598 



THE AMERICAl^ BEE JOURNAL. 



My visit to the Fair was rather 

 early, and before the exhibits were 

 nearly all in place, but at that time 

 the number of exhibits was very 

 large, and gave promise of the Fair as 

 being a grand success. Of all the 

 individual exhibits there, none sur- 

 passed, in my estimation, the grand 

 show of honey and apiarian devices 

 made by Mr. Muth. 



Leaving Cincinnati I made a short 

 stop at Dayton, Ohio, to visit the 

 Soldiers' Home, and found that to see 

 it was well worth a little trouble and 

 expense. Sept. 10 found me in To- 

 ledo, and the next four days I spent 

 at the Tri-State Fair and attending 

 the bee-keepers' convention. Here 

 also I made many very pleasant ac- 

 quaintances, and enjoyed the com- 

 panionship of many I have long 

 known by reputation as the " big 



funs " of "apiculture ; and here again 

 met Mr. Muth, eager to catch any 

 new points in his line, and ready to 

 give the results of his large experi- 

 ence in return. The honey exhibit 

 was quite a good and attractive one. 

 The exhibit of apiarian implements 

 was better than any I had yet seen. 

 Noticeable as a part of the apiarian 

 exhibit was a coUectitm of pressed 

 honey-producing flowers and plants 

 nicely mounted and well displayed. 

 Here again I met Mr. W. C. Pelliam, 

 who had his foundation machine on 

 exhibition. Having met him at 

 Louisville, we felt like old acquain- 

 tances, and so we decided to go on to 

 Toronto in each others company. 



On Saturday, Sept. 1.5, we started 

 for Toronto via Detroit, Mich., re- 

 gretting that more of our new ac- 

 quaintances could not accompany us 

 there. Having a little time to spare 

 while in Detroit, Mr. Pelham and my- 

 self made the best of it by a visit to 

 the cupola of the City Hall building, 

 where we had a line view of the city, 

 and could plainly see the peculiar 

 plan of its streets, the principal ones 

 radiating from the spot where we 

 stood, like the spokes of a wheel, and 

 similar to the plan of those of Wash- 

 ington, D. C , as viewed from the 

 dome of the Capitol. 



Again entering the cars, they were 

 loaded on boats and ferried to the 

 Canadian side. Arriving at Toronto 

 in the evening, we soon found quart- 

 ers at a hotel. After securing our 

 mail, Monday was spent in attend- 

 ing the Fair. ' I will give the Province 

 the credit of having the best arranged 

 and most complete buildings and 

 grounds, and the best exhibit of 

 agricultural products that I have ever 

 seen. The live-stock exhibit was par- 

 ticularly large, and every animal a 

 beauty of its kind. The show of 

 manufactured articles was also very 

 fine, but what particularly took the 

 eye and gratified the heart of every 

 bee-keeper, was the handsome and 

 commodious building standing close 

 to one of the mam entrances, with 

 " Honey Department '" in large letters 

 over its entrance. Stepping inside we 

 saw the jolly face of the President of 

 the Xortli American Bee-Keepers' 

 Society, Mr. D. A. Jones framed very 

 appropriately with handsomely la- 

 qelled cans of extracted honey, and 



still handsomer sections of comb 

 honey, the whole making a very nice 

 picture. 



After making ourselves known we 

 took a look about us, and for the first 

 time saw a honey exhibit tliat at all 

 approaches our idea of what one 

 should be. There were tons and tons 

 of honey in every shape and style of 

 package that is popular in the market, 

 from tlie cute little Scent cans ( which, 

 by the way, not only bring good prices 

 for the honey in them, but are also 

 one of the best advertisements that 

 could be desired), to barrels holding 40 

 gallons or more, and from half-pound 

 sections, setting about singly as a part 

 of the ornamentation, to great stacks 

 of crated sections of large size and 

 without an open cell in them, even 

 next the wood. I cannot here go into 

 the details of the exhibit of honey and 

 apiarian supplies, but before leaving 

 the subject let me say that the apiar- 

 ists who made up that display de- 

 serve the great success they are hav- 

 ing. They take the proper means of 

 enlightenfng the masses in regard to 

 their sweet product, and the hundreds 

 of dollars that poured into the coffers 

 of Mr. Jones each day of the Fair, 

 shows that their efforts are appre- 

 ciated. Canada has beaten us " way 

 out of sight " in her honey-exhibits, 

 and has found a large profit in doing 

 so. Shall we let the matter rest thusV 

 or shall we take advantage of the 

 great New Orleans Exposition to re- 

 trieve our honors, make the largest 

 and finest show of honey that was 

 ever gotten together, and give the 

 honey market a boom that shall have 

 a permanent effect on the demand 

 and prices V We can do it if we will, 

 notwithstanding we will have to win- 

 ter the honey before the time to make 

 the exhibit. 



