London Honey and Bee Show. 



The sixth annual exhibition of bees 

 and their products and apiarian ap- 

 pliances, under the auspices of the 

 British Bee-Keepers* Association was 

 held from July 2S to Aug. 2. This 

 association was formed with the two- 

 fold object of advocating the more 

 humane and intelligent treatment of 

 the honey bee, and of bettering the 

 condition of small farmers by the en- 

 couragement, improvement and ad- 

 vancement of bee-culture. The British 

 Bee-Keepers' Association which is a 

 splendid example for the American 

 National Society, has held shows every 

 year, having sent its tent and skilled 

 manipulators through the country to 

 attend fairs, etc., and has 11 local asso- 

 ciations affiliated to it. 



The accompanying engraving shows 

 the bee tent as it stands upon the green 

 sward in front of the conservatory of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society at 



South Kensington. In this tent Mr. 

 Frank Cheshire, one of the soundest 

 thinkers in this generation of bee- 

 keepers, delivers several times a day 

 lectures of the most charmingly in- 

 teresting character, while an expert 

 practically illustrates that part of the 

 lecture relating to transferring, etc. 

 There are I fancy few, if any, in 

 America who would limit the number 

 of bee-keepers or make the production 

 of honey a monopoly to be enjoyed only 

 by a small class of individuals. I hope 

 the National Society, will, therefore, 

 have one of these tents made for use at 

 the bee conventions and fairs through- 

 out the States and thus educate the 

 masses by popular lectures and practi- 

 cal illustrations in modern bee culture. 

 By charging a six-pence admittance, 

 the tent is made not only self-support- 

 ing, but so large is the attendance it is 

 actually a source of revenue. One of 

 the features in the tent this week was 

 the competition in transferring from a 

 straw hive into a movable-frame one, 

 to capture and exhibit the queen. Mr. 



Walton, of Leamington, transferred his 

 Ligurians in 4 minutes and 15 seconds 

 and found his queen in :; minutes and 15 

 seconds. The prize for transferring 

 was awarded Mr. Walton. 



At the show this year there are 53 

 exhibitors among whom 93 prizes were 

 distributed, comprising silver medals 

 and $10.00; bronze medals and $5.00; 

 Certificates and $2.50; and many prizes 

 alone varying from $10. 00 down to $1 .25. 



There were 9 exhibitions of live bees. 

 Mr. Baldwin was awarded the first 

 prize for the best colony of Ligurian 

 bees. The second was given to Messrs. 

 Neighbour & Sons. Messrs. Abbott 

 Bros. — not Mr. Jones as previously 

 written— received a silver medal for the 

 best colony of Cyprians. For the best 

 colony of other foreign bees— Neigh- 

 bour & Sons took the first prize, a silver 

 medal, with their Hungarians. Abbott 

 Bros, were awarded a silver medal first 

 prize, for the best hive for observation 

 purposes, stocked with bees and their 

 queen. Colonies were sold at $22 to 

 $30, each. There were 28 exhibitions 

 of hives. The highest prizes being 

 awarded those constructed upon the 

 movable-frame principle, while the old 

 fashioned "skep"' or straw bee hive, 

 the shape of which is proverbial, are 

 rescued from disuse by several prizes. 

 Price of straw hives here is Si. 25 each, 

 while the movable-frame hives range 

 from 62 1 £ cents up to $12.50. 



The American honey which I intro- 

 duced into this country in the " prize " 

 and " Hetherington " boxes, have exer- 

 cised a complective influence upon the 

 Honey Show this year. The season 

 being more propitious than last; the 

 large number of American surplus 

 boxes imported into this country, have 

 gone into use and the 98 different ex- 

 hibits displayed at least a variety never 

 found at an American fair, while the 

 highest prizes in any class, were 

 awarded to the honey in American 

 sections. In every instance white 

 clover won the laurels. While it was 

 not considered necessary for a prize to 

 have the best honey in the most mar- 

 ketable shape by glassing and crating 

 the sections, consideration was given to 

 straight, well-tilled combs. The ex- 

 tracted clover honey had a particularly 

 hue definite flavor, but rather thin in 

 body and in some instances unripe. 

 The prices asked for 1 lb. sections tilled 

 with white clover honey was 2s. 6d. 

 (62^c), while extracted sold at Is. 6d. 

 (37Xc.), per bottle, containing 1 lb. Of 

 course these prices amounted to a pro- 

 hibition, and although the show was 

 largely attended, many of the exhibitors 

 will take their honey home again. * 



