492 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL, SOCIETY. 



ANNUAL MEETING, MINNESOTA BEE-KEEPERS' 

 ASSOCIATION. 



K. K. JAQUES, SECRETARY. 



The seventh annual meeting of the Minnesota Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation was held at the court-house, in the city of Minneapolis, on 

 the 5th and 6th of December, 1895. 



The officers elected for the j^ear 1896 were: President, J. P. West, 

 Hastings; secretary, E. K. Jaques, Crystal; treasurer, L. E. Day, 

 Clinton Falls; vice-president, first district, C. Theilmann; vice-presi- 

 dent, second district, J. B. Livingston; vice-president, third district, 

 George Penny; vice-president, fourth district, Mrs. H. C. Acklin; 

 vice-president, fifth district, