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42dYEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL,, JUNE 12, 1902, 



No, 24. 



>^ Editorial Comments. ^^ ! 



Noiiiinating National Candidates for the offices to be lilleil 

 at each ttiiiuial election seems to be a ratlier dillicult thing to accom- 

 plish. Heretofore there has beea no attempt made in that line. 



In the American Bee Journal for Oct. 31, l'.H)l, we had this edi- 

 torial paragraph : 



It might not be a bad idea for each annual convention to nominate 

 three candidates for (ieneral Manasrer, and nine candidates to succeed 

 the three whose terms expire with the following December. Then 

 these nominations could be announced to the members when sending 

 out the voting blanks. Of course, any others could be voted for if 

 preferred, hut very likely one of the three would be elected General 

 Manager, and three of the nine would be elected Directors. 



The words, " three whose terms expire," in the above, refers to 

 the Board of Directors. 



In the May Bee-Keepers' Review, Editor Hutchinson approves of 

 our suggestion, with the slight exception that he would have /«'" 

 nominated instead of three, for each otlice. We have no objection to 

 that. 



The more we think of it, the more we feel assured that the plan we 

 proposed would work out all right. It could very easily be tried at 

 Denver, if those present so decided. 



But there are one or two things that should be considered when 

 making the nominations for Directors. It will be noted that at least 

 one State has three members on the Board, while the whole South has 

 not a single representative. Of course, that is manifestly unfair, 

 though no one can be blamed for the present condition of affairs. It 

 has simply happened so. Illinois has two members on the Board. One 

 would be sufficient. Dr. Miller would be pleased to be omitted at any 

 time. He also fully believes in passing the honors of office around. 

 Probably no set of men should ever have a monopoly of the offices of 

 the Association. It might be well, perhaps, to make an exception in 

 the tieneral Manager's office, and we could easily conceive of the 

 necessity of an occasional change even there as well. 



We would be pleased to have suggestions on this subject from 

 members of the Association. As Mr. Hutchinson says, " Let us dis- 

 cuss it in advance of the meeting " at Denver. If the plan we pro- 

 posed meets with your approval, why not say so ? If you have some- 

 thing better, all right, send it on. 



Prevention of Swarming is accomplished by some by simply 

 anticipating the desire of the bees for an empty home to start in — tak- 

 ing away from them all the brood. As to the details of the after 

 management, plans differ. Here is one plan that some may think 

 worth trying: 



Have the hives in pairs, the two hives of each pair not more than 

 an inch or so apart. As late in the season as may be without running 

 the risk of swarming, take from one of the hives of a pair half of its 

 brood with adhering bees and queen, and put them in an empty hive 

 on a new stand. Then into an empty hive provided with starters or 

 full sheets of foundation brush all the bees of the other colony, queen 

 and all. Brush into the same hive all the bees remaining in the other 

 hive. Ta'.te all these frames of brood from both hives and put them 

 with the iiueen that was put on the new stand. The hive into which 

 the bees were brushed is to be placed centrally where the pair pre- 

 viously stood. The supers that were on each hive may be put on the 



new stand where the brood is, and in three days returned to the old 

 stand. 



There is now on the old stand a rousing colony, made up of the 

 flying force of both colonies and the greater part of the young bees. 

 On the new stand are two stories of brood rapidly hatching out, and 

 this will give extracted honey, while the colony on the old stand may 

 be worked for either comb or extracted. 



This plan is not given in the full assurance that it will !» the best 

 in all cases. If the colonies operated on are very strong, there is a 

 possibility, at least according to the views of some, that there will be 

 too many bees in the new hive for best results. If a cold night should 

 come, there is a bare possibility that there may not be enough bees 

 with the brood to care for it properly. 



Are Drones from a 3Iisniatcd Queen Pure ? — When 



Dzierzon gave to the world the doctrine of parthenogenesis, he an- 

 nounced that the drone-eggs being unfecundated, the drone progeny 

 of a queen would be of exactly the same blood as the mother, without 

 reference to what drone that mother might have met. The opinion, 

 however, has prevailed with some that the blood of a drone is 

 materially affected by the mating of his mother. The matter is a very 

 practical one. and withal very important. Therefore, the article on 

 telegony in this number will be read with interest. It is probably the 

 fullest presentation of the subject that has ever found its way into 

 bee-literature. Although Prof. Cook is not undecided as to his own 

 view on the subject, he seems to give a fair hearing to both sides, 

 leaving the reader to form his own conclusions. 



A Button or Badge for the Xational. — This seems to be 

 oueof the questions for the Board of Directors to settle, as noted on 

 page 28 of the Buffalo Convention Report pamphlet, where it says; 



Mr. York— I move that the matter of selecting a badge be re- 

 ferred to the Board of Directors. 



The motion was seconded by Dr. Mason, and carried. 



Editor Hutchinson takes up this subject in the May Bee-Keepers' 

 Review, and suggests what has, we believe, been mentioned by Mr. N. 

 E. France and others, viz. : a button ; and has this to say concerning it ; 



The button should be something that we would be proud to wear, 

 simply for the sake of its appearance, aside from its emblematical 

 nature. It should be handsome, but not gaudy. I would not have 

 the button large enough to remind one of a sign-board. I think that 

 three-fourths of an inch would be plenty large enough. Instead of 

 having it round, I would have it hexagonal. As an emblem. I think 

 of nothing more suitable than a bee on a clover head. If the body of 

 the button were drab, the clover could be white, the bee leather- 

 colored with bands of gold — t/rnuhu t/iU. Asa motto, above the bee 

 and clover. I would suggest. " By Industry We Thrive.'' At the bot- 

 tom I would have the initials, '• N. B.-K. A." 



We think the button idea is all right, but whether the Association 

 shoidd go to the expense indicated by Mr. Hutchinson's exquisite 

 button is a question. 



Then, again, the Denver Association may not wish to be deprived 

 of the pleasure of furnishing elaborate buttons or badges, as did the 

 Chicago Association in 19U11, when the National met here. We un- 

 derstand that Denver is going to outshine Chicago so far that even the 

 distance between the two cities may be greater than ever, after next 

 September! And, so, if they contemplate furnishing a silver or gold 

 badge — worth probably a dollar or two — don't do anything to head it 

 off. Those who attend that convention will want something like thai 

 to keep it green in their memories. And yet, we believe the Colorado 

 people arc planning to do a lot of things for, and with, those who 

 attend that convention that will make it the most memorable meeting 

 of all. May they succeed. 



