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World's Congress of Bce-Keep- 



ers.— The idea grows, day by day. Mr. J. 

 W. TefEt now gets enthusiastic, and says 

 that the coming meeting atBrantford, Ont., 

 should be a World's Congress of bee-keepers ; 

 that it should select as a permanent location 

 Niagara Falls for holding its sessions. He 

 asks to have the toUowiug "Notice" sub- 

 mitted for the consideration of bee-keepers, 

 and a prophecy of the future : 



The World's Congress of bee-keepers will 

 hold its first council at Brautford, Ont. 

 Now is the time for local conventions to 

 elect delegates, etc., giving four days of 

 high thinking in apiculture. Bee-keepers 

 of culture and of earnest thought should not 

 fail to attend the sessions of the World's 

 Bee-Keepers' Congress, to be held at Brant- 

 ford, Ontario, Canada, on date 



Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Fri- 

 day, , 1889. 



The old reliable American Bee Jour- 

 nal has already dwelt, upon the character 

 and purposes ot this Congress. It is simply 

 a gathering for the liberal discussion of 

 what is best in bee-culture for men and 

 women ; and also for finding out in which 

 direction true progress lies ; in what meas- 

 ures the greatest good will result. The 

 Congress seeks to he simply a little advance 

 guard of bee-keeping civilization, blazing 

 away for general advance. 



We apprehend a marked effort at the 

 coming Congress of bee-keepers to be prac- 

 tical. To point out some steps which may 

 actually be taken, and what practical good 

 may follow. Messrs. Allen Pringle and L. 

 C. Root are expected to share in the discus- 

 sions, as they are conspicuous among the 

 educators, as exponents. 



Dr. A. Stanley Hancock, of Buffalo, N. 

 T., vciil give his experience In reversible 

 frames, all-purpose bee-hives, ventilation, 



Thomas G. Newman will probably in- 

 dicate in a measure the character and pur- 

 poses ot the four days' celebration. 



Dr. Tinker on the new sections open on 

 all sides. 



The question of the race and type of bees, 

 by Prof. A. J. Cook. 



Tobacco, humbugs, and scientific bee- 

 keeping by A. 1. Root. 



A welcome address by R. F. Holtermann 

 is sure to be earnest and suggestive. 



We submit the above by request, but it is 

 too early yet to get up a programme for the 

 Congress. 



We are glad to notice the general waking- 

 up to the importance of having a good con- 

 vention, and hail with delight the indica- 

 tions of a monster meeting, which shall be 

 noted for the sacrificing ot selfish motives 

 and designs, and for the unanimity of those 

 present— all working for the general good- 

 while making plans for the advancement 

 and prosperity of the pursuit. That is a 

 hopeful sign— a good omen ! 



Money in Potatoes, by Mr. Joseph 



Greiner. Price, 25 cents, postpaid. This 

 is a complete instructor for the practical 

 potato-grower, and explains the author's 

 new system in 40 interesting lessons. It is 

 for sale at this office. 



Odor and Color.— On page 776 Mrs. 

 Chaddock avers that she knows that " odor 

 is a guide to bees " in search of honey. 

 This was in reply to Prof. Cook, who claims 

 that " the color of flowers " was the attrac- 

 tion to tlie bees. Now, in Oleanings for 

 December, on page 926, Prof. Cook makes 

 these additional remarks on the subject : 



Do you remember what ludicrous blunders 

 Agassiz made when he attempted to write 

 ot bees ? He was a master in science, yet 

 the humblest bee-keeper in the land could 

 have taught even Agassiz very much. 



The point I wish to make is : If we wish 

 to learn of bees and their work, we go to a 

 bee-man ; so when we wish to learn as to 

 the nature, growth, development, and gen- 

 eral economy of plants, we will, if wise, go 

 to a first class botanist. W. E. Gladstone is 

 a marvelous man, but I would give a thou- 

 sand times as nuich for Dr. Real's opinion 

 on an intricate matter connected with plants 

 as I would for Gladstone's. 



Now for ray point: All our bontanists 

 believe that odor and color in flowers are 

 developed peculiarities. They have been 

 evolved for the good of the plant. The 

 method by which they aid the plants is by 

 attracting insects. We positively know 

 that insects by cross-fertilizina the flowers 

 of the same species do immense good to the 

 plants. This often changes sterility to 

 maximum productiveness, and almost al- 

 ways increases the productiveness many 

 fold. Of course, as bees are so much more 

 numerous in early spring than any and all 

 other sweet-loving insects, they are the 

 chief agents in this good work. 



