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Bee-Keeping in Belgitim.— The 



following article from the British Bee Jour- 

 nal, gives a good idea of the interest taken 

 in bee-keeping by the authorities in Bel- 

 gium, and will be read with interest by 

 Americans : 



If we are to judge from the tenor of a 

 communication which has reached the 

 Revue Bitematlonale d' Apiculture, from 

 M. Karel de Kesel, of Amougies-les-Renaix, 

 Belgium, is at last not only becoming alive 

 to the importance of apiculture as a means 

 of improving the condition of farmers and 

 others engaged in agricultural pursuits, but 

 is about to take such practical steps as will 

 place itat no distant date in a line with 

 other European countries. We cannot do 

 better, therefore, tlian place before our 

 readers a translation of M. Karel de Kesel's 

 communication, as published in the Reroue 

 Internationale d' ApieuUwe, and which is 

 to the following etfect : 



" I am in a po-ition to inform you that our 

 Minister of Agriculture has jnst approved a 

 report upon Practical means for spreading 

 the knowledge of keeping bees in our coun- 

 try, and decided to at once give etfect to the 

 following two recommendations, viz : 



"First.— To hold an International Bee- 

 Exhibition in Brussels in the course of the 

 present year, of which I will send you later 

 on the prospectus. 



"Second.— To order fifty lectures to be 

 given in the most suitable Belgian districts 

 for successful bee-keeping. 



" In order to spread as much as possible 

 the knowledge of bee-keeping, it has been 

 decided that for this year no more than one 

 lecture is to be given in each district. This 

 first lecture will deal merely upon the rudi- 

 ments of bee-keeping and manipulating, so 

 as to initiate into correct principles those 

 who have already acquired a natural in- 

 stinct in the management of bees. 



"The lecturer will be furnished with horse 

 and trap. In these he will carry about with 

 him, anmng other things, a stock of bees to 

 be used for practical demonstrations at his 

 lectures. An adequate amount of publicity 

 will be given, to the effect that a bee expert 

 is about to arrive with an ambulant api- 

 ary, that he will bring with him bee hives 

 on the movable bar-frame principle, that the 

 combs will be removed from and replaced 

 into the hive at pleasure, and that the bees 

 will be seen working through glass. Men- 

 tion will also be made that the lecturer will 

 bring with him bees of several breeds, as 

 well as bee-hives, from which as many as 

 75 kilos of honey can be obtained in favor- 

 ble seasons ; and that, in fact, lie will show 

 them sundry bee-furniture of the latest in- 

 vention, etc. It will also be made known 

 that editors will be supplied gratis with a 

 summary of the lectures, together with a 

 lithographic design of an improved bee- 

 hive, together with explanations and a list 

 of the most approved books on bee-keeping. 

 The explanations and documents which you 

 have sent me, showing how a bee-associa- 

 tion could be best organized in Belgium, 

 will be of great iis^istance to nie. Again 

 M. Vernieuwe, attached to our Ministry of 

 Agriculture, himself an amateur bee-keeper, 

 has received the particulars which you and 

 Mr. Cowan have sent him. 



" We shall soon send out to all the bee- 

 keepers known in Belgium an invitation to 

 a general meeting, in order to agree upon 

 the main point ot a proposed association." 



I\'e\r Subscribers can obtain the full 

 numbers for 1887 and 1888, for $1.75. while 

 here are any sets of 1887 left. 



Fraternal Relations with our co- 

 workers should always be maintained, if 

 there is a possibility of its being done. We 

 have often urged this, and at the Inter- 

 national Convention held in Cincinnati, O., 

 in 1880, we made some remarks upon an es- 

 say by Mr. A. J. King, relative to this, which 

 were recorded in the printed (minutes in 

 these words : 



President Newman remarked that it was 

 exceedingly encouraging to witness the 

 spirit in which Mr. King had written, and 

 of his kind allusions to the Rev. L. L. Lang- 

 stroth, whom some unwise enthusiasts are 

 now trying to misrepresent and abuse. Mr. 

 Newman said that he had not the pleasure 

 of even a personal acquaintance with Mr. 

 Langstroth, but revered him only for his 

 noble work and devotion to the science and 

 art of bee-culture. Mr. King's allusions to 

 the necessity of adopting the newest and 

 most perfect methods, as well as to keep 

 abreast with the times in every department 

 of apiculture, he regarded as the very key- 

 note of success. 



The speaker very heartily endorsed the 

 position taken by Mr. King, that " the living 

 issues " of to-day demanded of us something 

 else besides bickering and strife, begotten 

 of envy and malice. In the great work be- 

 fore us, he was happy in the thought that 

 generally we were alive to our duty, and 

 wiited. 



Himself, the editor of the Bee Joxjknai, 

 in Chicago, he had been gallantly supported 

 on his right and left on the platform at this 

 meeting by the editors of Gleanings in Bee- 

 Culture and the Bee-Keepers^ Instructor, 

 the two Ohio bee-papers. He had noticed 

 in the auditorium the editor of the Bee- 

 Keepers' Chvide, of Indiana, who was tak- 

 ing a lively interest in the discussions, and 

 the paper just read was from the editor of 

 the Bee-Keepers' Magazine, of New York, 

 and he noticed On the programme an e.ssay 

 from the editor of tlie Bee-Keepers' Ex- 

 change. 



