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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



April 21, 1904. 



of root-tubercles on the alfalfa plants seemed to be closely related to 

 the presence of sweet clover in the vicinity, strongly Indicating that 

 the bacteria which live upon sweet clover were also at home upon the 

 alfalfa roots. These indications were strengthened by further inves- 

 tigations in Lake County, especially upon the Fowler farm, near Lake 

 Villa, where a field of alfalfa seeded last spring without artificial inoc- 

 ulation was found to be thoroughly infected with the bacteria, and 

 growing vigorously with a good dark-green color. This field had a 

 few sweet clover plants growing in it, and the borders of the field were 

 covered with sweet clover. Other fields of alfalfa seeded in the neigh- 

 borhood at the same time, but upon soils where sweet clover had not 

 grown nearby, were apparently complete failures, many of the plants 

 having died, and most of them still living being only a few inches 

 high, very weak, and yellow or pale green in color." 



According to this, we may hopefully sow alfalfa seed in any place 

 where sweet clover flourishes near by with plenty of tubercles on its 

 roots, and then continue the hopefulness by expecting it to yield nec- 

 tar when a good stand is established. 



Any one interested in Illinois agriculture may obtain the bulletin 

 free of charge by sending a request to Prof. E. Davenport, Directo^ 

 Agricutural Experiment Station, Urbana, Ills. 





Miscellaneous Items 





Mr. J. Ij. Anderson, one of the oldest readers of the Ameri- 

 can Bee .Journal, living in McHenry Co., 111., called on us last week. 

 His bees were still in the cellar, but he thought they had wintered all 

 right. 



Rev. R. B. McCain, a bee-keeper in Grundy Co., 111., called on 

 us recently. He reports no loss among his own bees, and so feels 

 much encouraged, especially as he has been very successful in his 

 work with bees so far. 



Mr. Wiu. J. Gilliland, of Hamilton Co., Ohio, has the honor 

 of having his portrait in the March number of the Irish Bee Journal. 

 Mr. G. is the very efficient secretary of the Hamilton County Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. 



Dr. I. P. Wilson, a dentist bee-keeper of much prominence at 

 Burlington, Iowa, died very suddenly of heart-failure, March 16. He 

 was nailing up some hives of bees, and when stooping over he fell. 

 He was 6" years of age, and a leader in many walks in life. 



Rev. John Dooly, of Berkshire Co., Mass., has a lecture on 

 the "Marvels of the Hive and Honey-Bee," which he illustrates with 

 the stereopticon. He delivers the lecture to various clulis and organi- 

 zations within his region of country. We have no doubt that Mr, 

 Dooly gives a very interesting and profitable lecture. We should like 

 to hear it ourselves. 



To Kngland, Ho ! — The Salvation Army has chartered the 

 Cunard Steamship Carpathia, leaving for London on June 14. Three 

 hundred of the principal Salvationists of the country are going, 

 accompanied by Commander Booth-Tucker and his staff. Two or 

 three of the best salon berths are for sale. Prices to approved parties 

 ^115 for round-trip ticket from Chicago to London via Liverpool. 

 Apply at once. The Salvation Army Shipping Department, 120 West 

 14th Street, New York, N. Y. 



Ohio Foul Brood Bill Passed.— April 13 we received the 

 following telegram : 



Cincinnati, Ohio, April 12, 1904. 

 George W. York & Co.— 



Hurrah ! The Foul Brood Bill passed the Senate this afternoon. 



Fred W. Muth. 



We are glad that the Ohio bee-keepers were finally successful in 

 their efforts to secure a law against the spread of foul brood. It will 

 be an encouragement to bee-keepers in other States where they have 

 no laws of the kind. 



The Third Annual Report of the Illinois State Bee-I\eep- 

 ers' Association is about ready to be mailed. Those who wish to be 

 enrolled in the membership of this Association, and also in the Xa- 

 tional, and be entitled to a copy of the Report as well, can have the 

 opportunity by at once sending the $1.00 annual fee to the Secretary, 



Jas. A. Stone, Route 4, Springfield, Ills. The Report will contain the 

 proceedings of the last meetings of the State Association and the 

 Chicago-Northwestern, a number of pages on bee-diseases and their 

 treatment, by N. E. France, together with the constitution and by- 

 laws of the Illinois Association, etc. It will be a valuable pamphlet 

 to have. If not a paid-up meml)er already, every bee-keeper in Illi- 

 nois should send his dollar to Mr. Stone (address above), and become 

 a member of the State Association as well as the National. Better do 

 it now. 



