August, 1915. 



American ^ee Jonrnal 



such as fruit, nuts and vegetables, are 

 investigated by the thinking public, 

 the better for all concerned. Prepared 

 victuals are generally the equal of 

 those mother earth provides only in 

 keeping qualities, and rarely in nutri- 

 tion or wholesomeness. 



It is a demonstrated fact that, while 

 manufactured sugars in digesting de- 

 plete the system of lime, bringing as a 

 least penalty interrupted growth and 

 prematurely decayed teeth and prob- 

 ably such dreaded afflictions as tuber- 

 culosis, honey and fruit sugars, on the 

 other hand, are a certain relief. 



Yet honey is not a medicine any 

 more than a ripe apple. It prevents 

 rather than cures disease, as any other 

 wholesome, natural food will. It can 

 cure only by providing the system with 

 vital force wherewith to successfully 

 combat deadly elements. Few medi- 

 cines do this, but only stimulate ac- 

 quired energy. Honey is not stimulat- 

 ing, but soothing. 



Originally we were given through 

 the heated season such light foods 

 as vegetables and fruit. For winter 

 the richer, more sustaining nuts and 

 grains, or protein. Honey, an original 



sweet in sealed waxen cells, is intended 

 for use at all seasons. 



In food matters, there is no truer 

 science than actual test, and the writer 

 begs to go on record as solemnly as- 

 serting that never was health and 

 strength more perfect than when eat- 

 ing regularly and generously the prod- 

 uct of the hive. VVere we to accept as 

 fact the consensus of opinion regard- 

 ing it, the conclusion might be that 

 honey is more of a luxury than a 

 staple commodity. Excepting those 

 who have studied its nutritive quali- 

 ties, few would concede that a pound 

 of it will produce more energy than a 

 pound of butter, a dozen eggs, or a 

 peck of potatoes. 



This is not at all strange consider- 

 ing that honey has been neglected com- 

 pared to artificial foodstuff. Honey 

 never was intended to replace such 

 foods as the potato ; in contrast, 

 though, it is of infinitely richer quality. 



As a Providential and ideally per- 

 fect food I accept as choicest the un- 

 alloyed nectar of flowers in comb or 

 liquid. Ill-health is the penalty for 

 violated laws of nature. Perfect health 

 will have the right-of-way when we 



have learned to live rightly. 

 Ft. Smith, Ark. 



L.B.SMITH 'LINING- WILD BEES ON HONEY CANYON AT LLANO.TEX, 



Securing Bee Disease Legisla- 

 tion 



BY GEORGE W. YORK. 



E.KPERIENCE is a great teacher. I 

 had some of the " real thing" the 

 past winter while a member of the 

 Idaho State Legislature. It was my 

 privilege to introduce in the House of 

 Representatives the bill providing for 

 the control and eradication of foul- 

 brood in the apiaries of Idaho, and 

 also to prevent the importation or ex- 

 portation of the disease. It was a 

 stringent law, and had it been ap- 

 proved and signed by the Governor it 

 would doubtless have proven one of 

 the very best laws in the interest of 

 successful beekeeping in the United 

 States. But the Governor vetoed the 

 bill, and so all the work that was put 

 upon it in both the House and the 

 Senate, and also by the beekeepers 

 themselves, was wasted. 



I introduced it in the House, as be- 

 fore stated. It was referred, by the 

 Speaker, to the committee on Agricul- 

 ture and Horticulture, and by this com- 

 mittee was " referred back to the 

 House with the recommendation that 

 it do pass." It then took its regular 

 course upon the daily calendar. 



In the meantime, local beekeepers, 

 and some from a distance, interviewed 

 many members of the House, and 

 urged them to support the bill when it 

 came up for final passage, both by 

 speaking in its favor and by casting 

 their votes for it. This is very impor- 

 tant work, for the large majority of the 

 members know little or nothing about 

 beekeeping, and particularly as to the 

 danger of foulbrood if allowed to go 

 unchecked. 



In due time the bill came up for its 

 third reading and final passage, and 

 went through the House with a good 

 majority. The most of those who 

 voted against it did so through ignor- 

 ance or by reason of a mistaken notion 

 of economy. What better or wiser 

 economy could there be than to pro- 

 tect and encourage beekeeping in 

 Idaho by the passage of a law that 

 would help save the bees to the State, 

 and thus not only produce more 

 honey, but also have their great aid in 

 the more general and perfect fertiliza- 

 tion of fruit and other blossoms, in- 

 suring larger crops of fruit and other 

 products ? 



The bill met the strongest opposition 

 in the Senate, where there were less 

 members who understood the real 

 needs of agriculture, and especially the 

 importance of beekeeping. One sena- 

 tor in particular tried to amend the 

 bill so that its " father " would not rec- 

 ognize his "child." I was very kindly 

 granted the privilege of the floor, and 

 protested as best I could against cer- 

 tain amendments that were proposed, 

 which, if adopted, would have so weak- 

 ened the bill as to make it useless. 



To make a long story short, the Sen- 

 ate finally passed the bill, as amended 

 and then, of course, it had to go back 

 to the House for the latter's concur- 

 rence in the amendments as proposed 

 and approved Iby the Senate. The 



