34 



bees may fly, we question very seriously the 

 advisability of wintering in clamps or 

 trenches. "Under such conditions the dou- 

 ble-walled hive is the Viest solution of the 

 problem ; for the results secured are so uni- 

 formly satisfactory when other conditions 

 are favorable that ho better plan is needed. 

 This picture on the cover is another one 

 made from one of Mr. Hutchinson's old 

 negatives. Our older readers will recognize 

 it as having been used before: but we con- 

 sidered it good enough to use again. 



BEST PRICES JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS. 

 MARKET BECOMING MORE STABLE. 



The statement has often been made that 

 prices on honey are liable to slump after the 

 holidays, and that it is advisable to sell as 

 early as possible. While that is true to a 

 great extent of Western comb honey, a 

 change is beginning to take place. Western 

 comb is liable to granulate, and dealers, 

 therefore, feel that it is advisable to sell it 

 before this takes place. But there are some 

 evidences that go to show that the market 

 is becoming more and more stable on ex- 

 tracted. While prices reach their maxi- 

 mum just before the holidays, honey in the 

 liquid form will maintain its level to a great 

 extent, not only during the early fall, but 

 during all the winter. In early s'pring the 

 prices begin to sag, in anticipation of the 

 crop just ahead. 



To a certain extent also it is becoming 

 more and more true that Eastern comb 

 honey is becoming more stable, the reason 

 for this being that it is not apt to granulate 

 till toward spring. 



THE LEGISLATIVE CO^NOIITTEE OF TBTE NA- 

 TIONAL bee-keepers' ASSOCIA- 

 TION AT WORK. 



The Legislative Committee of the Na- 

 tional Bee-keepers' Association, consisting 

 of Mr. W. A. Selser, Mr. X. W. Saunders, 

 and Mr. A. T. Cook, met in Washington on 

 Dec. 12th to consider plans for the ensuing 

 year. They spent considerable time in dis- 

 cussing national legislation, but at the time 

 of their meeting decided to concentrate their 

 elTorts toward checking the rapid spread of 

 bee diseases in the United States. While 

 recognizing the fact that the Bureau of En- 

 tomology, of the Department of .\griculture. 

 has rendered splendid service by spreading 

 information concerning disease and its elim- 

 ination, they felt that the Department 

 should go even further; and to that end the 

 committee, by appointment, called on Sec- 

 retary Wilson, head of the Department of 

 Agriculture. First, it is asked that the Sec- 

 retary give his approval to a ])lan for reach- 

 ing every bee-keei)er in the United States, 

 and ])lacine: before him information on the 

 subject of bee diseases; second, that he au- 

 thorize the publication of a bulletin show- 

 ing the relation of bees to horticulture, and, 

 third, another bulletin on honey as a food. 

 The Secretary gave his ai)proval to the sec- 

 ond and third, but demurred on the first, 



Gleanings in Be« Culture 



as he thought the government could not un- 

 dertake to hunt up every bee-keeper in the 

 country, because it was contrary to prece- 

 dent, and because of the expense it would 

 involve. The committee believes, however, 

 that there is a precedent to warrant this 

 procedure, and, if so, proposes to follow the 

 matter up at a later time. 



Since writing the foregoing we have re- 

 ceived a letter from the Chairman of the 

 Committee inclosing one from Secretary 

 "Wilson that will explain. 



Mr. W. A. Selser: — Referring to your letter of De- 

 cember 13, with regard to the desirability of warn- 

 ing farmers against foul brood in bees, I beg to 

 state that I have ordered the preparation and dis- 

 tribution of two press notices— one for distribution 

 to newspapers in general, and the other for dis- 

 tribution to county papers, advising bee-keepers of 

 the danger of the disease, and referring them to 

 Farmers' Bulletin 442 on this subject. The other 

 suggestions you make will be considered. 



.James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. 



Washington, D. C, Dec. 20. 



Apparently the special committee of the 

 National has not labored in vain. 



the new CONSTITUTION OF THE NATION- 

 AL bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 



At the last meeting of the National, at 

 Minneapolis, a committee was appointed to 

 draft a new constitution. This instrument 

 was drawn up and duly submitted to the 

 convention. While that body had no au- 

 thority to accept or reject it, it could and 

 did recommend its adoption by the voters at 

 large. The latter have now formally ratified 

 it, and the new constitution is in full ef- 

 fect. 



The membership fee, instead of being 

 $1.00, half of which went to the local organi- 

 zation, will now be $1.50, one-third of which 

 will go to the local society. It was found 

 that $1.00 membership fee, only half of 

 which went to the National, was entirely 

 inadequate to carry on the work of the or- 

 ganization. While it may be an inappro- 

 priate time to raise the membership fee, the 

 committee felt that the old organization 

 could not longer continue on the old basis. 



The new constitution further provides for 

 closer affiliation with local societies, and 

 each local is to send its own delegate or del- 

 egates to the National (convention, wher- 

 ever it may be held. 



The new board of directors, instead of con- 

 sisting of twelve members, is now reduced 

 to five. The old number was too large and 

 unwieldy, and the number five is small 

 enough so that the board can meet togeth- 

 er and thus properly plan the work of the 

 organization. 



Under the new constitution, there prob- 

 ably will not be another National conven- 

 tion before a year from the coming Febru- 

 ary. 



Two cities — Cincinnati, and Washington, 

 D. C. — are vieing with each other for the 

 next convention of the National. Cincin- 

 nati has the prior call; but Washington, 

 whose invitation was extended later, sets 

 up the claim that, if the convention goes 

 to the national caj^ital, it will have consid- 



