THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



BiijmMK 



THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 



VolIXIL Jan, 6, 1886, No,l, 



*' Peace be within thy walls, and pros- 

 pt-rity within thy lial)itiiti,n]s," was written 

 anciently as a saUitation— anil it, is a snitahle 

 one for our New Year's salutation to every 

 house into which tlie Jouiinal shall enter. 



The Hee Jouhnai. has tieeu favored with 

 prosperity suOicient to allow of its suliserip- 

 tion price to be reduced by one-half— and 

 this, too, even in the midst of disaster to 

 many bee-keepers, and for two j'ears a 

 partial (to some, total) failure of the honey 

 crop. While some of the newer bee-papers 

 have ceased to e.\ist on that account, the 

 old standard-bearer of bee-culture has stood 

 like a bulwark against which the storms 

 have beaten, and is still freely acknowledged 

 to be the leading apicultural periodical in 

 the World. It c'irculates in every State, 

 Territory and Province of North America, 

 as well as in Europe, Asia, and Australia. 



A CorreNpuiideiit in Iowa writes us that 

 Lizzie Cotton's agent is in his neighborhood 

 selling to the "old fogies," a new strain of 

 bees, which she claims will never produce 

 any drones. Those who know anything 

 about bees will not be fonled by such non- 

 sense, but such " agents " only work among 

 those who are ignorant concerning bees. If 

 no drones are produced, how will young 

 fiueeiis become fertilized'!' As soon as the 

 original non drone-producing queen dies (if 

 such existed), the " strain " would have run 

 out— having strained itself to death. 



p\TOg/^^ 



A Bright Neiv Year, and a sunny track, 



Along an upward way, 

 And a song of praise on looking back, 



When the year has passed away. 

 And golden sheaves, not small nor tew ! 

 This is our New Year's wish for you 1 



The Year 1886 has come, and with this 

 issue the American Bee Journ.il com- 

 mences a new Volume. During the past 

 year we have endeavored to conduct the 

 Bee JotTRNAL with a view of doing the 

 " greatest good to the greatest number"— 

 never losing sight of the interests of pro- 

 ducers as well as consumers. The past must 

 be the guaranty for the future. Our motto 

 is " B.\celsior," and "progress" and "im- 

 provement " are our watcliwiirds. The price 

 of the Journal is reduced to one dollar a 

 year, but it will not be any less valuable to 

 its readers, nor will any less e-xpense be 

 incurred in its production. The entire gain 

 will be to its patrons, and they are apprecia- 

 ting this by sending in more and larger clubs 

 than ever before. 



It is to the interest of every bee-keeper 

 that his neighbor bee-keepers are educated 

 especially as to marketing honey, that they 

 may have the honey in attractive shape, and 

 to know its proper selling value before 

 attempting to sell it. This may prevent 

 their spoiling of his market by ruining the 

 prices or disgusting purchasers. 



We desire not only that every present 

 subscriber will promptly remit for the 

 coming year, but also that each one will 

 convince his bee-keeping friend or neighbor 

 that it is to ?i is interest to join in a club, at 

 least of two, and thus spread the light of its 

 torch, so that so many more may be benefited 

 thereby. 



Mr. C. J. Sperry, of New London, Minn., 

 died on Dec. 25, 1885, at 5 a.m., aged 55 

 years, and was buried on Sunday, Dec. 27, 

 with Masonic honors. He was associated 

 with Mr. L. Chandler in business connected 

 with the " North Star " Bee-Hive. He kept 

 bees for many years, and was very enthu- 

 siastic. The Expositor at New London, 

 Minn., gives the following concerning his 

 life : 



About 1859 Mr. Sperry. with others, settled 

 near Diamond Lake, only to be driven from 

 bis home by the merciless savages in the 

 memorable year 18G'2, but returned thereto 

 in iSBo. In 1807 Mr. Sperry became asso- 

 ciated with Samuel Adams, Wm. Wi-ight, 

 and Louis Larson in the improvement of 

 the water power here, b,y the building of 

 the dam and the first mill, still standing 

 on the west side of the river, in the con- 

 struction of which latter Mr. Spcrry's 

 mechanical genius became an inilispcusable 

 factor, having been confith'd to his entire 

 management. In this enterpi-is,,', wh-ile there 

 were occasional changes, Mr. Sperry re- 

 tained his original one-fourtli interest which 

 passes unimpaired to his family. 



