252 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



was closed atnight, answering ques- 

 tions, and explaining the different 

 articles in liis exhibit. The first to 

 attract your attention on entering, 

 was the large monument of solid 

 wax, about 200 lbs., with the name 

 Huber on the base. It was secured 

 by Prof. A. J. Cook, for the gov- 

 ernment to send to New Orleans. 



Next was the great pyramid of 

 extracted hone}^ in every conceiv- 

 able shape, in glass, tin, earthen- 

 ware and paper, all decorated with 

 fancy labels, a large number of 

 cases of comb honey, and a large 

 collection of apiarian implements. 

 Mr. Hunt received many premiums ; 

 his first premium on section box for 

 comb honey, was well placed, also 

 premium on comb foundation. Mr. 

 Hunt has the science of making 

 foundation well learned ; his sam- 

 ples were the finest I ever saw 

 made on a roller mill. 



It will be almost impossible to 

 describe the whole exhibition. 

 Those who did not see it missed 

 one of the leading features of the 

 fair. The building was filled to 

 overflowing, so much so, that one 

 man had to have a place built out- 

 side the building to accommodate, 

 but the Society has promised a lar- 

 ger building next 3'ear, and one 

 exhibitor has spoken for one whole 

 side, be it large or small. The 

 total number of entries for 1883 

 was 88. Total for 1884, 150 ; an 

 increase of 62 entries. 



The market valuation of the con- 

 tents of the building was $2,780. 

 50. The number of exhibitors is 

 increasing every year. One exhib- 

 itor from Ohio, who had been to 

 the Ohio State Fair at Columbus, 

 also the Tri-State Fair at Toledo, 

 then to the Michigan State Fair at 

 Kalamazoo, said Michigan beat 

 anything he ever saw in the way of 

 an exhibition. 



The system of expert judging 

 was tried for the first time in this 

 department and, as far as known, 



gave the best of satisfaction. Dr. 

 A. B. Mason, of Wagon Works, 

 Ohio, with his usual good nature, 

 filled the bill to a dot. All the 

 premiums offered in this depart- 

 ment were taken, besides a few dis- 

 cretionary ones. Among the many 

 visitors, you could see the smiling, 

 face of Prof. A. J. Cook, and his 

 cheering words of" grand ! grand !" 

 went to many hearts present. 

 James Heddon, Thomas Bingham, 

 and daughter. Dr. Haskins, Dr. 

 Southard, and many more of the 

 old and new-time beekeepers were 

 present. It is hoped that at the 

 next State Fair the building will be 

 filled with bees and their products, 

 and all the paraphernalia necessary 

 to carry on one of the growing in- 

 dustries of America. 



H. D. Cutting. 



Clinton, Sej^t. 27, 1884. 



Dear Sir : 



We send you the following report 

 for 1884. 



An untimely frost and cool 

 weather made it necessary to feed 

 more in the spring than ever before, 

 this with an almost entire absence 

 of fall honey was the onl^- peculiar 

 thing noticeable during the season. 

 Never in my experience of seven 

 years has the fall crop been so light ; 

 in some apiaries making it neces- 

 sary to feed for winter stores, the 

 bees having consumed all their win- 

 ter suppl}^ to keep up brood-rearing. 

 One of my neighbors has already 

 fed 1200 lbs. back and will need 

 more, he having over 300 colonies. 



Cold weather and rains kept the 

 bees from doing work, both in clo- 

 ver and bassvvood bloom. Where 

 bees had access to bassvvood the 

 average is better than last year, 

 but where clover and fall bloom 

 were the only dependence or where 

 bassvvood was killed by frost, as 



