670 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept.015. 



might be; but they can't beat the Union. Just 

 let Uncle Sam give us from five hundred to 

 eight hundred dollars a year,* as the Dominion 

 does the Canadian bee-keepers' organization, so 

 that we could pay bee-keepers to join our so- 

 ciety and work for it, and our Canadian friends 

 would be just nowhere compared with us. I 

 see no more harm in taking their money for a 

 membership-fee, in the future, than in the past. 

 If a Canadian pays his membership-fee into an 

 international treasury, it entitles him to be 

 protected in his rights in the way and to the 

 extent that the constitution provides for, and 

 our money helps to do it, and his money helps 

 to protect our bee-keepers, and I don't see how 

 any '"disagreeable complications" could arise. 



Quoting again from the editorial it says, 

 "Having two, as we now do, is expensive and 

 unnecessary, while it is perfectly evident 

 that one could do the work of the two. . . I 

 say, away with amalgamation, and let the 

 Union set about to reorganize itself as soon as 

 it can." Well, well! did you ever? It is pos- 

 sible that " one could do the work of two;" but 

 if annual or any other general meetings are to 

 be held, how is the expense to be done away 

 with? Perhaps some State will, each year, go 

 Nebraska "one better," and foot all the bills, 

 transportation included. 



1 don't see any object in the Union reorganiz- 

 ing itself. It seems to have had faithful and 

 efBcient ofBcers from the start, and to have 

 done its work efSciently. I don't see how it 

 could have done better. 



Some may say, "Well, you have taken a good 

 deal of space, and have given nothing definite 

 as to what kind of an organization you think 

 would be best." Yes, I know I haven't; but I 

 know the amalgamation committee and some 

 others are trying to formulate something that 

 will be generally acceptable, and will report to 

 the meeting of the N. A. at Lincoln. 



Some are in favor of a representative organiz- 

 ation; but this country of ours is too large for 

 such an organization. The business necessary 

 to be done to protect the bee-keeper's interest 

 can be done as it is now by the Union, and the 

 social part of the organization will have to be 

 enjoyed by such only as can spare the time and 

 money to attend such gatherings. 



I see by Gleanings for Sept. 1st, which has 

 just come to hand, that the wonderful " Sky- 

 lark " has "put his foot in it "as usual. In 

 speaking of the coming meeting of the North 

 American at Lincoln, he says, "This is just 

 the chance you want to form and organize a 

 new union and honey exchange— national in 

 every respect. There will be present a large 

 number of bee-keepers— men of national repa- 



* Since the above was written I have come across 

 the statement that, in 1895, the Ontario B. K. A. 

 received for membership $175; from alHliatlon, $65; 

 government grant, $650; total, $890.— A. B. M. 



tation, almost equal to myself, and you will not 

 get such a body together soon again." And 

 then he goes on to tell what ought to be done, 

 and advises that the North American with its 

 present membership, be turned into a new 

 " Union and Honey Exchange," and in three 

 months there will be 1000 names on its rolls, etc. 



Well, well! Skylark is great on advice; but I 

 wonder why such a great and wise man as he is 

 doesn't go ahead without, so much talk, and tell 

 how to do it. I guess I know the reason. Wise 

 people are usually modest, and his modesty — 

 not wisdom— keeps his from showing his ig — 

 ign— igno— ignoran— no, not just that, but keeps 

 him from telling how to do it. But I'm in the 

 same fix he is. I never before realized how 

 much alike Skylark and myself are; only he is 

 so much the greater man that I fear he would 

 hardly like to associate with me; but the very 

 next chance he gets he'll strike at nn , and then 

 h ide behind a nom de plume. 



It can not be expected that an organization 

 can be perfected at once; but " there seems to 

 be a feeling in the air " that measures should be 

 taken at Lincoln to begin the work of perfect- 

 ing an organization that shall not only protect 

 its members in the enjoyment of their rights, 

 and prosecute adulterators, but also aid the 

 members and others in disposing of the prod- 

 ucts of the apiary to the best advantage. 



I have studied the By-laws of the California 

 Bee-keepers' Exchange with a great deal of in- 

 terest, and can see no reason why the Exchange 

 should not be a success; and it is possible that 

 something in this line may yet be organized to 

 represent a larger territory, or even the whole 

 United States. 



But something more is required of a national 

 organization than to act as a medium of ex- 

 change. Adulteration must be looked after; 

 and, if I mistake not, the present National Bee- 

 keepers' Union stands ready to do this when- 

 ever requested to do so; but before beginning 

 operations they must have positive proof, such 

 as will stand the test in the courts. I am glad 

 indeed that it "appears" to Skylark, when 

 looking through his "little microscope," that 

 the little — but mighty — Union is watching that 

 $700 that is laid away for future use. That 

 is just what that $700 is for — future use; audit 

 should not lie around loose, especially when 

 any one may be skylarKing around. 



Toledo, O., Sept. 3. 



[Now. look here, doctor. It "kind o' riles" 

 me to have you pitch into me as the chief of- 

 fender, more especially as you try to make me 

 imply what I did not mean or say. I did not 

 say that the Bee-keepers' Union or the North 

 American was a poor fizzle because either 

 might be international. The National Bee- 

 keepers' Union (more national than any thing 

 else) is not a fizzle by any means, and never 

 was; but the North American — I will say it 

 now — tried to be international, and made a 

 fizzle of it; and finally at Keokuk it was voted 

 to make it simply an organization that would 



