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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



April 5, 1906 



the National relative to uniting the two societies, but I am not sure 

 what action was authorized. It seems to me that duplication of work 

 that could be accomplished by one association is not wise. I see no 

 reason why the National could not take up this work of publicity un- 

 der its present constitution, and if prosecuted as before suggested, the 

 expense would not be greater than the present receipts warrant. 



A small committee, untrammeled by red tape, could do a lot of 

 advertising in the course of a year with small outlay. 



Perhaps this subject isn't timely. It may be ill-advised, but 

 knowing what other organizations are attempting in their own inter- 

 ests, and how they are going about it, leads me to suggest the method 

 briefly alluded to above. Eugene Secor. 



We are glad Mr. Secor has written the foregoing. It 

 gives us the opportunity to say that in addition to advertis- 

 ing honey extensively in the newspaper and magazine press 

 direct, it was The Honey-Producers' League's intention to 

 do much along the lines mentioned by Mr. Secor. Nat- 

 urally, when the advertising columns of a publication were 

 being patronized, their managers would more readily accept 

 contributions along the same line, but of a more general 

 character, and which often would contain appropriate api- 

 arian illustrations. 



The proposition made by the League at the late Na- 

 tional convention (subject later to the approval of the 

 League's membership), was that the funds now in the 

 League's treasury be turned over to the National, to be ex- 

 pended in the same manner as proposed by the League's 

 constitution. Up to this time the League has not been 

 notified of the action of the National's Board of Directors 

 on the proposition, although it has been over three months 

 since it was made. 



Mr. Secor's suggestion is all right, being in line with 

 what we proposed for the National some time ago. But 

 perhaps now that it comes from Mr. Secor it will be con- 

 sidered. We hope so, at least. 



We may say further, that if it is expected to " get some- 

 thing for nothing" along the advertising line, bee-keepers 

 might as well stop before starting. What is $5000 or $20,- 

 000 a year among say 100,000 bee-keepers? Why, many 

 single concerns think nothing of spending such sums every 

 year, and they are not the largest firms, either. Bee-keep- 

 ers must get over the idea of doing a penny advertising 

 business if they wish to develop a more general demand for 

 honey. It can't be done with a few free reading notices in 

 papers of small circulation , and with several hundred dollars. 



But if the National had the League's funds in addition 

 to its own, an effort could be made that might result in 

 creating enough interest to induce more bee-keepers to con- 

 tribute to the advertising fund. 



"\ 



Miscellaneous 

 Hetps * 3 terns 



j 



Well, How Do You Like It ?— We mean this 32-page 

 number of the American Bee Journal. Why not show it to 

 your bee-keeping neighbors and request them to subscribe 

 for a year ? We offer many fine premiums in this issue for 

 the work of getting and sending in new subscriptions. 

 Judging from the way in which new readers are being 

 added to our list every week, it must be a real pleasure to a 

 non-subscriber to be asked to take the American Bee Jour- 

 nal. Try it and see. 



We feel very grateful to those who are helping to in- 

 crease our list of regular readers. If you have not secured 

 any new subscribers lately, who not go out and ask a few 

 bee-keepers to let you send in their dollars? If you have 

 been sending in new subscriptions lately, "do it some 

 more." We have room for a lot more of them 1 



The National Convention.— In these strenuous times 

 there is not always the consideration there might be for 

 those who do not act with lightning speed ; as instance the 

 following : 



Mr. Editor: — Why don't you announce the time and place of the 

 next meeting of the National Association ? What's a bee-journal for 

 if it can not keep us posted? Or is the Board of Directors 60 slow it 

 hasn't decided yet? Sometimes it makes a decided difference with 

 making one's arrangements whether he knows the date six weeks or 

 six months in advance. 



Why wouldn't it be a good thing to have it an understood tb in g 

 that the meeting is always to be at the time and place of the G. A. R. 

 Encampment, and then there would never be any uncertainty about it? 



You can't get the attendance without cheap transportation, and the 

 G. A. R. meeting makes sure of that. The Grand Army contains some 

 good bee-keepers, and they will attend both meetings when they would 

 not attend the National alone. 



