EDITORIAL
GEORGE W YORK. EDITOR
The Weather, up to Jan. 5th, here in Chicago, has been more like fall than winter. Reports seem to indicate that bees are wintering well, so far.
Mr. John Hager, Jr., of Arabi, La., has sent us a box of specimens of honey-plants now in bloom in his locality, among them white clover and golden-rod. We wish to thank Bro. Hager for his kindness, as it is something unusual for us to see blossoms of honey-plants in the month of January. Louisiana, as well as the other States in our Sunny Southland, ought to be a Paradise for the bee-keeper and his bees. Doubtless it only needs a little more push and energy to wonderfully develop the bee-industry in that region of almost perpetual sunshine and blossoms.
Gleanings in Bee-Culture for Jan. 1st, 1894, appeared with a few very nice improvements. The principal one is the proposed “leading” of the reading matter—that is, putting strips of lead or metal between the lines, so that they will be further apart. This paragraph is “leaded,” while “The Stinger’s” department in the Bee Journal is “solid,” as printer’s say.
This “leading,” Bro. Root says, will reduce the amount of reading in Gleanings about one-fifth, and as Bro. Hasty, in the Review for March, 1893, figured that the Bee Journal then contained over 16.000 more words of bee-reading per month than Gleanings, hereafter the Bee Journal will be more than ever at the head of the list in quantity of bee-matter published; and as to quality of contents—well, we can safely leave that to our subscribers, whether or not it is up to standard.
Bro. Root has also put in some nice new departmental headings, which, with the “leading” of the type, give to Gleanings an exceedingly neat and tasty appearance.
☞ It is hardly necessary for me to say that the Italians are my choice among all the bees that I have ever seen, either for comb honey or for extracted.—Doolittle.
Bro. Pringle, of Canada, who had in charge the Ontario honey exhibit at the World’s Fair last summer, left for home on Dec. 21st. He had been in Chicago ever since April 6th, being the first apiarian superintendent to reach the Fair grounds, and the last to leave.
The day before departing for his Canadian home, Bro. Pringle kindly called to bid us “good-bye,” at the same time bringing with him, for “ye editor,” a quart jar of fine clear extracted honey, as a memento from Bro. McEvoy, Ontario’s popular Foul Brood Inspector; also a pound jar of honey from Mr. D. Chalmers, of Poole, Ont.; and, besides, a beautiful one-pound section of honey as a slight remembrance from Bro. P. himself. We want to thank all these friends for their “sweet” expressions of good-will, and assure them that we very gratefully appreciate their kindness and thoughtfulness.
We expect soon to give our readers a picture of Ontario’s magnificent honey exhibit at the Fair, with full description of the same.
The Wisconsin Honey Exhibit.—At the annual meeting of the Wisconsin State Bee-Keepers’ Association, in February, 1893, Mr. Franklin Wilcox, of Mauston, Wis., was chosen to collect, prepare and arrange an exhibit of honey and wax at the World’s Columbian Exposition. The sum of $500 was allotted by the State Board with which to make the exhibit.
The months of February and March did not prove to be the most favorable time for collecting comb honey that should fairly represent the State. After considerable correspondence, and some travel, Mr. Wilcox succeeded in obtaining about 800 pounds of comb honey, 500 pounds of extracted, and 200 pounds of beeswax, of the crop of 1892. Damages from freezing and rough handling reduced the quantity somewhat before it was finally installed at Chicago.
The rules of the Exposition Company sent out at that time limited the amount from each exhibitor to 50 pounds of extracted, and 100 pounds of comb honey, which prevented filling up the exhibit with a large quantity of fancy honey from two or three exhibitors, as might have been done with less cost.
Among those who furnished honey from the crop of 1892, were J. J. Ochsner, of Prairie du Sac, who sent some of the finest comb and extracted honey, also some choice beeswax; but the most attractive exhibit by Mr. O. was his name and post-office address built of comb honey by the bees in letters formed for them as a guide.
