450 



May 30, 1907 



American ^ae Journal 



the matter of cost, and in the matter of light- 

 ness. 



Planting for Honey 



This is a subject that has been discussed 

 among bee-keepers for many years, the con- 

 clusion arrived at being that unless the plant 

 grown for honey has other special values it 

 will not pay to grow it. Touching this mat- 

 ter, Prof. A. J. Cook has this to say in Glean- 

 ings in Bee-Culture: 



~ Another thing that we have determined 

 once for all, is that it will not pay to plant 

 exclusively for honey. Plants like clover and 

 alfalfa, that will pay for other purposes than 

 honey, will pay well. It may, and often will, 

 pay well to furnish seed to a farmer who 



lives near our apiary, if he will grow alsike 

 clover, alfalfa, or any other useful plant that 

 has a double use in that it also furnishes 

 honey; it will also pay well to secure the 

 planting of valuable honey-trees along the 

 highway, such as linden, tulip, acacia, catalpa, 

 and eucalyptus, when they are among the 

 best of trees for roadside adornment. It is 

 wise to plant sweet clover, motherwort, and 

 other good honey-plants in all waste places 

 near the apiary. It is better to have such 

 space occupied by plants that have value, and 

 not grow weeds that are a sore disfigurement, 

 and, besides, furnish seeds to scatter to be- 

 come a nuisance to our neighbor as well. I 

 once heard Mr. Harbison, the distinguished 

 bee-keeper, say that he had planted the wild 

 sage in waste places to great advantage in 

 our State; but to grow any plant on valuable 

 land that has no use other than the nectar it 

 yields is a mistake. This has been demon- 

 strated beyond question. 



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Quitting the Strenuous Life is the 



subject of an article in the Saturday Evening 

 Post of May 35, written by that interesting 

 author, Mr. Forrest Crissey. In it he recom- 

 mends bee-keeping as a work to be taken up 

 by those who have tired of the stress of life 

 in the city and wish to get back to Nature 

 and country life. He quotes largely from the 

 experiences of those who have succeeded with 

 bees, among them being Dr. C. C. Miller. 



It may seem strange, but the article re- 

 ferred to was prepared about 2 years ago, and 

 only now appears in print. This fact will 

 account for some statements in it, among 

 which is this one: "In March of this year 

 there was organized, in Chicago, The Honey- 

 Producers' League, which can scarcely fail 

 greatly to extend the honey market." Most 

 of our readers know that last year the League 

 was discountinued, and its funds turned over 

 to the National Bee-Keepers' Association, to 

 be used as originally intended by the League. 

 So its good intentions will be carried out. 



Mr. Crissey has done bee-keepers a good 

 service, in that he has placed before perhaps 

 a million readers the fact that there is not, 

 and never was, any such thing as manu- 

 factured comb honey; and also that honey is 

 of such great value as a daily food. 



We may say further that Mr. Crissey has 

 been a reader of the American Bee Journal 

 for several years, and takes great interest in 

 the bees he keeps lor experimental purposes. 



Dr. Bigelow and the Agassiz Asso- 

 ciation.— The Daily Advocate, of Stamford, 

 Conn., of recent date contains a lengthy ac- 

 count of the Agassiz Association and its new 

 president, Dr. Edward F. Bigelow, who was 

 elected at a meeting of the trustees of the 

 Association in Pittsfleld, Mass. Dr. Bigelow 

 is greatly interested in bees as a nature study, 

 £0 doubtless he will help to promote the gen- 



eral interest in them through the organiza- 

 tion of which he is now the honored head. 



Gleanings in Bee Culture gives this notice, 

 which, though brief, covers the case very 

 nicely : 



Our esteemed friend, Prof. Edward F. Bige- 

 low, has just been elected to the presidential 

 chair of the Agassiz Association, a world- 

 wide organization, having for its object the 

 popularization of nature study and outdoor 

 science. In connection with the election of 

 Dr. Bigelow, it has been decided to erect a 

 building for a permanent headquarters for 

 the society, and in addition a museum, library, 

 and a model school of nature study, all to be 

 located in Stamford, Conn. 



