816 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 16, 



(•'eorjio W. Ynrlc, - - liditor. 



I'rnr.isHED wkekf.y hv 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 



50 nrai Ave/me. - CHICAGO, ILI.. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 lEntered at the Post-Offlce at Chicago as Second-Class Mail-Matter.) 



VoLXnV. CHICAM, ILL,, MAY, 16, 1895. No, 20. 



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Editorial Budget* 



Dr. miller, of Marengo, III., made me a short but 

 pleasant visit last week while here to present the freight-rate 

 matter before the Classification Committee of the various rail- 

 roads. The Doctor is just as good-natured and full of bee- 

 talk as ever. 



The Toronto Convention of the North Ameri- 

 can is already being arranged for. I notice by the Canadian 

 Bee Journal that President Holtermann has secured the 

 splendid auditorium in connection with the Normal School for 

 the convention, situated in a very desirable part of the city. 

 Efforts are now being put forth to secure the best possible 

 railroad rates from leading points in Canada and the United 

 States. It is none too early to settle such matters, as the 

 months so swiftly pass by. It won't be Canada's fault if the 

 convention isn't a great success. 



The Committee on Freight Rates, appointed 

 by the North American at its meeting in St. Joseph, last Octo- 

 ber, was finally able, on May 8, here in Chicago, to get before 

 the whole Classification Committee of the railroads, for the 

 purpose of urging a reduction in the freght rates on honey, 

 beeswax and bee-supplies. 



For nearly an hour, Dr. Miller, representing the North 

 American committee, explained matters most ably and fully 

 to some 40 railroad men, and tried to show them wherein it 

 would be mutually advantageous to reduce the rates on goods 

 shipped by bee-keepers and bee-supply manufacturers. 



Mr. Herman P. Moore, a promising young lawyer here in 

 Chicago, with Mr. R. A. Burnett, the commission man, and 

 the editor of the American Bee Journal, accompanied Dr. 

 Miller, and helped him in presenting the case before the 

 Classification Committee. 



Mr. Newman kindly sent to the room where the commit- 

 tees met, several hives in the flat prepared for shipment, 

 a honey-extractor, smokers, shipping-crates, etc.; and Mr. 

 Burnett sent over a crate of nice comb honey and a large 

 empty shipping-crate with handles, for holding probably a 

 dozen small crates of comb honey. This was done to show the 

 railroad people more clearly the nature and make-up of the 

 goods upon which a reduction of rates was asked for. 



After presenting the matters seemingly to the satisfaction 

 of the Classification Committee, Dr. Miller and his assistants 

 retired, leaving those who have to do with fixing the rates to 

 decide among themselves whether or not they would grant the 

 requests of the committee appointed by the North American 



Bee-Keepers' Association. At this time (May 10) I have not 

 heard the decision, but expect to bo able to give something 

 definite next week. 



I want to testify to the clear and able manner in which 

 Dr. Miller presented the case. Many were the questions asked 

 him by Chairman Ripley and others, which only a practical 

 bee-man could have answered ; and the Doctor almost inva- 

 riably did it in such a happy manner that often the whole 

 crowd were much amused. It was almost a lecture on bee- 

 keeping, too, for even railroad men are interested in the busy 

 bee when they have some one to talk to them upon the sub- 

 ject who knows more about it than he "don't know," or than 

 he is willing to admit. 



I think I am safe in predicting that at least some of the 

 concessions will be granted by the Classification Committee. 



Ten Weeks for Ten Cents.— This is a "trial 

 trip" offer to those who are not now subscribers to the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal. Undoubtedly there are thousands who 

 would take this journal regularly if they only had a " good 

 taste" of it, so as to know what, a help it would be to them in 

 their work with bees. In order that such bee-keepers may be 

 able to get that " taste." the very low offer of " 10 weeks for 

 10 cents" is made. 



Now, dear reader, you cannot do a better service than to 

 show this offer to your neighbor bee-keeping friends, and urge 

 them to send on their 10 cents and get the next iO numbers 

 of the old American Bee Journal. In fact, yoti could afford 

 to send the 10 cents for them, and then after the 10 weeks 

 expire, get them as new subscribers for a year. They will be 

 easy to secure then, for the 10 numbers will be a fair trial, 

 and they will want the Bee Journal regularly if they are at 

 all interested in bee-keeping. 



Remember, it's o?iJj/ iO cents for 10 weeks, to all not now 

 subscribers to the Bee Journal. 



BIr. R. F. Holtermann, editor of the Canadian 

 Bee Journal, has been appointed Lecturer in Apiculture at 

 the Ontario Agricultural College, located in Guelph, Ont. He 

 is also to conduct a series of apiarian experiments. This is 

 an important position, and places Mr. H. in a field where he 

 can render invaluable service to the cause of progressive bee- 

 culture. 



■Wagner's Flat Pea (Lathyrus Silvestris) has been 

 referred to in the American Bee Journal several times the past 

 year or two. A short time ago I came across a report con- 

 cerning it issued in July, 1893, by Mr. Clinton D. Smith, 

 Director of the Michigan Experiment Station. Thinking there 

 might have been a later report sent out, and that it might 

 prove to be a valuable honey-plant, I wrote to Mr. Smith, to 

 which he replied as follows : 



Ageicultukal College, Mich., April 27, 1895. 

 American Bee Journal, Chicago, III. 



Oentlcmen : — Your letter of the 25th inst. is at hand. We 

 have issued no Bulletin concerning the fiat pea since July, 

 189;!. I know nothing as to its quality as a honey-yielder, 

 although I have never noticed that bees work on the plant. 

 I very much doubt whether it can ever become a bee-plant, 

 since it is so hard to get it started, and the results are so 

 altogether unsatisfactory. Yours respectfully, 



Clinton D. Smith, Director. 



The report sent out in 1893, which is spoken of above, 

 reads thus : 



FLAT PEA (Lntliyrus Silvestris). 



"Those who have walked through the Station field since 

 the first of June, cannot fail to have noted the very luxuriant 

 and beautiful plat of more than an acre in extent of the new 

 forage-plant, lyiitliyrus Silvestris. It started early in the 

 spring, every root having endured the severe cold of winter 

 without injury. The tops were uninjured last fall by the 

 severe frosts. They did not stop growing until heavy freez- 