Mr. C. A. Hatch, of Ithaca, and E. C. Priest, of Henrietta, furnished extracted honey and beeswax. Messrs. Frank McNay, Franklin Wilcox, and A. E. Wilcox, of Mauston, each furnished comb and extracted honey and beeswax. Messrs. Gustav Gross, of Milford, and Adolph Vandereicke, of Lake Mills, contributed their best.
The extracted honey was nicely put up in glass jars, of different sizes and styles, designed to show those commonly used in the retail trade. It nearly all appeared on exhibition in the granulated form. This was partly because Mr. Wilcox believed that people should learn to know that pure extracted honey will granulate, and partly because he could not give it time enough to melt it so often as necessary to keep it in the liquid form.
Wisconsin Exhibit at the World’s Fair.
After completing the installation of the crop of 1892, Mr. Wilcox applied to the State Board for funds to replace the old crop with the new, when it should be ready. This was promptly refused, and Mr. W. abandoned the exhibit for a time. About the middle of August, finding a good crop of choice honey, and that other States had greatly improved their exhibits, he again appealed to the Board for funds with which to pay transportation and installation charges on the new crop, and succeeded in getting the promise of $100 for that purpose.
As the time was short, he called for immediate contributions, and obtained over 50 pounds from J. W. Kleeber, of Reedsburg, 300 pounds from J. J. Ochsner, and 200 pounds from himself and son, with which he replaced a portion of the old crop of comb honey.
This was arranged on five large arches, as shown in the illustration herewith, with pyramids of honey underneath. Those columns with a square base and two balls on the top are beeswax. The remainder of the wax is in fancy balls, bells, hearts, etc., and may be seen on top of the sections, glass and jars of honey. Mr. Ochsner’s letters do not show very well in the picture. They were in the front end of the showcase under one of the large arches.
The Wisconsin exhibit was entered as a State exhibit, and of course individual exhibitors were unknown to the judges, consequently the award was to the State as a whole.
As in the case of the Michigan exhibit, the success of the Wisconsin display was mainly due to the untiring efforts and wisdom of one man—in the former to Bro. Cutting, and in the latter to Bro. Wilcox, whose picture is shown on another page. Both of these good men worked faithfully and hard in securing and placing their respective exhibits, and of course each won worthy and lasting honor, if not financial reward. We trust that neither Wisconsin nor Michigan bee-keepers will soon forget the two men who did so much to win new laurels to these already much-crowned States.
The Vermont Bee-Keepers’ Association will meet in the Van Ness House at Burlington, Vt., on Jan. 24 and 25, 1894. Among the topics to receive attention are these:
President W. G. Larrabee’s address, including a report of the North American Bee-Keepers’ Association meeting in Chicago.
Experimental work: What has been done at the State Farm—O. J. Lowrey and T. H. Wheatley.
Upward and entrance ventilation: How much for winter?—H. P. Langdon.
Is spring protection necessary after bees are put out of the cellar?—M. F. Cram.
Discussion: Advantages and disadvantages of shallow frames.
Why is honey so much better flavored in some years than in others?—R. H. Holmes.
How shall we manage our bees so as to secure the most honey?—E. J. Smith.
In the Secretary’s announcement we find the following paragraphs:
The Van Ness House kindly donates the use of a hall for the convention, and reduces their rates to $2.00 per day, to those attending the convention.
If you have any new or useful invention or article, please bring the same to the convention.
If you live within reach of Burlington, don’t fail to attend the meeting, and bring your lady friends with you. All interested in apiculture are expected to come without further invitation. Bring your badges.
The C. V. R. R. Co. have reduced their rates as follows: Return tickets—From stations within 33 miles of Burlington, 2 cents per mile each way, with minimum rate of 25 cents, and maximum rate of $1.00; 34 miles and over, fare one way. Tickets are good going Jan. 23rd, 24th, and 25th, and good returning the 25th and 26th, between the following named places to Burlington: Malone and Ticonderoga, N. Y., Richford, Cambridge Junction, Rutland, and White River Junction.
H. W. Scott, Sec. & Treas.
Barre, Vt.
