^oxtiQU ^oUs. 



Britains' Bee Show and Convention. 



The British Bee-Keepers' Associ- 

 ation held its fourth Bee and Honey 

 Show, at the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Gardens, South Kensington, London, 

 in August, as spoken of in last 

 month's Bee Journal. It was a 

 grand success and will do much 

 good, by assisting to drive the old 

 methods out of use, and in their 

 place to introduce the latest phases 

 of scientific bee-culture. The first 

 President of this Association was 

 Sir John Lubbock. Its present 

 President being a Lady Bee-keeper, 

 whose name is recognized the wide 

 world over as a synonym for benev- 

 olence and philanthropy, the Baro- 

 ness Burdett-Coutts. Honey from 

 her beautiful residence, "Holly 

 Lodge," was on exhibition and 

 received the highest commendation. 



The London Times remarks that 

 the honorary secretary, Mr. Peel, 

 announced in his address preceding 

 the distribution of prizes, that the 

 show had been successful and well 

 attended, and that it was expected 

 to be repeated next year in the same 

 place. Mr. John Hunter, a member 

 of the committee, delivered a lecture 

 to the visitors, in which he explained 

 the improved methods of bee keep- 

 ing by the use of bar and frame 

 hives, and the process of driving the 

 bees and transferring them from one 

 hive to another while the honey was 

 "slung" out of the combs of the first. 

 The combs can, after this operation, 

 be restored to be filled again by the 

 industrious insects, who under older 

 methods of culture would have been 

 stifiled with sulphur, while their suc- 

 cessors would have had to waste 

 precious days of summer in building 

 up fresh honey-combs from the be- 

 ginning. 



Several experienced bee-masters 

 gave examples of manipulation, 

 guiding the bees like a flock of sheep 



into new hives, and rapidly select- 

 ing the queen, whom the rest always 

 followed, from the drones and work- 

 ers. Examples of combining the 

 inmates of several hives into one, 

 were shown, and it was stated that 

 strange beeswould always be received 

 into a new hive if they brought 

 hone}^ with them. If, however, they 

 could no<- thus pay their footing, 

 they would be driven away like the 

 drones which, after being fed for a 

 brief season with the richest syrups 

 by the workers, are expelled to 

 perish of hunger and cold at the 

 mouth of the hive. 



The following were the principal 

 prizes distributed; For the best 

 hive for observation purposes, all 

 combs visible on both sides, exhib- 

 ited stocked with bees and their 

 queen. 



For the best movable comb hive, 

 including covering and stand. 



For the most economical, be stand 

 cheapest, complete hive, on the 

 movable comb principle, for cot- 

 tagers' use, including cover and 

 floor board. 



For a hive for general use, on an 

 entirelynew and approved principle. 



For the best and cheapest supers 

 for general use in an apiary. 



For the cheapest, neatest, and best 

 supers for producing honey-comb in 

 a saleable form. 



For the best stock of Ligurian or . 

 other foreign bees. 



For the best stock of pure English 

 bees. 



For the largest and best harvest 

 of honey in the comb and from one 

 stock of bees, under any system or 

 combination of systems. 



For the best super of honey, the 

 super to be of wood, straw, or of 

 wood in combination with glass or 

 straw. 



For the best glass super of honey. 



For the best exhibition of honey 

 in supers, or sections of supers, 

 separable, and each not more than 

 3 lbs. in weight, the total weight not 

 less than 12 lbs. • 



