AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



499 



practically, a duty in this direction, 

 nearly all have dealt out favors (?) most 

 reluctantly, and, I may say, grudgingly. 



It seems to me, as one who has kept 

 close watch of this whole matter for 

 years, that the bee-keepers have been 

 neglected, and are entirely warranted 

 in making a most vehement protest. I 

 have seen enough to make me think that 

 any one may secure his rights in our 

 country, if he finds out just what they 

 are, and then insists upon a recognition 

 of them by the powers that be. 



The dairymen saw that the sale of 

 oleomargarine as butter was injuring 

 their business. They demanded of the 

 Government a law making the sale of 

 manipulated (or doctored) lard and tal- 

 low as butter, a serious misdemeanor ; 

 and they secured their end and aim. 



Last year we almost secured congres- 

 sional legislation that would stop the 

 dealing in "futures" — a form of gam- 

 bling hardly less infamous than the New 

 Orleans lottery — and a general law 

 against adulteration. Both these laws 

 would be righteous, and will soon honor 

 our national statutes, and bless our 

 people. 



Thus we see that if we know our 

 rights, and are energetic and deter- 

 mined, we can secure them. 



There is no question but that every 

 State — like Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Cali- 

 fornia, etc. — where the bee-interest is 

 important, should take measures to have 

 their business recognized in the experi- 

 ment station. Bee-keepers in Illinois 

 are suffering from an .unknown bee-dis- 

 ease, which is without doubt a microbe 

 disease. Prof. T. J. Burrill, of the 

 Illinois University, is one of our best 

 students of bacteriology. I doubt if he 

 knows of this malady at all ; while I 

 fear that his name will be new to most 

 of the bee-keepers who read this article. 



Now, why may not the Illinois Experi- 

 ment Station very wisely pay a small 

 sum — say from three to • five hundred 

 dollars, to some first-class bee-keeper — 

 Dr. C. C. Miller or J. A. Green would fill 

 the bill — to keep a sharp lookout, that 

 advantage may be taken of the wisdom 

 in the University and Station, and the 

 interests of bee-keepers subserved all 

 along the line ? 



Does any one doubt but that such a 

 person, armed with authority and paid 

 for work, watchfulness and studious in- 

 terest, would fail to give a manifold 

 return for value received ? And cer- 

 tainly no bee-keeper will doubt but that 

 of $15,000 annually paid by the United 

 States Government to each State, for 

 purpose of research, a claim of $300, 



or even $500, would not be greedy on 

 the part of the bee-keepers. 



Why should not this matter come up 

 at the meeting of the Illinois State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association in Chicago on Oct. 

 18th? Why should not vigorous, ring- 

 ing resolutions be passed, asking for 

 such just recognition ? Why should not 

 this be seconded by a live, wide-awake 

 committee, to press the matter ? And 

 why should not every bee-keeper in 

 Illinois send a personal letter to the 

 Director of the Station, urging that the 

 request be granted ? Such energetic 

 action, calling for simple right and jus- 

 tice, could but have weighty influence, 

 and most probably would bring success. 



And why should not such action be 

 taken at the State conventions of every 

 other State, where bee-keeping is an 

 important industry ? This is only push- 

 ing for what is just and right. Shall 

 there not be a waking up to earnest 

 action all along the line ? 



Again, of the large appropriations, 

 reaching away up to thousands and 

 thousands of dollars for research by the 

 Department of Agriculture, why should 

 bee-keepers be ostracised, even though 

 there is a cut of $10,000 in this year's 

 appropriation? Why not reduce the 

 work a little in other lines, rather than 

 cease all work in apicultural research ? 



I believe that the Government could 

 in no way have spent $1,000 more ad- 

 vantageously than to have kept Mr. 

 Larrabee in the harness. To stop this 

 valuable line of work is surely a mis- 

 take, and I believe a real injustice. I 

 believe, even yet, the wrong may be 

 righted. Let the North American Con- 

 vention, and bee-keepers all over the 

 country, act as I have already suggested 

 for Illinois, and success is assured. 



That Secretary Rusk, and Assistant 

 Secretary Willits are in full sympathy 

 with all industrial pursuits, and extend 

 a hearty interest to bee-keepers, there is 

 not a shadow of doubt; that Prof . Riley, 

 wh» once recommended fruit-growers to 

 plant milk-weeds to destroy bees, is very 

 enthusiastic may not be true, but he 

 could not resist such overwhelming peti- 

 tions, even though he desired to do so. 



Let all move in solid phalanx upon the 

 head of the Department, and we shall 

 gain our desires and our rights. I be- 

 lieve there is hardly any action that bee- 

 keepers can take that is as emphatic 

 with promise of generous success and 

 valuable aid. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



[For editorial comments, see page 488 

 of this issue. — Ed.1 



