.<!». 



VOL. XIX. 



CHICAGO, ILL., OCTOBER 10 1883. 



No. 41. 



Published every Wednesday, by 



THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 



Editor and Proprietor. 



1^ Next week the annual re-union 

 of bee-keepers will be held in Chicago. 

 The present indications are that it 

 will be most interesting and largest 

 gathering ever held in the Northwest. 

 Many of the prominent apiarists in 

 this region have already indicated 

 their intention of being present, and 

 we think ihat no one who can possibly 

 attend, should be absent. The Kev. 

 L. L. Langstroth writes us that his 

 health and energy is a surprise to 

 himself as well as his friends, and he 

 fully intends to be present. The 

 invitation is cordial and universal — 

 COME. 



Honey Harvest in Scotland. 



1^ Mr. M. L. Trester, Secretary of 

 the Nebraska State Association, has 

 sent out blanks to be tilled up by the 

 bee-keepers of that State, giving the 

 statistics necessary to the proper es- 

 timate of tlie honey crop in that State. 

 This is commendable, and should be 

 followed by similar efforts in all the 

 States. Will the secretaries please 

 take the liint ? 



From a letter just received from 

 Mr. J. D. Hutchison, of Glasgow, 

 Scotland, we glean the following con- 

 cerning the honey harvest of that 

 country. There, as well as in Amer- 

 ica, the early frosts and cold and wet 

 weater have ruined the fall crop of 

 honey. Mr. II. says : 



From the accounts which have been 

 received from various parts of Scot- 

 land, it appears that the honey harvest 

 is to be an almost entire failure. Ow- 

 ing to the late spring, bees had to be 

 fed to preveut their starving. Al- 

 though they bred well and swarmed 

 numerously, the wet and cold weather 

 that prevailed during almost the whole 

 summer hindered the storing of 

 honey. Afterajbad summer there is 

 generally the prospect that in autumn 

 the heather will aid in making up the 

 deficiency, but this year, unfortu- 

 nately, this hope will not be realized, 

 as the heather yields little or nothing. 



Bee industry is now becoming more 

 generally cultivated, and in average 

 years is highly productive. The 

 weather has been very broken for 

 sometime past, so the most of bee- 

 keepers have taken home their bees 

 from the heather, and are preparing 

 them for the ensuing winter. 



The New Postal Laws- 



1^° The trial between exhibitors 

 making comb foundation at the Tri- 

 State Fair, was quite an attraction. 

 We met Messrs. Vandervort and Pel- 

 ham for the tirst time, and were well 

 pleased with them and their machines. 

 The Given press also did excellent 

 work, and was admired by all who 

 saw it. Dr. Besse had a good exhibit 

 of honey and supplies, and added 

 largely to the interest of the show. 

 E. T. Lewis & Co.'s exhibit was large 

 and varied, and the faithful services 

 of Mr. Puhl, in showing the different 

 articles to visitors, made it very at- 

 tractive to bee men. 



1^ Concerning the bee and honey 

 exhibits at the St. Louis Fair, Messrs. 

 Flanagan & Illinski, of Belleville, 111., 

 writes as follows : 



The show of bees and lioney at the 

 St. Louis Fair was superior to that of 

 last year, being much more extensive 

 and in better order, and more ex- 

 hibitors taking part. Wm. Little, of 

 ;Marissa, 111., had 1st and 2d premium 

 (§20) for the best display of Italian 

 bees. Mr. E. Armstrong, of Jersey- 

 ville, 111., obtained 1st premium on 

 the best crate of honey, and his dis- 

 play certainly deserved it. Your 

 humble servants got the 1st premium 

 for the best display of apiarian im- 

 plemehts. Three years ago not one 

 hive or bee or crate of honey were ex- 

 hibited, but this year there was a dis- 

 play that was attractive to all visitors 

 to the Fair. Your ''Honey as Food 

 and Medicine " went like hot-cakes. 

 The management have our thanks for 

 the privilege of selling honey during 

 the Fair ; a privilege not accorded 

 heretofore. 



As many are in doubt about the 

 new regulations of the Post 09ice 

 Department, and to save trouble to 

 our subscribed, we will recapitulate 

 them : 



The postage on letters is 2 cents for 

 each half-ounce or fraction thereof. 



The old two and three-cent stamps 

 now in use will continue valid, and 

 must be accepted in payment of pos- 

 tage whenever offered in appropriate 

 amounts. 



Postage to foreign countries remain 

 unchanged, with the exception of 

 Canada. A letter goes to Canada for 

 two-cents ; but Canadians have to pay 

 three-cents for a letter to the United 

 States as formerly. 



The drop-letter rate of postage re- 

 mains the same— that is, two-cents 

 per half-ounce or fraction thereof, at 

 free-delivery offices, and one-cent at 

 all other offices ; and no changes are 

 made in the rates of postage on sec- 

 ond, third and fourth-class matter. 



An item has been going the rounds 

 of the papers, to the effect tiiat a late 

 order of the Postmaster General pro- 

 vides that no package, parcel or letter 

 will be forwarded upon which the 

 postage has not been fully paid. This 

 is erroneous, as no such an order has 

 been issued. Letters weighing over 

 one-half ounce, on which one full rate 

 has been paid, will be forwarded, and 

 the balance collected on delivery. If 

 a letter contains a one or two-cent 

 stamp, or no stamp at all, it will be 

 returned to the sender if he is known, 

 and otherwise the person to whom it 

 is addressed will be notified, and upon 

 receipt of the postage the letter will 

 be forwarded. 



t^ Mr. A. Benedict had at the Tri- 

 StateFair an observatory hive with 

 some of tlie most beautiful bees we ever 

 saw — well marked and of a uniform 

 and large size— the result of 20 years 

 of careful breeding. 