To Our Foreign Subscribers. — We would like i to announce 

 again that none of our special offers apply outside of the United 

 States, Canada, Mexico and Cuba. To those not residing in any of 

 the countries here mentioned, who send us any money, we always 

 place III I of it on subscription, which includes the extra postage. If 

 those in foreign countries would stop a minute to think, they would 

 easily see that none of our special offers could apply to them, on 

 account of the extra postage. Also, merchandise by mail would have 

 to be registered, which would be an additional expense. But so long 

 as they get the full value of their remittances Ijy way of subscription 

 to the American Bee Journal, of course no wrong is done any one. 



c 



Some Expert ODinion 



" In the multitude of counsellors there is safety." — Bible. 



1 



Distinguishing Features of a Fixed Frame. 



If for some reason you were to start in anew to keep bees, and 

 were obliged to get an entirely new outfit — 



Ques. >*. — If you should choose a fixed frame, what would be its 

 distinguishing features? 



Mrs. L. Harrison (111.)— I don't know. 



E. E. Hasty (Ohio) — Readiness to be " unfixed." 



G. M. Doolittle (N. Y.) —No fixed frames tor me. 



Rev. M. Mabin (Ind.) — I would not choose it at all. 



Dr. J. P. H. Brown (Ga.) — I do not use a fixed frame. 



S. T. Pettit (Ont.) — I would not choose a fixed frame. 



Jas. a. Stone (111.) — I would not choose a fixed frame. 



P. H. Elwood (N. Y.) — I know of no better fixed frame than the 

 Quinby. 



Geo. W. Brodbeck (Calif.) — The Langstroth frame, Hoffman 

 side-bars. 



Eugene Secor (Iowa) — Something like the Hoffman will answer 

 very well. 



Prof. A. J. Cook (Calif.) — I would not, but if one was to use 

 such a frame I would advise the Hoffman. 



Wm. Rohrig (Ariz.) — As little contact as possible, yet enough to 

 space properly the frame both top and bottom. 



R.L.Taylor (Micb.) — A frame with solid end-bars l?n inches 

 wide, and the frame of a length to fill the hive within 1-16 of an inch. 



Mrs. J. M. Null (Mo.) — I have neither fixed nor floating ideas on 

 this subject, as I have had but small practical experience with fixed 

 frames. 



C. H. Dibbern (111.) — I would make them with deep, wide tops 

 and bottoms, and as plain as possible. I would want the end-pieces 

 to make the ends of the hive, also. 



O. O. Popi'leton (Fla.)— Close-fltting top-bars, with a blind- 

 staple near the liottora of each end-bar, to keep the bottoms of the 

 frames from swinging too close together. 



Adrian Getaz (Tenn.)— Its distinguishing feature would be, to 

 be not fixed. The supposed advantages of fixed frames, as to accurate 

 and quick spacing, can be secured just as well with free-hanging 

 frames, properly constructed. 



G. W. Demaree (Ky.) — After over a quarter of a century's ex- 

 perience, I would not choose a fixed frame. But if it was necessary to 

 have fixed frames for frequent moving of hives of bees, I prefer spac- 

 ing with wire staples at top and bottom of frames. 



C. Davenport (Minn.) — Just like the Hoffman, but with square 

 edges to the projections on the end-bars. Those V edges are a curse 

 and a nuisance whtre propolis is as bad as it is here; but with square 

 edges the Hoffman is the best all-around frame I have ever used or 

 heard of. 



L. Stachelhausen (Tex.) — I have used for 23 .rears, and prefer 

 it to all others, a free-hanging (all-wood) frame, but the top-liars rest 

 in notches of the tin rabbet. In this way, these shallow frames are 

 fixed sufficiently; they are not more propolized, and are as easily 

 handled as free-hanging frames. In uncapping and extracting no 



