258 



One of our newspaper friends made the 

 i-emark that this write-up with its " scream- 

 ing- head lines " was worth to the Root Co. 

 thousands of dollars, because the Root 

 Company, Mr. Root in particular, their 

 Airline honey, and bee supplies had been 

 heralded all over the country thru millions 

 of papers. Posibly our newspaper man was 

 right; but this poor little "bee expert" 

 can't help feeling a little humiliated to have 

 it told about him when it wasn't so that he 

 was put out of business by a single bee in 

 one of his recent lectures before the univer- 

 sity students of a state university. Josh 

 Billings used to say, "What's the us3 of 

 knowin' so much when so much you know 

 ain't sof Some of these cub reporters 

 ought to absorb a little of this truth. But 

 then the truth wouldn't have made a " good 

 story." 



The National Convention at Chicago 



The secretary, Mr. F. Eric Millen, page 

 277 of this issue, gives an official statement 

 of the policies of the new National as rec- 

 ommended and adopted by the delegates at 

 the last meeting in Chicago. As Mr. Millen 

 says, the thing to do is to forget the past, 

 wash the slate clean, and begin all over with 

 the new men who have been in no way 

 identified with the past. If we understand 

 it, no blame is attached to individuals; but 

 the general opinion seemed to be that a 

 single organization national in its scope 

 cannot perform a dual function — education- 

 al, commercial, or both^ — at the same time. 

 The neAV organization will attempt to do 

 only one thing, Avork along educational and 

 social lines. 



The editor of Gleanings during late 

 years has repeatedly refused to take any 

 part in any discussion relative to the poli- 

 cies of the National. In Cincinnati, Avhen 

 he was asked to express even an opinion, he 

 respectfully declined, saying that he did not 

 believe that any bee-journal, supply dealer, 

 or supply manufacturer had any business 

 to dictate or even suggest what any bee- 

 keepers' society, national or local, should 

 do; that each organization should be abso- 

 lutely independent of any commercial inter- 

 ests outside of the mere business of honey 

 production. Any other policy would be 

 fraught with danger. 



SOME THINGS THAT WERE SAID AND DONE IN 

 CHICAGO. 



We were not present at all the sessions, 

 and therefore can give only a limited re- 

 view of the proceedings. After the business 

 of the morning liad been transacted, the 

 actual discussions began on the afternoon 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



of the 22d in one of the assembly rooms of 

 the Sherman House. Mr. G. W. Williams, 

 editor of the Booster, and secretary of the 

 United Honey Producers of America, deliv- 

 ered an address on teaching the uses of 

 honey in our public schools. Domestic 

 science, he said, was being taken up in all 

 of our best schools; the opportunity was 

 now ripe for the beekeepers of the country 

 to cari-y the subject of beekeeping and the 

 uses of honev as a food direct to the domes- 

 tic-science teachers as never before. He 

 found that the various boards were recep- 

 tive — glad to take up the matter if proper- 

 ly presented. Beekeepei-s are distributed all 

 over the United States, and it would be an 

 easy matter for each beekeeper to explain 

 the uses of honey by handing out booklets, 

 giving honey recipes to the domestic-science 

 teachers. He closed by giving a statement 

 of the food value of honey as compared 

 with other foods, especially cane sugar. He 

 recommended that these comparisons be 

 presented to the domestic-science teachers 

 and they in turn to the pupils. 



Mr. Williams was followed by Mr. E. H. 

 Bruner, of Chicago, on the uses of honey in 

 cooking. There were two important things 

 to be considered — first, a fine quality of 

 honey, and, second, to get the housewife to 

 understand the value of honey as a food. 

 There was no use in getting her interested 

 unless she could be supplied at any time 

 with good honey. The use of honey in bak- 

 ing should be brought to her attention. 

 There are thousands who would eat honey if 

 they could get it and know of it. The busi- 

 ness of getting honey into our homes has 

 only just started. It Avas important now he 

 said to set people to thinking about honey. 

 Let them understand that it can be used in 

 ninety places where sugar is now used. 

 Show them, for example, that honey is good 

 to use on grapefruit and bananas; fine on 

 cold cereals, and excellent in lemonade. He 

 deprecated the policy of selling honey in a 

 retail way at wiiolesale i3riees, or cutting 

 prices, as many beekeeiDers were doing, in 

 order to " introduce the sale of it." When- 

 ever loAv prices were established it would be 

 difficult to get them up again. The whole 

 policy of cutting prices to the consumer di- 

 rect Avas Avrong. Our grocers were our best 

 friends. If Ave protect them, they would 

 protect us. 



Mr. R. M. Spencer delivered an address 

 on selling and advertising ripe honey. He 

 recommended that all honey sold should be 

 entirely sealed before being extracted. Such 

 lioney Avould bring good prices, Avhereas the 

 half-rii>ened article Avould bring a low price. 

 He asked for all his honey thoroly ripened, 



