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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Sept. 17, 



CSORQB W. YORK, • Editor. 



PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 

 IIS MiclLlgan St., - CHICAGO, ILL. 



fl.OO a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 [Bntered at the Post-OtBce at CbicaKO as Second-Class Mall-Matter.] 



Vol. inVI, CHICA&O, ILL, SEPT. 17, 1896. No. 38. 



■ T T T T TTT' 



EDITORIAL COWMENTS. 



Ho, for Lincoln ! — As all our readers know, the 

 North American bee-convention will beheld at Lincoln, Nebr., 

 on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 7 and 8 — next month. 

 Now, the Nebraska bee-keepers are going to a good deal of 

 work and expense. Intending, during the convention, to take 

 care of every member outside of their State /rec. With such 

 a generous offer, and in view of the excellent program 

 arranged by Secretary Mason, it seems to us that so far as 

 possible every bee-keeper, who is a bee-keeper, should arrange 

 to go — especially as the Homeseekers' Excursion rate of about 

 half fare can be taken advantage of on Oct. 6. 



For all who can possibly start from Chicago — and those 

 east of this city — we may say that we have arranged for a 

 through sleeping-car to Lincoln without change, on the Chi- 

 cago and Northwestern railroad. It will leave here at 6 

 o'clock Tuesday evening, Oct. 6, and arrive at Lincoln at 11 

 a.m. the next forenoon. Of course, the first session of the 

 convention would be missed, though that perhaps would not 

 be much, as very little will be done before the afternoon of 

 the first day. 



We do hope that a large enough company will gather here 

 in Chicago, so that we can fill at least one sleeping-car. What 

 a fine time such a crowd would have going on such a journey ! 



On the return trip we would leave Lincoln at 1:4.5 p.m., 

 on Friday, Oct. 9, arriving in Chicago at 7 o'clock the follow- 

 ing morning. 



Now we want to hear from all who will go with us from 

 Chicago. Please let us know at once about it. If any further 

 information is desired, we shall be pleased to give it, if you 

 will write us. 



Honey Letters and Circulars.— At this time 

 of the year, and for the next few months, various firms repre- 

 senting themselves to be "the largest honey-dealers in the 

 West," or some other like untrue statement, will be sending 

 out their bait in the shape of eloquently pleading letters or 

 circulars. We wish to caution our readers against all such 

 appeals soliciting shipments of honey or anything else, unless 

 you know that the firms sending them are reliable. Better 

 send to us all such letters and circulars and we will investi- 

 gate the-n and report. You can rely pretty well upon the 

 market quotations as given in the leading bee-papers, and 

 when you find a firm giving higher quotations, think twice 

 before shipping to them. In nine cases out of ten they are 

 unreliable, and you will suffer a loss on your shipment. 



We want the co-operation of all bee-keepers in putting 

 down the frauds and swindlers that live by dealing dishonestly 

 with honey-producers. 



Nebraska Irrigfation Fair.— Mr. Sanford Hart- 

 man, Superintendent of the department of " Bees, Honey and 

 Apiarian Goods" at the Nebraska Irrigation Fair, to be held 

 at North Platte, Oct. 9 to 15, inclusive, writes us as follows : 



North Platte, Nebr., Sept. 7, 1896. 



Mb. Editor: — I have to-day mailed you our premium list 

 for the coming Fair. I should be glad to have you extend a 

 cordial invitation through the American Bee Journal to all of 

 the members and friends that attend the North American 

 convention at Lincoln, Oct. 7 and 8. 



We are beginning to sow large tracts of alfalfa here, 

 which we think is going to open up some good locations for 

 bee-keeping, and the field at present is almost unoccupied. 

 Now this Fair will be a good place for some of your advertisers 

 to show off some of their goods. I should be glad to corres- 

 pond with any of them, as to railroad rates and other advan- 

 tages, who may wish to exhibit any of their goods. 



Yours truly, Sanford Hartman. 



We take the following from the published " List of Pre- 

 miums," a copy of which can be had by addressing Mr. Hart- 

 man : 



All competitors of honey must produce their own honey. 

 Points for the judging of honey : 



Comb Honey — First, perfection of capping; second, even- 

 ness of surface ; third, whiteness of capping; fourth, general 

 appearance to marketability. 



Extracted Honey — First, cleanliness ; second, clear- 

 ness ; third, flavor. 



1st. 2Dd. 

 Best white clover honey, not less than 20 lbs., 

 crated and in single-comb sections weighing 



not more than 2 lbs. each $3 GO $2 00 



Best alfalfa honey, same amount and crated- as 



above 3 00 2 00 



Best 20 lbs. of extracted white clover honey. . . 2 00 1 00 



Best 20 lbs. of extracted alfalfa honey 2 00 1 00 



Best exhibit of apiarian supplies and implements 5 00 2 00 

 Best display of bees and queens in observatory 

 hives and not allowed to fly, not less than two 



cages 3 00 2 00 



Best honey-extractor, test to be made by actual 



extracting upon the grounds 2 00 1 00 



Best all-purpose single-walled hive 1 00 



Best all-purpose chaff hive 1 00 



Best bee-smoker 50 



For the best collection of honey-producing 

 plants, giving time of blossoming, with com- 

 mon and proper names 3 00 2 00 



Sugfar vs. Honey. — Reports show that the total 

 amount of sugar consumed in the United States in the year 

 1892 was 3,899,488,000 pounds, or about 00 pounds for 

 each inhabitant. Who doubts that all would have been 

 healthier if at least 5 pounds of the 60 consumed by each 

 individual had been honey ? Suppose that could be brought 

 about, wouldn't it open up a demand for honey? Five pounds 

 each, with an estimated population of 70 million people, 

 would require 350,000,000 pounds of honey annually to feed 

 our own people. 



The majority of families do not know the value of honey 

 as a daily food. They imagine that it is mainly a medicine, 

 or else know nothing at all about it. It seems to us that there 

 is a big field here for bee-keepers to work in. Once get the 

 people fully acquainted with honey, and soon bee-keepers will 

 find a big demand for it. Every honey-producer should do his 

 part in spreading information regarding the true value of 

 honey as a table article. 



Honey at a 'Wedding:.— The editor of the Aus- 

 tralian Bee-Bulletin says he got a good hint while attending 

 the wedding of a bee-keeper. When the party were all seated 

 around the room, after coming from the church, among the 

 refreshments handed around were thin slices of bread on 

 which a spoonful of honey was dropped in the middle. The 

 recipient doubled the bread up, making a delightful little 

 honey-sandwich. This is a good way to introduce honey, at 

 social gatherings, etc. 



