1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



917 



TROUBLE BETWEEN BEE-MEN AND ALFAL- 

 FA-GROWERS IN NEVADA. 



It is a well-known fact that Nevada pro- 

 duces man}' carloads of fine alfalfa honey. 

 So much of it is shipped out of the State 

 that the alfalfa-growers and cattle-men are 

 getting their heads together, arguing that 

 all this sweetness is just so much saccha- 

 rine matter taken out of their hay. One of 

 the largest ranchers is a representative in 

 the legislature of Nevada, and it appears 

 that efforts are on foot to get a law passed 

 at the next session of the legislature, pro- 

 hibiting bee-keepers from locating bee-yards 

 within flight of the alfalfa- fields. This 

 would practically mean the wiping-out of 

 all bee-keeping interests in a very impor- 

 tant honey-producing State, and, besides, 

 setting a dangerous precedent for other 

 States. The argument made by the cattle- 

 raisers and ranchers is this: Carload after 

 carload of alfalfa honey is being shipped 

 out of the State. The best hay is the first 

 cutting, and the first crop of blossoms is 

 also the best for the bee-keeper. They ar- 

 gue "that a ton of honey probably repre- 

 sents the essence of 200 tons of alfalfa, and 

 that the hay is just that much poorer in 



saccharine matter It stands to 



reason that j-ou can not take all of this 

 honey out of the ha^', and still have it as 

 rich in saccharine matter." In this day of 

 progress and scientific investigation it is 

 staggering to hear such talk. Of course, 

 the bee-keepers are ridiculing such sheer 

 nonsense, for it can not be based on any 

 thing else than consummate ignorance and 

 prejudice. It is a well-known fact that 

 red-clover hay will not develop properly un- 

 less there are honey-bees or bumble bees in 

 the vicinity; that attempts were made to 

 grow the plant in Australia, but it failed 

 miserably until bumble-bees were intro- 

 duced. Exactl}' the same thing will apply 

 in growing alfalfa. While it would be too 

 much to claim that this kind of hay can not 

 be grown without bees, yet it is safe to say 

 that a much poorer crop would be the result 

 without them. We can also assert, without 

 fear of successful contradiction, that the 

 best scientific men of the world, as well as 

 professors in all the agricultural colleges, 

 can show that the assertion of the cattle- 

 men is utterly without foundation. 



The animus of this whole thing is, evi- 

 dently, jealousy. Whenever one class of 

 citizens make a little money, there are plen- 

 tj' of people who will be envious of them. 



I do not know what the National Associ- 

 ation is doing or has done about the mat- 

 ter; but I do not believe its 1500 members 

 will allow any such foolish and ignorant 

 legislation to come to pass without a vigor- 

 ous fight. Like the other case reported in 

 these columns, the whole thing is so ridicu- 

 lous that I think the bee-keepers will be 

 easily able to thwart any efforts that may 

 be made to pass a law of this kind. But 

 we must not be over-confident. We must be 

 alert, and ready to know what the opposi- 

 tion proposes to do, and meet them half way. 



A joint convention of THE HAMILTON 



CO. BEE-KEEPERS' ASSO'N AND THE OLD 



OHIO STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSO'N, 



AT CINCINNATI. 



There is to be a joint meeting of the 

 Hamilton Co. Bee-keepers' Association with 

 the Ohio State Bee-keepers' Association, at 

 Cincinnati, Nov. 25, in the convention hall 

 of the Grand Hotel. The Hamilton County 

 Bee-keepers' Association, as I have already 

 mentioned, is a very lively organization; 

 indeed, I believe it is the most flourishing 

 body of bee-keepers that ever existed in 

 Ohio. It has regular monthly meetings, 

 and the enthusiasm seems to keep up to the 

 boiling-point. Well, its members are thor- 

 oughly aroused as to the necessity of having 

 a foul-brood law in Ohio, and they desire 

 to co-operate with their brethren all over 

 the State in asking our next General As- 

 sembly to pass such a measure. The old 

 Ohio State organization held its last meet- 

 ing in Cleveland, if I mistake not. The 

 secretary. Miss Dema Bennett, just before 

 she died, turned over to me the records and 

 other properties of the old Ohio State or- 

 ganization. The time now seems to be ripe 

 for reorganizing it, and holding a meeting 

 in Cincinnati, for we are bound to have a 

 good local attendance and an enthusiastic 

 meeting. Bee-keepers all over the State are 

 asked to lend their influence, for it is pro- 

 posed to bombard the Ohio State Legisla- 

 ture with a goodly company of bee-keepers, 

 possibly holding one meeting in Columbus 

 while the legislature is in session. The 

 date of the convention, Nov. 25, the day be- 

 fore Thanksgiving, will insure low railroad 

 rates; and you may rest assured that the 

 bee-keepers of Cincinnati will do the hand- 

 some thing in their part of the work. 



It is highly important that every bee- 

 keeper in the State should petition his own 

 Senator and Representative. Soon after 

 this journal is out the election will be over, 

 and you will know who your next law- 

 makers will be. Possibly you will know 

 before. In any case, see them as soon as 

 possible, and secure from them a pledge of 

 support. This is very important, for it is 

 essential that every member of the General 

 Assembly be approached by one or more 

 bee-keepers; for when our measure comes 

 up they will feel that the law is urgently 

 needed. We must make them feel the press- 

 ure. Put in your best efforts now before 

 you forget it. If you can't see your man, 

 write him. 



The meeting at Cincinnati will not be de- 

 voted entirely to the discussion of foul 

 brood. Other subjects will be discussed, 

 and among other things will be a stereop- 

 ticon talk in the evening. 



Later. — I have just learned that D. R. 

 Herrick, a Republican nominee for the leg- 

 islature, and who has signified his willing- 

 ness to father and support a foul-brood bill, 

 will be present to address the convention. 

 As he will probably be elected, this means 

 much to us. 



