918 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1. 



drawn into the lime lands just the air fertilization 

 that they need. Manj- of our planters, who only 

 within the last few years have learned the truth of 

 this gi-owth, plant every year, or every two years, 

 acres of this clover. They leave the acres to its 

 work of fertilization foi' two years, perhaps four 

 years, and their corn, lands have in that time be- 

 come whoUj' renovated. But when I say leave the 

 acres to its work of fertilization, I ought to say that 

 in all that time he pastures herds and stock thereon. 

 In the second year's g-rowth he e\en gives to the 

 acres several close cutting-s for liaj', leaving' only a 

 long enough growing season in late summer for the 

 plant to sow its own seed. If he chooses he has also 

 the most magnificent pasturage possilile for bees, 

 for no honey made the world over is purei' or more 

 delicately flavored than is the honey made from 

 these white flowers. Since the value of the plant is 

 beginning, merely beginning, to be known to the 

 agricultural world, there has sprung up in this 

 county where it grows so lu.xuriantlj- a new indvis- 

 try— seed gathering. Demands for the seed come in 

 from all parts of tlie Union. Some of the leading 

 seedsmen of Texas seem to be taking an especially 

 great.interest in the industry, recognizing, as one 

 must, the great value of the plant to tlie agricultu- 

 ral world. Eli Shepperd. 



[Now the question is. Is the clover described 

 above the same thing as our well-known sweet 

 clover? From the fact that the writer calls it 

 '■ raelilotus," and says it is a white clover.it 

 would seem that it must be; for our common 

 sweet ' clover — that is, the white variety — is 

 Melilotus alba. And, again, he speaks of the 

 fact that the plant performs the office of reno- 

 vating and making fertile the lime lands of Ala- 

 bama, and this just exactly agrees with the 

 way in which sweet clover grows on the alka- 

 line lands around Salt Lake City, Utah; and, 

 finally, it fits sterile ground for farming pur- 

 poses. The description of the honey obtained 

 from it also agrees. We should be glad to hear 

 sotnething more in regard to this matter from 

 our correspondents in the Southern States. 



THE NORTH AMERICAN AT ALBANY. 



WHAT IT IS TO BE, AND WHO WILL BE 

 PKESENT. 



By Ernest B. Root. 



Never, since we can i-emember, have the 

 prospects been brighter for a grand representa- 

 tive international convention than for the one 

 which is to be held at Albany Dec. 8-11. Rep- 

 resentative — that is just what this meeting is 

 to be, emphatically. Delegates from affiliated 

 societies from all parts of the United States 

 and Canada have signified their intention of 

 being present; and, besides this, we believe 

 there was never a convention where there was 

 a promise of the attendance of so many distin- 

 guished, practical, and brilliant bee-keepers. 

 The one great difficulty in securing a good 

 attendance has been a failure to get reduced 

 railroad rates. But this year the committee, 

 G. H. Knickerbocker, succeeded admirably, so 

 that nearly every one who expects to be present 

 will be able to secure one and a third fare, 

 round trip. For particulars, see elsewhere. 

 Whether it is the reduced rates or whether it is 

 due to the earnest solicitation on the part of 

 the officers, we can not say; but up to the pres- 

 ent date we are authorized to announce that 

 the following bee-keepers will be present. 

 Among them are some of the most extensive 

 and distinguished apiarists in the world: 



Capt. J. E. Hetherington, of New York; 

 Frank Benton, of Washington, D. C; Julius 

 Hoffman, of New York; J. E.Crane, of Ver- 

 mont; Pres. Elwood, of New York; Sec. C. P. 

 Dadant, of Illinois; Vice-President Secor, of 

 Iowa; Dr. C. C. Miller, of Illinois; Dr. A. B. 



Mason, of Ohio; W. F. Clarke, of Canada; G. M. 

 Doolittle. of New York; A. E. Manum, of Ver- 

 mont; Hon. J. M. Hambaugh. of Illinois; W. 

 Z. Hutchinson, of Michigan: S. Cornell, of 

 Canada; R. F. Hoitermann. of Canada: Geo. H. 

 Knickerbocker, of New York: C. H. Greeley, of 

 Maine: Jonathan Pike, of Maine; J. H. M. 

 Cook, of New York City; W. H. Norton, of 

 Maine; V. V. Blackmer, of Vermont; E. R. 

 Root, of Ohio; Geo. H. Ash by, of New York; J. 

 Vandei'vort. of Pennsylvania; E. L. Pratt, of 

 Massachusetts; A. N. Draper, of Illinois: A. A. 

 Byard, of New Hampshire; H. Reynolds, New 

 Hatnpshire; Frank and Chester Olmstead, of 

 New York. 



This is by no means the total number that 

 will be present. Many others hope to be pres- 

 ent, and doubtless will be, to say nothing of the 

 large local attendance that will be sure to come 

 to see and hear the '• big guns." The bee-keeper 

 who can attend, but fails to do so, will miss the 

 opportunity of a lifetime to see together so 

 many eminent men of our chosen pursuit. 



The president and secretary — well, you know 

 who they are. Mr. Elwood has some 1300 or 

 14CX) colonies distributed in ten or twelve api- 

 aries, all on closed-end Quinby frames. He is 

 a practical and successful bee-keeper — a schol- 

 arly gentleman of a quiet and dignified reserve, 

 rather modest and retiring in his way. He 

 makes a good presiding officer, however, and 

 has a happy faculty of turning all discussions 

 into a practJical vein, and holding them there. 



The secretary, Mr. Dudant. is also another 

 extensive bee-keeper, as well as a representa- 

 tive of the largest f(mndation establishment in 

 the world. The f)adants own some 400 or .500 



PKESIDENT ELW^OOD. 



colonies, distributed in four or five out-apiaries. 

 The secretary is a hustler and thorough-going 

 business man and practical bee-keeper. 



York State, outside of California, is the larg- 

 est honey State in the Union, and its capital 

 jS right in the midst of the honey-producers. 



