



42dYEAR. 



CHICAGO, ILL, AUG. 21, 1902, 



No, 34. 



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^ Editorial Comments. 



Formalin for Foul Brood.— Editor Root is very skep- 

 tical about believing that formalin, or indeed any drug, 

 may be successfully used in killing- the spores of foul brood. 

 But those Canadian professors say that beyond a doubt 

 thej' have killed spores with formalin, and they seem to 

 think it not so very difficult. Let us hope that Editor Root, 

 rather than our more northern friends, is mistaken. 



European vs. American Conventions. — Mr. C. P. 



Dadant has an article on another page contrasting the bee- 

 keepers' conventions of continental Europe with those of 

 America. No other man is more competent to write on this 

 subject, for he has attended conventions on both sides of 

 the Atlantic. 



Undoubtedly the fact of greater distances in this coun- 

 try militates against great conventions here. The only 

 way we can hope to gather a large crowd is to hold our 

 meetings when low railroad rates are in force for some 

 other and more important occasion. We have had the 

 largest and best bee-keepers' conventions when taking ad- 

 vantage of the railroad rates granted on account of the 

 meetings of the Grand Army of the Republic. This year 

 the Denver convention will likely be well attended for the 

 same reason — that of low rates. 



And, then, another matter that may induce bee-keepers 

 to " go again " may be that of having a jolly time rather 

 than so much " shop talk." A convention should be as far 

 removed as possible from being like sitting down and read- 

 ing a bee-paper. This latter can be done at home, and at 

 far less expense. The meeting and greeting of old-time 

 as well as new-time apiarian friends should be one of the 

 greatest incentives to attending any convention, and espe- 

 cially the meeting of the National. 



If we may judge from the published program of the 

 Denver convention, it will be a leader in the way of pro- 

 viding a variety of entertainment for those fortunate 

 enough to be there. We hope that aside from the indoor 

 sessions it will indeed be the best meeting ever held by the 

 bee-keepers of this country. 



We Americans have much to learn from our European 

 brethren in many ways, and in no way more than in the 

 convention line. Why not begin at Denver to strike out on 

 this new line for our bee-keepers, and have such a good 

 time that not only will all who attend this year be sure to 

 attend nest year (if alive and well), but cause those who 

 remain at home this year to feel that they have missed 

 about five years out of their lives by not being at the Den- 

 ver convention ? If Colorado bee-keepers can't succeed in 

 doing that, they're not nearly up to the grade of their fine 

 alfalfa honey. We are just " Aikin " to begin " Working " 



up such a glorious convention here in Chicago in the fall as 

 will simply "Harris'' those Den vcrites into " Rauchfuss- 

 ing " around and putting up " the real thing " in the con- 

 vention line in September. 



However, we are willing that Denver shall be first. 

 But look out for Chicago later on I 



Foundation and Foul Brood H. W. Brice, in the Bee- 

 Keepers' Record, insists that it is not safe to use for foun- 

 dation wax from foul-broody combs, while all authorities in 

 this country seem to agree that it is safe. Which is right ? 



Legislation Against Foul Brood — Although no new 

 thought upon the subject may be given, its great impor- 

 tance makes it advisable to keep it warm so long as the 

 States that have proper laws to protect the interests of bee- 

 keepers are so very few in number. It seems a little strange 

 that so little should be said or done by bee-keepers in States 

 without any legislation. Now and then a solitary voice is 

 heard, then all is again silent. 



Possibly the matter stands a little in this shape : Those 

 bee-keepers who are especially suffering from foul brood 

 because of the lack of legislation are somewhat inclined to 

 be discouraged, and those who are yet safe from the scourge 

 feel no personal need of any legislation. An earnest plea 

 to this latter class may not be amiss. 



Let us suppose that you are living in a part of the State 

 where there is no disease near you. Why should you trouble 

 yourself about legislation ? But those who are in the most 

 distant part of the State need your help to secure legisla- 

 tion, and you ought not to be so selfish that you will stand 

 idly by and see them sufi'er without making any effort to 

 help. 



Neither are you so safe, perhaps, as you may think. 

 The disease may be brought into j'our neighborhood at any 

 time, and it will be a great deal better for you if there is 

 legislation in advance of the appearance of the disease. 

 With proper laws, if you learn that your neighbor has a 

 diseased colony, you may take steps to secure the stamping 

 out of the disease before any colony of j'ourown is affected ; 

 whereas, if there is no law, you are utterly helpless against 

 having the disease spread through all the colonies sur- 

 rounding you, if indeed you can do anything to prevent its 

 appearance in your own apiary. 



The fact is, that every State that secures proper laws 

 against the disease makes you that much safer, and it is of 

 interest to the fraternity at large that every bee-keeper in 

 the land should do his part toward securing legislation in 

 his own State. The entire wiping out of the disease in 

 California will make it safer for Maine, and vice versa. 



In the article of Hon. J. M. Hambaugh, on page 406 — 

 which article may be worth a re-perusal — he takes the 

 ground that all hives but those with movable combs should 

 be outlawed. At first it might seem that such a thing 

 would be arbitrary and unjust, and the box-hive man might 

 say, "Isn't this a free country ? And haven't I a right to 



