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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



April 30, 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 

 118 Mlclilgaa St., - CHICAGO, ILL. 



REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS : 

 G. M. Doolittle, Of New York. Prof. A. j. Cook, of California. 



Dr. C. C. Miller, of Illinois. Dr. J. P. H. Brown, of Georgia. 



J. H. Martin, of California. Key. E. T. Abbott, of Missouri. 



Barnett Taylor, of Minnesota. Mrs. L. C. Axtell, of Illinois. 



Chas. Dadant & Son, of Illinois. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 (Entered at tbe Post-Offlce at ChlcaKO as Second-Class Mail-Matter.] 



VoLfflVI. CHICAGO, ILL, APR. 30, 1896. No. 18. 



The Annual Report of the convention of the 

 Nebraska State Bee-Keepers' Association for 1895 is re- 

 ceived. The meeting was held at Omaha, Sept. 17, 18 and 

 19, The Report contains 30 pages. Mr. E, Whitcomb, of 

 Friend, and Mr. L. D. Stilson, of York, Nebr., are respectively 

 President and Secretary of the Association. Nebraska is one 

 of the very few States that issue a pamphlet report of the 

 annual bee-convention. 



A Report in one of our late bee-exchanges reads as 

 follows : 



" My bees were taken out of the cellar in fine shape 

 March 20. Only 2 dead out of 157; but a lot more may die 

 before June." 



We should presume that if the " shape " of the bees was 

 all right last fall, when put into the cellar, their "shape" 

 shouldn't change much during the winter. He probably 

 meant their " condition " was fine. 



Then he lost " only 2 out of 157 " bees. Just think of 

 it — only 2 bees lost ! But then, he says he put in only 157 bees ! 

 He most likely meant that 2 colonies died out of 157. Why 

 don't people say what they mean ? We "don't know." 



Xortb Carolina Experiment Station.— Some 



months ago we received the following letter from Mr. W. H. 

 Pridgen, of Creek, N. C, but in some way it was mislaid, and 

 " turned up " only a week or so ago : 



Mr. Editor: — Inclosed find a clipping which explains it- 

 self. It is a step in the right direction, and I hope will be the 

 means of educating the people of North Carolina in bee-keep- 

 ing, that others who are now ignorant of. the pleasure and 

 profit in the pursuit, maj learn to enjoy the sweets that go to 

 waste. W. H. Pridgen. 



The clipping referred to in the foregoing letter reads 

 thus : 



BEE-CULTURE AT THE EXPERIMENT STATION. 



The North Carolina Experiment Station has recently com- 

 pleted arrangements for carrying on some work in bee-culture, 

 both to disseminate information as to the best methods to fol- 

 low in bee-keeping, as Well as to conduct tests to determine 

 what plans should be adopted in North Carolina to make this 

 parkifiular iudustry A'f> proPtttblS as pgeiilbU. Jtn mftny sec- 



tions of the State bee-culture now yields handsome returns 

 when carefully managed. With proper use of the improved 

 methods of late years this result might be largely increased. 

 It will be the purpose of the Station to endeavor to aid in the 

 extension of the industry, and with the possible improvement 

 of the culture where it has now found a foothold. For this 

 purpose the co-operation of two experienced bee-keepers has 

 been secured — Dr. J. W. Hunter and Mr. W. H. Hall, both of 

 Forsyth county. It is expected that results interesting to 

 bee-keepers will be reached during the coming season. In the 

 meantime, items of timely interest will be distributed upon 

 the various phases of the subject. 



As the Station desires to enter into correspondence with 

 every bee-keeper now in North Carolina, each one is cordially 

 requested to send his name and address to Dr. H. B. Battle, 

 Director, Raleigh, N. C. Any items as to the colonies, hives, 

 etc., on hand, and the success or failure heretofore met with, 

 will be gladly received. Doubtless the correspondence will be 

 mutually helpful. 



We believe this is the first Southern State to recognize 

 bee-culture in this way. We hope that much good may result, 

 and that other States will imitate the good example set by 

 North Carolina. We should be pleased to publish some of the 

 apiarian reports issued by this Station. 



* ■ » 



Prof. Cook, in the Rural Californian for March, gives 

 these three " Bits of Nectar," among others : 



Bees Not a Nuisance. — And now comes news of a suit 

 in Europe to show that bees are a nuisance, and not to be tol- 

 erated in certain precincts. The decision was with the bees ; 

 that it is too late in the world's history to make, much more 

 to enforce, such a claim. God has given us bees for a great 

 purpose. There can be no greater folly than an attempt at 

 their banishment. Any such an attempt must prove as fool- 

 ish as it is vain. 



Bee-Sting Remedies. — Ammonia has long been recog- 

 nized as one of the best antidotes for bee-sting poison. There 

 is reason in this. The poison is acid, and the ammonia in 

 neutralizing the acid, seems to neutralize the poison as well. 

 In a late number of Nature it is suggested that an ammonia- 

 cal extract of quinine is even more effective than ammonia 

 alone. Bee-keepers who are much troubled with stings may 

 well try this new remedy. 



Keep Cool with Bees. — There is a prevailing opinion 

 that bees are especially cross to some people. As a teacher 

 of apiculture, who has often had very large classes, number- 

 ing at times from 30 to 50, I have had good opportunities to 

 test this theory, but uever found any reasons for adopting it. 

 If one is more susceptible to attack and stings than another, 

 it is only because he is nervous and quick in his work and 

 movements. Harsh behavior the bees resent, and usually at- 

 tempt to punish. 



*-.-*. 



Importation of Apis Dorsata.— On page 217 

 we requested all who answer in the "Question-Box" depart- 

 ment, to let us know their opinion as to the advisability of 

 going to the expense of importing Apis dorsata. So far only 

 three out of 25 have responded, and their replies follow : 



I am thoroughly convinced that a great deal more is being 

 made out of the importation of Apis dorsata than the circum- 

 stances warrant. It will cost but little to secure a few of 

 these bees to test their merits, and I do not think that the 

 Government should be asked to go to large expense in order 

 to make any experiments along this line. There are other 

 things of more importance to bee-keepers than the importa- 

 tion of these bees, which should have attention first. 



This agitation seems to be mostly in the interest of one 

 man, who seems to want the job of going after Apis dorsata. 

 It would be better, it seems to me, to wait until he has shown 

 a disposition to deal fairly and honestly with his fellow bee- 

 keepers as to some matters he now has in hand before he re- 

 ceives any new commissions. 



I for one do not think that under the circumstances these 

 bees would prove to be a very valuable addition to the wealth 

 of the bee-keepers of the United States. 



Ejierson T. Abbott. 



I must say I think it a little premature for a local society 

 to attempt a thing of this kind. It should come before the 

 North American at its next meeting, and it would have more 

 Influence than a dozen local societies. 



Tbe petition says it la tbe wish of the majority of progrei* 



