1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



793 



10. This constitution may be altered or amended 

 by a majority vote of all members, providing notice 

 of said alteraiion or amendment has been given at 

 a previous annual meeting. 



LINCOLN CONVENTION REPORT. 



My report, as will be seen, of the Lincoln 

 convention will be made up of fragments here 

 and there. A few of them appear in this issue, 

 editorially and elsewhere. The only essays or 

 papers that 1 publish in full are the poem by 

 Eugene Secor and a paper by Mr. York, of the 

 American Bee Journal. The first named was 

 encored so heavily by the bee-keepers that I 

 thought our readers would like to see what it 

 was. The second is a paper on a very impor- 

 tant subject, and I hardly need to say that I 

 indorse Mr. York's ideas. Here are the poem 

 and essay in question. 



SECOR'S reply to address of welcome at LIN- 

 COLN, NEB. 



We're glad to be invited to the " wild and woolly 



West," \ 

 Where the cowboys roam the country with neither 



coat nor vest 

 (According to the silly claim of many Eastern folk 

 Who never seem to comprehend a breezy Western 



joke). 

 But some of us have " traveled "—in fact, l^een here 



before; 

 Have felt the grip of Western hand extended at the 



door. 

 We don't suppose that Indian raids are every-day 



affairs. 

 Or that the hungry prairie-wolf will snap us un- 

 awares ; 

 And neither do we look for men in this new prairie 



State 

 Who lack in kindness or in worth because 'twas 



peopled late. 

 We know that all of virtue and hospitable cheer 

 Are not confined to older States — they've taken root 



out here. 

 The hearts of tliese our brethren we should expect 



to And 

 Responsive as their generous soil — the richest of its 

 kind. 

 Boast not, ye Yankee farmers, pent up between 

 the hills, 

 Of the greenness of your verdure or the music of 



your rills; 

 Here broad and fertile acres wait for millions yet 



to be— 

 Await the march of empire west— the bivouac of the 



free. 

 These prairies, like an ocean vast, in billowy grand- 

 eur roll, 

 A blessing in each valley and a promise on each 



knoll. 

 There's food enough in this rich soil, stored up long, 



long ago. 

 For ten times ten the present needs of population's 

 flow. 

 So if the hive of industry be overcrowded east. 

 There's room for several swarms out here ( "priori- 

 ty rights" released). 

 But from an economic view my mental Kodak shows 

 No drones need be imported here— the worker is 



what "goes." 

 This climate is a little "hard," so I have been in- 

 formed. 

 On idlers; and if such migrate they'll wish they'd 

 never swarmed. 

 I said that none but workers are in demand out 

 here; 

 Perhaps you bee-men present may think it some 



what queer 

 That 5i(ee7(,s' are not a vital part of such a colony. 

 Thej' are, my friends, important; but don't you 



clearly see 

 Nebraska queens are just as good— and acclimated 



too— 

 As any foreign race or blood, albeit old or new ? 

 So if you've not contracted, and you chance to find 



one here. 

 She's warranted, I'll venture, to be without a peer. 



'Tis Eastern blood and Western vim that make the 



world go round; 

 In other words, they make thiags " hum "—to us a 



cheerful sound. 

 The greeting which your speakers give is prized 



by us bee-men; 

 We take most kindly to sweet things— perhaps we'll 



ct>me again. 

 We'll not. 1 hope, inflict a sting for kindness you 



have shown; 

 Such honeyed words, such i-oyal cheer, demand our 



love alone. 

 We represent a brotherhood whose craft, for ages 



past. 

 Has been esteemed a worthy one because their lot 



is cast 

 With those who in the field of toil create the world's 



gieat wealth. 

 And at the same time lessen not its pleasures or its 



health. 

 The sweets of life we gather in; we garner nature's 



waste; 

 We horde the nectar from the flowers to cater to 



man's taste; 

 We fructif* . with bus^' elves, the orchai-d and the 



field: 

 The spoils we get Mre but the fee for making blos- 

 soms yield. 

 Without Mur winged wizard-priests that marry d s- 



tant flowers. 

 This earth niisrht be a desert waste where now are 



fruit I ul bowers. 

 Bespeak we then for these our aids, and keepers too, 



as well. 

 The word of praise that wortn demands— that worth 



thf^ir works do tell. 

 I notice that you have a bee, quite common every- 

 where — 

 At least in Uncle Sam's domains she is by no means 



rare ; 

 And, like the "busy bee" of song, she buzzeth 



night and day 

 (In bonnets mostly worn by men) in a most bewitch- 

 ing way. 

 The "presidential bee" is here as vanguard of our 



host. 

 With silver bands instead of gold— the marks we 



prize the most. 

 In this campaign 'twixt white and yellow we look 



with longing eye 

 For some bright ray— some star of hope— from out 



the murky sky. 

 For, whether gold or silver wins, tve want prosperity. 

 We need the /ocfo/jy's busy hum to stimulate the 



bee; 

 For people eat best when they work; and bees in- 

 crease and thrive 

 When some one buys the royal food found only in 



the hive. 

 The city where now congregate the chosen of our 



clan 

 Was named for one immortal in the heart of every 



man. 

 Immortal may the friendships be which on this spot 



we form. 

 That, like the granite hills of God, shall stand both 



time and storm. 

 And may the bond of union between the West and 



East 

 Grow stronger as the years go by and each return- 

 ing feast. 

 Fair city of this western plain the salted seas be- 

 tween. 

 Gem of mid-continent beauty , of prairie cities queen, 

 We bid thee prosper and grow strong, and, like that 



giant name 

 Whose hallowed sound is Freedom's boast, be ever 

 known to fame. 



HONEY commission-men AND ADULTERATION. 



The subject assigned to me is not only a very im- 

 portant one, but is really a double one— though in 

 some instances as closely united as were the once 

 famous Siamese twins, for are not honey commis- 

 sion-nipn sometimes also large adulterators of the 

 sweet product of the bee ? 



It mav be, however, that I can make myself bet- 

 ter understood, and also do better justice to my 

 double subject, if 1 speak of the honey commission- 

 men, and then follow with a few words on that 

 modern abomination— the adulteration of honey. 



First, I want to say that I do not for a moment 

 question the honey commission-men's right to live. 

 They are a necessity— I mean the honest honey com- 



