Mr. L. Johnson, of Kentucky, has the 

 characteristic large mouth of the orator, is 



rather above the medium size, wears a full 

 red beard and side whiskers, and his lan- 

 guage is eloquent. He looks the typical man 

 from Kentucky, and enters into every dis- 

 cussion with real Southern ardor. 



Mr. T. F. Bingham is a man of classic 

 features, and is considered quite an author- 

 ity on bee-eulture. 



The newly elected officers, as well as 

 the place of meeting are all well chosen, 

 and we confidently predict a pleasant 

 and profitable meeting next fall. Two 

 years ago we had about $5 in the treas- 

 ury ; now we have nearly $100, after 

 paying all expenses. In 1876 the Society 

 was expected to die at Philadelphia, but 

 now it is a power felt not only in every 

 State of the Union, but also in Canada 

 and Europe, and its prospects are as 

 bright as the science of bee-keeping is 

 captivating. We hope all its officers will 

 labor not only to sustain its present rep- 

 utation, but to increase its usefulness 

 and extend its influence. 



igirCroffut has written a poem en- 

 titled, "Charlie, the Bees are Swarm- 

 ing." It is set to music, which is said 

 to be very natural. A reviewer gives 

 the following description, illustrating 

 the methods of the untutored past : 



" You can barely hear the distant 

 hum of the bees, increasing louder and 

 louder. It begins on the little violin ; 

 the bass viol strikes in when the bees 

 get fairly at it ; then several falsetto 

 notes show where the hired man got 

 stung ; now come a dozen discordant 

 sounds representing the drumming on 

 old tin pans to make the bees alight ; 

 then softer notes as the hive is brought 

 out and placed under the tree, followed 

 by sudden shrieks from the penny whis- 

 tle to the big French horn, as the baby, 

 the hired girl, the dog, the farmer's wire 

 and the farmer start for the camphor 

 bottle and the woodshed." 



i^The "American Newspaper Di- 

 rectory" for 1880, published by Geo. P. 

 Rowell & Co., of New York, is a com- 

 plete and very useful work, invaluable 

 alike to the general advertiser and the 

 newspaper publisher. We acknowledge 

 with thanks, a copy of this excellent 

 book, from the publishers. 



Beggars' Ticks as Bee Forage. 



The enclosed plant is of spontaneous 

 growth near our apiary. It attains 4 to 

 6 feet in height, is quite branching, 

 commences to blossom in August, and 

 to-day, notwithstanding several heavy 

 frosts, bees are working vigorously on 

 it, and apparently with satisfying re- 

 sults. We do not know where the seed 

 came from, but think it may prove a 

 valuable late honey plant; will test it 

 thoroughly next season. Please name it. 



Chicago, Oct. 13, 1880. C. 



[The specimen sent is Verbesina Vir- 

 ginia (crownbeard), and is closely rela- 

 ted to coreopsis and beggars 1 ticks. It 

 has been sent before as a bee plant. — 

 W. J. Beal.] 



i^° On the 24th of last month, we de- 

 livered a lecture at the court house in 

 Omaha on "Bee-Keeping a Science." 

 A fierce thunder-storm coming up on 

 that evening, made the audience small. 

 But one lady dared to venture out, and 

 that was " mine host," Mrs. Van Dorn. 

 We had a pleasant visit with many Ne- 

 braska apiarists, and examined the 

 many very creditable exhibits on the 

 fair grounds, including the apiarian ex- 

 hibit of Mr. Van Dorn, and the fruit of 

 Mr. Hiram Craig, President of the Ne- 

 braska Bee-Keepers' Society. 



^We notice that the Country Gen- 

 tleman gleaned several articles from the 

 last Bee Journal, ; of course, being an 

 honorable and good journal, it gave due 

 credit ; but there are scores of agricul- 

 tural papers that in nearly every issue 

 copy articles and never think of giving 

 credit. This illustrates the difference 

 between honorable journalism and the 

 fraudulent catch-penny kind. 



igiTThe insects sent for identification 

 by I. Pi. Good, of Napanee,Ind.,arethe 

 stinging-bugs, Phymata erosa, and are 

 fully described and illustrated in the 

 4th and 5th editions of my Manual of 

 the Apiary. From the numerous com- 

 plaints which come to me, I judge this 

 to be one of the worst pests to the bees. 

 A. J. Cook. 



