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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The flowers possess only stamens ; the 

 cup of the flower contains a drop of 

 honey, as large as a medium-size pin- 

 head, light amber color the consistency 

 of basswood, and of good flavor. I 

 consider it as good as goldeurod, if 

 not better. The bees work steadily 

 on itj and are very good natured, even 

 hybrids being quite docile. One good 

 colony of bees having 7 combs were 

 given three more empty combs, and 

 they filled and capped them in one 

 week. The same colony boxed about 

 20 lbs. besides, of clear willow honey. 

 It was the only colony tried, but all 

 the others in the same locality did 

 equally well, considering their chance. 

 I nave been through over one-half of 

 the State, and I never saw but few of 

 the same kiud of willows, and then 

 but solitary bushes always covered 

 with bees. 



White clover showed itself in 

 favorable patches June 7. and was 

 in general bloom by the 15th ; but the 

 general lightness of the colonies, 

 caused by the late spring, made but 

 little surplus honey from white clover. 



Basswood was a medium bloom in 

 a few places, though the majority of 

 the trees did not show a single flovVer. 



Sumac bloomed uncommonly heavy, 

 and the flowers were dripping with 

 honey, but of short duration, caused 

 by the drought. 



Buckwheat was a failure, as a rule, 

 though exceptional pieces on wet land 

 yielded honey abundantly. 



The early fall forage plants being 

 dried up, there has been but little 

 honey gathered since sumac ; but the 

 past three weeks of showers have 

 made vegetation again look green, 

 which, with some warm weather, may 

 give us an ample late supply for win- 

 ter. Brood in the hives is a scarcity, 

 and colonies are generally quite weak. 



At the New Milford Agricultural 

 Fair, Sept. 30, through the untiring 

 efforts of Mr. AVm. L. Burgess, Of 

 West Morris, Conn., the nucleus of a 

 State bee-keepers' society was formed, 

 with Mr. Burgess the elected Presi- 

 dent. He is very enthusiastic and 

 energetic in the cause. 



If I remember rightly, at the last 

 annual meeting of North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Society, a resolution was 

 passed to make the Presidents of the 

 State societies the vice-presidents of 

 the National Society ; therefore, be- 

 fore I vacate to my worthy successor, 

 I would offer as a resolution, that the 

 National Society request all the editors 

 of the several bee papers to send a list 

 of their subscribers to the vice-presi- 

 dents of the different States, thereby 

 placing the vice-president in posses- 

 sion of a means of obtaining a gen- 

 eral and more correct knowledge of 

 the exact apiarian condition of his 

 State, making his report more valuable 

 and informative. 



As nearly as I liave been able to 

 ascertain, Connecticut contains about 

 80,000 colonies of bees, of which 95 

 per cent, are still kept in box hives, 

 half-barrels, nail-kegs, and the like 

 patent devices of the fogy style. 



Of the number of colonies heard of, 

 not over two-thirds will have a supply 

 of stores sufficient for wintering. 



Woodbury, Ct. H. L. Jeffrey. 



MISSOUKI. 



There are but few bee-keepers' con- 

 ventions in this State, consequently I 

 am unable to give definite and certain 

 statistical information of the produc- 

 tions of honey for 1882, 



I know that there has been a great 

 increase in the number engaged in the 

 industry in Missouri in the past two 

 years. There is more honey in the 

 market in the cities and country 

 towns this fall than ever was offered 

 before. It is in better condition and 

 of a better quality ; most of the honey 

 offered for sale is in one and two lb. 

 prize boxes. 



The " St. Joseph Inter-State Expo- 

 sition " for the last two years has 

 offered very liberal premiums in the 

 Apiarian Department, and the pre- 

 mium list was a varied one, covering 

 every branch of the apiarian busi- 

 ness. 



The past season the display in this 

 department was limited, but very 

 creditable. It was the center of attrac- 

 tion, especially to the farmer. They 

 learned the "new way," and where 

 improved apiarian supplies can be 

 bought. The consumer, groceryman, 

 and producer, who were in attendance 

 here, for the first time saw taste,order, 

 and neatness displayed in the produc- 

 tions of the apiary, and preparing 

 honey for the market ; also au order 

 and system in the handling and man- 

 agement of befes. 



People were in attendance on the 

 Exposition in the fall of 1881 from all 

 the counties in Northwest Missouri. 

