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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



J. H. Larrabee — At the college we. 

 sowed some on both sand and clay. 

 That on the sand died from the drouth 

 when it was about two inches high. 

 That on the clay lived and did well. 

 This year it was so rank that a man 

 would pass through it only with diffi- 

 culty. I have never been able to secure 

 any honey that I would pronounce pure 

 sweet clover, but have had the bees get 

 enough honey from sweet clover so that 

 they would not rob. 



J. A. Green had secured honey that 

 was so clearly sweet clover that the 

 sweet clover odor and taste were plainly 

 discernable. 



Mrs. N. L. Stow, of South Evanston, 

 Ills., then read the following essay on 



The Outlook for Apiculture. 



The bee-keepers of Illinois are to be 

 congratulated that they are represented 

 by an organization that has started out 

 with such flying colors — I was going to 

 say, referring to that splendid piece of 

 work, " The First Annual Report of the 

 Illinois State Bee-Keepers' Association," 

 but I will amend that, as there is noth- 

 ing of show, or brag about it, but solid, 

 practical work, that shows that the first 

 association was made up of men well 

 fitted to represent our industry in this 

 grand State of Illinois, and that they 

 have brains and wit enough to carry out 

 any projects that will benefit, advance, 

 or protect our interests. 



But what of the industry itself ? Will 

 it prove worthy of its advocates, in face 

 of three or four years of almost failure ? 

 Bee-keepers as a class are optimists, but 

 " hope deferred maketh the heartsick." 

 Will men advocate specialty now, as 

 they did a few years ago? I think not. 

 Monopoly is the great cry of the day in 

 the business world, but, thank God, here 

 we have something that cannot be 

 monopolized any more than sunshine, 

 fresh air and beauty, and all of God's 

 best gifts to man. It is true they can 

 be perverted, polluted, and adulterated, 

 but honey is shed around us like the 

 <j ew — Nature's own product anyone may 

 gather and eat— if they will only keep 

 bees, and the season is propitious. 



The time has been, doubtless, and 

 may be now, in some favored localities, 

 where large apiaries may be carried on 

 successfully, but as our State becomes 

 more and more densely populated they 

 will be more restricted. Our cities and 

 towns are growing larger, and the land 

 outside of them is being used for market 



gardens to supply the inhabitants with 



vegetables. Our natural forests are 



being cut down to make room for more 

 towns or farms, and even our swamps 

 and marshy lands are being drained and 

 cultivated, and land is land, and must 

 be made to yield something to enrich its 

 owner. No more weeds in the fence 

 corners ! 



With two such cities as Chicago and 

 St. Louis to feed, our State must be- 

 come more and more a garden State. 

 What, then, is the remedy and hope for 

 apiculture? It is with the farmers, 

 horticulturists, and small bee-keepers ; 

 let them make bee-keeping a part of 

 their stock in trade, not as a "side- 

 issue," to run itself if it can, but with 

 intelligence, improved methods, and the 

 right care at the right time. 



But it might be said that swarming, 

 putting on sections and taking off, comes 

 just when a farmer is the busiest. Then 

 let him do what has been done with 

 marked success in many instances — 

 bring out his wife, or daughters, to help 

 him. Let them have more help in the 

 kitchen, and they will, when once they 

 are educated up to it, be glad to make 

 the change. It is for this reason I have 

 consented to fill this place to-day. 



My experience proves to me that 

 women can be valuable helps in the 

 apiary, and, if they choose, can carry on 

 the work alone, but as there is much 

 lifting, and hard work about it, I would 

 have them fitted to take charge of the 

 work, or "boss" it, and call in help 

 when needed. Let them see what a per- 

 fect piece of art a section of comb honey 

 may be, and they will be enthusiastic to 

 produce something like. Let them have 

 bee-literature with the mutual benefit of 

 exchange of notes and ideas, and most 

 especially an interest in the profits, and 

 instead of the complaint that farmers 

 and small bee-keepers break down 

 prices, the State will soon depend upon 

 them for its honey. 



So, then, it may be that the great un- 

 derlying hope of this most honorable in- 

 dustry, as of much that is good in the 

 world, rests in our women. Give them 

 a chance. Mks. N. L. Stow. , 



(Concluded next week.) 



Report of the Colorado Stale 

 Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



Compiled from Newspaper Reports. 



The Colorado State Bee-Keepers' Con- 

 vention met in Longmont, Colo., on 

 Sept. 28, 1892. 



President E. B. Porter, of Longmont, 

 called the convention to order. Prayer 