It ought to be stated that the Agassiz Asso- 

 ciation is not'a combination of scientists, but, 

 rather, a collection of people who are endeav- 

 oring to extend their knowledge of animated 

 nature; and it rather aims to interest ordi- 

 nary every-day people who wish to educate 

 themselves along such lines. The work is 

 particularly interesting to teachers. 



We are certain of one thing, Dr. Bigelow 

 will not neglect the study of bees in connec- 

 tion with the work he has undertaken, and 

 an apiary will surely form a prominent part 

 of any nature-study enterprise with which he 

 has to do. For this reason, and the fact we 

 are well acquainted with the Doctor per- 

 sonally, we wish the Association every suc- 

 cess. 



Those who may be interested in this kind 

 of work, and who desire more information, 

 should apply to Dr. Bigelow, Stamford, 

 Conn., for all particulars. 



We congratulate both the Agassiz Associa- 

 tion and Dr. Bigelow. It is a great combina- 

 tion. And Pres. B. will now have a wider 

 opportunity for his abounding enthusiasm 

 along the line of nature study. 



General Manager N. E. France 



(Platteville, Wis.), of the National Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, writing us May 18, 190", re- 

 ported that there were 3346 members of the 

 Association at that date. It would seem that 

 it might be an easy matter to have a member, 

 ship of 2500 by the time of the next meeting 



of the National. The exact time and place 

 have not yet been decided, but doubtless will 

 be very soon. 



Mr. France had letters on his desk from the 

 following States, which referred to the con- 

 dition of the bees and weather: 



California, where they were feeding the 

 bees. 



Texas, where they have had two extract- 

 ings with a cold wave following. 



Tennessee, with weather too cold for brood- 

 rearing. 



Louisiana, where the cold weather was still 

 continuing. 



It seems that reports indicate quite gen- 

 eral cool weather over the country during the 

 past few weeks. 



Mr. France had been away from home for 

 about 3 weeks in Wisconsin, and reports cold 

 weather for the past weeks, which injured 

 Wisconsin bees as much as had all the past 

 winter. 



Mr. J. J. Shearer, of Plymouth, Mich., 

 when renewing his subscription recently, 

 wrote as follows : 



I am now taking 53 papers and journals 

 every month, but can't think of dropping the 

 American Bee Journal. All of them are 

 worth more than they cost. I am 75 years 

 " young" to-day, and get time to look them 

 all over. I would like to send you some sub- 

 scribers if I could, but there are only 3 colo- 

 nies of bees within 4 miles of me. 



J. J. Shbarer. 



Mr. Shearer certainly takes his share of 

 current literature. He was one of the 

 "young fellows" who made up the carload 

 of bee-keepers that went to the Los Angeles 

 convention in 1903. Dr. Miller was another. 

 So was A. I. Root. They will probably never 

 forget that memorable trip, nor will 25 or 30 

 others who were permitted to enjoy it. 



Worst Outlook for Bees.— Mr. C. P. 



Dadant, of Hamilton, 111., wrote us on May 

 21st as follows: 



Friend York:— The outlook is the very 

 worst for bees that I have seen in 40 years. 

 There is no white clover here, and we can 

 not see anything to help them out, unless we 

 have an exceedingly wet year. 



C. P. Dadast. 



Surely, the above seems discouraging, but j 

 let us all hope that the season may yet be al 

 right for the bees. 



The Sixth Annual Report of the 



Illinois State Bee-Keepers' Association has 

 just been issued, containing 176 pages. Its 

 contents, besides considerable miscellaneous 

 matter, are the 1906 reports of the Illinois 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association, the National, 

 and the Chicago-Northwestern. There are a 

 number of very fine engravings of apiaries, 

 the Illinois State Capitol, etc. Cloth-bound 

 copies were issued for the members of the 

 Association only, and will be sent out as long 

 as they last to any who become members on 

 the payment of f 1.00 to the Secretary, which 

 not only secures a cloth-bound copy, but 

 membership in the State Association one year, 

 and the same in the National Association, A 

 paper-covered copy of the Report will be 

 mailed to any one who sends 15 cents to the 

 Secretary to pay postage and wrapping. We 

 think the Sixth Annual Report is as attrac- 

 tive and instructive as any we have ever 

 issued. General Manager N. E. France says 

 concerning this Report: "It is a credit to 

 all concerned in getting it out." 



Jas. A. Stone, Sec. 

 Route 4, Springfield, 111 



