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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



duce any subject before such an asso- 

 ciation as this. A written essay, 

 properly prepared, is methodical, well 

 digested, thorough, none of which ad- 

 jectives will apply to many of the 

 crude addresses which one hears at 

 most of our meetings. Indeed, a 

 short, incise essay serves as a direc- 

 tor, and aids to keep debate in line so 

 that we can all gather the best fruits 

 from the discussions. Surely, then, 

 the only valid argument that can be 

 offered against essays is that they 

 may be long, illy arranged, and not 

 well considered before presentation; 

 and so detract from the interest of 

 our meetings. 



I do not believe such statements as 

 the above can justly be made of the 

 essays presented before our Associa- 

 tion in the past. Should our experi- 

 ence meet with a change, let us not 

 rashly put aside what the usage of all 

 such bodies in the past has proved to 

 be the most valuable auxiliaries in 

 their discussions and deliberations, 

 but the rather appoint a competent 

 committee to decide upon the merit 

 of all essays presented, whose duty it 

 shall be to carefully examine all such 

 essays, and decide as to their merit, 

 and whether they sliall be presented 

 before us for our instruction and con- 

 sideration. Does any one think that 

 our Association would have been so 

 influential and helpful in the past, if 

 we had dispensed with the many in- 

 leresting and valuable essays that 

 delighted us in all the years of our 

 existence ? Such an elimination would 

 liave left us Hamlet with the Prince 

 of Denmark omitted. What we de- 

 sire at these meetings, to attend 

 which costs us no little time and 

 money, is to get the best thought, 

 methods, practice of the wisest of our 

 craft. How few of us have that thor- 

 ough discipline which enables us to 

 give the best that we have in extem- 

 pore addresses. Thus, I say, let us 

 continue our essays and prepared ad- 

 dresses, lest we take a step backward, 

 and thus show ourselves unworthy 

 the age and the time. 



The past year has been one remark- 

 able in bee-literature. The first vol- 

 ume of Mr. Frank (Cheshire's great 

 work truly marks an epoch in the 

 literature of apiculture. It is a mas- 

 terly work, and shows a wealth of 

 study and research which will make 

 it one of the classics among our scien- 

 tific treatises. Every live bee-keeper 

 should make it a study, for study he 

 must would he gather all it has to 

 offer. 



Quite as startling and phenomenal 

 is the work of our own brother api- 

 arist, James Ileddon. His work, 

 " Success in Bee-Culture," however, 

 is quite the opposite of that of Mr. 

 Cheshire. It is wholly, from first to 

 last, practical. Rarely iloes any work 

 bring such a profusion of rich, prac- 

 tical hints as does this. On every 

 page is some suggestion which com- 

 mends itself to the wise apiarist. 

 More than this, each word of advice 

 comes with the certificate of "tried 

 and succeeded." What wonder then 

 that we have tried and adopted nearly 

 every plan or practice therein recom- 

 mended V I would say to any bee- 



keeper who has not read " Success in 

 Bee-Culture," to secure a copy at 

 once.and study it thoroughly the com- 

 ing winter. Nothing will tend more 

 to win success. 



Another work, " A Year Among the 

 Bees," may be described as fresh, 

 terse, clear, full of genial kindness, 

 and replete with practical sugges- 

 tions. This work details the opera- 

 tions in the bee-yard just as they oc- 

 cur through the year, and so is unique 

 among the books of our art. Here, 

 too, we of Michigan feel proud that it 

 is a Michigan man that has given us 

 so excellent a work. I know that Dr. 

 C. C. Miller lives in Illinois, but to 

 say that such a man belongs to any 

 one State is to say that we do not 

 know him at all. AVe all claim Dr. 

 Miller as our man. 



An event of no small importance to 

 bee-keepers, was the sending of a 

 Commission by Ontario or Canada to 

 represent the Dominion in London, at 

 the Colonial Exhibition. Such an ex- 

 hibit, and the wide distribution of 

 American honey. — for though this 

 Commission has talked Canada ! Can- 

 ada ! ! still they are a part of Amer- 

 ica — will do much to build up a for- 

 eign demand and market not only for 

 Canada, but for the United States as 

 well. We owe Mr. D. A. Jones and 

 the whole party a vote of thanks. 



