1881. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



309 



swamp near by, l would set out ahun- 



dred hushes. Soft maple also gives 



earl; honey, but 1 doubt if the quality 

 is sufficient bo pay for sotting out these 

 trees, except now and then one tor the 



sake of having S variety. Hard maple 

 blossoms later, lint 1 would make it Of 

 use bv tapping, and allowing the bees 

 to take it from the tree, when the 

 weather will admit of the bees Hying; 

 but my bees are quiet in the cellar 

 during" the maple sugar harvest. The 

 sugar can be led to them to advant- 

 age. Every bee-farm should have at 

 least a hundred sugar maples. 



The next blossom that comes to the 

 consideration of the bee-farmer is 

 fruit. It is needless to say that every 

 owner of an acre of land will not forego 

 the pleasures derived from an orchard. 

 In a farming district where trees have 

 reached an age of 60 years, with a 

 growth in proportion to their age, who 

 can estimate the number of blossoms 

 upon the tree, that looks like a mam- 

 moth snowball. The apiarist here 

 not only gets the benelit of his own 

 planting, but from the planting by his 

 neighbor, and I find that of all fruit 

 blossoms, the cherry tree is most 

 visited by the bees. Persons having 

 land near a good market, would do 

 well to put out several acres to cher- 

 ries. 1 bear but little about great 

 yields from fruit trees ; the reason, I 

 think, is from the fact that few colo- 

 nies of bees are in that " boilingover " 

 condition to obtain the fruit bloom 

 honey. I And that those colonies 

 which are in that right condition, will 

 invariably store a good yield from this 

 source. 



For early honey. I also think the 

 black locust cannot be excelled. Upon 

 my hundred acres, I propose to set 

 out 2 acres of locust, not only for the 

 honey, but for the valuable timber. 

 In 4 years, locust will not only blos- 

 som," but will be large enough for 

 stakes, and thereafter will rapidly be- 

 come profitable both for honey and 

 timber. Raspberries are not to be de- 

 spised as a honey producer, and if my 

 hundred acres were located near a 

 good market for the fruit, I would 

 plant an acre or more of raspberries. 

 There are many acres of wild raspber- 

 ries around me upon waste pastures 

 and in fence corners, but the tidy 

 farmer will soon clear them from these 

 places, and dependence will have to be 

 put upon cultivation. Whenever I 

 seed a field that has been under culti- 

 vation, I am ever mindful of the clo- 

 ver, for upon this many times de- 

 pends my success as a bee culturist. 

 White clover seems.to springup spon- 

 taneously upon all grass lands, and is 

 the most permanent clover and honey 

 producer I have, while red clover and 

 alsike have to be sown every time when 

 we put a field to grass. As I now sow 

 alsike, I have adopted a plan by which 

 I hope, by little expense, to add a hun- 

 dred fold to my acreage. Every neigh- 

 boring farmer is requested to give al- 

 sike clover a trial. I sell it at the 

 same price per acre that it costs to 

 seed with red clover, owing to the dif- 

 ference in the (nice of seed. I am 

 out of pocket a little on every acre my 

 neighbors sow, but every cent thus 

 expended will come back in countless 

 golden drops of nectar next year. Al- 

 sike would find more favor with farm- 

 ers if the cost for seeding an acre was 

 about the same as for red clover. 

 Sweet clover is looked upon with sus- 

 picion by the tidy farmers, and it 

 would be against his progressive ideas 

 to tolerate a plant that is of no appar- 

 ent use ; but as it is not a bad weed, 

 and seems to thrive upon the hard 

 roadside, I am extending my sweet 

 clover pasturage along every highway 

 for miles around me. In addition to 

 this, an acre will soon be sown to it 

 upon my farm, followed by more if 

 this first acre pays. 



I find for late fall pasturage, it is 

 better to mow sweet clover in August. 

