T-mm MMSRiC'MK mMW jo^Mnmi^, 



827 



XHOMAs o. rvEnrniAN, 



BDITOB. 



VoinV. Dec. 28, m No, 52, 



We Wiiiili all our readers and patrons 

 "A MERRY CHRISTMAS, 

 and a prosperous and 

 HAPPY NEW YEAR." 



This number completes the Twenty- 

 Fifth j-ear of the AirEiiicAX Bee Jouunal 

 — a full quarter of a century. It is old. and 

 tried, and ever faithful to its trust. 



The fuU and complete Index in this 

 number will be very valuable to all who 

 keep the numbers for reference, or who use 

 Binders. It covers not only the subjects, 

 but the illustrations, and the names of the 

 correspondents. 



Much interesting matter is crowded 

 out of this issue, by the Report of the Inter- 

 national Convention and the copious Index. 

 It will appear, however, in the first num- 

 ber of the New Year. 



Qiieen-lleex are now mailable to 

 foreign countries. In accordance with our 

 request, and the letters of apiarists who 

 have written to him, the Superintendent of 

 Foreiiju mails has succeeded in getting 

 bees admitted to the mails of countries of 

 the Universal Union. The Postmaster Gen- 

 eral has just issued the following circular 

 relative to the matter : 



Office of Foreign Mails, 

 WiishiiiKton. D. C, Nov. 23, 1880. 



The Intcriiiilioiial llui-c;iu of the Universal 

 Postal Union, ;U. Herne, Switz., having advised 

 tills Department that certain countries of the 

 Postal Union have consented to admit to the 

 mails they exehiingc with other countries, 

 paclsages containing QUEEN-BEES ; provided 

 the bees are packed in wooden boxes, nut ex- 

 ceeding 5x2xlH inches in size, closed with a 

 wire screen protectc'd by a movable wooden 

 lid, and that i)()sl:ijie thereon is prepaid, either 

 at the rate appliealiU' tn letters or to "samples 

 of merchandise" in Postal Union mails : 



IT IS HEREBY ORDEKED : that on and 

 after the 1st of December next, Queen-Bees, 

 in boxes which would entitle them to trans- 

 mission in the domestic mails of the United 

 States,and not exceeding-- the dimensions ab<jve 

 named, shall be admitted to the mails that are 

 exchanged between the United States and the 

 Argentine Republic, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chili, 

 Columbia, Congo, Dutch West Indies (Curacoa, 

 etc.), Egypt, Guatamala, Hayti, Hawaii, India 

 (British), Italy, Liberia, Mexico, Paraguay, 

 Portugal and the Portuguese Colonies, Rou- 

 mania. Slam, and Spain and Switzerland, at 

 the postage rate applicable to "samples of 

 merchaiKlise "; and to the mails exchanged be- 

 tween the United States and Austro-Hungary, 

 France, Germany, Greece, Luxemburg, The 

 Netherlands and Dutch Guiana, provided pos- 

 tage thereon \s fully prcpaW at the rate appli- 

 cable to ict^ers, viz: live cents per half-ounce, 

 or fraction of half-ounce. 



JOHN WANAMAKER, 



Postmaster Ocneral. 



Postmasters will cause due notice of the 

 foregoing to be taken at their ofBces, and issue 

 the necessary instructions for carrying it into 

 effect. N. M. BROOKS, 



Acting Superintendent of Foreign Mails. 



1]^" The bees that are left on the sum- 

 mer stands have "had a picnic" this fall. 

 The weather has been so mild — in fact quite 

 " warm"— so that they have been "on the 

 wing" considerable of the time. Winter 

 holds off, and so far we have had no cold 

 weather in this latitude. We hope that Old 

 Winter will not " dally in the lap of spring " 

 to pay for it. 



Candy for IVinter Feeding.— We 



are requested to give a recipe for making 

 candy for feeding bees over the frames in 

 winter. Here it is : 



Use four parts of coffee A sugar, and one 

 part of water; simmer until it becomes 

 quite bard, on being cooled; mould it into 

 frames of one-inch thickness, and lay it on 

 the top of the frames, using sticks under- 

 neath I'-i-inch square, to give the bees free 

 access to it, and the heat of the hive will 

 keep it warm, and soften it. 



