Basis of Honey-Predictions.—Finally, we think we have learned upon what basis certain honey-prophets base their prophecies about honey crops. It appears to be something like this:
The more rain and snow in November and December, the more honey there will be the following season; and if there is no rain or snow in the two months mentioned, there will be no honey.
The predictions are made upon the reports of the State Weather Bureaus, or the Weather Bureau reports in Washington, D. C. All who wish to test the reliability of such a basis for a honey-prediction, should get the weather reports, and begin to foretell for themselves, and thus not be required to await the movements of some so-called "honey-prophet."
We believe the above rule for prophesying is for linden, sourwood, and white clover honey.
Who knows but this may be the secret to which the Tennessee honey-prophet, Sam Wilson, has been so tenaciously hanging on? We shouldn't be a bit surprised if it should prove to be that very secret. If so, every bee-keeper can now be his own "honey-prophet"—whether he gets any honey or not.
Mr. N. W. McLain—once in charge of a United States experiment apiary, and an apicultural writer—has been visiting recently at Mrs. Atchley's home. Mr. McLain's address is Hinsdale, Ills.
The Iowa Honey Exhibit at the World's Fair, we have pleasure in illustrating and describing this week. No separate appropriation was made for the exhibit, but the Iowa Columbian Commission, recognizing bee-culture as one of the many agricultural pursuits of the State, desired that a creditable exhibit of honey and wax should be made in connection with their agricultural exhibits, and for that purpose appointed Bro. E. Kretchmer, of Red Oak, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 1893. This being too late to secure suitable honey for an exhibit from the crop of 1892, only enough was placed in the case at the beginning of the Fair to retain the space.
There being no money to buy the honey for a suitable exhibit, Mr. Kretchmer, by issuing several circulars, and making several personal visits to prominent apiarists, enlisted the aid of the Iowa bee-keepers, and nobly did they respond by loaning the honey that was exhibited in the Iowa case. Believing that much credit is due those who thus generously loan honey for exhibition purposes, we give the names of those who aided thus, and also what they contributed: