564 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



be a reader of some one of the bee-papers, will not come any great distance to the 

 meeting because he saw a notice of it in some agricultural paper. Notices in the 

 agricultural papers of the region in which the meeting is to be held might possibly 

 induce the attendance of a few farmer bee-keepers, but, aside from this, notices in 

 the bee-papers are all-sufBcient, 



Having made this criticism, it is only fair to praise Secretary Benton for his 

 success in persuading non-attendants to send in their dollars. By sending out 

 circulars to all old members, thereby calling their attention to the advantages of 

 keeping up their membership even if they could not attend each year, twenty mem- 

 bers, some of whom did not attend, were induced to send in their annual fees. Such 

 an accomplishment is without precedence. It seems wise to each year point out 

 the mistakes and the successes, that the latter may be patterned after in the future, 

 and the former not repeated. 



A Bee-Paper Offer. — One quite sweeping change was made, the wisdom of 

 which is yet to be decided. To each annual paying member in 1895 the association 

 promises to give the choice of any bee-paper published in the United States or 

 Canada. To help the Association do this, all of the editors present, except myself, 

 promised to furnish their papers at very low rates — away down below their lowest 

 clubbing rates. I presume j: should have made the same promise if I had been 

 asked, but, through some oversight, I presume, the question was not put to me. I 

 fear the matter was not given sufficient thought. Why, at first thought, in his 

 exuberant manner, Mr. Root offered to give " Gleanings." Suppose all of Mr. Root's 

 subscribers should decide to join the North American, where would he be ? Suppose 

 half of them should take that course ? At the figures that were given, some of the 

 papers cannot stand it if any great number should join the Association. Any sum 

 of money coming into the treasury as the result of this scheme, would come out of 

 the pockets of the publishers. 



Then there is another side to the question. Suppose that only the usual num- 

 ber, say 100, should pay their dues, then about half of that money would have to 

 be used in buying bee-papers, and there might not be enough left to pay the running 

 expenses. 



If some plan could be devised whereby the membership and usefulness of the 

 Association could be increased, it would be very welcome, but I fear it cannot be 

 done by making ourselves presents, or asking the publishers to make us presents. 

 The whole thing is wrong in principle, and was adopted without sufficient considera- 

 tion. It is true that the Canadian societies furnish their members with journals, 

 but the money to buy them comes from the government; besides, no journal has 

 yet been furnished below cost. 



Bee-Paralysis.— As the convention was held pretty well South and West, I 

 had hoped to learn something in regard to bee-paralysis. The subject was freely 

 discussed, and I had several private conversations with those who had experience 

 with the disease. The reports are all very conflicting. That the disease is likely to 

 disappear of itself is a fact that I fear has been overlooked to a great extent. When 

 this is remembered, a great many strange things are explained. 



ToKONTO Chosen. — A pleasant incident occurred when it came to choosing the 

 place for the next convention. The choice really lay between Lincoln, Nebr., and 

 Toronto, Ont., Canada. Last year Toronto nearly captured the convention for this 

 year, and there was a sort of tacit agreement that we would all vote for Toronto 

 this year ; but when Bro. Stilson read invitations from the Nebraska State bee- 

 keepers, from the Mayor of Lincoln, from the City Council, from everybody who 



