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Xlie I%ext C'oiivt-iilion. «■<<■.— Con- 

 cerning tlie re-location of the next annual 

 meeting of the North American Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Society, and other subjects, Prof. A. J. 

 Cook writes as follows : 



Agkicultural College, Mich., 



Jan. 13, ISSS. 

 Dear Mr. Editor :— Dr. Mason is, as 

 usual, wise in his sugsestions. Our calamity 

 is our " maguificent distances." It costs so 

 much to attend our meetings ! This is why 

 we cannot hope to equal Europe. What- 

 ever, then, will lessen expense is to be ad- 

 vocated. If the Centennial will give re- 

 duced rates to Columbus, O., then I vote for 

 Columbus. Again, it would be nearer the 

 South ; and as 1 remember the cordial greet- 

 ing that we received at Louisville some 

 years since, I feel desirous to meet the 

 Southern bee-keepers again. I vote for 

 Columbus. 



Obto Horticnlturists and Bees. 



I am glad that Dr. Mason is stirring up 

 the Ohio horticulturists on the bee-question. 

 I had the honor of addressing that Associa- 

 tion a year ago, at their annual meeting, and 

 I told plain truths about bees. The truth is, 

 the value of bees, aside from the honey 

 which they gather, is so important that all, 

 especially fanners and horticulturists, 

 should know of it. Therefore I lose no 

 suitable occasion to spread this knowledge. 

 I think that all bee-keepers should be 

 equally ready. We can thus create right 

 views where ignorance and prejudice now 

 reign. 



Fraternal Good-'WIII. 



The words from our good friend, Mr. 

 McKnight, are good reading. Who could 

 imagine Dr.Mason with malice in his heart? 

 If any man in America has "good-will to 

 man " written all over his face, that man is 

 our big, fat, jolly friend of Toledo. I could 

 but think, as I read Mr. McKnight's article, 

 how the bee-periodicals had changed in the 

 past few years. In the olden time, quarrels, 

 invective and vindictive thrusts were all too 

 common. Now everybody is kindly dis- 

 posed, and a good brotherly temper pervades 

 every page ot all our bee-papers. That this 

 spirit will never be replaced, is my hope, as 

 it is my belief. 



As to changing the location of the next 

 meeting, the executive committee have full 

 power under the Constitution to make the 

 change, if they are satisfied of its desir- 

 ability. The points of advantage mentioned 

 by Dr. Mason are ample, in our opinion^ 

 and the change should be decided upon, and 

 notice given as soon as possible. 



The location of the " Centennial Exposi- 

 tion of the Ohio Valley and Central States " 

 is at Cincinnati, O., and the time of holding 

 it is from July 4 to Oct. 27,1887. As Brother 

 Muth was the first to suggest the holding of 

 the next meeting of the North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Society at Cincinnati because 

 of this Centennial Exposition, cheap fares, 

 etc., and as he is "a host" to make good 

 arrangements for such a meeting— we vote 

 for Cincinnati. 



The Centennial Exposition in Columbus, 

 0., is to be held in September, a trifle too 

 early for a successful bee-meeting. 



As to the fraternal and friendly feeling 

 mentioned by Prof. Cook, no one rejoices. 



more in its "exhibition "than do we; in- 

 deed it is our opinion that no one should 

 attempt to write on matters apicultural, 

 with any other intent or purpose ; in its 

 absence, let the pen be dropped, and not re- 

 sumed until such a disposition is in full 

 possession. 



Expei-iineiit in Freeaiiiig' Beos. — 



Mr. J. C. Haines, of Herkimer County, N. 

 T., writes to Gleanings in Bee-Culture, in 

 relation to an experiment in freezing bees, 

 to find if they might again be revived, as 

 follows : 



I got a pan of clean,dry snow, just after it 

 had fallen, set it in the barn to keep it soft 

 and light, and on Nov. 30, about 3 p.m., I 

 opened a strong colony, smoked slightly. In 

 a little while I took a small handful and 

 dropped them in the pan of snow. As soon 

 as they were chilled, I put some in a dry 

 paper box, and set them in a small open 

 building. Next morning we brought two of 

 each lot into the house, put them on the 

 mantel near the kitchen stove, where it was 

 nice and warm (not hot), but they showed 

 no signs of life. We left them in all day, 

 and got more of each lot, but they showed 

 no signs of life at all. To-day I brought 

 more in, but could not see any signs of life. 

 They are quite dead. We opened some and 

 they seemed to be filled with honey. 



At the time when we put the bees in the 

 snow in the first place, it thawed some on 

 the south side of the house, and the bees 

 were bright and active, and seemed quite 

 strong ; but it was very cold that night. 

 Next morning the thermometer was down 

 to 5° below zero, and the next day was very 

 cold. The thermometer was at zero. So 

 you see if there is anything in its being 

 cold, they had the benefit of it. 



