THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



563 



THOMAS a. NEWMAN, Editor. 





Voinill. Sept.], 1887. No. 36. 



Mr. C. F. mntli is convalescing, we are 

 happy to state. 



We are dad to be able to announce that 

 Mr. James Heddon is recovering from his 

 recent illness. 



Mr. Allen Pringle is very ill, and the 

 chances of his recovery are very slight. We 

 shall hope, however, for a restoration to 

 health— for as long as there is life there is 

 hope. 



nir. iTar S. Yonns, editor of the bee- 

 paper of Norway, expected to laud in New 

 York last Friday. He expects to be at the 

 Toronto Exhibition during the week ending 

 Sept. 17. 



Mr. T. W. Cowuu'B Vlalt.— On Monday, 

 Aug. 29, Mr. Cowan left Prof. Cook and 

 made a short call upon Mr. James Heddon. 

 They spent a few hours very pleasantly, and 

 on Tuesday Mr. Cowan came to Chicago, 

 without previous notice. We had agreed to 

 notify several of the apiarists near Chicago, 

 as soon as we knew when he was coming, 

 but as the visit was unannounced, there was 

 no time to get even one of them here before 

 he was " gone " again. We spent 11 hours 

 in pleasant social Intercourse, bee-talk and 

 in showing him around the city, taking a 

 five-hour carriage drive on the principal 

 thoroughfares, boulevards and parks. 



To us Mr. Cowan was no stranger— though 

 he was such to every other person in the 

 Pnited States of America. In July 1879, we 

 spent an afternoon and evening at his resi- 

 dence at Horsham, near London, England, 

 in company with C.J. H.Gravenhorst, editor 

 of the Deutsche BienenZeilung ; J. Dennler, 

 editor of the BietienZuecMer, Col. Pierson. 

 of Sirassburg, and a large company of prom- 

 inent British beekeepers. As a memento of 

 that occasion we have one of the medals of 

 the British Bee-Keepers' Association, which 

 was there presented to us in honor of our 

 visit. 



Mrs. Cowan remained at Prof. Cook's res- 

 idence on account of poor health, and after 

 visiting Ch. Dadant & Son, Mr. Cowan re- 

 turns to the Michigan Agricultural College, 

 delivers an address to Prof. Cook's class, 

 and then goes to Medina, O., thence to Niag- 

 ara Palls and Toronto, as announced last 

 week. 



Mr. Cowan desired us to thank the many 

 apiarists who had invited him to give them a 

 call. He would be delighted to see them all, 

 but time forbids, as he must be in London 

 early next month. 



Nebraska.- The bee-keepers of Nebraska 

 are awake, and working hard to make the 

 pursuit a success in that State. Mr. H. N. 

 Patterson, Secretary of the Nebraska State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, has issued the 

 following " Notice to BeeKeepers :" 



The Board of Agriculture of Nebraska, 

 have set apart ample and suitable space for 

 the display of bees and honey at the State 

 Fair, and now it is to the interest of Nebr. 

 bee-keepers to improve this opportunity and 

 show the people that this is a honey country, 

 and that we need not admit any shipping of 

 honey into our state. 



Shall we not now awake and meet with 

 our products— the sweetest of the sweets— 

 the pressure of commerce and thus prove 

 ourselves up with the day? 



The Superintendent of the apiarv depart- 

 ment, Mr. E. W. Whitcomb, of Friend, Ne- 

 braska, wonld be glad to have vou and 

 also a sample of your produc's at the State 

 Fair. 



A meeting of the State Bee-Keepf rs' Asso- 

 ciation will also be held on Wednesday and 

 Thursday evenings, Sept. 14 and 1.5. during 

 the Fair, In the Botanical Lecture-Room of 

 the State University. This room is on the 

 first floor of the chemical building, east of 

 the main building, south entrance. All are 

 invited to attend these meetings. They will 

 be free and interesting. 



The action of the Nebraska Bee-Keepers' 

 Association in endeavoring to develop th» 

 honey-flora of that State is very praise- 

 worthy, and will bring the apiarists some 

 speedy and lucrative returns. 



We are Sorry to learn that Mr. McPher- 

 sou, one of the editors of the Canadian Bee 

 Journal, lost his young child on the 19lh ult. 

 We condole with our young friend in his 

 affliction. 



