41st YEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL,, APRIL 11, 1901, 



No, 15, 



^ Editorial Comments. ^ | 



Make Haste Slowly is very good advice. Mr. Doolittle, in 

 the Progressive Bee-Keeper, saj's: "Being hasty in adopting new 

 methods and ideas is unwise. Test them thoroly before entering into 

 them largely. Heavy investments, once in a great while, give large 

 returns, but only too often failure follows, unless one makes haste 

 slowly. Especially is this true of apiculture." Verily, the one who 

 is wise enough to hasten slowly is likely to be here longer, or have the 

 larger success with bees. 



Sowing Sweet Clover Seed. — As several of our readers have 

 requested directions for sowing sweet clover seed, we will quote from 

 those who have had much experience, as reported in Gleanings in Bee- 

 Culture: 



Mr. H. R. Boardman, of Huron Co., Ohio, writes this paragraph; 



" For field culture I would sow sufficient seed to get a good liberal 

 catch, and not sow more land than 1 could and do this. Half a bushel 

 to the acre of the unhuUed seed is not too much. The spring of the 

 year I think the best time to sow it. It will make a good catch on 

 winter wheat or rye ground, but I think I should prefer to harrow or 

 cultivate it in deep with a light crop of oats." 



Mr. G. .J. Yoder, of Cass Co., Mo., gives the following about where 

 sweet clover should be sown, and something about cutting and thrash- 

 ing the seed • 



" It will grow almost anywhere, even on very rocky hillsides and 

 waste lands, but I prefer to sow where I can keep control of it and get 

 a crop of bloom and a crop of seed ; then the next sijring a crop of 

 some kind, and in the fall a crop of hay, or to wheat in the fall, and in 

 the next fall a crop of hay. 



" Every other year it reseeds itself ; but if put to cultivated crops 

 a few years it can all be killed out. I made a garden-spot on a sweet- 

 clover patch where there were millions of seeds, and in two years it 

 was all gone. 



■• With us it grows from four to eight feet high, thus making it 

 almost impossible to get it into a thrasher or huller. We cut it with 

 a self-rake reaper, then make a platform on a 16-foot hay-rack, placing 

 it on a skid made of poles bolted together with cross-pieces; then 

 hitch three horses to it, and pull it to the field. With two light poles 

 about eight feet long, and just heavy enough for a man to handle, and 

 two pitch-forks, we are ready for tjusiness. Now fill your platform, 

 not too full; and if the clover is very dry, a few good strokes will 

 land the seed in the bottom of the platform. Now tumble out the 

 refuse; drive up, put more on, and so on around the field. A little 

 experience will show how it should be done. When all is thrasht oil, 

 run it thru a huller, and you have the Bokhara seed." 



Mr. Wm. StoUey, of Hall Co., Nebr., in an article in the American 

 Bee Journal for the year 1S95, wrote this paragraph ; 



" Treating melilot exclusively as a forage-plant, I will say that I 

 have sown 15 pounds of seed to the acre, and secured a good stand. I 

 have sown early in the fall, so as to insure good rooting of the young 

 plants before frost; and I have sown also late in winter, so as to allow 

 the seed to take advantage of the early spring moisture, with the same 

 satisfactory results. Even the stubble of small grain, or a corn-field, 

 is good enough for sweet clover without further cultivation, except a 

 slight harrowing, and it will take care of itself in this part of the 

 world. I have l'rec|uently scattered the seed indiscriminately on vacant 

 places, along jiuljlic roads, where noxious and worthless weeds were 

 growing, and three years later the sweet clover had run out the weeds 

 entirely. But let me state right here, that sweet clover growing on 

 and alongside of public highways should be cut about June 20th, so as 

 to dwarf the growth of the plants. If this is neglected, sweet clover 

 is likely to grow so rank and high as to make it a nuisance in winter, 

 by causing the drifting snow to bank up, thus making the public roads 

 impassable. Many rank weeds, however, generally growing now on 

 public roads, are just as objectionalilc in this respect as sweet clover. 

