306 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1.5. 



There is one point, however, which we should not 

 neglect, and that is to know about a hall, and also 

 what rates we would have to pay for hotel accom- 

 modations. If we should be forced on account of 

 the crowd to put up with such an outfit as we had 

 at Chicago, I for one would prefer to pay a little 

 more, and be royally entertained, as we are sure to 

 be at Lincoln. A man can afford to pay out a few 

 dollars just to see how these good people up in 

 Nebraska do things. I thought I did very well at 

 St. Joseph, but I will miss my guess if they do not 

 lay 0U7- meeting in the shade. You see, I know them 

 —I have partaken of their hospitality a time or two. 



St. Joseph, Mo., April 6, Emerson T. Abbott. 



Since the foregoing was written the following 

 has appeared in the American Bee Journal, in 

 answer to a similar letter in its columns from 

 Mr. Whitcomb: 



If Mr. W. will guarantee a one-and-one-third rail- 

 road rale to Lincoln for those attending the bee- 

 keepers' convention, we will pitch right in and 

 "whoop her up" for the Nebraska city. But we 

 can not, as in former years, urge bee-keepers to at- 

 tend, e.xpecting- to get the lower rate on the return 

 trip, and then be disappointed. Some $300 was lost 

 to bee-keepers at Toronto last September, where we 

 fully expected there would be over the necessary 

 number to secure the reduced rate. 



If the Executive Committee (who were given the 

 deciding i)Ower at Toronto) say that the convention 

 shall be held in Lincoln, all well and good. The Bee 

 Journal will help to have a good meeting, no matter 

 where it shall be. But it does seem to us that our 

 Nebraska friends should be willing to sacrifice a 

 little in order that the rest of the country may be 

 enabled to take advantage of the nstiuretl low rate of 

 one cent a. mile (which the G. A. R. has already been 

 granted for their meeting the first week in Septem- 

 ber, at St. Paul, Minn.), unless they can guarantee 

 at least the one-and-one-third rate. 



In regard to a hall, H. G. Acklin writes as 

 follows: 



The G. A. R. encampment meets here Sept. 1st to 

 5th, and the Minn. State Agricultural Society Aug. 

 31st to Sept. 5th. We called upon E. W. Randell, 

 Secretary of the M. S. A. S., to see if the Institute 

 Hall, on the Fairgrounds, could be secured for the 

 N. A. B. K. A. if they should decide to meet here or 

 at Minneapolis, with the G. A. R. Mr. Randeil says 

 the hall can be had for a two-days' session (evenings 

 lighted free if desired), free of charge, but will sub- 

 mit the matter to the President, Ed. Weaver, before 

 an invitation is given. General admission to the 

 grounds is 50 cts., and season tickets $a.OO. It can be 

 reached either from here or Minneapolis by electric 

 car, for 5 cts. The admission is less than a hall of 

 the same class can be rented for in either of the two 

 cities, besides seeing the fair in the bargain, which 

 I am sure mo.st of the bee-keepers will be more or 

 less interested in, especially those from this and ad- 

 joining States. If more than a two-days' session is 

 wanted, a hall under the grand stand can be had. It 

 is not so nice as the Institute Hall, but will do. 

 Chairs will be provided by the M. S. A. Society. 



St. Paul, Minn., April 9. H. G. Acklin. 



A. I. ROOT IN REGARD TO THE ABOVE MATTER. 



When this matter of a change of place of 

 meeting was first presented to me, I replied 

 that, after the assurances given at St. Joseph, 

 to the Nebraska people, I did not see how we 

 could well make the change. I now notice that 

 the Omaha and other papers of Nebraska are 



making a vigorous protest, Here is an extract 

 from the Omaha World-Herald of April 11: 



When tlie convention was held at St. Joseph, Mo., 

 in October, 1894, there was quite a little discussion 

 in regard to the meeting-place for the year 1895. I 

 made the official stenographic report for that body, 

 and hand you herewith an extract from the pro- 

 ceedings copied from my shorthand notes: 



The claims of Toronto were 7)resented by Mr. Holtermann, of 

 Braiitt'orct. Ont. ; the claims ot Lincoln, Neb., were presented by 

 Mr. L. D. Stilson, of York. Nel>.; the claims of Ottawa, Canada, 

 were presented by Mr. Fletcher. Mr. Dadant, of Hamilton, 111., 

 and Dr. C. C. Miller, of Marenu-o. 111., also urg-ed that the next 

 meeting be held in Tiniiiitu, in view of the great electrical ex- 

 position to be !ield there :it the same time. Mr. Frank Benton, 

 United States l)<-|iaitmeiit of .\griciilture, presented, for Mr. 

 Hershiser, the claims of Buffalo. The claims of Denver were 

 also presented by the commeicial representatives and by the 

 mayor of that city, as also by Mr. W. L. Porter, of Denver. It 

 was a hot race between Lincoln and Toronto; but the good- 

 natured bee-keepers ot Neliraska, not wishing to appear hog- 

 gish, withdrew her claims in favor of Toronto, after exacting 

 the promise that the annual convention for 1896 .should be held 

 at Lincoln. The city of Lincoln, Neb., was declaied the meet- 

 ing-place tor the year 1896, 



The board of directors at the meeting held at To- 

 ronto in 1895 declared tlie city of Lincoln, Neb., as 

 being the place of the annual meeting of the North 

 American Bee-keepers' Association, and I think it 

 no more than right that the citizens of this city 

 should do all in their power to have the convention 

 of 1896 held there. Louis R. Lighton. 



I think the above is correct; and It seems to 

 me it settles the question unless the Nebraska 

 people freely and cordially consent to a change 

 —at least, that is the way it looks to your hum- 

 ble servant A. I. R. 



BUYING BEES AND PAYING HEAVY EXPRESS 

 CHARGES. 



In the Americaii Bee Journal, page 199, the 

 question is asked whether it is best to buy bees 

 in the pound, nucleus, or colony form. Dr. 

 Miller, in his reply, rather advises the first 

 mentioned. I do not know that there are any 

 breeders now who are selling bees by the pound 

 without comb or brood. While for a time we 

 seemed to have fair success, we found, in look- 

 ing up the matter, we were losing too large a 

 percentage, and we finally resorted to selling 

 nuclei and colonies, and discontinued the pound 

 business entirely. The nuclei invariably went 

 through in good shape. 



My way of answering would be this: Instead 

 of sending a long way for bees by express, and 

 paying a rate and a half, I would advise bee- 

 keepers to buy near home. This can usually be 

 done, and then introduce an Italian queen or 

 queens later on, after transferring. Common 

 bees can usually be bought of farmers very 

 cheaply; and the start, to say nothing of the 

 enthusiasm and experience in transferring and 

 introducing, costs far less than sending clear 

 across the country, and paying heavy express 

 charges for just a few bees. If bees could be 

 sent by mail it would be a different matter. 



A. L., Ohio. — The bees will not build combs 

 back of the plain division-board, illustrated and 

 described In our catalog, unless honey is coming 

 in pretty freely. In that case it should be 

 shoved over, and more combs put in. Bees 

 should never be allowed to become so crowded 

 as to build combs back of the division-board. 



