THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



615 



Knight, yet they were serving tlie 

 interests of the association better 

 where they are, than if they were 

 present here. They were taking 

 charge of a magniflcent display of 

 Canadian honey, which we had every 

 reason to believe would open the eyes 

 of John Bull to the fact, that here in 

 this country we can produce just as 

 good honey as can be gathered from 

 the flora of Old England. The result 

 would he, without doubt, the opening 

 up of a large and permanent market 

 for our product in Britain. As in the 

 case of Canadian beef and cheese, so 

 in regard to our honey, it had only to 

 be known and tested to secure for it 

 free access to the British market, and 

 a wide sale there. 



Most of all, the association was to 

 be congratulated on having attained 

 Government recognition and become 

 a corporate body. It now takes its 

 place beside the Fruit-Growers' and 

 Dairymens' Associations, and like 

 them", is henceforward to receive a 

 Government grant. The present year 

 $1,000 has been given, and this sum 

 has been appropriated to making a 

 show of Canadian honey in England. 

 Results would no doubt prove that 

 the money was well invested. It is 

 anticipated that a regular grant of 

 $500 per annum will be made, and 

 this sum wisely expended, will greatly 

 aid in the development of practical 

 bee-keeping. 



The act of incorporation makes cer- 

 tain requirements, and it might be 

 well to consider what steps, if any, 

 should be taken at this meeting to 

 conform thereto. On motion, it was 

 resolved to lay this matter over for 

 farther consideration until the next 

 evening. The convention then pro- 

 ceeded to consider the subject of fall 

 feeding, with a special reference to 

 the question of sugar-feeding. This 

 point was fully discussed, and proved 

 of sufficient Interest to occupy the re- 

 mainder of the evening. As the out- 

 come of the discussion, it was 



Resolved, That it is desirable to take 

 every precaution that the bees have 

 sufficient natural stores, and that a 

 number of combs be set aside to sup- 

 ply any shortage ; that, failing that 

 pure extracted honey be fed ; and 

 that, as the very last resort, sugar 

 syrup be fed for wintering. 



The chairman requested that all 

 questions to be answered, and all 

 essays to be presented be in the hands 

 of the Secretary at the opening of 

 next evening's session. The meeting 

 then adjourned to 7:30 the next even- 

 ing, at the same place. 



SECOKD EVENING. 



The convention resumed on Wed- 

 nesday evening, with the acting 

 President, Rev. W. F. Clarke in the 

 chair. An essay from Mr. Allen 

 Pringle, of Selby, Ont., the Vice- 

 President, was read. It detailed his 

 experience during the present season, 

 from which ic appeared that the yield 

 had been moderately good. Two 

 points of great importance in the fall 

 and winter management of bees were 

 urged, plenty of stores, and a young, 

 fertile queen. The temperature which 

 most conduces to quiescence of the 



bees is the best temperature, whether 

 it be io'\ 50°, or 55". It will range 

 somewhere between those figures, 

 depending upon the hive ventilation, 

 quilt-protection, humidity, etc. For 

 hive ventilation, very free lower ven- 

 tilation was recommended, with warm 

 quilts of wool on top. On motion, 

 thanks were presented to Mr. Pringle 

 for his interesting paper. 



A number wished to know how to 

 ascertain if a colony had a young, 

 fertile queen. The reply was, by 

 inspecting the brood-chamber. If 

 brood was found in fair quantity, it 

 might be inferred that the queen was 

 all right. 



ALSIKE CLOVER. 



The question was asked, what were 

 the advantages of Alsike clover as a 

 honey-plant. The President, by re- 

 quest, replied briefly : Alsike will 

 grow in damp, moist places where the 

 other clovers die out. It is a more 

 abundant source of honey than white 

 clover. One of our chief honey-pro- 

 ducers this year has no crop, and one 

 main reason is the absence of Alsike 

 where formerly it was abundant. The 

 chief advantage of Alsike, however, 

 is that it is of great value to the 

 farmer as a forage crop, as well as to 

 the bee-keeper for honey. 



FOUL BROOD. 