 By mowing it the middle or 20th of June (not later, if the aim is to 



make it profitable for the apiarist as a honey-producer), sweet clover 

 will furnish bee-pasturage until frost kills all growing vegetation, and 

 is not objectionable in any way to anybody if growing on the public 

 highways; on the contrary, it is attractive, its perfume is delicious, 

 and it keeps the roads in good condition. In a mild and late autumn 

 I have seen melilot thus treated blooming in December, and the bees 

 at work on it here in Nebraska." 



The National Bee-Keepers' Association. — In pursuance of 

 suggestions offered some time ago, and also because of the real need 

 existing, General Manager Secor has gotten out a neat circular con- 

 taining the Constitution of the Association on one side, and " A brief 

 outline of the rise and progress of bee-keepers' societies in America, 

 and the aims and purposes of the present organization." While every 

 bee-keeper can have a copy by simply asking Mr. Secor for it, we be- 

 lieve that his epitomized statement concerning the National Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association and its predecessors is of sufficient interest to deserve 

 a permanent place in these columns. It reads as follows; 



HISE AND PROGRESS OF BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATIOX3 IN AMERICA. 



The first American bee-keepers' society, of which I can find any 

 record, was organized at Cleveland, Ohio, March 15, 1860. 



At that time there were no periodicals devoted to the pursuit of 

 bee-keeping, the American Bee Journal having been establisht later — 

 in 1861. 



The first American bee-keepers" society of national importance was 

 organized at Indianapolis, Ind., Dec. 21, ISTO'. It was called the 

 '• North American Bee-Keepers' Association," and included the United 

 States and Canada. The Rev. L. L. Langstroth, of blessed memory, 

 was its first president. 



The following year the name was changed to "North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Society," under which name it continued until 1888, 

 when it was changed to " Inter-National Bee- Association.'' 



When the above-named society was organized scientific bee-keep- 

 ing was in its infancy. The annual meetings held were beneficial 

 chiefiy for their educational value. No conflicts had arisen between 

 fruit-growers and bee-keepers, and the adulteration of honey htid not 

 become a menace to the industry because commercial glucose was 

 unknown. 



BEE-KEEPERS' UNION. 



But in the year 1885 a Wisconsin bee-keeper, Mr. Freeliorn, was 

 sued by a neighbor who kept sheep, for alleged annoyance to hisfiock 

 by Mr. Freeborn's bees. As the Constitution of the Inter-National 

 Association did not provide for the defense of its members, an inde- 

 pendent organization was formed for that purpose, called the 

 "National Bee-Keepers' Union.'' This •• Union " never held a meet- 

 ing, all its work being done by correspondence, and the annual report 

 of its General Manager publisht thru the bee-journals. From 1885 to 

 1899, inclusive, its General Manager, Thomas G. Newman, was ever 

 alert to the dangers threatening bee-keepers, and to the extent of its 

 limited resources was very efficient in their defense. The successful 

 defense of Mr. Freeborn, the vindication of California bee-keepers 

 when attackt by ignorant or jealous fruit-growers, the magnificent 

 triumph in the Arkadelphia case, and many others, where the above- 

 mentioned precedents were quoted effectively, thus avoiding lawsuits, 

 vindicates the wisdom of its organization. 



In the year 1896 the Inter-National .Society voted to change its 

 name to the " United Slates Bee-Keepers' Union." and adopted a new 

 Constitution, making it protective in its aims, as well as educational 

 and social, and for three years l»th " unions " workt along similar 

 lines of defense, altho the lastruamed Union was also aggressive, and 

 proposed to fight adulteration. 



AMALGAMATION. 



But in December, 1899, the two unions consolidated under the 

 new name of " National Bee-Keepers' Association."' What the latter 

 has done since its marriage, and what the United States Hee-Keepers' 

 Union did bcfoir Mui;ilgaMiation, has been made pul>lic thru the annual 

 reports of its lii-nnal .Manager, but it may not be out of jihice again to 

 call attention to its aims and purposes, and to some of its most impor- 

 tant cases. 



The present Constitution defines the objects of the Association to be : 



1st. — To promote the interests of t>ee-hcpers. The educational work of 



the Association is intended to benefit the pursuit of apiculture in the 



broadest sense, especially in our own country. This object will not 



have been reacht until every bee-Uec|icr within the bounds of the 