Color of Honey. — Mr. J. C. Lee, of 

 Brooklyn, Pa., asks this question: 



I heard two bee-men express different 

 opinions about basswood and white clover 

 honey. One claimed that basswood honey 

 was the whitest honey gathered, and that 

 white clover honey was not colorless, but 

 of a yellowish tinge. The other claimed 

 just the reverse of this. Will you please 

 state the color of the two kinds of honey, in 

 the Bee Journal '. 



White clover honey varies iu tint from 

 pure white to amber, according to the loca- 

 tion where it is gathered. That from the 

 hill sides varies iu color from that in the 

 valleys. Atmospheric conditions, soil, and 

 climate have much to do with its tint. 

 Basswood hone_y is white, invariably. 



The Eastern New York bee-keepers 

 will hold a Convention at Albany, N. Y., on 

 Jan. 20 and 21, 1890. 



dubs of 5 for $4.00, to any addresses. 

 Ten for $7.50, if all are sent at one time. 



The Rev. W. F. Clarke writes thus : 

 " The Ii.LusTUATED HojiE Journal is a wel- 

 come monthly visitor to oui- house. With 

 wife and daughters, it is ' who's who ' to get 

 the first read of it. I have to come last, be- 

 cause I am obliged to take it as a relief and 

 relaxation from sterner studies. But I en- 

 joy it very much when I can get to it. We 

 all like it, and so do our grandchildren, 

 cousins and aunts. It is a truly family 

 magazine, containing something for all, 

 whether old or young, that cannot fail to 

 be interesting and instructive." 



Bees and Honey in Indiana. — 



We have received the Biennial Report of 

 Statistics for Indiana. The total number 

 of pounds of honey reported are 1,624,683 

 for 1887, an increase of 566,800 pounds 

 over the product of 1886. The average to 

 each colony is about 16 pounds. In 1888 

 the honey crop had decreased to 933,922 

 pounds — only a little over one-half of what 

 it was in 1887. The average per colony 

 in 1888 was only about 7 pounds. 



Honey Almanac. 



Here is what is said of it by those who 

 have seen the Honey Almanac : 



It is to every bee-keeper's interest to get 

 the Honey Almanacs well scattered about 

 in his immediate vicinity, especially if he 

 has not got as large a trade as he wishes to 

 have. As for me, I can sell more than I can 

 produce, to do mj' best, and there is up- 

 ward of 400 colonies kept within a radius 

 of one mile of my own apiary— all within 

 the limits of the city. I have on hand now 

 70 colonies. — B. E. Rice, Boscobel, Wis. 



We have received the Honey Almanac, 

 and are greatly pleased with it. The book 

 is brimful of choice recipes for cooking, thus 

 commending itself to the housewife ; while 

 it contains directions for the use of honey 

 and beeswax iu combination with other in- 

 gi-edients, valuable in case of sickness and 

 accident. It also clearly demonstrates 

 the fact that comb honey cannot be 

 " manufactured;" and, altogether, it is one 

 of the best advertisements a bee-keeper 

 can have for the sale of his products. A 

 number of these Almanacs distributed in a 

 town, ought materially to increase the de- 

 mand for both comb and extracted honey. 

 —Bce-Kcepers' Quide. 



Prices;— 25 copies for $1.00; 50 copies 

 for $1.50; 100 for $2. 50; 500 copies for 

 $10.00; 1,000 copies for $15.00, delivered 

 at the freight or express office here. The 

 bee-keeper's Card will be printed upon the 

 first page, without extra cost, when 25 or 

 more are ordered at one time. Postage, 40 

 cents per 100 extra. AH orders can now be 

 filled as soon as received. 



t^" The Bee Joukxal gives 52 dividends 

 in a year on an investment of one dollar. 

 Can any one desire a better investment, or 

 richer returns? 



Whoever before heard of a set of the 

 Waverley Novels being sold for less than 

 $12.00 i Just think of our offer of either 

 these or the Works of Dickens, with this 

 Journal untn Dec. 31, 1890— aU for $3.10! 

 See the last page of this paper. 