A Toronto bee-keeper complained 

 that foul brood was rife in one or two 

 apiaries near him. He was certain of 

 its presence in one, and had every 

 reason to believe that it prevailed in 

 a second. He thought steps should 

 be taken to prevent the spread of this 

 disease. It was also stated that there 

 were some cases known to exist in 

 Centre Wellington, and other parts 

 of the Province. The President, on 

 being asked to do so, explained the 

 nature, symptoms, and appearance of 

 this disease. He also urged the im- 

 portance of every possible precaution 

 being taken to suppress it. After a 

 full discussion, it was, on motion 



Resolved, That at the next annual 

 meeting, the advisability of procuring 

 legislative action for the supression 

 of foul brood be considered, and that 

 this convention is of the opinion that 

 active steps are necessary for the 

 suppression of this disease. 



The President stated that during 

 the day he had looked up the statute 

 incorporating the association ; also 

 that he had called on the Commis- 

 sioner of Agriculture to ascertain 

 what action we need to take to bring 

 ourselves into line with the Act ; and 

 that as the result of his inquiries he 

 found that there were certain steps to 

 be taken, which he proceeded to 

 specify. After some discussion, the 

 following resolutions were passed : 



Resolved, That as the Constitution 

 of this Association requires that the 

 time and place of the annual general 

 meeting shall be flxed by open vote 

 of the association, Toronto, and Dec. 

 7 and 8, 188fi, be selected as the time 

 and place of the annual general meet- 

 ing for the current year. 



Resolved, That the present member- 

 ship and official appointments hold 

 good until then. 



Resolved, That the executive com- 

 mittee be instructed to prepare such 

 amendments to the constitutiou and 

 by-laws as may be necessary to con- 

 form to the Act of Incorporation. 



Resolved, Tliat the Secretary at 

 once make the sworn return or the 

 number of members and paid sub- 

 scriptions required by the Act of In- 

 corporation. 



After some informal talk and 

 sundry votes of thanks, it was 



Resolved, That the association do 

 now adjourn until Dec. 7, 1886. 



W. CousE, Sec. 



For the American Bee JoarnaL 



Tlie Yucca or Spnisli Bayonet 



W. W. BLISS. 



This is one of California's most 

 beautiful wild flowers. In their wild 

 state they seldom attain the height of 

 more than 8 to 12 feet. In the sum- 

 mer of 1884 one bloomed in Pasadena 

 that attained the height of 25 feet or 

 more. This one was transplanted 

 from the mountains to an orange 

 orchard some 8 or 9 years ago. The 

 shaft or flower-stalk is the growth of 

 but a few weeks ; and as it stood with 

 its top completely covered with 

 creamy-white flowers, it was a sight 

 that is seldom seen. 



This species of the yucca {Tucca 

 baccata) dies after it blooms ; it is 

 then that it is of special use to th e 

 bee-keeper. The broad heavy leaves 

 that grow around the stalk near the 

 ground are gathered and dried ; when 

 combed out, they make a nice brush, 

 which is superior to anything for 

 brushing the bees off the combs in 

 extracting. They are a soft veget- 

 able fiber, from 3 to 4 inches wide, 

 almost indestructable, and never 

 known to come loose in the handle ; 

 besides, they can be sold at a price 

 within the reach of every one. 



Duarte, ? Calif. 



For me American Bae JournaL 



TliB Poetry of Bee-KeeBinE. 



JAMES HEDDON. 



The past season has been for me 

 the buisest of my life. Five hundred 

 colonies of bees, a business larger 

 than ever, students to instruct, a 

 large and varied correspondence, in- 

 creased and interesting experiments 

 and inventions, have all contributed 

 to over- work, yet have made life seem 

 of more importance, and better worth 

 living. I offer the foregoing facts as 

 an excuse for my delay in expressing 

 my thoughts upon reading Rev. W. 

 F. Clarke's little poetical work, de- 

 voted to our chosen pursuit, and re- 

 cently presented to the public. 



Although I had the honor of read- 

 ing it in manuscript and proof, it was 

 not until this week that I could com- 

 mand the time to read it in its com- 

 plete, corrected, book form. As is 

 stated on the cover, the reading is 

 " lively," " entertaining," " practical" 