We may say, then, that the rich coloration 

 and penetrating odors of flowers are their 

 distress signals. Bees see the colors or 

 smell the odors, and so are attracted, to the 

 mutual benefit of both parties. We see, 

 then, why many showy flowers, like cardi- 

 nal bloom, and the Rocky Mountain or Col- 

 orado cleoiiie attract bees and other insects 

 without odor. Otlier inconspicuous flowers, 

 like mignonette, are very fragrant, and so 

 attract insects by scent, not gaudy colora- 

 tion. Still others, like the phlox, are both 

 showy and fragrant. 



Again, are not our bees governed by rea- 

 son ? It is sometimes said, that bees are 

 wholly ruled by instinct. I do not think so. 

 A red clover field is rich in clover, and de- 

 lightful with fragrance. Yet the honey-bee 

 generally passes it by. A less fragrant and 

 more feebly adorned white clover field at 

 the same time rings with the hum of bees. 

 Why the difference? The bees have 

 learned by experience that they receive no 

 benefit from red clover. Indeed, the very 

 fact that they are attracted by color argues 

 that they are reasoning from former experi- 

 ence. Bees are, in a sense, botanists. 



A €rood Christmas Present for an 



apiarian friend or relative would be one of 

 the new books on apiculture, or even a 

 year's subscription to the American Bee 

 Journal. See list of books on page 81.5 of 

 this issue, and select what you desire. It 

 sent for at once, there will be plenty of 

 time to get either the book or subscription 

 receipt in time for Christmas. 



I\o-»v is the time to sell the honey. The 

 holidays are at hand, and the best prices 

 rule about that time. 



Well did Pythagoras put it when he 

 said, " Rest satisfied with doing well, and 

 leave others to talk of you as they please." 



Button-Kail Honey. — Mr. S. A. 



Shuck, of Liverpool, Ills., gives the follow- 

 ing particulars concerning this honey-pro- 

 ducer, in Oleanings : 



There are thousands of acres of it in the 

 marshes of this, the Ulinois river bottom. I 

 have lived in this place five years, but we 

 got no button-ball honey until last season. 

 It bloomed about three weeks, and gave us 

 (wife, children and I) something over a ton 

 from this source. 



This season it bloomed six weeks, and we 

 have taken off the hives about 2,000 pounds, 

 all button-ball honey. There is about a ton 

 on the hives, and the greater part of that is 

 button-ball. 



The cause of its failure in previous years 

 was ice breaking it down during the winter; 

 and its continuing so long in bloom this 

 season was caused by the water. When it 

 commenced to bloom it was standing in 

 water up to its "chin." The water com- 

 menced going down ; and as the water con- 

 tinued to fall, new shoots put forth, and 

 new buds kept coming, so that there was 

 considerable button-ball bloora yet last 

 week. 



We obtained nearly three tons of honey 

 last season from 98 colonies in the spring, 

 and went into winter quarters with 114 colo- 

 nies. We commenced last spring with about 

 108 colonies ; and while we have not a big 

 crop, we have a fair yield. Our neighbors 

 got almost nothing last season, and a little 

 less so far this season. 



Among the ancient " Irish Signs and 

 Omens" enumerated by an exchange, we 

 notice the following as directions or en- 

 chantments to attract wild bees : 



Gather fox-glove, raspberry leaves, wild 

 marjoram, mint, camimiile, and valerian, 

 mix with butter made on Monday, on which 

 day the herbs should also be gathered. Boil 

 with honey, and rub the vessel into which 

 the bees should go, with tlie mixture. Place 

 it in a tree, and the bees will come. 



In our day they sound very strange among 

 matter-of-fact people. 



»S- Xlie I^ational Bee-Keepers' 



Union fiscal year has heretofore ended on 

 June 30. Sometime since it was proposed 

 to have it end with the calendar year. It 

 was submitted to vote, and every vote, so far 

 received, is in fnvor of the change, except 

 one which suggests that "January is always 

 settlement month, and funds scarce." As 

 the dues ai'e not delinquent for six months, 

 that objection is nullified. The change is 

 therefore declared carried by consent. 



This change will make the time tor pay- 

 ing dues and voting for officers come on 

 Jan. 1, and blanks will be sent out on Dec. 

 15, for that object. 



Xo Our Subscribers.— Send to F. 



P. Shuniway, Jr., Boston, Mass., for a free 

 sample copy of the Cottage Hearth, a beau- 

 tiful illustrated magazine, and so realize 

 what an extraordinaiiv offer we are 

 making when we propose to send both tlie 

 Cottage Hearth and the American Bee 

 Journal for a full year for only S1.50, 

 when the price of the Cottage Hearth alone 

 is 81.50 a year, thus giving you two standard 

 publications at the price of one. 



