488 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



<'aliibmia,n Appropriations for 



the benefit of the apicultural industry of 

 that State, do not materialize very rapidly. 

 Mr. Pryal, who has an article on page 500 

 of this number of the Bee Journal, wrote 

 us as follows on April 6th, about the Bill 

 that was introduced to the State Legisla- 

 ture looking toward helping the State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association: 



Referring to page, 391, I will say that the 

 Bill to appropriate |300 to the California 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association was num- 

 bered ('60 on the Assembly flle—pretty high 

 up, or, more properly, down on the list. 

 The truth was, that it was so well smoth- 

 ered by older Bills, that it never had a 

 chance to be forced up to a point \v^here it 

 could be forced along. I don't think it ever 

 reached a first reading. If it had been in- 

 troduced about two weeks sooner, it would 

 have gone through all right. I knew from 

 the promises I had, that if it were introduced 

 sooner the Association would have had the 

 money, provided the Governor did not veto 

 it, as he did the whole batch of Bills, so as 

 to keep the taxes within a limit he pledged 

 himself to do if elected ; in this regard he 

 has been more honest than most men who 

 are elected to high positions. 



The bee-keepers can get the appropria- 

 tion two years from now, if they get their 

 Bill in in time. There is no State in the 

 Union that gives the horticulturists such 

 large appropriations as does this State. The 

 viticulturists and viuiculturists also receive 

 large sums from the State, to help their in- 

 dustries; so there is no reason why the 

 apiculturists should not receive something, 

 too. They can get it if they can get in and 

 work for it. I would be in favor of having 

 an Apicultural Commission that would 

 have charge of the foul brood laws, new 

 races of bees, printing documents that 

 would help the industry in various ways, 

 and several other things which might sug- 

 gest themselves. I think an appropriation 

 of 15,000 could be obtained for such a pur- 

 pose, if the bee-keepers went about obtain- 

 ing it in the right sort of a way. 



They have now laid the foundation for 

 obtaining something for their benefit, and 

 I trust that they will not let the grass grow 

 under their feet. 



It was. unfortunate that the bee-keepers 

 were no in time in presenting their appli- 

 cation for aid. Next time, no doubt, they 

 will " get there " and get it all right. 



In reference to Mr. Pryal's article on 

 page 500, it is very difficult to decide just 

 what is best to say. Saying anything, 

 likely, will not help matters very much, 

 though it may afford relief to harrowed 

 feelings. What a shame it is, that tlie 

 great (?) Sate of California should thus 

 treat its sweetest people ! Such actions on 

 the part of the World's Pair representatives 



is wholly beyond comprehension, and alto- 

 gether unjust and contemptible ; and yet, 

 Illinois bee-keepers, if we mistake not, have 

 fared no better in their application for as- 

 sistance in making a display of the api- 

 arian products of this State at the Fair so 

 soon to be opened to the world. 



To say the least, such action, or i/taction, 

 is very discoui-aging to those who would 

 love to show what great advancement api- 

 culture has made, and is making, in this 

 land. The result now will be that foreign 

 countries will make a better showing in our 

 departmen t than the United States. If so, 

 it should put to shame those who have with- 

 held the little help asked for, and which 

 would have enabled American bee-keepers 

 to successfully compete with the apiarists 

 of any part of the world ! 



I^reiieli I<''tiine aiitl I^oose Uot- 

 toiiiM. — Dr. Miller thinks that Mr. Chas. 

 Dadant, in his autobiographical sketch, 

 published on page 425, did not tell all the 

 truth about himself, especially as to his 

 fame in France. Here is what the Doctor 

 has to say regarding it : 



Isn't it a little strange that a man like 

 Chas. Dadant should be guilty of such mis- 

 representation as occurs in his autobiog- 

 raphy on page 435 ? For isn't the suppres- 

 sion of the truth a sort of misrepresenta- 

 tion ? Now there isn't a line, nor a word, 

 to show that Mr. Dadant has a reputation 

 worth speaking of in France at the present 

 day, while the fact is. I suppose, that he is 

 even better known there than in this coun- 

 try. The Dadant hive is one of the most 

 popular in France, and one of the most able 

 and vigorous writers to be found in the 

 French bee-journals to-day is that same 

 Chas. Dadant. 



We are glad Dr. Miller has so thoughtfully 

 supplied the above important omission in 

 Bro. Dadant's sketch, which was no doubt 

 due to his extreme modesty, and not at all 

 from any intentional misrepresentation (?). 



Dr. M. also sends the following paragraph 

 for Sister Jennie Atchley, about loose bot- 

 tom-boards : 



Mrs. Atchley, in " Queries and Replies," 

 says: '■ Give me your excuse for a loose 

 bottom-board.'' They're right handy when 

 you want to turn 'em over, Jennie. So 

 they are when you want to tier up one hive 

 above another, or when you want to clean 

 off the bottom-boards. Count up the re- 

 plies, and you'll see that about two to one 

 use them. There's much in being used to a 

 thing. 



