1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



601 



Illinois State Fair Extiibit. — We have received 

 the following regarding the exhibit of Italian bees at the com- 

 ing Illinois State Fair : 



Since the Illinois State Pair, to be held in Springfield, 

 Sept. 28 to Oct. 3, oilers premiums on two strains or classes 

 of Italian tees, it becomes necessary to specify standards for 

 judging each of these two strains, because in the rules adopted 

 a standard for only one class is given, and even this class is 

 Indefinite. Hence, the Pair committee have decided to amend 

 remark 2 under the rule adopted for judging Italian bees, so 

 as to read as follows : 



2. ((() Dark or leather-colored Italians should show three 

 yellow bands. 



(h) Golden Italians should show four or more yellow 

 bands, and those showing the most yellow, and are the most 

 evenly marked, should score the highest. 



Geo. p. Eobbins, 

 W. J. Finch, Jr., f 



It was through the efforts of this committee that the pre- 

 miums offered on bees and honey (no implements^ at the 

 Illinois State Pair were raised to a total of $284, which is 

 indeed very liberal, and should call out a fine exhibit. 



• Covi. 



"Kcw Union and Honey Excbang-e.— In Sky- 

 lark's "Pickings by the Way," in Gleanings for Sept. 1, he 

 gives some excellent suggestions as to what ought to be done 

 at the Lincoln convention next month. Here is what he says : 



The North American meets the 7th of October next. This 

 is just the chance you want to form and organize a new union 

 and honey exchange — national in every respect. There will 

 be present a large number of bee-keepers — men of national 

 reputation, almost equal to myself, and you will not get such 

 a body together soon again. 



Take the constitution of the present Union and add ample 

 power to protect bee-keepers in everything that relates to 

 their calling — power to fight adulteration in the legislative 

 halls, in the courts, and in the streets. This question of adul- 

 teration overtops all others that confront us at the present 

 time. Everything else dwindles into utter insignificance 

 before it. It is the greatest enemy we have to fight. One 

 man or a few men can do nothing ; but a great organized body, 

 cemented together by mutual interests and a common objec- 

 tive point, would be invincible in pleading for the right in the 

 legislative hall or in a court of justice. 



This hydra-headed monster. Adulteration, that has 

 started up in our path, is the only one that bids fair at the 

 present time to destroy us in the end. Its utter destruction 

 and annihilation is our only salvation. " Is life so dear or 

 peace so sweet " that we will stand idly here and allow our 

 enemy to sweep over us, carrying everything before him ? No ! 

 a thousand times no ! 



I don't want to say anything against the little Union, and 

 I won't; but I have examined it with my little microscope, and 

 it appears to watch that STOO very much as a little bulldog 

 watches a bone that he has laid away for future use. A 

 jiiational union and honey exchange would soon absorb it, for 

 the members of the Union, as it is, would see that they could 

 get much more protection in the new organization. 'This in- 

 stitution would be the great bulwark of our liberty — the for- 

 tress from which would belch forth the thunder of our can- 

 non on evil-doers — a protection and a defense at all times and 

 under all circumstances. 



Don't talk to me about the expense of it. I hate expenses. 

 A man would actually make money by his membership. Can 

 you buy .$100 worth of supplies as' cheap as you can buy 25 

 carloads ? Well, that is exactly what this union and exchange 

 would do — buy in large lots and sell to members at cost, plus 

 expense of handling. To outsiders it might sell at a fair 

 profit, benefiting even them. Any bee-keeper would make 

 much more than his outlay for membership by belonging to it. 



And last, but not least, there is the great and paramount 

 object of having your honey handled honestly. It would be 

 no joint stock company, where a few men can get rich at the 

 expense of the many. Every man would be just as good as 

 another, and a great deal better. 'This institution would 

 eventually control the honey market, and get much better 

 prices for our product. Thousands would flock into it, for 

 they can see they would be making money by it. If a man 

 can see he is losing money by staying out, how long will he 

 stay there ? If they can see, as they will see, that it is a 

 blessing and a free lunch to be in, won't they tumble in pell- 

 mell ? 