 A new growth comes up very profuse 

 with blossoms. If it will give my bees 

 business after basswood fails, I will 

 sow 10 acres of it. I hope the cultiva- 

 tion of it will prove it useful for other 

 than honey purposes. Could I make 

 it useful like buckwheat, I could ex- 

 tend my pasturage the same as I did 



my clover on the farms of my neigh- 

 bors. Mignonette. QgWOl't, catnip, 

 motherwort and other plants of Ibis 

 class I am giving a trial, and will give 

 land to the Cultivation of each as 1 1 1 < ■ \ 

 prove their qualities. Buckwheat is 

 another of those crops that gives a 

 good return to the bee-keeper, and at 

 least 10 acres should be sown to re- 

 ceive much benefit. While, if your 

 neighbors cultivate it, andextendyour 

 pasturage to hundreds of acres, a great 

 number of colonies will find employ- 

 ment for several weeks. 



The bee-farmer should not forget to 

 plant a liberal number of basswood 

 trees ; next to white clover comes this 

 tree in importance to the apiarist, 

 and there is not a farm in the Eastern 

 States that cannot well afford space, 

 for this noble tree. If planted upon 

 the highway, I would plant with it the 

 sugar maple. For a length of over 100 

 rods, my highway is planted with an 

 avenue of over 100 trees. Some of 

 these trees have been planted 8 years, 

 and now blossom. The apiarist will 

 find, not only pleasure, but profit, in 

 becoming to a certain 'extent a forest 

 tree culturist. There are many cor- 

 ners upon our farms that had far bet- 

 ter be planted to useful trees, than to 

 be infested as they are witli weeds 

 and brush. Our springs and small 

 streams should be protected with a 

 surrounding cordon of trees; they 

 would then defy the scorching drouths 

 of summer, and continue to fill our 

 rivers for the continued benefit of 

 commerce and manufactories. The 

 apiarist should use his influence with 

 his neighbors in this direction, for 

 the day will surely come when our for- 

 ests will receive the attention that 

 lias already been too long neglected. 



I have thus outlined something of 

 my plan for a bee-farm. If there is 

 any person who has cultivated a farm 

 of 100 acres or more exclusively for 

 bees, it is his duty to give me the re- 

 sults of his experience. 



In studying the matters of bee- 

 farming, there are many points that 

 come to me that I have not touched 

 upon in the foregoing, but will give 

 them to the readers of the Bee Jour- 

 nal at some future time. 



Hartford, N. Y. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Toronto Bee and Honey Show. 



WM. F. CLARKE. 



Under the stimulus of the liberal 

 prize list offered at this exhibition, 

 and which was recently published in 

 the American Bee Journal, there 

 was a truly magnificent array of honey 

 and apiarian supplies brought to- 

 gether. The directors appropriated 

 an entire building to the use of bee- 

 keepers, and for the first time at a 

 great exhibition on the American con- 

 tinent, " honey hall " advertised itself 

 side by side with horticultural hall, 

 dairy hall, etc. Beside the building 

 just mentioned, there was a large tent 

 close by, where hives, extractors, live 

 bees, and various out-door appurte- 

 nances of bee-keeping were shown ; 

 also where an endless flow of bee- 

 talk was indulged. Inside of dairy 

 hall, honey was displayed in every 

 form, calculated to make the mouths 

 of spectators water. The tin packa- 

 ges and cans were gorgeously colored 

 and labeled ; the glass jars were in va- 

 rious beautiful shapes, and even the 

 wooden boxes displayed a wonderful 

 diversity of taste. Of course, Mr. D. 

 A. Jones was the leading exhibitor. 

 He occupied nearly half the building. 

 In the centre, he had a miniature 

 church, ingeniously built of honey 

 comb and wax, with pinnacles and 

 spire. Dr. Nugent, of Strathroy, was 

 not far behind Mr. Jones, and consid- 

 ering that this is his first season at the 

 business, it must be admitted that he 

 lias stepped into the arena of compe- 



tition with a wonderfully complete 

 equipment. I think in the variety ami 



beauty of his packages, he rather took 

 the lead. W. C. Wells, of Phillipston, 

 and M. Ramer, of Cedar Grove, Mark- 

 ham, were also prominent exhibitors. 