We also have a racy little work 

 from England: "Simmins' Non- 

 Swarming System." If unfinished 

 combs next to the entrance of a hive 

 are a sure security against swarming, 

 it is surely an interesting fact which 

 can be turned to good use. Mr. Sim- 

 mins' idea of crowding bees into the 

 sections, reminds me of much that 

 has been said by two of our own dis- 

 tinguished bee-keepers — Messrs. Iled- 

 don and Hutchinson. Simmins' 

 method of direct introduction of 

 queens is not new in America. This 

 work I am sure will interest and 

 benefit the American bee-keepers who 

 may read it. 



Very few inventions have caused 

 more remarks of late than Mr. Hed- 

 dou's new hive. Of late prices are so 

 low — though prices run no lower in 

 apiculture than in agriculture and 

 other kindred pursuits — that any 

 scheme, method, or invention that 

 will lessen labor will surely attract 

 attention and win patrons. This is 

 what the New Heddon hive and sys- 

 tem promised to do ; and many of us 

 who have put it to the practical test 

 have found that it did not promise in 

 vain. We are proud that it is one of 

 our own bee-keepers that has con- 

 ferred this boon upon the bee-keep- 

 ing public. There is no doubt but 

 that the reversing system has come to 

 stay. Many even now have adopted 

 it never to return to the former 

 methods. 



Another invention— the solar wax- 

 extractor — has grown rapidly into 

 public favor the past year. It is a 

 decided improvement, even upon the 

 Swiss extractor. It is convenient, 

 safe, inexpensive, and is sure to give 

 the very nicest wax, and that with no 

 trouble or expense. 



Tliere are four very important 

 questions which should receive our 



most careful consideration at this 

 time. They are as follows : 



First, the price of honey, and how 

 can it be marketed V I said to one of 

 our large honey-producers a few days 

 ago — one who before last year always 

 secured 15 cents per pound for all his 

 extracted honey, and sold last year 

 for 8 cents, and this year for 7-^are 

 you not discouraged at these prices ? 

 "■ No, indeed," says he, '' it pays as 

 well as any other farm product." 

 Even if this is so, we may well take 

 counsel from our wisest producers, 

 and consider whether there are any 

 measures practicable which may be 

 adopted to stay the rapid decline in 

 prices, and so stimulate the markets 

 that they may come seeking our pro- 

 ducts. I hope that we may thoroughly 

 discuss this subject of "honey mar- 

 ket," that each may go home more 

 hopeful, more able to solve the pend- 

 ing difiiculty. 



Second, how can we produce the 

 finest comb honey the most cheaply ? 

 While extracted honey goes begging 

 in some of our markets, comb honey 

 finds a ready sale at remunerative 

 rates. It is, then, a matter of great 

 moment to learn how to get the most 

 of this beautiful comb honey in the 

 easiest way. It seems to me with 

 the Heddon hive we have reached 

 the paradise of the comb honey pro- 

 ducer. Surely this is a matter that 

 we may well discuss in the hope of 

 gaining still greater light. 



Third, the question of honey-plants 

 is one that we may do well to discuss. 

 How often we find our harvest cut off 

 just at its dawn. The (lowers, white 

 clover or basswood forsooth, seem to 

 be pouring out the nectar in profu- 

 sion when, presto, all is changed, the 

 bees hang idly about the hive, storing 

 ceases, and the apiarist's profits are 

 reduced to the minimum. Now, is it 

 not possible to secure plants that will 

 ensure a continuous flow despite rain 

 or drouth ? I am sure I have seen 

 just such results twice, once through 

 raspberry, and again through Alsike 

 clover bioom. In both cases white 

 clover was abundant, but, for some 

 subtile influence known only to Na- 

 ture's Great Chemist, refused her 

 sweets, while these other plants yield- 

 ed abundantly. 



It seems to me that here is a most 

 fruitful field for experimentation. 

 Happy the man who discovers and 

 makes known how, by judicious 

 planting, we may ensure a fine honey 

 product each season ! 



Fourth : The last subject I wish to 

 suggest is that of improved breeds 

 of bees. We all know that the com- 

 mon black bee has its merits. The 

 same is true of each of the other 

 races— Carniolan, Syrian, Cyprian and 

 Italian. To say that these races can- 

 not be so combined as to produce a 

 bee that shall combine all the merits 

 of all our present races, with the de- 

 merits eliminated, is to show a total 

 ignorance of all the laws of breeding. 

 The same skill and care that gave us 

 our noble short-horns and Herefords, 

 will give us the ideal bee. To secure 

 this result we must look after both 

 the drones and queens, and must be 

 quick to note changes for the better 