On Sept. 18 the North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Convention met in the 

 Council Chamber, where a large num- 

 ber were assembled. Here also I saw 

 many new faces, which, when I heard 

 their names, were recognized instantly 

 as belonging to my long list of de- 

 sired acquaintances ; but chief among 

 thepi all was the " Father of modern 

 bee-culture," as he is often called, 

 the Rev. L. L. Langstrotli. I first 

 met him at the Fair Grounds on the 

 the morning of the 19th (the conven- 

 tion being there in a body to examine 

 the apiarian exhibit), and I was highly 

 gratified to hear him say as he grasped 

 my hand in friendly greeting. '• Mr. 

 Hart, I was greatly interested in that 

 Florida palmetto honey. It cannot be 

 excelled." 



At 1 p. m. the convention re-assem- 

 bled at the Council Chamber, and our 

 reverend friend was escorted to the 

 chair of honor. A large, well-built, 

 dignified man whose honored grey 

 locks resting about a smooth-shaven 

 face of a peculiarly genial and kindly 

 expression, he looked the "Father,'' 

 and one wliom we, his children, were 

 proud to honor. At each session of 

 the convention the number attending 

 augmented. The interestof the meet- 

 ing was largely increased by the pres- 

 ence of many of tlie members of the 

 Ontario and the Northeastern associa- 

 tions. I was particularly struck with 



the cordiality of the people of the 

 Provinces toward those attending the 

 convention from this side of " the 

 line." Addresses of welcome and a 

 careful attention to our welfare, both 

 in and out of the convention, added 

 much to our pleasure. In fact, every 

 thing conspired to make the meeting 

 pleasant and enjoyable, and nothing 

 occurred to mar the pleasure of it. 



Soon after noon I bade " good-by " 

 to the last assemblage of bee-keepers 

 that I expected to meet on my trip, 

 and hurried away to catch the train 

 for Kingston, there to take a steamer 

 down the St. Lawrence, through the 

 Thousand Islands and the Rapids to 

 Montreal. From there I visited the 

 White Mountains and my old home 

 in New Hampshire. Over two happy 

 weeks were spent rambling over those 

 old hills where every stone and tree 

 was an old acquaintance, meeting old 

 friends and school-mates, and hearing 

 of the prosperity and misfortunes of 

 the many who like myself had left the 

 old home and "" struck out in the 

 world." But others that I had last 

 seen 12 years before, taking their part 

 in tlie busy life of the town, were now 

 laid to rest in the quiet country 

 churchyard, and there among the 

 graves made during my absence was 

 one marked with a white stone, on 

 which was inscribed ray father's 

 name. The old home is not what is 

 used to be. Mother is there still, and 

 there is much that is cheerful, but 

 the vacant chair causes a feeling of 

 loneliness that makes the evening 

 meal a quiet one. 



On my way South I visited Boston, 

 New York, Philadelphia, Washing- 

 ton, and all the larger cities of the 

 East. Arriving at Augusta, Ga., I 

 fulfilled my promise made at Toronto, 

 of calling oh Dr. J. P. H. Brown, and 

 a truly enjoyable visit I had. After 

 being shown through his fine apiary, 

 viewing the city and suburbs, and 

 partaking of the many good things at 

 their table, presided over by Mrs. 

 Brown, I was once more seated in the 

 cars, and by land and water reached 

 home on Nov. 20). just in time to escape 

 a storm that was coming on as we 

 crossed Mosquito Barr at sundown. 



Now, after the excitement of my 

 trip is over, I look back upon it with 

 more than ordinary pleasure to feel 

 that I have been the recipient of so 

 much kindness from so many, and 

 that I am in the future to count them 

 among my friends. 



New Smyrna, Fla. 



^° The beekeepers' association of 

 Central Illinois will hold their quar- 

 terly meeting at Bloomington, 111., on 

 Wednesday, Oct, s, 1881, at 10 a. m. 

 W. B. Lawrence, iSec. 



^" The Western Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation will hold its second annual 

 meeting in Independence, Mo., Wed- 

 nesday, Thursday and Friday, Sept. 

 24—26, 1884. The Association will 

 endeavor to make this the most in- 

 structive and interesting meeting it 

 has yet held, and will spare no pains 

 within its means to make it in every 

 sense valuable to all. 



C. M. Crandall, Sec. 



