1894 



GLEAINNGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



681 



say you ? What county or province will be the 

 first to respond to this proposition ? 



I am making local arrangements for a big 

 crowd and a good time generally. The Com- 

 mercial Club, of the city, has come to the front 

 and tendered me the use of their rooms in 

 which to liold our meetings, and they are doing 

 all they can to help. secure reduced rates on the 

 railroads. Just as soon as the matter of rates 

 is settled, it will be published; but I trust no 

 one will wait for this before making up his or 

 her mind to come. The Commercial Club has 

 one of the finest rooms in the city, centrally 

 located, and near to good hotels which have 

 made me liberal rates for our meeting. 



We have been promised papers from some of 

 the leading bee-keepers of the world. Mr. 

 Benton is working hard to prepare a good pro- 

 gram—one that will be both entertaining and 

 profitable. Dr. Miller, and a host of othei's who 

 are a whole convention in themselves, will be 

 here, and the meeting can not fail to be bene- 

 ficial to all who may attend. If you have but 

 one colony, come and learn how to care for 

 more. 



Friend Stilson struck the right key in the 

 last Xebraska Bee-keeper. He says, " Let's 

 make up a carload or more and start from 

 Lincoln." That's the way to talk. Come on 

 with your carloads, and this city of the " wild 

 and woolly We*t" will try to do her part. 



I have received a number of letters and cards 

 from those who expect to be here, but still there 

 is room for more. Let them come, and come 

 fast! Every one counts, and helps to swell the 

 swarm of bee-keepers that will be buzzing in 

 the air in onr fair city Oct. 16. 17, and 18, 1894. 

 ■We will furnish the hive if the people will only 

 swarm. 



St. Joseph, Mo. 



[The present constitution of the North Amer- 

 ican was drawn up by Thomas G. Newman as 

 chairman of a committee appointed for that 

 purpose: and. if we are correct, it was modeled 

 by him after the constitution of the very suc- 

 cessful national association in England. The 

 instrument was adopted without discussion at 

 the meeting in Columbus. O., somewhat to the 

 disappointment of Mr. Newman, who felt that 

 so important a matter as a constitution should 

 be carefully gone over in open convention be- 

 fore actual adoption. But we all thought then, 

 that what had been a working success in Eng- 

 land ought to be largely so in the United 

 States; but we did not then contemplate the 

 vast area of our own land compared with that 

 of the mother country; and while it was quite 

 feasible and possible to send delegates from 

 affiliated associations to the national associa- 

 tion, in Great Britain, it was an altogether dif- 

 ferent matter in the United States. Bee-keep- 

 ers, in order to attend their national associa- 

 tion, are obliged to go 100 miles here where 

 those in England go one to attend their own; 

 hence many of the advantages that would 

 accrue from affiliation proved in the light of 

 the past to be almost a dead letter in this 

 country. For instance, one benefit to an aftili- 

 atf^d society was in sending a delegate, said 

 delegate having the privilege of a vote; but the 



affiliated association, besides paying the ?5.no 

 fee, found it to be quite a burden to pay this 

 amount on top of the delegate's traveling ex- 

 penses. Another benefit was the awarding of 

 medals on ilie part of tlu; North American, on 

 honey exhibited by a member or members of 

 an affiliated association, and at th(( same time 

 the appointment of a judge. But here, again, 

 the large miU'age prevented the judge from 

 making his appearance. Indeed, we can not 

 remember whether a judge was ever appointed. 



These matters have been brought up before; 

 and it would seem that the constitution should 

 be amended, making fees for affiliation at a 

 nominal sum of, say, 50 cts. or $1.00; and that 

 the benefits that are supposed to accrue from 

 affiliation, and are inoperative, either be strick- 

 en out, or so modified in the constitution as not 

 to be a dead letter. 



We are heartily in accord with Pres. Abbott's 

 scheme for securing a large attendance; but 

 somehow our faith is not very strong that such 

 attendance will be secured this year. The 

 scheme is all right, and we sincerely hope the 

 various associations will avail themselves of 

 the plan. 



All other national associations are in some 

 way connected with local associations; and it 

 is usually customary lur the latter to pay the 

 expenses of a delegate to the national meeting. 

 This would secure, as Mr. Abbott points out. a 

 large attendance at the national meeting; 

 would divide the expense, and a goot? delegate 

 would bring back plenty of enthusiasm and lots 

 of information to the members of his local asso- 

 ciation. Here, indeed, would be substantial 

 benefit; and, with only a nominal sum as an 

 affiliation-fee, there would be a large number 

 of affiliated societies, and a good representation 

 at the meetings of the N. A. B. K. A. 



We are glad I'res. Abbott has brought this 

 subject up. and hope it may be further discuss- 

 ed, and particnhirly would we like to hear from 

 Bro. Thos. G. Newman.— Ed.] 



RAMBLE 115, 



AT M'INTYRE'S, etc. 



By Ramhler. 



About noon, one balmy day in June, the med- 

 itations of friend J. F. Mclntyre. of Fillmore, 

 were interrupted by the Rambler suddenly ap- 

 pearing before the gentleman's study-window, 

 where he was busy writing or studying the bug 

 and scale, I forget which. He was evidently 

 surprised a trifle, and Mrs. Mclntyre evidently 

 shared the same feeling as she advanced from 

 a rear room. 



I had left Mr. Wilder in the road beyond the 

 barn, with our outfit, while I prospected ahead. 

 Mr. and Mrs. Mclntyre opened their door wide, 

 and invited me in; but I said, "Oh, no! you 

 must come out here and see what an outfit I 

 have. lam but a small portion of it." It just 

 happened that, while I was at the house con- 

 versing with Mr. and Mrs. Mclntyre, a wagon 

 drove up to the big gate beyond the house, and 

 eight large healtliy women of various ages dis- 

 embarked and came marching through the 

 gate just in time to meet us. Mrs. Mclntyre 

 had been advising the Rambler, on various 

 occasions in the past, in relation to the loneli- 

 ness of the bachelor life; and now to meet eight 