In his death this community loses one of 

 its most respected citizens : and the family a 

 wise counsellor and kind father. He repeat- 

 edly held important trusts, always accepting 

 them in full realization of the responsibility 

 imposed, and discharging them with con- 

 scientious regard to the public welfare. In 

 1881-8'3, he was Chairman of the Board of 

 Supervisors for the county, and served also 

 as a Justice of the Peace. He was also the 

 first sheriff of Monongalia county, b.v 

 appointment of Gov. Ramsey. His family 

 will have the sympathy of their many 

 friends whose loving efforts were so gen- 

 erously bestowed. 



Jaiues Holdoii, Dowagiac, Mich., has 

 placed on our ilesk the Prospectus of his 

 new book, "Success in Bee-Culture," and 

 Catalogue of Supplies for 1886— :!0 pages. 



The Fir-st Convention of the bee- 

 keepers of America was held at Cleveland, 

 Ohio, on March 15, 18(30 ; nearly 20 years 

 ago. We have prepared a history of the 

 inception, formation, 'and organization of 

 the North American Bee-Keepers' Society, 

 together with a digest of the proceedings of 

 all its meetings from its inauguration, with 

 a full report of its last meeting at Detroit, 

 Mich. This we are now publishing in 

 pamphlet form. It will be ready in January, 

 and will be sent postpaid for 25 cents. We 

 will present a copy of it to any one sending 

 us a club of two subscribers for one year, 

 with $2.00 



Should Any One get this number of the 

 Bee JouknaIj who does not want to con- 

 tinue taking it, please send us a Postal 

 Card and say so, giving name and address. 

 Do not send the number back, for we have 

 no means of knowing to whom it was sent, 

 if the wrapper-label is gone. 



Mr. O. M. BroAvn, of Winchester, Va.,, 

 died after a short illness on Dec. 14, 1885, 

 of pneumonia, in the 71st year of his age. 

 His sou, Mr. J. Few Brown (also an apiarist), 

 writes as follows concerning his father : 

 " He was a ver.v systematic and enthusiastic 

 bee-keeper, and ever.vthing about his apiary 

 of 40 colonies is of the very best quality, 

 and in perfect condition, every hive and 

 rack put together with screws and uniform 

 to perfection." His funeral was very largely 

 attended. 



The Chaiuplain Valley Bee-Keepers' 



Association will hold its 12th anniutl conven- 

 tion at Middlebury, Vt., on Thursday, Jan. 

 21, 1880. We have received a very neat 

 four-page Programme. Any one interested 

 can get a Programme by addressing the 

 Secretary, Mr. R. H. Holmes, Shoreham, Vt. 

 Premiums are offered for exhibits. 



We have Koceived from the Publishers, 

 a copy of Number Five of the new series of 

 Recitations called "The Eureka Recita- 

 tions AND Readings." It contains over 

 fifty pieces, designed for children from six 

 to fifteen years of age, and also a large 

 collection for adults. Those interested in 

 providing an entertainment should have 

 this collection. Each one contains 128 pages, 

 with nearly one hundred selections, and is 

 bound with a handsome cover, printed in 

 four colors, and will be mailed to any 

 address, postpaid, on receipt of twelve cents 

 in stamps, or one each of the five numbers 

 for fifty cents, by J. S. Ooilvie & Co., the 

 publishers, 31 Rose Street, New York. 



Dr. G. L,. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O., 

 has sent us a copy of his Price List for 1886, 

 of the "Victor Hive," Sections, Queens, 

 Bees, etc.— 16 pages. 



It tvlll be IVisdoni to invest one dollar 

 for the Weekly American Bee Journal for 

 1880. With its weekly visits every sub- 

 scrilier will be kept posted with all the 

 apicultural news of the day. 



Jiew Subscribers are coming in rapidly 

 —for this our thanks are tendered to the 

 friends of the American Bee Journal, who 

 are exerting their influence in its behalf. 

 We should thribble our list at the present low 

 rate ot vnc dollar a year. It is a popular 

 price, and we find the reduction a popular 

 thing with all bee-keepers. 



The American Asricullurist and the 



Weekly Bee Journal for 1886 will both be 

 sent for $2.25, or with the " Family CyclopiE- 

 dia " or " Law Book," for $2.65, 



