GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



presenl, and these meetings promise to be 

 most helpful. As soou as a dehnite program 

 can be announced a copy will be sent. In 

 the mornings previous to the meetings of 

 the general conference there will be a two- 

 hour question-box meeting. 



It is hoped that some instructive exhibits 

 can be arranged as well as some practical 

 demonstrations. A room has been assigned 

 to the beekeepers' conference for this pur- 

 pose. Program in next issue. 



The Foul=]brood Bill in Idaho Vetoed 



House Bill No. 54, by York, was vetoed 

 by Governor Alexander, the reform Govern- 

 or of Idaho. Mr. Alexander, in his pre- 

 campaign speeches, promised the tax-pay- 

 ers that, if elected, he would save them one 

 million dollar's in taxes. The foul-brood bill 

 would require $5000 to put it into execu- 

 tion. Near the close of the legislature the 

 Governor gave notice that he would veto a 

 large number of bills calling for various 

 appropriations. While he tentatively had 

 promised to support the York bill, he gave 

 as a reason for vetoing it that it provided 

 for an unlimited number of inspectors at 

 $5 per day, such inspectors to be named by 

 the State Beekeepers' Association. He for- 

 got, however, that the appropriation of 

 $5000 would have held the limit down to a 

 reasonable number. 



We give the Governor credit for standing 

 back of and putting through the most 

 magnificent temperance law for statewide 

 prohibition that was ever enacted by any 

 legislature. G. W. York, formerly editor 

 of the American Bee Journal, and a mem- 

 ber of the House, was a very important 

 figure in the enactment of this legislation. 

 We will give further particulars later 

 through these columns. 



When Mr. Rea was at the Dism.al Swamp 

 during the latter part of Febniary, farmers 

 were planting potatoes. The bees were fly- 

 ing every day, and bringing in pollen and 

 even nectar. Some of the queens had six. or 

 seven combs of brood. On his return, Mr. 

 Pritchard started for the swamp to begin 

 the active work of building up the colonies, 

 etc. However, to our great surprise, the 

 weather suddenly turned cold, and on March 

 18 Mr. Pritchard wrote that there had been 

 only half a day when it was warm enough 

 to work with the bees. There had been four 

 inches of snow and much freezing weather. 

 The residents say it is the coldest spring in 



30 years. It has been so cold part of the 

 time that the men have been unable to nail 

 up hives in the barn. The United States 

 weather maps show that unusual cold weatli- 

 er has extended well down into the extreme 

 soutliern states. Even in northern Florida 

 temperatures around 40 degrees have been 

 common. C. H. Clute, of Palmetto, Florida, 

 is our authority for the statement that the 

 citrus bloom in the state will be less than 

 half what is considered normal, and that 

 bees have consumed about double the usual 

 amount of stores. Mr. Clute says that Feb- 

 ruarj' and March were the wettest and cold- 

 est of any year on record. 



We are afraid that all that brood so well 

 under way in February will be lost. In fact, 

 when Mr. Pritchard wrote, March 18, he 

 said the colonies were decreasing rather 

 than increasing in strength. 



Iowa Beekeepers, Write your Sena- 



The following letter explains itself. It 

 arrived just too late for insertion in our 

 March 15th issue. 



There is now in the Agricultural Committee in 

 the Senate a bill establishing a Department of Bee 

 Culture at the Iowa State College, at Ames, to teach 

 beekeeping, to do experimental work, to publish bul- 

 letins, etc. This bill, thanks to our tried and true 

 friend Henry Brady, of Dallas Co., passe.d the 

 House some time ago. 



Three more bills of interest to beekeepers have 

 just been introduced in the House. One aims to 

 amend the present inspection law, which states that 

 the inspector, upon written notice from three bee- 

 keepers in a given locality, must inspect bees in 

 that territory, and also requires him to return later 

 and make a reinspection of all infected colonies. 

 The amendment would require the inspector to ex- 

 amine bees in any locality upon notice from any 

 beekeeper in that territory, and would leave the 

 reinspection optional with the inspector. If he feels 

 that the owner of the diseased colonies is competent 

 to, and will, give them proper treatment, he will not 

 be required to return to the apiary, but can spend 

 that time inspecting other bees. 



Another bill would establish the office of county 

 inspector of bees to be chosen from among the resi- 

 dent beekeepers upon petition to the board of super- 

 visors by ten or more resident beekeepers, or upon 

 recommendation of the State Inspector. This county 

 inspector would receive a salary of $3.00 per day for 

 time spent inspecting bees, the salary for any one 

 season not to e.xceed $75.00, and would be >iirectly 

 accountable to the State Inspector. 



The third bill, the one which will probably meet 

 with the greatest opposition, would prohibit the 

 spraying of fruit-trees while in full bloom. The 

 state of Washington compels spraying at a certain 

 time; and if a fruit-grower fails to spray at that 

 time men are sent around to do it for him, and he 

 must pay a heavy penalty. The law in Washington 

 prohibiting spraying fruit when in full bloom is 

 just as stringent. Fruit-men are of one accord in 

 condemning spraying when in bloom; but there is 

 some difficulty in getting some to spray under any 

 circumstances, and it is the sense of some that such 

 u law would deter a few from spraying at all. 