 Besides these, there were a number of 

 others who made most creditable ex- 

 hibits on a small scale. The following 

 is the prize list : 



Largest and best display of honey, 

 Edmund Nugent, Strathroy, $10 ; 2nd, 

 1). A. Jones, Beeton, S5. Best 10 lbs. 

 of extracted honey, I). A. Jones, s". ; 

 2nd, W. C. Wells, Phillipston, $3; 3rd, 

 M. Ramer, Cedar Grove, S2. Best hi 

 lbs. of comb honey, M. Earner, $5; 

 2nd, Edmund Nugent, S3; 3rd, W. C. 

 Wells, $2. Best mode of marketing 

 extracted honey, D. A. Jones, $5 ; 2nd, 

 Edmund Nugent, S3; 3rd, W. C. 

 Wells, $2. Best mode of marketing 

 comb honey, Edmund Nugent, $5; 

 2nd, W. C. Wells, S3; 3rd, M. Ramer, 

 $2. Best comb foundation for brood 

 chamber, I). A. Jones, diploma. Best 

 comb foundation for honey boxes, W. 

 C. Weils, diploma. Best and most 

 scientific mode of wintering out-door 

 in any kind of hive, D. A. Jones, S3; 

 2nd, Edmund Nugent, §2. Best house 

 for wintering bees and of the most 

 use for apiarian purposes in summer, 

 working model to be on ground, rep- 

 resented by a scale of not less than 

 one inch to the foot, D. A. Jones, $5. 

 Best winter and summer hive, D. A. 

 Jones, diploma. Best and most prac- 

 tical invention for retaining even tem- 

 perature in bee-houses, D. A. Jones, 

 S3. Best wax extractor, L>. A. Jones, 

 diploma. Best mode of securing the 

 largest yield of box honey from a 

 single hive, M. Ramer, S3 ; 2nd, Ed- 

 mund Nugent, $2. Best mode of se- 

 curing the largest yield of extracted 

 honey from a single hive, D. A. Jones, 

 S3; 2nd, Edmund Nugent, $2. Best 

 and most valuable invention in bee 

 hives not heretofore exhibited or made 

 public, D. A. Jones, bronze medal. 

 Best non-swarming hive, D. A. Jones' 

 diploma. Best bee smoker, I). A. 

 Jones, $2; 2nd, T. P. Hodgson, Hom- 

 ing's Mills, SI. Best honey knife, D. 

 A. Jones, $2. Best honey extractor 

 for general use, D. A. Jones, $2 ; 2nd, 

 Edmund Nugent, SI. Best exhibit of 

 bees and new races of bees, D. A. 

 Jones, diploma. Best and largest dis- 

 play of apiarian supplies, 1). A. Jones, 

 $10 ; 2nd, Edmund Nugent, $5. Best 

 and most practical new invention for 

 the apiarist, D. A. Jones, $5. Best 

 form of hive, D. A. Jones, bronze 

 medal. Extras — W. C. Wells, comb 

 foundation masher, commended. 



It will be seen by the above, that 

 Mr. Ramer took the first prize for 

 comb honey, and I do not hesitate to 

 say, that the whole world never saw 

 so handsome a lot. It was the aston- 

 ishment of every bee-keeper on the 

 grounds for purity, evenness and ac- 

 curacy of form, the corners even be- 

 ing finished out as though the work 

 had been done with a square and 

 planer. The secret of it lies in the use 

 of perforated zinc in the place of the 

 usual tin separators. It seems that 

 bees do the best work standing on 

 their heads. I have asked Mr. Ramer 

 to send a sample of his honey and per- 

 forated separators to the forthcoming 

 Convention at Lexington, and I hope 

 he will do so. 



A smashing trade in honey was done 

 at the exhibition. Thousands pf peo- 

 ple might be seen with gay-looking 

 tin cans dangling from their fingers, 

 or with pretty glass jars in their hands, 

 or nice boxes under their arms. They 

 bought and carried them home very 

 much as is usually done with toys and 

 trinkets on such occasions. The suc- 

 cess of this show awakens great ex- 

 pectations as to the future of bee- 

 keeping in this country, and these few 

 notes of it may suggest a wrinkle or 

 two that will be serviceable to apiar- 

 ists in other parts of the world. 



