AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



753 



The "World's Fair Exhibit 



of bees has been discussed somewhat in 

 these columns, and now Mr. A. G. Hill, 

 in the Bee-Keepers' Guide for November 

 offers the following suggestions about 

 the manner of exhibiting bees at the 

 Fair next year. Any others who have 

 valuable ideas to offer regarding any 

 portion of the apiarian exhibit, will 

 doubtless be doing a favor to those who 

 will have the matter in charge, by writ- 

 ing out their ideas for publication. 



The suggestions and comments by Mr. 

 Hill, referred to above, are contained in 

 the following paragraphs : 



It is our opinion that the only way to 

 exhibit bees and make it at all conven- 

 ient and educational is to use single- 

 comb observatory hives, confining the 

 bees as long as they are bright and 

 healthy, and then change for a fresh 

 comb and bees. We are not sure but 

 wire-cloth would be better than glass, or 

 perhaps glass on one side with wire- 

 cloth on the other would be advisable 

 during hot weather. The people could 

 then see the queen, drones and workers, 

 brood in all stages, eggs and pollen, 

 while the experts accustomed to these 

 sights could judge of quality by compar- 

 ing the contents of different hives. 



A good light will be of the greatest 

 importance. 



A lot of large observatory hives, ar- 

 ranged along the wall of a building in 

 such a manner that the bees could pass 

 through the wall and fly out over the 

 heads of the people would hardly be 

 satisfactory or safe. A colony of bees 

 can easily and safely be taken away 

 from their natural stand (away from 

 home), and be opened up and exhibited 

 in a crowd of people. But to place a lot 

 of bees permanently, and bring the peo- 

 ple up near or under them, would cer- 

 tainly be quite risky. Each colony 

 would probably contain 40,000 workers, 

 and there would be a number of colonies 

 — bees enough, if they got mad, and 

 wanted to do it, to take possession of the 

 whole Fair, and run it to suit them- 

 selves. When a bee is mad and at home, 

 or defending its home, it is not at all 

 particular about distance, and might go 

 a number of rods to sting some one. The 

 safe way is to keep all the bees confined. 



To show the quality and beauty of the 

 light-colored bees, it would be nice to 

 have the specimens confined between 

 wire-cloth and glass with no comb at 



all. By looking through the cages 

 towards the light, the best kind of a 

 view and test of color and markings 

 could be had. No doubt all the queen- 

 breeders in the United States, who breed 

 especially good stock, would be glad to 

 furnish a fresh sample by mail every ten 

 days, or as often as it would be neces- 

 sary to keep the bees bright and fresh, 

 if some one was engaged to receive ex- 

 hibits under the owner's name and care 

 for the bees. Such a plan would be 

 without expense to the Fair association. 



Getting: Affidavits from commis- 

 sion men "that they will not sell adul- 

 terated honey or beeswax, they knowing 

 it to be such," was, by resolution, 

 " recommended to the publishers of the 

 various bee-papers," at the meeting of 

 the Illinois State Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion in October. The report written for 

 the Canadian Bee Journal, and pub- 

 lished on page 249 of its issue for Nov. 

 15th, says in substance that the editor 

 of the Bee Journal was "present," 

 and that he " promised to do his utmost 

 in carrying out the spirit" of the reso- 

 lution. With the slight exception that 

 we were not "present" when the reso- 

 lution was passed, and hence could not 

 have "promised" anything regarding 

 it, that part of the report is quite cor- 

 rect. We fully agree with Mr. J. A. 

 Green on this subject, that "a firm that 

 would adulterate honey would not hesi- 

 tate to furnish a false affidavit." We 

 cannot see how the obtaining of such 

 affidavits would help any in stopping 

 adulteration. What is needed is a 

 national law against the crime of adul- 

 teration, and nothing short of that will 

 do any good, in our estimation. 



Cleome.— It is said that no other 

 plant known to the civilized world will 

 produce as much honey, of as good 

 quality, as the Cleome integrifolia. It Is 

 a native of Colorado, hardy, and thrives 

 on any kind of soil. The plant grows 

 six feet high, and is covered with a mass 

 of bloom from June until October, and 

 is invaluable for bee-pasture. 



