AMERICAN BEE JOUHNAL. 



143 



Here is a Pattern for th»; 

 Mayors of cities to emulate. On page 

 154 it is announcod t^at ex-Mayor 

 Ewing attended the meeting of tlic 

 Wabash Valley convention of bee-keep- 

 ers, and donated ip LOO to the association, 

 to be offered as Special Premiums for 

 displays of bees and honey at the next 

 Knox County Fair. Of course the 

 action was "loudly applauded," and 

 arrangements were at once made to 

 obtain a grand exhibition. 



Such liberality is quite refreshing, 

 and furnishes a marked contrast to the 

 narrow-minded, oppressive and cruel 

 action of some Mayors we have had 

 occasion to mention in these columns 

 during the past few years. All honor to 

 ex-Mayor Ewing ! 



Promises are plenty that at the 

 next meeting of the State Board of 

 Agriculture the bee-keepers shall have 

 their proper proportion of the State 

 appropriation for the World's Fair, but 

 the matter seems to "hang fire" con- 

 siderably. In order to facilitate matters, 

 we would request every bee-keeper in 

 Illinois, at once, to write to his member 

 of the State Board, and see if we cannot 

 bring the matter to a successful termi- 

 nation. The Board meets in February, 

 so there is no time to lose. 



Xlie Union. — Concerning *the offi- 

 cers for the coming year, Mr. Wm. L. 

 Backensto, of Fort Logan, Colo., writes 

 as follows : 



I do not know as a change in the 

 oflScers of the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Union would be for the best interest of 

 the Union, unless some prominent bee- 

 keepers further West than any of those 

 now holding office were numbered among 

 the Vice-Presidents. I would suggest 

 Mr. Eugene Secor, of Forest City, Iowa, 

 as a candidate for one of the Vic«^- 

 Presidents. The management, I think, 

 should stay were it is as long as the 

 Manager himself has not expressed a 

 decided wish to be relieved. Of course 

 there is (so to speak) such a thing as 

 'riding a free horse to death," and I 



know there must be considerable work 

 attached to the ollice, and I think it 

 would be no mor<^ than right that the 

 Manager should receive some compensa- 

 tion for his labors. I also recognize the 

 fact that I am a very new member, and 

 know but little about a great many 

 things pertaining to apiculture, and 

 consequently should have but little to 

 say, but, notwithstanding, the above 

 management will suit me very well. 



Colorado items of interest in the 

 Field and Farm are as follows : 



The bee-keepers of Weld County have 

 formed an associatioj) with D. S. Beall 

 as President, C. Adams Treasurer, and 

 H. E. English Secretary. A meeting 

 will be held in February next, when 

 Prof. A. J. Cook, of the Michigan Agri- 

 cultural College, will be present on his 

 return from California. This organiza- 

 tion represents about 2,000 colonies of 

 bees. 



The northern Colorado bee-keepers 

 held a meeting on Dec. 24 last, at Long- 

 mont. H. H. Enrch occupied the chair. 

 It was decided that they form themselves 

 into an association called the Excelsior 

 Bee Association. The officers to consist 

 of a President, a. Secretary and Treas- 

 urer, also an Executive Committee. The 

 annual meeting to be held on the first 

 Wednesday in January of each year. 

 Regular meetings to be held on the first 

 Saturday of each month. The next 

 meeting will be held on the 6th next. 



Prof. Quick, of the Agricultural Col- 

 lege, estimates that in Colorado there 

 are at the present time 5,198 colonies 

 of bees producing 782,753 pounds of 

 honey annually. He places the increase 

 of bees the last year at 2,000 colonies, 

 with 200,000 pounds of honey to their 

 credit. 



We Congratulate Bro. Hutch- 

 inson upon the fact that he has now 

 obtained a type-writer. No one will 

 hereafter have to worry over his writing. 

 The type-writer will make it all plain. 



Xhis is a ''Convention Number" of 

 the Bee Journal. It contains reports 

 of meetings of bee-keepers in four 

 States, but they are very interesting, 

 and will pay for a perusal. 