Toronto, Can. 



IjgTThe North western Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will meet in Chicago, on 



Tuesday and Wednesday, October 25 

 and 211. All bee-keepers are cordially 

 invited to attend. It is desired to 

 make this one of the most interesting 

 conventions ever held in the United 

 states. C. C. Miller, M. I)., Pres. 



C. C. CoFFINBERRY, SeC. 



I®" The Western Michigan Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will meet in 

 Berlin, Ottawa, Co.. Mich., Thursday, 

 Oct. 27, 1881, in Huntley's Hall, at 

 10:30 a. m. All interested, are cordi- 

 ally invited. 



Wm. M. S. Dodge, See. 



Coopersville, Mich., Aug. 29, 1881. 



(®" The Northern Michigan Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will hold its 

 fourth Annual Convention at Maple 

 Rapids, Clinton Co., Mich., Oct. 11 

 and 12, 1881. O. R. Goodno. Sec. 



^T The Eastern Michigan bee-keep- 

 ers' Association will hold its fall meet- 

 ing in Detroit, Oct. 4, in the Y. M. C. 

 A. ball, at 10 o'clock a. in. 



A. B. Weed, Sec. 



tgg- The South Eastern Mich. Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, will hold its4th 

 meeting at the Court House, in Ann 

 Arbor, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 1881, at 9 

 o'clock a. m.; the week of the County 

 Fair. An adjourned meeting may he 

 held during the week. All interested 

 are invited to attend. By order of the 

 Executive Committee. 



N. A. Prudden, Chairman. 



W The North Eastern Wis. Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, will hold its 

 fall meeting at Peewaukee, Wis., on 

 Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 11 and 

 12. A full attendance is cordially re- 

 quested. Notice of the plauce of 

 meeting will be found at the local 

 Post Office. 



Geo. Church, Pres.. Neenah, Wis. 

 Frances Dunham, iSec.,Depere,Wis. 



South Western Iowa Bee Association. 



— The regular annual meeting of this 

 association, will occur at the apiary 

 of James T. Fife, in Jasper township, 

 near Corning, Iowa, on Thursday af- 

 ternoon, Sept. 29. The place of meet- 

 ing is such that the topics considered 

 will be practically demonstrated. Fol- 

 lowing is the programme : Business 

 of Society; raising of queens ; intro- 

 duction of queens ; dividing of bees ; 

 practical handling of bees. A full at- 

 tendance is desired. 



J. T. Fife, Pres. 

 W. J. Oliver, Sec. 



<@T Owing to the fact that Hie time 

 of the regular meeting of the Union 

 Bee Association, at Shelbyville, Ky., 

 conflicts with the time fixed bythe ex- 

 ecutive committee, to hold the Na- 

 tional at Lexington, the meeting of 

 the Union, at Shelbyville, has been 

 postponed till the 20th of October. 

 G. W. Demaree. Sec. 



Cliristiansburg, Ky., Sept. 3, 1881, 



<gTThe Rock River Valley Bee- 

 Keepers' Convention, will be held at 

 Monroe Center, on the third Tuesday 

 in October. We hope a good atten- 

 dance will be the outcome, and the bee 

 interest revived. 



D. A. Cipi'erly, Sec. 



lgg= The Michigan State Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, will convene at Bat- 

 tle Creek, on Thursday, Dec. 8, 1881. 

 We have reason to expect one of the 

 largest and most interesting meetings 

 wehaveever held. Let all arrange 

 to be present. All District Associa- 

 tions should send delegates. Each per- 

 son should come with their best ex- 

 perience in their hands, ready to hand 

 it over to the others of the fraternity. 

 It is hoped that all will bring the full- 

 est report possible from their region. 

 Commutation rates are expected on 

 railroads. A. J. Cook, Pres. 



T. F. BINC4HAM, Sec. 



tig" The Southwestern Wisconsin 

 Bee-Keepers' Association will hold its 

 next meeting in Platteville, Grant Co., 

 Wis.. Nov. 30, 1881. 



N. E. France, Sec, Platteville, Wis. 



