1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



137 



ence. When the speaker finisht, several fellows In the rear 

 were so discourteous to the ladles as to call the name of the 

 intruding Representative in question, and he, evidently think- 

 ing it was really desired to hear from him, promptly pro- 

 ceeded to deliver what we suppose he thought was a very ele- 

 gant production. He didn't seem to have sense enough to see 

 that he was being made a fool of, and also acting very un- 

 gentlemanly In that he was not on the program at all, but 

 simply pusht himself Into prominence. It had every appear- 

 ance of being a "put up job" on the ladles, but one that 

 resulted as it should, in the lowering of that Representative 

 in the estimation of the sensible people present. One would 

 think that every legislator of the great State of Illinois would 

 at least possess common sense. Many of them do, as we hap- 

 pen to know, but evidently there are a few who do not. 



We want to urge bee-keepers everywhere to take a greater 

 interest in farmers' institutes, horticultural meetings, etc. It 

 will pay in many ways to keep in touch with our friends ; and 

 often It is found that If they are not our friends, It is because 

 of some misunderstanding of the honey-bee and Its work. 

 Then, by meeting with them, opportunity will often be given 

 to clear up any possible erroneous impressions that may exist, 

 and thus help to create a better feeling among those who 

 should be the best of friends. 



We hope soon to give a full report of the Springfield bee- 

 keepers' meeting in these columns. The following were 

 elected as officers for the ensuing year : 



President, Dr. C. C. Miller ; 1st Vice-President, J. Q 

 Smith ; Secretary, Jas. A. Stone ; and Treasurer, Chas. Becker. 



Beeswax and Honey Imports and Exports. 



— During the year 1896 there was imported into the United 

 States 273, iOi pounds of beeswax, valued at $75,970 ; and 

 exported 222,612 pounds, valued at $65,8J:-4. 



During the same year there was imported 79,985 gallons 

 of honey, valued at .830,609 ; and a value of $90,969 ex- 

 ported. These figures are according to Circular No. 1, re- 

 cently issued by the Department of Agriculture at Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



* « » 



The California Honey-Industry.— The follow- 

 ing paragraphs are going the rounds of the California news- 

 papers : 



Southern California leads the world in the production of 

 pure honey, and Orange county is one of the favored spots 

 where the bee-keeper is most abundantly rewarded. The 

 present season has been an unusually favorable one for this 

 important industry, and the honey crop promises to be very 

 large. The Los Angeles Journal recently publlsht an article 

 regarding the honey-industry, which is as follows : 



The American people are proverbially partial to sweet 

 things, and any one who doubts the truth of the tradition 

 should consult the statistics of the consumption of honey in 

 the United States. Last year there was produced in this 

 country 5l),000,000 pounds of honey, and most of it was con- 

 sumed by our own people. 



This State can boast of having nearly 5,000 bee-keepers 

 within its borders. A large proportion of these men are 

 located in Southern California. They own, on an average, 

 150 colonies apiece. 



In Arizona there are estimated to be 300 people engaged 

 in the bee-industry, having about 40.000 colonies. 



The shipments of honey from different points in Califor- 

 nia in 1896 amounted to 38 carloads, or 758,000 pounds. 



The bee-business is evidently destined to expand Into one 

 of the greatest of our California industries, and is already 

 rivaling the production of fruit as a source of profit. 



The amount of capital invested in the bee-business in 

 California, exclusive of land, Is .$450,000. The people en- 

 gaged in the business spend annually something like S75,OUO 

 for supplies, and about .870,000 for labor. 



In 1890 Southern California sold 5,000 tons of extracted 

 honey, and a proportionate amount in the comb. 



Southern California, with her wealth of flowers and other 

 natural advantages, should be the greatest honey-producing 



section in the world. With proper legislation to protect the 

 consumer against adulterated honey, a demand for the genuine 

 article would be more than equal the supply. 



The showing made for California Is surely very fine ; and 

 % of a million pounds is a lot of honey for a poor year like 

 1896 was reported to have been In that State. 



Then, 5,000 bee-keepers in one State Is a good many. If 

 there are so many as that in California, It is pretty safe to say 

 that not more than one in ten takes a bee-paper. Some mis- 

 sionary work needs to be done there as well as elsewhere. It 

 would seem that ccery bee-keeper worth the name could 

 afford two cents a week for current reading matter. 

 ■^-*~^ 



New Subscribers in Marcb.— There is no bet- 

 ter month in the whole year to get new subscribers for the 

 Bee Journal, than this very month of March. See the new 

 premium offered this week. Every reader ought to have a 

 copy of the book described on page 138. We can send all the 

 back numbers from Jan. 1, for awhile yet, to new subscribers, 

 if It Is requested. Let us see how many new subscribers can 

 be sent iu during March. Do your best to help us on In the 

 work we are trying to do in behalf of bee-keepers. 



Ti?e Weekly Budgets 



Mr. Jacob Huffman, Vice-President of the Wisconsin 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association, will speak on the subject, 

 "Keeping Bees for Profit," at the 11th annual closing of the 

 Wisconsin Farmers' Institutes, to be held at Appleton, Tues- 

 day, Wednesday and Thursday, March 9, 10 and 11, 1897. 

 Mr. H. is the first on the program for Wednesday, at 9 o'clock. 

 Every bee-keeper and farmer who can possibly arrange to be 

 present, ought to attend the gathering at Appleton. For 

 further information concerning the Wisconsin Farmers' In- 

 stitutes, address Mr. Geo. McKerrow, Supt., Madison, Wis. 



Hon. Geo. E. Hilton, of Michigan, received several very 

 complimentary notices in his local newspaper lately. Besides 

 referring to his steel-front building to be erected this year, 

 and "something that will be highly creditable to the town as 

 well as to Mr. Hilton," it says this in regard to his bee-supply 

 business : 



" It would be well worth your time to go through George's 

 store-rooms and see the fine manner in which his goods are 

 put up for shipment to his hundreds of customers in Michigan 

 and other States. Mr. Hilton's promptness and honorable 

 dealing have built up for him from a small beginning a pleas- 

 ant and profitable business. In addition to his supply busi- 

 ness he now has over 200 colonies of bees, and produced, last 

 season, over 10,000 pounds of honey." . 



Pbof. a. J. Cook, we are happy to say, informs us that 

 Pomona College has just received an endowment of .S 100,000 ; 

 and also a further bequest of .$1.0,000. Those who are at 

 the helm feel certain that they see $30,000, and probably 

 $60,000 more, almost In sight. This, with the astonishing 

 increase of students the present year, make the friends of 

 Pomona College very happy. Already that great educational 

 institution is receiving the highest praise from several of the 

 leading universities of the country, where its students have 

 gone for graduate work. No wonder Prof. Cook feels hilari- 

 ously happy, for is he not one of Pomona's honored instructors ? 



Mr. H. J. Cater, of LIbertyville, 111., gave us a short call 

 recently. Mr. Cater is connected with the Illinois State Fair, 

 having In charge the department in which are the bee and 

 honev exhibits. We are glad to say that while the total cash 

 premium list of about .$42,000 in 1896, has been cut down 

 to about 830,000 for 1897, the bee and honey department, 

 through Mr. Cater's kindly aid, received an increase of .8180, 

 thus making $464 now offered in the apiarian list. Bee- 

 keepers of Illinois should show their appreciation of such gen- 

 erosity by laying their plans to make the best exhibit this 

 year that was ever seen anywhere. It was fine last year, but 

 that of 1897 must be finer. 



See " Bee- Keeper's Guide" offer on page 109, 



