20C 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



line ? To hear some talk oue would think 

 that "cramping a queen for lack of room," 

 was oue of the most disastrous things possi- 

 ble for a bee-keeper to do. Suppose a queen 

 could fill eleven combs with eggs and is al- 

 lowed only eight, what of it ? We are keep- 

 ing bees for the honey they gather. The 

 more bees we have at the proper time the 

 more honey will we get. The more com- 

 pletely our combs are filled with eggs at the 

 proper time, the greater will be the number 

 of bees on the stage of action at the proper 

 time. This condition is secured by increas- 

 ing the number of queens in proportion to the 

 number of combs. 



Spking Protection for bees has proved of 

 little or no benefit now for two seasons at 

 the Michigan Experimental Apiary, but both 

 of these springs have not been warm in the 

 early part followed by a prolonged spell of 

 cool or freezing weather, as is frequently the 

 case. It is in such cases as this that i)rotec- 

 tion shows to the best advantage. I think 

 that Mr. Taylor is correct when he says that 

 the benefit of the spring sunshine cannot be 

 ignored ; that it is important. If the pack- 

 ing is not too thick, and the boxes are paint- 

 ed a dark color, so as to attract and absorb 

 the heat, there will be no loss from the pack- 

 ing, while there will be an advantage in cool 

 nights. This packing will absorb the heat 

 during the day and give it out during the 

 night. If the packing is so thick that the 

 heat never reaches the bees, is is plain that 

 it might be a detriment. Next year, Bro. 

 Taylor, have packings of different thick- 

 nessess. 



»^U»>t»U»^»^^ 



The North American Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation will hold its annual convention in the 

 Auditorium of the Normal School at Toron- 

 to, Ontario, Canada, on the 4th, .5th and (Uh 

 of September, the first session being on the 

 evening of the 4th. There will certainly be 

 reduced rates all over Canada and Michigan, 

 and the Trunk lines of the United States 

 have granted reduced rates, while the Cen- 

 tral Trafic Association has the matter under 

 consideration, and will probably give re- 

 duced rates. The otlicers are at work upon 

 a program, and everything now points to a 

 successful meeting. Canada's great Indus- 

 trial Fair will be in full blast, and those in 

 attendance can take in this and see how our 

 brethren over the line get uj) their honey 

 shows. According to report, they are well 

 worth going to see. I know that I am look- 



ing forward with considerable interest to 

 this part of the program. Those who have 

 not seen America's greatest wonder, Niagara 

 Falls, can easily arrange to do so while on 

 this trip. 



THE AMALGAMATION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN 

 AND THE bee-keepers' UNION. 



I should have been glad if my correspon- 

 dents had discussed this subject more fully 

 and freely. To be sure, some of them ex- 

 pressed their preference for such a union of 

 forces, Vjut no reasons were given. Perhaps 

 they thought the ones given editorially last 

 month were sufficient. Mr. Heddon and 

 Mr. Newman oppose the plan. Mr. Heddon 

 does not say in so many words that he is 

 opposed to it, tiut it is very plain to be seen 

 that he thinks it desirable to have the Union 

 hold strictly to its original work. He thinks 

 that the change in its constitution allowing 

 it to use its money in prosecuting adultera- 

 tors of honey was a foolish move. We don't 

 know yet whether it was or not, as there has 

 been no occasion for using money for this 

 purpose. The change has certainly done no 

 harm, and it has done some good ; it pre- 

 vented the dividing of our numbers, money 

 and energies in the formation of another 

 Union or Society for the sole purpose of 

 fiijhting adulteration. 



Mr. Newman is opposed to the union of 

 the two societies, and criticises the North 

 American because of the frequent changes 

 that it has made of late in its constitution. 

 A body, like the North American Bee- Keep- 

 ers' Association, that has its meetings simply 

 for the sake of a social time and to discuss 

 subjects for mutual improvement, does not 

 need a lengthy or complicated constitution. 

 With a most laudable desire to improve the 

 North American, to extend its usefulness 

 and thus benefit the cause of apiculture, Bro. 

 Newman spent a great deal of time in 1.S87 

 drafting a new constitution and by-laws. 

 This matter of a change was referred to a 

 committee. This committee did not ap- 

 prove of the changes, but its members knew 

 that Mr. Newman had given the matter a 

 great deal more thought than they had ; 

 they also reasoned that such sweeping 

 changes ought not to be decided upon hasti- 

 ly, hence it was recommended that the mat- 

 ter be laid over for one year, and this would 

 give ample time in which to discuss the 

 matter in the journals, and to allow bee- 

 keepers to give some thought to the subject. 



