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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.. 



dyspepsia with its train of ills by living 

 too fast. Some periodicals have tried 

 this, and to-day they are suffering from 

 a severe fit of sickness, while the old 

 American Bee JouBNAL still looms up 

 like the giant oak, with its slow but 

 steady and healthy growth, towering up 

 unto the skies, the admiration of all 

 eyes. 



Ideas, too, like other things, can get 

 ripe too quick, and the past year seems 

 notable for a superabundance of wind- 

 falls of this character; however, no per- 

 manent hurt seems to be done to our in- 

 dustry, owing, perhaps, to the remedies 

 applied. Those who have been afflicted 

 with that class of ideas seem at last to 

 have realized that in this republic of ours 

 there is always a reserve force that will 

 make itself felt, if occasion requires; and 

 as a law-abiding people, we believe not 

 in dark and unlawful ways of doing 

 things. Yet, no doubt there is, and 

 always will be, an appetite for startling 

 things, yet they are unhealthy, and to be 

 avoided as much as possible. 



The past year has brought us many 

 blessings, and many changes have also 

 taken place. We regret that Prof. 

 Cook, that old veteran and helper, has 

 gone west, and while it seemed we could 

 not spare Bro. Newman from the old 

 American Bee Journal, yet his mantle 

 has fallen on young and worthy shoul- 

 ders. 



The World's Fair has scattered seeds of 

 knowledge which will bear fruit for com- 

 ing generations. Bee-keepers may well 

 be satisfied with the display of their 

 products, and now as the year 1894 has 

 long since dawned upon us, let us all 

 remember each other, and help along in 

 that spirit of love and charity which 

 worketh no ill to our neighbor. May 

 this year develop at least a part of the 

 vast field of usefulness which lies before 

 us. This field of thought and action can 

 not be developed at one stride, or by any 

 one person ; no particular twist of the 

 wrist can accomplish it. 



The advent of a new era in bee-keep- 

 ing, which seems almost sure to come in 

 the near future, will not be startling. 

 It will likely be brought about by the 

 natural reaction which generally follows 

 any extreme position or action advocated 

 or practiced in any vocation. It seems 

 that bee-keepers have suffered much 

 from extremists and selfish persons, and 

 those who seemed to play with the voca- 

 tion as with a toy, forgetful or careless 

 of the harm they might do. The reac- 

 tion perhaps will come from conservative 

 bee-keepers who are not willing to see 

 their vocation destroyed ; but man is so 



hopeful that something startling is the 

 thing that may possibly bring the much- 

 coveted prize of success, that it is queer 

 to see the lengths to which he may be 

 led before he sees his true condition ; but 

 he is almost sure to see it sooner or later, 

 and then woe to the quacks and dema- 

 gogues who have thus bewitched him ! 

 But the measure must be full before he 

 sees it. I know not how soon the reac- 

 tion will come — I don't pose that high — 

 but the past year has been productive of 

 much that would indicate that a dispen- 

 sation of common-sense can't come too 

 quick, even if it hurries. 

 Ovid, Pa. 



xxxxxxxxxzzxx: 



The Wisconsin Slate Convention. 



Written lor the American Bee Journal 



BY DR. J. W. VANCE. 



The Wisconsin Bee-Keeper's Associa- 

 tion met at the Capitol in Madison, on 

 Feb. 7 and 8, 1894. The President, C. 

 A. Hatch, of Ithaca, being absent on 

 account of sickness, the 1st Vice-Presi- 

 dent, Franklin Wilcox, of Mauston, 

 took the chair. The attendance was not 

 large, but the discussions were as inter- 

 esting and spirited as usual. 



The leading topic was swarming, its 

 causes, desirability, and proper man- 

 agement. It was an interesting theme 

 to most of the members present, par- 

 ticularly to those who have not had a 

 large experience in bee-keeping. Of 

 course there was quite a diversity of 

 views and experiences even among 

 those who have been long in the busi- 

 ness. 



THE CAUSES OF SWARMING. 



The chief causes are over-crowding 

 and heat. The queen, having occupied 

 all available cell room not filled with 

 honey, is out of a job, and at once the 

 workers start queen-cells and prepare 

 for swarming. When the swarming im- 

 pulse takes possession of a colony, the 

 bee-master usually can do little to re- 

 strain them from swarming. Under 