Laying Workers are often developed In 

 queenless colonies, if such colonies are not 

 supplied with eggs or brood from which to 

 rear a queen. Look out for such a state of 

 afi'airs, and see that these pests— laying 

 workers— are not allowed to ruin queenless 

 colonies. 



A Reporter for the Poughkeepsie Enter- 

 prise, has visited the " bee-farm " of Mr. G. 

 H. Knickerbocker at Pine Plains, N. Y., and 

 has written up nearly a column descriptive 

 of it for his paper. Mr. Silas M. Locke is the 

 manager of the apiary. Speaking of these 

 gentlemen the Enterprise remarks as fol- 

 lows -. 



They understand the subject in all its de- 

 tails, are courteous gentlemen, and certain- 

 ly merit the popularity and success that are 

 connected with "The Knickerbocker Bee- 

 Farm." 



Stings.— An exchange remarks that old 

 bee-keepers rarely trouble themselves wilb 

 the bee-sting remedies, but amateurs, and 

 those in whom the flesh swells when stung 

 near the ej es, often wish for something that 

 will reduce the swelling and pain. The best 

 remedy known to the writer is a tincture of 

 plantain, made by pouring alcohol over the 

 freshly-gathered leaves, and allowing it to 

 remain until it turns black, when it is poured 

 ofl" and bottled. It this remedy is applied 

 Immediately after the wound is given, the 

 swelling and pain will be scarcely percep- 

 tible. If the person is severely stung, a 

 few drops of the tincture can be taken In- 

 ternally. 



New Invention.- The Omaha Herald 

 says that its representative has visited an 

 apiarist of Harrison county, Iowa, who has 

 made an invention for the use of bee-keep- 

 ers. He says : 



It is an automatic, eelf-lubricatlng machine 

 for fastening comb-foundation into section- 

 boxes for surplus honey, as used by bee- 

 keepers. The task hfretofore has been a 

 slow and tedious one. owing to the want of a 

 machine that would do the work expeditious- 

 ly. This will fully supply that want. It will 

 do the work of any ten machines ever in- 

 vented. In a given time. Though simply con- 

 structed, it is a marvel of ingenuity, and all 

 apiarists cannot fail to appreciate it upon 

 examination. A patent will be obtained and 

 the manufacturing of them commt need at 

 once. 



Sweet Clover has endured the extreme 

 heat well, and now is in full bloom. Its 

 roots go to a great depth and get moisture 

 when other plants, not so deep-rooted, die for 

 want of it. 



Drontli In England.— The very severe 

 drouth, which prevailed all over the North- 

 western States during June and July, now 

 appears to be prevailing in England. The 

 British Bee Journal for Aug. 18, 1887, re- 

 marks as follows : 



The whole country, as far as the eye can 

 reach in every direction, has the appearance 

 of parched stubble-fields from which the 

 corn has been already garnered. Our mete- 

 orologists tell us that up to the present time 

 the rainfall of the year has been twenty 

 inches at least. Want of water is causing 

 great distress in many districts, and the 

 springs are so low that heavy rainfalls will 

 he required to replenish them. Fruit, still 

 unripe, is falling from the tref 8, which, on 

 heavy soils, are themselves dying, owing to 

 the cracked surface admitting to the roots 

 the atmospheric air. 



Queen-Bees to Canada A oorres- 



pondent writes us acomplaint,that the post- 

 master at Detroit has returned two packages 

 (containing queen-bees) for insufficient post- 

 age when they were to be sent to Canada, 

 and stamps had been placed upon them, the 

 same as required for the U. S. postage. 

 Our correspondent is at fault, and as others 

 may be misinformed we make this explana- 

 tion. Queen-bees nave to be sent to Canada 

 as merchandise, and according to the law. 

 It requires 10 cents postage on every pack- 

 age weighing 8 ounces or less. As the post- 

 age must be prepaid, the postmaster at De- 

 troit was required to return them, or retain 

 them and let them die. 



The Aplcnllnrlst for September came a 

 few days ahead of time. Under the able 

 management of Mr. Alley it improves each 

 month. So far as valuable matter is con- 

 cerned, it is one of our best apicultural peri- 

 odicals. It is well printed. On the contrary, 

 one of the new bee-papers of the West 

 comes to us this week with pages transposed 

 and otherwise disfigured. So far as printing 

 is concerned, it is away behind the age. 



