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GEOKGK \V. Y«)UK, Kdil.ir 



CHICAGO, ILL.. OCTOBER, 1908 



Vol. XLVUI-No. 10 



:ditorial Moieii 

 and Comments jp 



.\atioiiul Convention at Detroit 



It will be in session soon after most 

 of the readers receive this copy of the 

 .American Bee Journal. At this writing 

 (Sept. 22) it promises to be largely 

 attended. 



Don't forget that it meets in the Sun 

 Palace of the Wayne Hotel, in Detroit, 

 Mich., the opening session being Thurs- 

 day evening, Oct. 13th. The convention 

 then continues during the next two days. 

 All being well, we expect to be pres- 

 ent, and hope to meet and greet many 

 old friends, and new ones as well. 



Secretary Hutchinson has put forth 

 unusual effort to have a good program, 

 so it will not be his fault if it is not 

 a successful meeting. 



Let all go who possibly can do so, and 

 help to make the Detroit convention of 

 the National the greatest in every way 

 of any bee-keepers' convention ever held 

 on this continent. 



The Honey Market I'nusual 



Movements in the honey market this 

 year seetn to be unusual and somewhat 

 erratic. In the white clover belt, at least 

 in many parts of it, an unusual crop 

 has been harvested. In some other lo- 

 calities the crop is meager or a failure. 

 Colorado will have little more than 

 needed for its own consumption. Think 

 of best comb honey standing firmly at 

 17 cents at San Francisco, while at least 

 one Eastern market quotes 12"^ cents! 



Some dealers say that prices must 

 come down to allow any movement of 

 the crop, but the wise bee-keeper will 

 not too readily fall into a panic and 

 "give away" his honey. Prices of other 

 articles in general are not so much low- 

 er than last year ; indeed, some arc 

 higher. Yet one must take things as 



wilt ;.i,.l- ilitiii, aiuj HI most places there 

 probably must be a drop from last year's 

 prices. 



Langstroth Hive the Standard 



The Kansas State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation at its last session, held at Hutch- 

 inson, Kans., adopted the Langstroth 

 hive as the standard hive for all begin- 

 ners to start with in bee-keeping We 

 understand that this was not lone wi;h 

 a view to discourage experimenting 

 with other hives, but because of the 

 Langstroth hive being more generally 

 and more successfully used than any 

 other. It certainly is a great mistake 

 for a beginner to commence with a hive 

 that is not approved by experienced bee- 

 keepers. There have been so many so- 

 called moth-proof hives invented and 

 put on the market, and also other styles 

 having so many contraptions, that it 

 seems it might be wise for bee-keepers' 

 associations to name one hive that th"y 

 all know can be used successfully. Those 

 who so desire can try the other kinoS 

 that are offered for sale. 



It might not be a bad idea for the 

 National Association to consider this 

 matter at the Detroit meeting, and thus 

 perhaps aid those who when starting in 

 the bee-business desire to make no mis- 

 take in the hive they adopt. 



Shipping Bees by Express 



We have received the following in 

 reference to shipping bees by-e.\press: 



Ebitor America.n Bee Journal: — Alter vain- 

 ly attempting to secure redress I think it 

 proper to communicate to you the action of the 

 U. S. Express Company regardinR a ship- 

 ment of a hive of bees delivered to that 

 Company at Plainfield, N. J., for transmis- 

 sion to Kye, N. \, 



I personally packed the bees in what I un- 

 derstood to h.' the usual approved and safe 



for transportation. The consignee be- 

 ing naturally unable to open the same imme- 

 diately upon receipt, and the hive being with- 

 out exterior damage, signed the usual formal 

 receipt blank. Upon examination it proved 

 that the liive had been so roughly handled 

 that I was obliged to purchase a new queen, 

 although the usual excess express rate was 

 charged. 



I made careful statement of all of the facts, 

 asked the ompany to assure themselves that 

 my standine was such as to show that I would 

 not make an unfounded claim, and requested 

 reimbursement either of the express charge, 

 or of the cost of the new queen, as the Com- 

 pany might think just. 



This action was taken by me practically at 

 the re<iuest of one of the largest bee-supply 

 and bee dealers in this country, who stated 

 that the express companies' negligence in hand- 

 ling such shipments, although charging one 

 and one-half or double rates, had become un- 

 bearable. 



The Company refused to do anything in the 

 premises, stating that the package had been 

 delivered without showing injury, and re- 

 ceipted for, taking advantage, I suppose, of 

 the knowledge that the loss was so small that 

 it would not justify a suit. 



I ask you to give this communication such 

 prominence as you may think it deserves- in 

 view of its possible interest to the bee-fra- 

 ternity. Yours very trul;j, 



Henry Crofut White. 



New York. N.Y., Sept. 14. 



Mr. White's experience is not unlike 

 that of others who ship bees by ex- 

 press. Of course, it is an outrage. But 

 just what can be done to put a stop 

 to such exasperating experiences, we do 

 not know. Why not submit the matter 

 to the National convention in Detroit 

 next month? Perhaps something look 

 ing toward a possible solution can be 

 found there. 



On the Michigan Central to Detroit. 



It has now been decided that those 

 who will attend the Detroit convention 

 from the Southwest, West, and North- 

 west, in going from Chicago to Detroit 

 will use the Slichigan Central Railroad. 

 As the opening session convenes on 

 Tuesday evening, October 13, it is ex- 

 pected that most of those leaving from 

 Chicago will take the 10:30 a. ni. train 

 which arrives in Detroit at 5 155 p. m.. 

 or about 2 hours before the meeting 

 begins. Arrangements have been made 

 to attach a special car for the exclusive 

 accommodation of the bee-keepers, pro- 

 vided there are enough to occupy it. 

 No doubt inost of those passing through 

 Chicago will arrive here on Tuesday 

 morning, so that the Michigan Central 

 train leaving at io:,30 a. ni. on Tues- 

 day, Oct. 13, will be the one on which 



