APICULTURE. 331 



-writings most any one would think that he would be a man of quick 

 motions and temperment, but his movements were moderate and 

 calm; his eyes are small, sharp, nearly stinging; his nose very thin 

 and sharp between the eyes. I like to read Mr. Root's writings as I 

 can learn mvich by them; there are many practical hints in them, 

 even if he mixes up business and religion quite often to gain profit. 

 When I asked him if he came to Chicago on his bicycle, he soberly 

 said "no, I came on the cars all the way." His son, Earnest, is almost 

 the picture of his mother, who appears to be (judging from the con- 

 versation I had with her) a verj'^ sensible, good lady. There were 

 many more noted bee-keepers and editors of bee papers at the con- 

 vention — but mj^ paper is getting too long to say any more about 

 the convention. 



I arrived at Chicago two daj^s before the convention,which time I 

 spent on the fair grounds. I first went to see the honey exhibits in 

 the southeast part of the gallery in the Agricultural Building, and 

 found an excellent display from the products of the honey bee, and 

 more machinery in the shape of bee-hives, &c, than I have anj^ use 

 for; nevertheless, there were also many useful implements and 

 practical supplies on exhibition. The Minnesota case was hardly 

 filled up as much as most of the other states, but was strengthened 

 verj^ much the next day with a part of 500 pounds of comb honey 

 ■which I had sent to Mr. Cooper some time in August. This was a 

 very fine lot and made a good showing with what had been there 

 before, which was mostly extracted honej^ from last 3^ear's crop. I 

 could not find any one who attended our exhibit, though I enquired 

 considerabl}-, nor could I find my supplies which I had sent for ex- 

 hibition to Mr. Cooper early in the season. They were somewhere 

 in Chicago, but not on exhibition, as they came back to me from 

 Chicago by express after the fair was over, except the cover of the 

 liive was missing. 



After the adjournment of the North American Bee-Keepers Con- 

 vention, at the honej^ exhibit I met Mr. Secor, the honey judge, right 

 at our case — he said "I am glad to meet you here." He wanted to 

 know who was in charge of our honey exhibit. Of course that was 

 just what I had been trying to find out, and told him so. Then we 

 looked the contents of our case over, and we came to the lot I sent. 

 I asked him how he liked that and he said "that is very fine indeed," 

 You all have probably seen in the American Bee Journal that Mr- 

 Secor has awarded us the prize for the best display of comb honey. 

 The straw skip in the case attracted much attention from the visitors. 

 There was only about half of the honey in the case which I had sent 

 to Mr. Cooper, I don't know where the balance was. I asked Mr. 

 Cooper about it,but hejdid not answer my question directly,but wrote 

 among- other things that after he arranged the exhibit in the case 

 he was not wanted there any longer, so he went home. I am sorry 

 to say that other things came to my knowledge of which I would 

 not like to say any thing about here, as it is not any credit to those 

 concerned — it affects us all in that we have made a mistake, or, 

 rather, we were badly deceived. I would advise every bee-keeper, 

 yes, everybody else, to keep their skirts clean fro in all impurities. 



