330 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



them, while others were as I expected to see them, which opinion I 

 had obtained from their writings, and had pictured them before I 

 had seen them. The difference in this respect is a great as when we 

 read a description of a country instead of traveling over the same. 



We made many personal acquaintances and gained much practi- 

 cal knowledge by attending these meetings. On the other hand, 

 these meetings could have been more fruitfully conducted if there 

 had been less fun; too much of it spoils the business character. It 

 is not a very pleasant duty to be kicking at anj^ one,nor is it fashion- 

 able to do so in this enlightened age, but less so to flatter, where 

 kicking- would be more wholesome. Partiality has also found a 

 place for a certain class, which don't look just right and should be 

 kept out. 



There were five Minnesota bee-keepers at the convention at the 

 roll call of the different states. I remember Hon. J. W. Thompson 

 and Mr. Barnett Taylor and son — the latter roosted in the same 

 room with me, until to my sorrow the senior member got sick with 

 a cold and started for home before the meeting was over. We also 

 had one of Michigan's sugar hone^' advocates, Mr. Hutchinson of 

 Flint, roosting with us. It was a big trial for me to keep 

 silent on the sugar dogma, until the last hour before we parted, 

 when it broke loose. There is some satisfaction in that Mr. Hutch- 

 inson sees his mistake in advocating sugar honey. I understood 

 him to say that he would keep it out of the Review. I felt rather 

 sorry foa" him when a spirited Ohio bee-keeper came up to him at 

 the hotel and in a laughing and friendly manner lookitig at his 

 badge, exclaimed, " Hutch., you had better have a sugar barrel on 

 your badge instead of a bee-hive." I did not hear Mr. H. say any- 

 thitig at the sessions. There was great applause and cheers when 

 Prof. Wiley and Mr. Newman renewed friendship by a lieart)^ hand- 

 shake. The Prof, is a well informed honey man, and a good 

 speaker, and he gave us some interesting lectures on chemistry. R, I. 

 Taylor, the experimenter at the Michigan station, had probably 

 more to say than anj^ other bee-keeper in the convention. The 

 high spirited St. Joe delegate, elected president for the present 

 j^ear, Mr. Abbott, told them frankly that Mr. Taylor and others were 

 well paid from the state for their hair-splitting experiments, in 

 which there was no particular benefit for the average bee-keeper, or 

 Avords to that effect. 



Mr. Benton read an essay, "How to Make Bee-Keepers Conventions 

 Interesting and Beneficial." He told us of the "Wanderversamlungs" 

 in Germany, i. e. wander-meetings, nomadic-meetings, bee-keepers 

 meetings, held here and there. "Mess a mess" is a 3'early market in 

 large centers to which all kinds of products are brought and sold. 

 To the "Wanderversamlungs" they bring bee products and sell them 

 for a week or more. 



Mr. Miller attended to the cliair promptly and performed the 

 duties of his office well — he lost his head only once. Dr. Mason is 

 "love" himself, so hearty and friendly, accomodating and oblig- 

 ing, in one word, "all love." I hardlj' think he could kill a ily. I 

 Avas much surprised in A. I. Root's appearance. Judging from his 