]\eat as W^ax.— Mr. J. M. Shuck, of 

 Des Moiues, Iowa, writes us as follows : 



No. 1, Vol. XXIV, of the American Bee 

 Journal is received, and in a new dress, 

 greatly improved in appearance. It looks 

 like the baby's first tooth, neat as wax. It 

 is certainly equipped for a trip " all around 

 the world." 



Succeeded CJrandly.— The Repub- 

 lican Standard, published at New Bedford, 

 Mass., gives us this unsolicited notice, for 

 which it has our thanks : 



When the American Bee Journal com- 

 menced its appearance as a weekly, it was 

 prophesied that it would not succeed, but it 

 has grandly. Every number is full of use- 

 ful information. 



The Jmi/mal of Lewiston, Maine, remarks 

 as follows on the same topic : 



The American Bee Journal is the 

 oldest bee-paper in America, hut that isn't 

 all ; it stands at the head in bee-literature, 

 giving from week to week the best thought 

 and practice in apiarian art. No one who 

 keeps bees can expend a dollar to better ad- 

 vantage than to subscribe for this Journal. 



Xlie Canadian Bee Journal is a year 

 behind the times. It apologized on the first 

 page for having "1887 "on the cover, and 

 just above the apology is the date in black- 

 faeed type, "Jan. 4, 1887." In this case 

 " two wrongs will not make one right." But 

 mistakes will happen in the best regulated 

 families. 



Xlie Revie«- came promptly to our 

 desk, and is very attractive in appearance. 

 Its reading matter is much superior to the 

 ordinary "run " of such, in the various new 

 bee-papers. The complete list ot contents 

 may be found on page 47. 



The principal topic in this first number is 

 "Disturbing bees in winter," whicli the 

 editor " sums up " in these words : 



What bee-keeper that does not delight, in 

 winter, when the mercury is coquetting 

 with zero, to enter a comfortable bee-cellar, 

 in which the hives stand in long rows, tier 

 above tier, and peep into their entrances 

 and seethe bees hanging from thecombs in 

 golden-brown clusters ? And how many in 

 making these visits have not, sometimes, 

 felt that they were trespassing upon forbid- 

 den ground ; that the price of these admir- 

 ing glances might be disease and death to 

 the admired ? We have often had such 

 thoughts ; have felt that a visit in winter to 

 the bee-cellar, or a peep into a hive out-of- 

 doors, was something like a stolen pleasure; 

 but these thoughts will come no more, for 

 we are thoroughly convinced that such ex- 

 aminations do no harm. That bees can be 

 moved in winter, or the hives opened, combs 

 taken out, bees examined, etc., and no in- 

 jurious results ever follow, we are not so 

 certain ; but that such treatment seldom re- 

 sults in harm, we are well satisfied. We 

 recollect reading a report of some bee- 

 keeper who lostpartof his bees from starva- 

 tion in the cellar. He knew they were 

 short of stores, but feared to disturb them, 

 lest it should result in greater loss than 

 would starvation. Had we colonies of bees 

 that we thought might be lacking in stores, 

 we should unhesitatingly examine them, 

 and feed them, too, if we found them in 

 need. 



The frequent and extensive handling of 

 bees during winter, indulged in by some 

 of our correspondents, might, perhaps, have 

 had less happy closing chapters, had the 

 food been of a different character ; in fact, 

 all are quite well agreed that frequent dis- 

 turbance may aggravate the evils arising 

 from unsuitable food ; and, as the years roll 

 by, we are becoming more and more con- 

 vinced that foocZ is the pivotal point upon 

 which turns the question of wintering bees 

 in a Northern climate. Our faith in the 

 popular belief that disturbing bees in win- 

 terjs necessarily injurious has been entirely 

 destroyed ; and our advice would be : If 

 you wish to know how your bees are win- 

 tering, go and examine them— quietly and 

 carefully, and it you think they need food, 

 or any other attenlion, make the necessary 

 examination and give the required care with 

 but little fear that the disturbance will 

 cause injury. 



We wish the Review a long and prosper- 

 ous career, and its editor all the success he 

 could wish for himself. No. 1 is excellent, 

 and should please the most fastidious. 



Wc are Sorry to learn that our friend 

 Paul L. Viallon, of Bayou Goula, La., has 

 been quite ill for some time. Bronchitis is 

 the cause ot the trouble. He is now recov- 

 ering, and this will be good news to our 

 readers, as he is to give us answers to 

 queries hereafter. The first answers from 

 him appear in this number of the Bee 

 Journal. In retVrence to moving au api- 

 ary, he remarks as follows : 



A few years since I moved ray apiary 

 about 5 acres, during a cold day. I placed 

 a slanting board iti front of each hive, as 

 advised by Mr. Dadant, and I do not think 

 that a handful of bees returned to the old 

 location. 



