AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 311 



Where it can be had, I don't know of any shade that suits me so well to work 

 under as the shade of trees. If I were out on an open plain, I think I should set 

 posts and make a roof of boughs or boards, having it high enough to walk under 

 without stooping. 



REroRTiNG Conventions. — I wonder if Secretary Knoll will take it kindly if I 

 make his report. on page 251 the text for a very short sermon to secretaries in gen- 

 eral. For I think he makes the same mistake that most of convention secretaries 

 do in not discriminating between proper matters for record and proper matters for 

 report in a bee-paper, and he's no worse than others. As Secretary, he should re- 

 cord in his book all matters that will be needed at future meetings, and ic his 

 printed report only the things that will be of interest to bee-keepers outside of the 

 society. 



In the present report, the first paragraph is proper for both. Then, "Minutes 

 of last meeting were read and adopted as read." All right to enter in the Secre- 

 tary's book, but what bee-keeper outside the membership cares a fig whether the 

 minutes were adopted as read, or adopted with corrections, or not adopted at all ? 



" 89 colonies represented " interests us all. 



40 cents paid for a book, and a committee appointed— that's a matter of busi- 

 ness important to be entered in the book, but I'd a good deal rather the editor would 

 leave white paper in its place in my copy of the journal. 



Next comes the announcement of a practical question in apiculture to be dis- 

 cussed, and I prick up my ears with interest to hear the discussion. That's the 

 heart and soul of a convention — its discussions of practical questions. But, as usual, 

 I am entirely disappointed, for not a word is given except the question, and the 

 statement that several answered it, and the reader is left utterly in the dark as to 

 what those answers were. 



Now let the good secretaries and reporters please bear in mind that the bee- 

 talk is what we want. Give all the ideas in condensed form if possible, and don't 

 send for publication matters that are of interest only to the society reported. Put 

 these latter in the secretary's book, in which it is not necessary to write the dis- 

 cussions, for, if published, the printed report can be pasted in the book. 



Marengo, 111. 



[For editorial remarks on the foregoing, see page 295. — Editor.] 



ITAI.IAIS; BEES— HISTORICAL FACTS. 

 'Was S. B. Parsons Disbonest? 



BY M. M. BALDRIDGE. 



On pages 118, 119 and 120 of the Bee Journal, are over five columns of 

 what purports to be historical facts in regard to the early importation of Italian 

 bees from Italy to the United States. The article is written by C. J. Robinson, the 

 historian, and will in due time be found, as I anticipated, simply a symposium of 

 unreliable statements ! It contains in fact so many erroneous allegations that I 

 shall not try at this time to reply to them all, but will confine my remarks mainly 

 to the following statement: 



Mr. Parsons was dishonest. In fact the word " dishonest only expresses a faint 

 idea of the case when the facts are known ." 



Now, why does Mr. Robinson charge Mr. Parsons with dishonesty ? The charge 

 is based mainly, so it seems to me, upon the following allegations : That Mr. P. 

 was commissioned by the Chief of the United States Patent Office to purchase, in 



