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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAJU. 



The Illinois State Association. — In 

 a recent letter from Dr. C. C. Miller, he 

 remarks thus : 



I was sorry that I could not attend the 

 convention at Springfield, but was not 

 able at the time to sit through a conven- 

 tion, if an air-ship had carried me there. 

 I do not know what is contemplated as 

 to future meetings, but I think the 

 arguments given on page 319, by Mr. 

 Heddon, well worthy of consideration. 

 There may be stronger arguments in 

 favor of meeting at Springfield, and it 

 will be well for some one familiar with 

 the ground to state the case. My own 

 opinion is, that we would have larger 

 conventions at Chicago, but " the wish 

 may be father to the thought." 



C. C. MlLLEE. 



Nothing was said about any place for 

 holding conventions, except that the 

 next meeting is to be held at Springfield 

 in December, when the other farmers' 

 meetings are held. 



Illinois Exhibit at the World's Fair. 



Mr. C. P. Dadant offers the following 

 suggestions concerning the apiarian 

 exhibits of the State of Illinois, at the 

 World's Columbian Fair. These remarks 

 will supplement what we gave last week 

 on the same subject-matter as reasons for 

 asking for an appropriation, on page 342: 



In the consideration of the profits 

 derived from bee-keeping by the State, 

 it is most important to state that bee- 

 culture is an industry which requires but 

 little capital, and which, however, takes 

 from territory already occupied, a very 

 valuable product which would otherwise 

 be wasted. There is no other production 

 of the farm, to my knowledge, which 

 can make so valuable a claim. Millions 

 upon millions of pounds of honey are 

 wasted every year, among meadows as 

 well as in the swamps, for want of bees 

 to gather it, and the only thing that is 

 needed to gather those wasted sweets is 

 encouragement to the pursuit of bee- 

 keeping. 



Congress has seen fit to allow 2 cents 

 per pound to producers of sugar, and we 

 can see no reason why producers of 

 honey should not be similarly encour- 

 aged. Their pursuit is of more practical 

 importance than that of sugar-growing, 

 for they need no specially cultivated 

 lands for their purpose. 



In regard to the use to be made of the 

 money solicited from the State, I think 

 that provisions should be made for a bee- 

 exhibit, an implement exhibit, and a pro- 

 duct exhibit, which ought to be placed 

 under the direction of three able api- 

 arists, and may be arranged to be placed 

 in the same location with bee-exhibits of 

 other States if necessary. But as Illi- 

 nois is the State in which the Fair is 

 taking place, Illinois should also be the 

 State to make the largest and best dis- 

 play. I think exhibits should be solicited 

 from apiarists all over the State, and 

 taken care of by State provision, although 

 they ought to be furnished free of 

 charge, and the name of each exhibitor 

 should be placed upon his goods. 



A well-made exhibit ought to encour- 

 age the pursuit, as well as to do honor to 

 our State before the world. It will not 

 be difficult to make a beautiful Show, if 

 we let all apiarists know that their goods 

 will be well taken care of. 



Mr. Dadant also suggests that honey 

 be provided sufficient to give a taste to 

 all who desire to sample the honey of 

 this State. 



The consumption of honey would be 

 much greater, if it was not for the 

 prejudice that a great many people enter- 

 tain in regard to the purity of our honey. 

 It would be a very important point to 

 have men to represent our industry at the 

 Fair who understood the honey question, 

 and who would be able to enlighten the 

 visitors as to the quality and purity of 

 granulated honey. Large quantities 

 ought to be donated by bee-keepers at 

 large for the purpose of allowing the 

 visitors to taste this product, as was 

 done at London by the Canadians. There 

 is a great benefit to be derived by bee- 

 keepers from such a course. 



Hive and Frame Clamp. — G. T. Gunn, 

 of Wall Lake, Iowa, has sent to our 

 Museum one of his hive clamps. It is 

 very substantial, and holds a hive, or 

 frames, together with a vise-like grasp. 

 He describes it thus : 



It is made of wood and iron. There is 

 no need of cleats on the side-board of the 

 hive, as the clamp holds the board firmly 

 to the frames and keeps the board from 

 warping. It also stops robber-bees from 

 entering the cracks, and acts as an end- 

 board, keeping the sun and rain from 

 the frame-ends. It will fit a hive of any 

 depth. 



