184 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Mar. 25, 



CEORCB W. YORK, - Editor. 



PUBLISBT WEEKLY BY 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 

 118 arioaig^an St., - CHICAGO. LLl.. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 [Hntered at the Post-OfBce at ChlcaKO as Second-Class Mail-Matter. 



Vol. nXVII, CHICAGO, ILL, MAR. 25, 1897. No, 12, 



Editorial Con}n)cr)t^^ 



"Oh! for a Thousand Tongues" was prob- 

 ably first said by a man who liked honey. 

 « ■ > 



Sample Copies of the Bee Journal for last 

 week were mailed to the extent of several thousand, and it 

 may be that some who are already regular subscribers re- 

 ceived an extra copy. If so, we hope such will kindly hand it 

 to a neighbor bee-keeper who is not yet among our readers, 

 and try to get him to subscribe at once under one of the 

 special offers made therein. We will appreciate it very much 

 if those receiving extra copies at any time will do this. 



Oood 'Advice to Beginners.— As Mr. G. M. 



Doolittle has been all through bee-keeping, his advice can be 

 relied upon almost invariably. Here is a chunk of wisdom 

 he hands out to beginners who ask about starting in bee- 

 keeping : 



" I am about to commence in beekeeping. How many 

 colonies would it be best for me to start with ?" 



The above is the substance of many letters which I re- 

 ceive. I would advise a beginner to commence with a small 

 number of colonies — say from two to five; as, however well he 

 may study and understand the theory of bee-keeping, he will 

 find that practical experience is necessary, and the knowledge 

 he will obtain in handling a small number of colonies and 

 multiplying them, will give him the requisite experience to 

 manage them when his colonies become numerous. If he 

 makes blunders with a few, before he becomes expert, the loss 

 will not be so great ; when if he should commit the same 

 blunders with a great number, it might prove too costly a 

 tuition fee lo pay for the experience acquired, and turn him 

 from the pursuit in disgust. — Progressive Bee-Keeper. 

 *-•-*• 



Xame of the Ne^ Union.— On page 178, Mr. 

 Abbott suggests that the name of the New Union be changed 

 to " United States Bee-Keepers' Allinnce." That is a good 

 name, but we have been thinking that if ever it is considered 

 best to make any change, "United .States Bee-Keepers' 

 Lcnijuc" would be about the right thing. We talkt the 

 " League" name over with Dr. Miller when on our way back 

 from the recent HIIdoIs convention, and he approved of it, if 

 any change were to be made. Perhaps he would prefer, or 

 like just as well, the name "Alliance." But like any other 

 member, the Doctor] is only o?ic, and of course the majority 

 would decide in a case of this kind. 



But why not let the word " Union " stand ? No society 

 has a patent or copyright on that? Are there not various 

 kinds of unions in the land ? Surely, any society has a per- 



fect right to use the word if so it pleases. It is the same way 

 with the word " Association." Nearly every State bee-keep- 

 ers' organization uses this word in its name, and no fault is 

 found, we believe, and no conflict ever arises. Neither need 

 there be any trouble because there are two " Unions " among 

 bee-keepers. 



Take it all in all, we believe it is just as well to let the 

 name stand as it is for the present — at least nothing can be 

 done about it until the election next December, we think. The 

 matter could be considered at the Buffalo meeting, and a 

 recommendation be made there, which could be voted on in 

 December, as stated. 



In the meantime, let every one who has not already done 

 so, send a dollar for membership dues, to the Secretary, Dr. 

 A. B. Mason, Sta. B, Toledo, Ohio. He's just aching to have 

 a large membership and a full treasury. 



In a very short time now we hope to be able to announce 

 that the United States Bee-Keepers' Union is ready for busi- 

 ness, with a hustling General Manager and an efficient Board 



of Directors. 



< . > 



The Subject of Dra-wn Combs seems now to 

 be pretty much in evidence in various bee-papers, and their 

 value doesn't seem to be questioned any. Here is what Editor 

 Hutchinson, in the Review, says his experience has been : 



I have for years saved the half-finisht sections from the 

 previous year, and used them in the spring to give the bees a 

 start in the supers. I have never had enough to give a case 

 to each colony ; if I had enough to give half of the colonies 

 these half-drawn combs I did well. In this way I have had 

 ample apportunity to note the value of drawn combs in this 

 particular place. 



I have this to say ; As a rule, a colony given a case of 

 drawn combs will fill those combs with honey, and have them 

 sealed and ready to come off, and will have commenced work 

 in the case of sections f urnisht with foundation that has been 

 placed beneath the case of drawn combs, by the time a similar 

 colony will have commenced work in a case of sections simply 

 furnisht with foundation. 



In my experience, a case of drawn combs in the spring is 

 as valuable as a case of finisht sections, as it enables me to 

 get one more case of honey from that colony, nay, more— the 

 giving of these combs relieves the pressure upon the brood- 

 nest, and results in the brood-combs being more perfectly 

 filled with brood at a time when more brood means more 

 workers in the basswood harvest. 



A Trans-Mississippi Exposition is being 

 organized to take place in Omaha, Nebr., from June 1 to Nov. 

 1, ISitS. It promises to rival the famous Columbian Exposi- 

 tion held in Chicago in 1893. The total stock subscriptions 

 already amount to about $500,000. Congress has appro- 

 priated .?200,000 to defray the expenses of a national ex- 

 hibit. The Government will erect a great building for its 

 exhibit. The State of Nebraska will appropriate .§200,000, 

 while Omaha and Douglas county will vote bonds in the sum 

 of !?200,000 in aid of the Exposition. Iowa has appropriated 

 5510,000, and will increase the amount later. Appropriation 

 bills are now pending in most of the legislatures in States and 

 Territories west of the Mississippi river. 



The Exposition site in the northern suburbs of Omaha 

 embraces ample area, is most accessible, and in every way 

 adapted for the purpose. The Board of Managers past a reso- 

 lution providing for the following nine buildings, which will 

 constitute the nucleus around which the smaller buildings 

 will be assetnbled : 



Building No. 1 — Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry ; 

 No. 2— Mines and Mining ; No. 3— Manufacturers and Lib- 

 eral Arts ; No. 4— Fine Arts; No. 5— Electricity and Ma- 

 chinery ; No. 6— Auditorium ; No. 7— The Nebraska Build- 

 ing ; No. S— Grand Army of the Republic Building; No. 9— 

 The Silver Palace. 



In the discussion regarding those buildings the idea was 



