1S98. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



lS!> 



culiar delicate fragrance of the linden 

 bloom, coupled with the profusion of 

 white clover at the same time, forcibly 

 suggested the inscription, "Every scent 

 of summer tide," — Flowery pastures all 

 glow, from Jean Ingelow's inspiring 

 poem, A Lily and a Lute. The subject 

 selected by Mr. Jolley is one of great 

 interest and importance, especially to 

 bee-keepers of the North, and the mat- 

 ter deserves consideration accordingly. 



An accumulation of other matter 

 just now, we deem of greater interest, 

 so that the Cuban reminiscences and 

 Florida notes are temporarily discon- 

 tinued. It is not improbable, however, 

 that something more up-to-date may 

 be given in this line before the lapse of 

 many months. Public interest seems 

 to be quite generally centred upon 

 Cuba, and "The Wanderings of Hill 

 with Camera and Quill," is a future 

 possibility. 



Bee-keeping methods in Japan, as 

 they existed twenty-five years ago, are 

 illustrated in colors by J. Ikeda & Co., 

 of Tokyo, in a chart 7x20 inches, a 

 copy of which is just at hand, accom- 

 panied by a written explanatory key and 

 a very kind invitation to the editor to 

 visit the author at his Japanese home, 

 for all of which we hereby extend as- 

 surance of our gratitude. We shall try 

 to have a small reproduction of the 

 picture prepared for publication in 

 The Bee-Keeper. 



Jude Grabbe, of the Illinois state 

 fair, we learn through the American 

 Bee Journal, suggests, among other 

 "excellent" changes in the premium 

 list, that in the future premiums on 

 exhibitions of black bees shall be 

 omitted. The reason stated is that 

 "the breeding of the blacks should be 

 discouraged rather than encouraged." 

 This begins to look like the beginning 

 of a race war, which may develop into 

 an effort to have the dusky fellows 

 transported to Liberia. 



RELATING TO SOUTHERN HONEY. 



Following the reading of Mr. Pop- 

 pleton's paper before the Omaha con- 

 vention, as published in this number, 

 came quite a lengthy discussion re- 

 garding the probable effect upon the 

 American honey market of future com- 

 petition with Cuba, and incidentally 

 as to the relative quality of varieties 

 of honey. The comments of some of 

 the participants carried with them 

 such a gross injustice to a certain im- 

 portant division of the fraternity that 

 The Bee-Keeper, in calling attention 

 thereto, deems an apology unnecessary. 



We were not a little surprised, in 

 reading the American Bee Journal's 

 report of the convention, to find these 

 words attributed to E. R. Root: 

 "Southern honey has a strong flavor 

 which is liked by some." 



It is to be regretted, in the face of 

 repeated protests, offered in the name 

 of common justice, that men of in- 

 fluence and authority should not be 

 more guarded in their public state- 

 ments. We are sure that no one ac- 

 quainted with Mr. Root or his writings 

 would for a moment attribute to him 

 a thought of willful misrepresentation. 

 We believe him utterly incapable of 

 studied deception, a fact that makes 

 the matter all the more serious. Were 

 it not for the universal regard in which 

 he is held as an authority upon all 

 matters relating to our pursuit. The 

 Bee-Keeper would feel less urgently 

 the duty to protest in behalf of its 

 southern constituents. 



We m.ight say, 'Northern honey is 

 strong," "Western honey is not good." 

 "Honey from New York or Ohio has a 

 rank smell and is dark and pungent;" 

 all of which, though true, would be 

 misleading and unjust to the producer 

 of the North, West, New York or 

 Ohio, but not more so, we believe, than 

 Mr. Root's assertion that 'Southern 

 honey has a strong flavor." The ab- 

 surdity of the expression would not be 



