THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



53 



actly the rcverso, wo ask for the eniictnu'iit of 

 -a hnv t'xenipthiii; from laxiition, iiiul from 

 levy and sale on cxi'dition, honey-bei's and 

 their iM-oducts until the year IHSU. And your 

 petitioners as in duty bound, will ever pray. 



The above memorial was unanimously 

 adopted as the jietition of the Convention, 

 jind was ordered to be signed by the Presi- 

 •dcnt and Seeretary, and forwarded to Senator 

 Kephart of Linn C'ounly, with a recjuest that 

 lie will aid in proeurinu" tiie passaije of the 

 law prayed for. 



On motion, eitizens, associations and socie- 

 ties similar to our own, favorable to the ob- 

 ject, are requested to join us iu our efforts to 

 procure the enactment of the law desired. 



After the customary vote of thanks avus 

 passed, the Convention adjourned to meet on 

 the third AVeduesday in January 1875, at 

 Cedar Rapids. 



I). W. TiiAYKK, Pre,s. 



-J. M. May, Si'c\i/. 



For the American Bee .lournal. 



Our Afflictions. 



Not always is the bee-keeper's path 

 •strewn with clover-blossoms — 



" Roses. C^'ula ! you mean roses," in- 

 terposes Nellie, looking over my shoul- 

 der with a critic's eye. 



No, indeed ! What bee-keeper, worthy 

 of the name, would exchange clover-blos- 

 -soms for roses ? Moreover, the phrase 

 is more truly descriptive, besides being 

 considerably less shop-worn." 



Not ahvays is the bee-keepers' path 

 •strewn with clover-blossoms, nor alwa^^s 

 to his eager lips may the honeyed 

 'draught of success — 



" Which is his mead ! '" queries Nellie. 



Putting down my pen. with mild se- 

 verity I speak: "My dear, if you have 

 any sensible suggestions to offer" — 



A succession of brisk, snapping sounds 

 accompanied by an odor as of burning 

 coffee, creates a iliversion whif-h enables 

 Nellie to make a not altogether inglori- 

 ous retreat to the kitchen. 



Resuming m}' pen with an unhappy 

 consciousness of l)eing unable to begin 

 exactly whei-e i left off, I spend some 

 moments in peri)lexity, niblpling at the 

 end of the holder. I become aware, at 

 length, that it will be necessar}' to take 

 an entirely fresh start 



* ' * * * ;;: * 



Do my readers — any of them — re- 

 .meraber our •• maiden '" swai-m, of last 



July? We thought its story told; but 

 alas! there is a sequel. ■• Happy is the 

 nation that lias no hist(»i-y," says a wise 

 old proverb: and no less t i-ue is it of a 

 colony. 



From the time that our "maiden'" 

 swarm — No. 7 by name — decided to ac- 

 cept the situation and make the best of 

 it, they had furnished no occasion for 

 criticism. Their ten fi-ames were speed- 

 ily filled Avith fauUlessl}' regular combs, 

 whereof but a ti-ifling amount was drone 

 comb. In some shallow frames above, 

 they likewise put goodly beginnings of 

 worker comb, for which next season 

 will find use. 



On the l(3th of October, when I made 

 for them winter passages and removed 

 surplus hone}', my only anxiety was 

 lest there were too many bees for prof- 

 itable wintering. At this time there 

 was a little capped brood, but neither 

 eggs nor larva'. The day being some- 

 what cool, and unnecessary exposure 

 an evil, I made no search for the queen, 

 and did not see her. 



The bees were unusualh' cross, and, 

 in subduing them, I used a little tobacco 

 — something I had never done before. 

 (Be assured, however, that it was not 

 used in masculine style. ) Whether this 

 had, or had not, any connection with 

 what followed. I cannot tell. 



Toward night of this day, an unusual 

 commotion was noticed at No. 7. There 

 was running to and fro at the eittrance, 

 and htirrying hither and yon, as viewed 

 through the observation-glass. Apply- 

 ing my hand to the glass, I found an 

 unwonted degree of heat. We agreed, 

 Nellie and I, that it was curious ! We 

 agreed, too, that we were unable to 

 solve the m^-stery, and also to wait 

 calmly, and without much anxiety, for 

 the excitement to subside. 



A latent fear, however, awoke me 

 early next morning, and impelled me 

 to go forth to make rencAved investiga- 

 tions betbre breakfast. It was a cool, 

 frosty morning. To my surprise, the 

 observation-glass was still warm, and 

 the bees were still excited. While I 

 pondered, I noticed at the entrance a 

 dead body of unusual appearance, and 

 bending nearer, I saw, to my unspeak- 

 able horror, that it had no wings! that 

 it was a queen — even my poor Rebecca! 



