104 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



May, 



that the Old Bay State is bestirring 

 herself the rest of the Sta.tes will 

 needs look to their laurels if they 

 would keep them. 



SCIENCE IN APICULTURE. 



Practical bee-keepers sometimes 

 look askance at what they term sci- 

 entitic articles. It may not be amiss 

 to say that science is naught but 

 "knowledge, co-ordinated, arranged 

 and systematized." What really dis- 

 turbs them are the long, dry state- 

 ments of details often necessary to 

 make the record of the matter under 

 consideration so complete that other 

 persons may intelligently take up the 

 work therefrom. 



Careless and loose statements of 

 ways, means and methods are among 

 the most potent hindrances to prog- 

 ress in all pursuits and none more 

 than in bee-keeping. An example will 

 help to make this clear: A bee-keep- 

 er writes, "I took a strong colony, 

 etc." His idea of a strong colony is 

 one thing, the reader's may be an- 

 other. One man calls eight '"L" 

 frames well stocked with brood and 

 bees "strong," the next man does not 

 not consider less than twenty such 

 frames, strong. The latter man ac- 

 complishes results with his stock 

 impossible with the eight frame size. 

 The reader tries it with another idea 

 as "strong" and fails. Had accurate 

 details been given (i. e. a scientific 

 article) all would have ben clear. 



It is our aim to have the matter 

 appearing in the Bee-Keeper full, 

 complete and accurate and at the 

 same time as far as possible avoid the 

 dry details to which many object. 



No system of wintering bees can 

 be made to yield cer^iji and pre-de- 

 termined results unless temperature, 

 air and moisture are under absolute 

 control. Persons who make, or con- 

 template making be'e-keeping their 

 sole means of support, or even depend 

 on it to a large extent, will do well 

 to arrange to construct a repository 

 for their bees in which these factors 

 can be controlled. It is not necessary 

 that such repository be under^ground 

 but such, as a rule, are safer and 

 cheaper in the end. It is none too 

 soon now to consider the location and 

 details essential to their proper con- 

 struction if you contemplate having 

 one for next winter. 



THE HONEY PRODUCERS' 

 LEAGUE. 



Considerable space this month is 

 devoted to matter pertaining to the 

 new organization recently formed at 

 Chicago. It is given in full in order 

 that our readers may study the details 

 of its various phases and decide for 

 themselves as to its merits. 



That some efficient method of edu- 

 cation that would tend to popularize 

 honey, was sorely needed is a fact 

 most keenly realized by those who 

 produce honey for the market; but 

 whether the course pursued by the lit- 

 tle meeting at Chicago last month 

 meets the requirements of the case, is 

 yet an open question. 



The great haste with which thf 

 ideas of the several gentlemen wert. 

 put into effect may be responsible foi 

 constitutional features that, to saj 

 the least, are not calculated to inspire 

 great public confidence in the League 

 This is to be regretted, as, under th( 

 present constitution, the inembershii 

 is without power to amend any defec 

 which may become evident in th( 

 constitution, unless, perchance, tht 

 needed amendment should happen t( 

 meet with the approval of the Boar( 

 of Directors already in power. 



The American Bee-Keeper note 

 with regret that so imoortant a ste- 

 in America's apicultura"T"affairs shoul 

 necessarily have to be announced V 

 the public to which it looks for sup 

 port, with an apology for its initia 

 move. 



THE STANDARD OF EXCEL 

 LENCE IN HONEY. 



In this number of The Bee-Keepe 

 appears a very interesting article b; 

 Mr. Hall, in regard to the excellenc 

 of Canadian honey. 



In view of the fact that this mag 

 nificent showing is reported from th 

 "land of his nativity," and the fact 

 are chronicled by the hand of hi 

 respected preceptor, upon his nativ 

 heath, there cannot be anythin 

 humiliating therein to the writer. H 

 is hardly liable to be prejudice 

 against Ontario, one of the richest an 

 most beautiful sections of the world. 



However, all that has been writtC; 

 upon this matter of climatic eflftc 

 upon the quality of honey, raises th 

 question: Who is competent to de 

 termine the qualities essential to plac 

 any specific sample of honey in th 



