180 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



March 19, 



the hope of a harvest in the summer of 1896. I trust that our 

 hopes may be realized. 



I am sure that you with me feel and regret the loss and 

 death, and miss the kindly face, of our esteemed freind, the 

 late F. A. Rose, of Balmoral, who has met with us so often at 

 our annual meetings. 



I would suggest for your consideration, that By-Law No. 

 I, be amended by adding thereto — " That those opposed to the 

 interests of its welfare be rejected or expelled by a majority 

 vote of the meeting of members." I think you will see the 

 need of this change in said By-Law, as the Association has no 

 means of refusing membership to those who may oppose its 

 best interests, through the public press or otherwise, who, as 

 members of the Association, use such membership to give force 

 to their statements, the reverse of the unanimous vote of the 

 Association. 



Also that some stated time be made with a stenographer 

 for the delivery of the written report, as in the past the Revis- 

 ing Committee has been very much troubled by delay. Also 

 that some practical apiarist be present when the report is being 

 re-written, to give the stenographer assistance where he has 

 " caught the sound incorrectly." I also think you will do well 

 by choosing at a full meeting the Revising Committee. 



I feel that as bee-keepers, and as an Association, we are 

 greatly indebted to our representatives, and to the Parliament 

 of Ontario, for their generous and kindly feeling to the apia- 

 rists of Ontario, and especially for giving the Province an elH- 

 ciept Foul Brood Inspector, whose services are put at our com- 

 mand. I am also pleased that the bee-keepers throughout the 

 Province (excepting one or two would-be scientists) who cheer- 

 fully, willingly, and thoroughly followed the Inspector's in- 

 structions (and made a clean job by so doing) now have healthy 

 and clean apiaries, and will be in a position to reap a bounti- 

 ful harvest, if the Ruler of All causes the nectar to secrete in 

 the flowers. 



I am pleased that so many in Europe have been seeking 

 our product, and hope that in the year 1896 we may have a 

 full crop, and that the demand for it may be great. I find that 

 our honey gives satisfaction to our British friends, and I urge 

 that all of us put up and sell only first-class goods, and by so 

 doing the demand for our product will increase. 



I would urge you to push the pure honey legislation, for if 

 obtained it will give ns a position as honey-producers second 

 to none in the world, for then our goods would be the guaran- 

 tee of the Government of Canada as regards its purity, and 

 that will go far with the British consumer. When permitted, 

 put your name and address on each package. 



An item may be of interest to some present — and the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee submit it for your consideration — in con- 

 nection with the meeting of the North American, held in To- 

 ronto. Your Secretary and President were urged to call a 

 meeting of the Board of Directors, to meet said North Ameri- 

 can and welcome its members to Toronto and to the Province 

 of Ontario. To have complied with these wishes would have 

 cost S 175.00, and this expense the Executive decided was not 

 advisable, so they called together for that and other purposes 

 the Executive Committee at a cost of ^20. 8o, thus saving to 

 the Society .$15-4.00. 



I am pleased that our Secretary is able to report an in- 

 crease of County or District societies affiliating with Ontario, 

 thus showing an increase of interest in apiculture. 



Allow me to repeat, that I hope your labors of 1896 will 

 be rewarded by an abundance of choice honey, to gladden your 

 hearts and supply the demand of the honey-loving public. 



Woodstock, Out., Jan. 14. 



Co-operatioH in Marketing Honey. 



BY W. D. FRENCH. 



Since I have undertaken to agitate the subject of an or- 

 ganization of bee-keepers, wherein a bee-keepers' union could 

 be formed that would enhance the value of honey, and place 

 the product directly before the people, in a manner heretofore 

 described, I have been flooded with letters from the different 

 States, extending from Maine to Washington ; the drift of 

 which tends to encourage my effort. 



I am aware of the fact that nothing can be done with the 

 present Bee-Keepers' Union, until other matters, which are 

 now pending before that body, are settled. But I may as well 

 say that I have the necessary assurance that steps will be 

 taken at the proper time — co-operation in that direction has 

 been pledged. 



If Prof. Cook, Dr. Miller, and many others so prominently 

 appearing before the bee-keeping world, could only see and 

 read so many expressions favorable to the question which I 



have sought to accomplish, I feel sure their attention would 

 at least be brought to that subject. 



There are thousands of people who are scientific, practi- 

 cal, and advanced apiarists, who do not write bee-literature 

 for publication, or speak in public upon such subjects, not 

 being gifted in that direction, but who are sound, sensible, 

 thorough, and ready to accept practical ideas, especially that 

 which tends to elevate the pursuit thai we follow. 



I do not wish to speak despairingly of any scheme which 

 has a tendency to elevate or advance the pursuit or in any 

 manner benefit the bee-keeping fraternity ; but the time is 

 sure to arrive when apiarists of all States will see that noth- 

 ing short of a union of bee-keepers will accomplish the object 

 which is so vital to their interests, and without which is so 

 detrimental to the bee-keepers of California. 



The scope of the Bee- Keepers' Union, as it now exists, is 

 too narrow to ever warrant a large membership, consolidation 

 with the North American notwithstanding ; the benefits to be 

 derived therefrom are isolated. Hence, the great mass of bee- 

 keepers are not justified in contributing to its existence. 

 Whereas, a union co-operated as a unit, systematically equaliz- 

 ing and distributing the product of the bees, thus rendering 

 aid to every bee-keeper, and inducing them to become its mem- 

 bers, would, in a short time, enlist every apiarist in our land. 



Foster, Calif. 



CONUUOTED By 

 DR. J. p. n. BROHTV, AUGUSTA, GA, 



[Please send all questions relating to bee-ljeeping In the South direct 

 to Dr. Brown, and he will answer in this department.— Eds.T 



A Word to Southern Bee-Keepers. 



The Southern Department of the American Bee Journal 

 has been established for your benefit, hence we hope that you 

 will avail yourselves of its advantages for throwing light on 

 the seeming mysteries of the hive ; and for unraveling, solving 

 and making clear many of the problems that confront the be- 

 ginner in bee-keeping. Send along the questions that you 

 want answered, and we will take pleasure in giving you all 

 the light we can. 



There are many Southern bee-keepers of experience that 

 have treasured up valuable ideas on bee-management and 

 honey-production, that if put on paper and sent to the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal for the Southern Department, might prove a 

 blessing to many a beginner now groping in the dark. Dot 

 down your experience, and let us have it. 



J. P. H. Bbown. 



Feeding Bees. 



Lose no time to examine and ascertain the condition of 

 all your colonies, for between now and the first of April is the 

 most trying time with bees in the South. Last fall the bees 

 laid up no great amount of stores, and hundreds of colonies 

 will need feeding, otherwise they will " go up " before April. 

 Peed regularly where needed, but always do it carefully — see 

 that no sweets are exposed to strange bees, for if you start 

 robbing you will have trouble. 



DistingiiUiiing Italians froin Hybrids. 



Db. Bkown : — Is there any way to distinguish whether 

 bees are pure Italians or hybrids, when one knows nothing of 

 them except that the stock was originally pure ? 



The bees commenced bringing in pollen Jan. 20, and 

 have been working ever since. They are getting some honey 

 HOW from peach, huckleberry, plum, and early pear bloom. 



Ocean Springs, Miss.. Feb. 24. E. W. H. 



Answers.— The usual way of distinguishing pure Italians 

 is by having the abdomen of the workers marked by three 