Tliese six editors are now all arranged in 

 solid phalanx, ready for the fray, and will 

 give the common enemy a fierce and de- 

 termined battle. This is not only flattering 

 to the Society, but inspires all to look for a 

 successful and triumpnant issue. He con- 

 gratulated the Society upon the self-evident 

 union, peace and harmony now prevailing, 

 and earnestly desired that it might be 

 permanent. He felt happy that his term of 

 oCBce as President concluded under such 

 auspicious circumstances. 



It is a pleasure to note that these senti- 

 ments are fully endorsed by Bro. Root in 

 the last issue in Gleanings, in these words : 



Very often, in meeting bee-friends, and a 

 good many times visitors at our establish- 

 ment, when the subject of our bee-papers 

 comes up, some, with a little embarrass- 

 ment, acknowledge that they have been 

 taking the American Bee Journai, in- 

 stead of Oleanlngs ; and sometimes they 

 seem to think that may be I shall feel dis- 

 pleased when I am told this. Why, bless 

 you, friends, if I should let any such feel- 

 ing get possession of me, I should be un- 

 worthy ot my position. It affords me just 

 as much pleasure to take a brother by ttie 

 hand who has taken the Ajierican Bee 

 Journal for years past— yes, and con- 

 tributed to its columns— as if it were the 

 other way. In fact, i am more likely to get 

 original "ideas, thoughts, and suggestions 

 from him. 



The American Bee Jouknai, is an 

 honor to our industry. It comes weekly, 

 which is more than Cfleanings ever expects 

 to do, and it costs only a dollar a year. Bro. 

 Newman has been standing faithfiilly at his 

 post for many long years. Not a single 

 number has failed, or even been behind- 

 hand. Many of the best friends of Olean- 



ings are among the contributors of the 

 AiiERicAN Bee Journal. Now, if we 

 cannot be brothers, all the same, even 

 though we do take different periodicals, we 

 are not up to the spirit and progress of the 

 times. 



True ; quarrelsome and jealous persons 

 are not up to the spirit of the times. Olean- 

 %ngs was started by its present editor in the 

 same year that the American Bee JoLTt- 

 NAL came into the hands of its present 

 editor. Both periodicals have run along 

 side by side, and while aiming to do the 

 same work, are to-day in full harmony and 

 fellowship— rejoicing In each other's pros- 

 perity. Long may these feelings continue. 



While we cannot endorse all that we notice 

 in other bee-papers, if we criticise anything 

 we desire to do so respectfully ; and if 

 others criticise us in the same manner, 

 there should be no contention between us, 

 other " than that noble contention, or rather 

 emulation, of who can best work and best 

 agree." While harmony Is desirable, jeal- 

 ousy is despicable. 



f J^Vortli a Year's Subscription. — 



Many have written their congratulations 

 uponjeceiving No. 14. It was a genuine 

 surprise to receive that Special Spring 

 Number of the American Bee Journal 

 for April 4, 1888— and that day was a beauti- 

 ful one in this latitude ! The Bee Jour- 

 nal did (as we expressed the hope that it 

 might) " usher in and give a general wel- 

 come to Spring !" Here is what Mrs. M. B. 

 Chaddock said about it : 



Why, the American Bee Journal is 

 having a boom ; isn't it ? First, it conies 

 out in a new dress, so that I have to look at 

 the heading a time or two to be sure that it 

 is the old American Bee Journal ; then 

 last week there came such a wealth of read- 

 ing matter— such a great wealth of engrav- 

 ings ! Why, that one number is worth the 

 whole dollar that you ask for the year. Are 

 you going to keep on doing this way ? I 

 have said before, and I say it again, that 

 editors are the most surprising people in 

 the world ! 



]»lr. A. C. Xj-i-i-el, Madison, Nebr., 

 has sent us a photograph of his residence 

 and apiary, and remarks as follows : 



I send you a winter view of my residence 

 and apiary in the far West ; once consid- 

 ered the " Great American Desert." The 

 honey-house is in the rear of the dwelling 

 liouse. The bee-hives are not shown, from 

 the tact that they are yet in the hee-cellar. 

 When I bought the grounds in ISTO, before 

 the advent of railroads and the influx of 

 actual settlers, I little realized that such 

 wonderful strides wonid be made in my 

 day and generation. Our county now points 

 with pride to her public improvements, viz: 

 Insane asylum, street railways. Normal 

 College, Court House, three story brick 

 blocks, two great lines of railways travers- 

 ing the county east and west, and north and 

 south, etc., and another surveyed. 



The residence and grounds exhibit fine 

 taste, and shows that the " Great American 

 Desert" is being transformed into a rich 

 garden, with trees and flowers, interspersed 

 with grand residences of active, pushing 

 men. The beautiful photograph is placed 

 into the Bee Journal album with niueh 

 pleasure. 



. 



