit for contributions to American apiculture than he has so far received.

Another book which hardly belongs to this period but to a later one, and is now out of print, is Margaret Morley's Honey Makers, published in Chicago in 1899 and reprinted in 1915. This book is of more than passing interest since it is really a digest of beekeeping literature since a very ancient time. Miss Morley also wrote a children's story, The Bee People, which was on sale during the same period.

Later Bee Books

There are a number of bee books which are still in active demand and whose authors are still living. It is too soon to make a fair estimate of the importance or influence of these publications. With them is a long list of bulletins and other current literature, some of which will, no doubt, stand the test of time and later be recognized as having been of permanent value. It must remain for writers of another time to evaluate these. Those which are of permanent use will survive to tell their own story and the others will be forgotten.

As a matter of record a list of current American bee books is added here:

Alexander, E. W. Alexander's Writings on Practical Bee Culture. 1910. Atkins, E. W., and Hawkins, K. How to Succeed with Bees. 1924.

Beck, Bodog F. Bee Venom Theraphy. 1935.

Honey and Health. 1938.

Biggie, Jacob. Biggie Bee Book. 1909.

Campbell, Colin P. Law Pertaining to the Honeybee. 1924.

Comstock, Mrs. A. B. How to Keep Bees. 1905.

Dadant, C. P. First Lessons in Beekeeping. 1917.

Dadant, C. P. Dadant System of Beekeeping. 1920, 1932 Dadant, M. G. Outapiaries. 1919.

Doolittle, G. M. Management of Outapiaries. 1908, 1913.

Douglas, Benj. Wallace. Every Step in Beekeeping. 1921.

Hawkins, Kennith. Beekeeping in the South. 1920.

Hutchinson, W. Z. Advanced Bee Culture. 1891.

Kellogg, V. L. Nuova, the New Bee. (A Story). 1920 Lockard, J. R. Bee Hunting. 1908.

Lovell, J. H. Honey Plants of North America. 1926.

Lyon, D. E. How to Keep Bees for Profit. 1910.

Morse, Josephine. Following the Bee Line. 1931.

Nelson, J. A. Embryology of the Honeybee. 1915.

Newman, Thomas. Bees and Honey.

Pellett, Frank C. American Honey Plants. 1920, 1923, 1930.

Productive Beekeeping. 1916, 1918, 1923, 1928.

Beginners' Bee Book. 1919.

Practical Queen Rearing. 1918, 1929.

Romance of the Hive. 1931.

Phillips, E. F. Beekeeping. 1915, 1928.

Phillips, Mary Geisler. Honey Bees and Fairy Dust. (A Story). 1323. Potter, T. C. Queenie, Story of a Queen Bee. 1911.

Rowe, H. G. Starting Right with Bees. 1922.

Sharp, D. L. Spirit of the Hive. 1925.

Smith, Jay. Queen Rearing Simplified. 1923.

Snodgrass, R. E. Anatomy and Physiology of the Honeybee. 1925. Townsend, E. D. Townsend Bee Book. 1910.

Watson, L. R. Controlled Mating of Queen Bees. 1927.

Wilder, J. J. Wilder's System of Beekeeping. 1927.

Wilder, J. J. Southern Bee Culture. 1908.