If the matter is not already decided, it ought not to take long to 

 decide it. Unless San Antonio can get better rates than St. Paul, the 

 thing ought to be considered settled. National Member. 



This Journal pleads not guilty to the charge of failure 

 to keep its readers fully informed as to matters of general 

 interest. But it has no powers of prophetic vision, and 

 would not dare to say in advance what may be the decision 

 of the powers that be. Neither does the responsibility lie 

 with the Board of Directors, but with the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the National. 



Last week we announced that it had been decided to 

 hold the convention in Texas this year. In all probability 

 it will be San Antonio, though of this we have no authority 

 to speak definitely as yet. 



We certainly are in favor of making it a rule for the 

 National Bee-Keepers' Association to follow the Grand 

 Army. It would save any feeling on the part of some when 

 the National doesn't meet where they desire, and, as men- 

 tioned by our correspondent, the low railroad rate is always 

 assured. We hope that the Executive Committee of the 

 National will, after this year, make it a rule to hold the 

 bee-keepers' convention wherever the G. A. R. meets. We 

 also make this as a suggestion, in conjunction with some 

 other humble members of the National. 



An Armful of Bees, appearing on the first page, was 

 sent us by Carl Opsata, of Bemidji, Minn., who writes thus 

 interestingly about his experience : 



I send a picture of myself and my first swarm of bees taken July 

 17, 1904, by my father. It happened tnis way : 



The swarm came out and wanted to settle on the little birch-tree 

 shown in the picture; I did not want them to settle there, so I rolled 

 up my shirt sleeve to the shoulder, took the queen in a cage in my 

 hand, and shook them off the tree and let them settle on the queen- 

 cage and my bare arm. It was a big swarm, the weight of it being too 

 much for one arm, so I had to brace it up with the other. I got just 7 

 stings, and that in spite of the fact that they were hybrids. The feel- 

 ing that all the thousands of little claws created was something won- 

 derful. 



After the picture was taken I wanted to get the bees off, and then 

 the trouble commenced. When I began to shake them off the shirt- 

 sleeve rolled down on them, and they crawled up my arm under the 

 shirt, and on my body. Oh, I tell you it was fun ! With the aid of a 

 little 6moke 1 got them out and off into a new hive,- where they soon 

 fixed up a home, and are there still. Carl Opsata. 



Bee-Hive Struck by Lightning.— When sending the 

 picture shown on the first page, F. A. Meise, of Coats- 

 burg, 111., wrote thus : 



I send you a photograph taken Sept. 1, 1905, of a bee-hive struck 

 by lightning during a storm at midnight. There is an apple-tree 

 6tump on the opposite side close by. The lightning must have made 

 a shot for the stump, but missed and hit the bee-hive. Some of the 

 wires in the frame6 were burnt, combs slightly melted, and dead and 

 benumbed bees scattered all around the hive. Some of the bees stood 

 around benumbed, or as if they were sick, for several days afterward. 

 I changed the combs and bees that were all right into another hive, 

 and they went to work again, but I do not know if they will winter 

 all right, as they were reduced in numbers. 



The photograph was taken by myself. F. A. Meise. 



Marian Hepshiser, a little daughter of Orel L. Her- 

 shiser, of Buffalo, N. Y., was accidentally burned some time 

 ago. Mr. H. wrote us about it March 26, as follows : 



Dear Mr. York:— Our little daughter, Marian (3 1 ., years old), 

 had the misfortune to set her clothes on fire S weeks ago. She was 

 badly burned, aDd is still under the doctor's care. She is just getting 

 so she can walk again. Her right arm, face, neck and ear were 

 burned, but there will be no disfigurement of the features. 



Yours truly, Orel L. Hershiser. 



We will all rejoice with Mr. and Mrs. Hershiser that 

 " Marian " will recover so completely from her unfortunate 

 accident. 



Mope Good Photographs we can use in the American 

 Bee Journal. If you nave any of apiaries, or of things 

 apiarian, we would be pleased to receive them. If they can 

 not be used we will return them, and if we can use them we 

 will so report, and also request some discriptive matter to 

 accompany them. Who has one or more suitable photo- 

 graphs for our use ? 



-he Premiums we offer are all well wor.h working for. 

 » Look at them in this copy of the American Bee Journal. 



