136 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Mar. A, 



^?1& A 



CeORGB vr. YORK, • Editor. 



PtTBLISHT WEEKLY BT 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 

 MS AficUg-an St., - CHICAGO, ILL. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 [Bntered at the Poa^Offlce at ChicaKO as Second-Clasa Mall-Matter. 



YoLfflVII. CHICAGO, ILL., MAR. 4, 1897. No, 9. 



Editorial CQn)n)ct)i^^ 



Ne-w Bee-Appliances of various kinds are con- 

 tinually sprinRing up. or improvennents upon old implements 

 are being made. In this issue we publish illustrations and 

 descriptions of a frame end-spacer, and next week a hive and 

 parts. A few weeks ago we showed In these columns a chaff- 

 hive arrangement. We are glad thus to place before our 

 readers new or improved things in their line, any of which 

 can be secured through their own supply dealer. Our effort, 

 then, to acquaint our readers with improvements in the bee- 

 keeping line, is at once an advantage to them, and also to the 

 manufacturers and dealers who patronize our advertising 

 columns. 



We wish to say that if any of our regular advertisers will 

 furnish us with the engravings of their new or improved api- 

 arian implements, we will be glad to use them in connection 

 with a short description. 



-*—-* 



Honey lor Curing: Smallpox.— On page 40 we 

 publisht an item which said that in a certain city in Mexico, 

 honey had been used as a cure in the treatment of smallpox 

 patients. We were not sure as to the facts in the case, and 

 requested verifications. In response to that invitation, we 

 have received the following from one of our Mexican sub- 

 scribers : 



Mb. George W. York, Chicago, III. — 



Dear Sir : — I saw your statement about the honey-cure 

 for smallpox, and I can tell you that it is really true. Here 

 in Mexico that disease comes nearly every year, when the 

 rainy season finishes. This year it has been pretty bad in 

 some places. The authorities are trying hard to get rid of 

 this malady, but the Indians are very little educated. In 

 nearly all the papers the honey-cure was publisht, and for 

 this reason I sold my honey as soon as I got it out. 



Yours respectfully, F. Bussler. 



The report stated that "admistering honey diluted with 

 water to smallpox patients, the pustules of the worst 

 variety disappear, and the fever is immediately diminisht." 



"^Varningfs to Bee-Keepers.— Gleanings for Feb. 

 15 suggests that all bee-supply dealers put in their annual 

 catalogs a warning note to bee-keepers, not to ship honey to 

 Irresponsible commission firms. Wo want to endorse that 

 suggestion, and also the one In the following about every bee- 

 keeper affording to take a bee-paper : 



Altho the bee-papers have cautioned their readers 

 over and over again not to ship their honey to new and un- 

 tried firms, it is evident that many beo-keepers, notwithstand- 



ing, are doing it right along, and are suffering the conse- 

 quences. The probabilities are that they do not take any 

 bee-journal. Perhaps they think they cannot afford it. After 

 they have lost several hundred dollars through an irresponsi- 

 ble or dishonest commission house, pertiaps they will begin to 

 think they coil afford it. Only f 1.00 a year invested in a 

 bee-journal will save several times that amount in valuable 

 kinks learned during the year, and will enable them to fight 

 shy of the rascals engaged in the business of selling honey. 



Usually, firms promising to do extraordinarily big things 

 are the very essence of rascality, and the more aggravating 

 because they are sharp enough to evade the law. Well, it 

 would not be a bad idea if dealers and manufacturers would 

 advise their patrons in a similar way in their catalogs. Let 

 us leave no stone unturned to post bee-keepers on the ways of 

 these " snide " concerns. 



Several former readers of the Bee Journal have written 

 us that they shipt honey to commision firms that we had ex- 

 posed during the time they did not subscribe for this journal. 

 An extensive Wisconsin bee-keeper stopt reading the Bee 

 Journal for about four months last year, thinking he could 

 economize thereby. Well, he shipt his honey to a snide firm 

 in Chicago, and lost just $30. Or, in other words, he paid 

 that amount as a penalty for dropping the Bee Journal, for, 

 during the time he failed to get the paper, we exposed that 

 fraudulent firm, but of course the bee-keeper didn't know that 

 until it was too late. He now takes the Bee Journal, and we 

 presume will do so as long as he keeps bees. " A word to the 



wise," etc. 



«-.-• 



The Illinois State Convention was held at 

 Springfield last Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 24 and 25, 

 and it was our privilege and pleasure to be there, the Presi- 

 dent, Dr. Miller, accompanying us. 



The first session was held Wednesday forenoon ; there 

 was not a large attendance. Various State agricultural 

 conventions were held at the same time, and particularly the 

 Illinois Farmers' Institutes. Prominent workers in the 

 different lines of agriculture were present, and gave addresses 

 on important topics. Wednesday afternoon the ladies had 

 charge, and the Representatives' Hall was crowded to listen 

 to the very able papers prepared by the leading women. There 

 was one that we wish to specially mention, on the subject of 

 "The Farmer's Table," by Mrs. Senator Dunlap, of Cham- 

 paign county. It was a charming paper — much like its 

 author. 



In the evening the work of the several State agricultural 

 associations were outlined by representative men, the Bee- 

 Keepers' Association being in the hands of Dr. Miller. He 

 spoke at least 20 minutes, paying special attention to the 

 efforts of bee-keepers in this State to get an anti-adulteration 

 law, and urged the legislators, who were present, to do all in 

 their power to secure the passage of such a righteous meas- 

 ure. Dr. Miller's talk (and answers to questions that were 

 propounded by interested farmers) was admitted to be the 

 most entertaining part of the evening's program. One man, 

 who evidently " wanted to know, you know," askt the Doctor 

 to describe his system of bee-keeping ! Of course, that was 

 a simple question, and we presume the querist thought it 

 could be explained in about six words. He was told that if 

 the Doctor had five hours to talk he could just begin to tell a 

 little part of his system of bee-keeping. 



At one of the Farmers' Institute sessions Dr. Miller was 

 invited to sing, and at another session he gave a comic read- 

 ing. Both were greatly enjoyed, and served to break the 

 monotony of long papers. One criticism we would make of 

 the Institute programs is, too long papers and too short discus- 

 sions, or often no discussion at all. 



In the afternoon when the women gave the program, and 

 during a performance, a Representative from the northern 

 part of the State workt his way toward the front, with a cigar 

 in his mouth, and there lounged over a desk, facing the audi- 



