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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Apr. 1, 



CEORQB W. YORK, • Editor. 



PCBLISBT WEEKLY BY 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 

 118 Ullcblgan St.. - CHICAGO, ILL. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 [Botered at the Post-Office at ChicaKo as Second-Class Mail-Matter. 



VoLfflVII, CHICA&O, ILL, APR. 1, M No, 13, 



Editorial Con)n)cr)i^^ 



Our Advertisers^ we believe, are all thoroughly re- 

 liable, and perfectly upright in their dealing. If not, we 

 request our subscribers to notify us of any really unsatisfac- 

 tory cases. We will not advertise for a firm that does not do 

 a square business — not if we know It. We don't believe in 

 helping dishonest people in the least. We are not here for 

 that purpose. 



But we believe we can sincerely recommend all who 

 patronize our advertising columns, and we hope our readers 

 will share their business with them. 



Getting: Supplies Early. — Nearly every season 

 there is loss and unpleasant feelings occasioned by delay in 

 ordering bee-supplies. Many bee-keepers wait until the very 

 day they need them, and then berate the dealer if he doesn't 

 ship by return train. Of course, it is exceedingly annoying to 

 have to wait for goods when you need them at once. But 

 who's to blame? Your dealer can't fill all his orders for the 

 season in one or two days. For that reason, whenever it is 

 possible, you should send in your order several weeks or 

 months in adv^nce, then you will be sure to have them on 

 hand when required. 



Directions for Gro'wing: Allalfa.— An agricul- 

 tural exchange publishes the following about sowing and 

 growing alfalfa : 



Alfalfa seed weighs GO pounds to the bushel. For a hay 



crop sow 2-i to 30 pounds of seed per acre. For a crop of 



seed sow 1-4- to 18 pounds per acre. Sow clean seed. North 



of the latitude of Washington, D. C, sow alfalfa in the spring 



as soon as the ground is warm — from the middle of April to 



the middle of May. Sow in drills or broadcast. In the South 



and Southwest and in California sow alfalfa in spring or 



autumn. Sow in drills. In the South sow in drills 16 to 20 



inches apart, and cultivate the first season. Do not cover the 



seed too deep. 



^-••-^ 



A Union for Eacb Ohject.— Mr. J. F. Mclntyre, 

 in Gleanings, seems to favor having a separate Bee-Keepers' 

 Union for each object which beekeepers desire to attain. For 

 instance, he would have one Union to defend bee-keepers in 

 their right to keep bees ; another, to fight adulterators of 

 honey ; another to put down fraudulent honey-commission 

 firms, etc. Yes, why not have a Union to stop bee-keepers 

 from using drawn combs of any kind? And another to pro- 

 vent their using any other but the divisible, invertible, inter- 

 changeable and turn-it-up-and-downsidoable hive? Certainly, 



let's have a Union for each individual bee-keeper, and then all 

 be happy ! 



But, seriously, any one knows that one Union could just 

 as well do all necessary work in the interest of bee-keeping as 

 two or more, and save expense. But the amalgamation mat- 

 ter, so far as the existing Unions are concerned, is settled. 

 There is no need to waste any breath over that. So far as we 

 know, everybody was satisfied with the result, as determined 

 by the ballot, and that ended all discussion. The thing to do 

 now is to push the new Union, as the old one has a large bank 

 account — money on interest — and nef ds no more funds, for its 

 work of defense was practically finisht long ago. About all it 

 needs to do now, whenever trouble threatens, is to exhibit its 

 court decisions and say, " We have a gold-mine of over §500 

 to fight with, so look out !" 



The next thing is to attack honey adulteration and honey- 

 commission frauds. And the new Union will be equal to it. 



Xhat Combination Offer on page 170 is a fine 



one. Perhaps your own Bee Journal subscription is already 



paid to the end of 1897. If so, just get a new subscriber for 



the Bee Journal, and have the Samantha book and Woman's 



Home Companion sent to you or some lady member of your 



family. The book and woman's paper must both go to the 



same name and address, but the Bee Journal can be sent to 



some one else without extra charge. Just look at that big 



offer again, on page 170. It's one you don't meet with every 



day. 



«-.-»■ 



Benton*s "Honey-Bee " Bulletin.— Hon. Geo. 



E. Hilton, of Michigan, has sent us the following paragraph 

 taken from the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Herald, of March 25: 



"Senator Burrows has introduced a resolution calling for 

 the printing of 20,000 copies of Benton's book on the cul- 

 ture of bees. There has been an enormous demand for this 

 publication of the Department of Agriculture, and as many of 

 the applications have come from Michigan, Senator Burrows 

 introduced his resolution to supply the demand, the regular 

 edition having become exhausted." 



Mr. Hilton makes the following explanation regarding the 

 past as well as the proposed edition of the Benton book : 



The regular edition under the statutes was only 1,000 

 copies. I askt Senator Burrows, about a year ago, to intro- 

 duce a resolution authorizing the printing of a larger edition, 

 and 20,000 more were printed. He seems to have taken the 

 responsibility upon himself this time, and bee-keepers of the 

 United States should write to their Senators and Representa- 

 tives in Congress at Washington, D. C, asking them to support 

 the resolution. Geo. E. Hilton. 



The Deep-Cell Foundation.— Mr. G. M. Doo- 

 little, always fair, has this to say about the proposed new 

 deep-cell foundation, while his fellow-editor — Mr. R. B. Leahy 

 — in the same March Progressive Bee-Keeper, says he will do 

 all he can against its use : 



That Wked Honev-Comb. — I see in the bee-papers quite 

 a little about the new Weed comb foundation having sidewalls 

 half-inch in depth, or such a matter. 1 note that some are 

 opposed to it, on the old line of " fishbone," that we used to 

 hear so much about years ago, when comb foundation first 

 came to notice. Now I would like to ask, with all due respect 

 to and for the opinions of others. Is the bee-fraternity any 

 better off on account of section foundation ? Hands up. How 

 many hands do you see? Why, nearly, or quite, every one. 



Well, then, I wish to say that this new comb is nearer, 

 very much nearer perfection, for what it is intended, than 

 was the section foundation when first put before the public 

 for what that was intended, if the samples I have are any 

 guidance to go by. I have just made a careful tost with a 

 sensitive pair of scales, and I find that there is no more resis- 

 tance at the end of a piece of wire. In the sidewalls of the 

 cells in these samples, than there is in the sidewalls of samples 

 of natural comb that was built during the buckwheat honey- 

 flow last August, and very little more than what there Is In 