 They returned home with new ideas 

 on " bee and honey culture." Quite a 

 number of the country papers made 

 special mention of the display in the 

 Apiarian Department. 



Hon. Thomas G. Newman, editor of 

 the AsiERiCAN Bee Journal, at- 

 tended the Exposition in September, 

 1881, and delivered an interesting lec- 

 ture on " Bees and Honey " one even- 

 ing, to a large and appreciative audi- 

 ence. The daily papers reported his 

 instructive lecture in full, and in ad- 

 dition made very favorable comments. 

 I feel safe in saying that seven-tenths 

 of the people of Missouri have read 

 more or less on this subject and the 

 profits of the apiary, since the fall of 

 1881. The circulation of the bee pa- 

 pers has increased in the meantime. 



The display in the Apiarian De- 

 partment of the St. Joseph Inter-State 

 Exposition this fall was the largest 

 and best ever seen at a State or county 

 fair or Exposition in the United States. 

 There were over 3,000 lbs. of comb 

 and extracted honey on exhibition ; 

 also Cyprian, Albino, Italian and black 

 bees, and almost every tool and im- 

 plement used in the apiary. 



Tlie increased number of exhibitors 

 and the increased quantity and quality 

 of honey on exhibition this year, war- 

 rants me in saying that the interest 

 awakened in this industry in the last 

 two years has been greater than the 

 most enthusiastic could have expected. 

 Most of the county fairs made an 

 Apiarian Department for the first 

 time. 



From the above statements you will 

 see that Missouri is on the right road 

 to take a prominent position in this 



industry. In 1870, according to the 

 census of the general government, she 

 ranked fifth in the production of 

 honey. I have been unable to procure 

 the reports for 1880. I predict that in 

 1890 Missouri will rank first in the 

 production of honey. Nature has 

 smiled upon this territory ; she has 

 made the groundwork for a land which 

 will flow with " milk and honey." On 

 account of its diversified climate, soil, 

 foliage, wild and cultivated flowers, 

 etc., and its abundant and never-fail- 

 ing streams of water, some portion of 

 the State will have an abundant crop 

 of honey each year. 



The honey on exhibition this year 

 at our various fairs was white-clover, 

 basswood, buckwheat, honey-locust, 

 goldenrod, etc. Quite a quantity of 

 honey on exhibition this fall was fla- 

 vored with heliotrope and mignonette. 

 It was of such a superior flavor to any 

 produced in this State heretofore, that 

 bee-masters hereafter will ornament 

 their yards and gardens with these 

 beautiful and useful plants, for the 

 purpose of giving the bees something 

 to flavor honey with. 



I deemed it useless to attempt to or- 

 ganize bee associations this year. 

 Until you practically demonstrate to 

 the producer, as a general rule, the 

 practicability of our enterprise, and 

 that there is not only pleasure but 

 also profit in it, you have an up-hill 

 undertaking to encounter. 1 con- 

 cluded that the best plan was to have 

 the various county fair associations 

 make an apiarian department, and 

 offer liberal premiums ; then to fur- 

 nish the local papers vpith articles or 

 ideas on the subject, to be prepared 

 and published. By this means, every 

 farmer in the several counties is pre- 

 pared to learn something when he 

 visits that department at the several 

 fairs, and converses with those en- 

 gaged in the industry, who are in at- 

 tendance. The producer in each 

 county can see the improved bee- 

 hives, and apiarian tools and imple- 

 ments, and he learns the improved 

 manner of preparing honey for market. 

 Furnish the idea and evidence of the 

 results, and let him draw his own con- 

 clusion, and he will go home with the 

 consciousness that "he knows more 

 than the professional bee-master, aad 

 with the resolution that he will fur- 

 nish evidence of that conclusion next 

 season. The most conclusive idea to 

 present is, that in an ordinary season 

 each farmer can pay his State and 

 county taxes from the profits of a few 

 colonies of bees, and have something 

 left for spending money for the " old 

 woman and the girls." I would sug- 

 gest that you, by resolution, indicate 

 the best plan for vice-presidents to 

 adopt in their respective States to 

 further the work. 



From my experience and observa- 

 tion, I would suggest that each vice- 

 president give his special attention to 

 the local fair in his county ; make the 

 apiarian department attractive and 

 instructive. If it is a success, the 

 papers will mention it with favor. 

 Other papers will copy the articles, 

 and advise their readers to do like- 

 wise. By this way you furuish ideas, 

 and the evidence that there is profit 



