1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



867 



NOMINATIONS FOR GENERAL MANAGER. 



Mr. Root: — As there is now practically 

 no nomination of any one to succeed Hon. 

 Eug^ene Secor as General Manag'er of the 

 National Bee-keepers' Association, to be 

 elected next December, I consulted with 

 some of our leading- bee-keepers at the Den- 

 ver convention, and since, and it is thought 

 best to nominate Mr. N. E. France, of 

 Platteville, Wis., for the position, which I 

 now do. Not having- an intimate personal 

 acquaintance with him I have taken pains 

 to make inquiries reg-arding- his fitness for 

 the position, and find that he is a thorough- 

 ly honest and capable business man; in the 

 prime of life; temperate in all his habits; 

 has tact; accustomed to speak in public; 

 has labored unceasingly and unselfislily 

 for the upbuilding of bee-keeping, having 

 spent considerable of his own money and 

 time in securing legislation in the interest 

 of bee-keepers, and preventing the passage 

 of laws that were opposed to their interests. 

 He is one of the speakers at farmers' insti- 

 tutes, often neglecting 'his own business to 

 work in the interest of bee-keepers. He 

 manages several apiaries, and has produc- 

 ed hundreds of tons of honey. For several 

 years he was Secretary of the Southwest- 

 ern Wisconsin Bee-keepers' Association, 

 and for ten }'ears was its President. For 

 several years he was Secretary of the Wis- 

 consin State Bee-keepers' Association, and 

 for four j'ears has been its President. He 

 secured the passage of the Wisconsin foul- 

 brood law, and is State Inspector of foul 

 brood. 



I know of no one in our ranks better fitted 

 to fill the office of General Manager of the 

 National Bee-keepers' Association than is 

 Mr. France, and I hope he will receive the 

 hearty support of the members at the elec- 

 tion in December next. A. B. Mason. 



Sta. B, Toledo, O., Oct. 6. 



from July 1 till frost, and bees are always 

 busy on it. I have always classed it as a 

 plant that produced honey of extra-fine 

 quality, and well liked by the bees; but I 

 never get any surplus from it unless clover, 

 sweet clover, or smartweed was in bloom. 

 I think it never yields profusely, but per- 

 haps a large field would be different. 

 However, I think sweet clover and raspber- 

 ry pay best of all honey-producing plants 

 around here. 



This year my bees swarmed on raspber- 

 ry ; and, being in the fruit business any 

 way, I intend to plant extensively of rasp- 

 berry. P^rom the way the plant does here, 

 if I could get it to bloom all summer, or as 

 long as catnip, I could beat even Dr. Gandy, 

 in a small way. Raspberry always yields 

 profusely, and bees tumble in the hives as 

 if working on basswood. I shall give more 

 attention to bees. If I live I want to in- 

 crease to 100 colonies next year. I look for 

 an extra-good year, because we have lots of 

 white clover, sweet clover, catnip, bass- 

 wood, and fruit-trees. 



I am sorry you have raised the price of 

 hives; but I shall have to have them just 

 the same. You are about perfection In 

 hive-making. I consider the best hive for 

 my use is the eight-frame and L. Ideal su- 

 per, with shallow extracting-frames be- 

 tween, as per the Barber plan, with venti- 

 lated gable cover. This year I have decid- 

 ed that, without shallow frames, the bees 

 are almost sure to crowd the queen too 

 much. 



Although I consider catnip a good honey- 

 producing plant, I believe all readers should 

 be cautioned not to get excited over it, be- 

 cause, no doubt, in a few years it will be a 

 thing of the past (that is, a good honey- 

 plant, but not any better than nor as good as 

 some others). I have great faith in rasp- 

 berry, and predict great things from it; 

 and as there are now several kinds of ever 

 bearing ones I shall test them the coming 

 year. 



While keeping bees here (12 years) I have 

 never had to feed for winter stores (except 

 nuclei), and never lost a colony in winter- 

 ing from starvation, except nuclei or late 

 after-swarms. Perhaps catnip honej' is the 

 cause. J. E. Johnson. 



Williamsfield, 111., Sept. 22. 



CATNIP AND RASPBERRY AS HONEY-PRODUC- 

 ING plants. 



I have some catnip honey this year for 

 the first time; and although it is mixed 

 with smartweed slightlj% all pronounce it 

 the best honey they ever tasted. Nearly all 

 hedges near here are full of it. It does best 

 in low hedges or brush-piles, where the 

 roots are in rich soil and protected from the 

 heat of the sun. I have sown nearly all 

 waste places, and have about 5 lbs. left, 

 and am gathering more. 



I consider it very valuable because I have 

 never known it to fail, and it is now 20 

 years since I first noticed it. It blooms 



BLIGHT-PROOF PEARS. 



In the article of J. E. Johnson, page 779, 

 he sa3's, "My pear-orchard is on high clay 

 land; trees white with bloom, and noblig-ht 

 whatever. I have onlj' such as do not 

 blight — Keifter, Garber, and Dutchess." 

 Now, I wish Mr. Johnson could step over 

 on my high clay hill and take a peep at 

 my pear-trees, of which I have 15 varieties. 

 All have blighted very badlj'. Some of my 

 Garbers have blighted every limb down to 

 the trunk, and were loaded with pears 

 which dried up, leaving some still hanging 

 on the trees. I have about 60 stands of 

 bees that hum from tree to tree. 