Some say we are tal'king too much ; that action is what is 



wanted, and then they go on and talk a good deal more. 



Well, why don't Wiet/ act — take the lead without talk? The 

 fact is, no one seems willing to make a leader of himself. But 

 now a great body of leading bee-keepers is about to come 

 together at Lincoln, Nebr., and it is to them we must look if 

 anything is to be accomplished at the present time. Turn the 

 North American, with its present membership, into a new 

 " Union Honey Exchange," and in three months there will be 

 1,000 names on its rolls, and it will increase so fast that the 

 little Union will march up to its treasury and cast in its little 

 trifle of .$700. Let the headquarters be at Chicago, the hot- 

 bed and sink of adulteration. First fight for pure-food laws, 

 and then fight to get them executed, and it will not be long 

 until the hydra-headed monster is laid low in the dust. 



Skylark is a big fellow ! — in his own mind. But he does 

 occasionally throw out some mighty chunks of wisdom when 

 he bends his brain to it. And the foregoing is a shining ex- 

 ample of what he can do when he is careful to hold his bump 

 of imagination in proper check. 



Particularly are we with him in urging such a modifica- 

 tion of the present Union as to make it of greater use to its 

 members. There are certainj questions — especially honey 

 adulteration— that mxist be taken hold of, and we think the 

 reorganized Union is just the one to do it. We believe that 

 the adulteration fight is the very next — and first — thing for 

 bee-keepers to take hold of in good earnest. Then there are 

 some crooked honey commission-men that need straightening 

 out. This the Union could help to do. 



When it comes to a national honey exchange — well, that's 

 a big thing. That will need some very steady, careful 

 thought. The Union must'not rush into that. We have no 

 doubt it would prove a good thing if properly managed — but 

 be sure to count the cost before undertaking so large a work as 

 that. The idea is all right, but it means an enormous amount 

 of cash capital and right management to carry it out. 



Let all digest Skylark's suggestions, then come to Lincoln 



ready to aid in a " forward movement" in the interest of all 



bee-keepers. 



• <-»-» 



Honey as a Medicine.— Mr. Elias Pox, in a recent 

 number of Gleanings, wrote thus on the value of honey as a 

 medicinal article as well as for food : 



We have a young man here in this village who was 

 troubled with dyspepsia, and the more medicine he took the 

 worse he became. I advised him to try honey and graham 

 gems for breakfast, telling him of my experience. He said, 

 " Bring me up some and I will try it." I did so, and he com- 

 menced to gain, and now enjoys as good health as the average 

 man, and he does not take medicine, either. 



I attended the bee-keepers' convention at Madison, Wis., 

 several years ago, and Dr. Vance, of that city, read an essay 

 on honey as food and medicine, and in his remarks he said 

 that honey is the only food taken into the stomach that leaves 

 no residue. He claimed that it requires no action of the 

 stomach whatever to digest it, as it is merely absorbed and 

 taken up into the system by the action of the blood. I sin- 

 cerely believe that honey is the natural foe to dyspepsia and 

 indigestion, as well as a food for the human system. 



Only One Cent a Copy for copies of the American 

 Bee Journal before Jan. 1, 1896. We have them running 

 back for about 10 years. But you must let us select them, as 

 we cannot furnish them in regular order, and probably not 

 any particular copies. Just send us as many one-cent stamps 

 as you may want old copies, and we will mail them to you. 



Xlie Great Campaign Book offered on page 

 607, ought to he in the hands of every voter. It shows all 

 sides of the political questions of the day. Better send for a 

 copy of it. Orders filled by return mail. 



Paste for Labeling^ on tin, when other things fail, 

 is made simply of water and flour not boiled. So an exchange 

 says. It can be proven by trial. 



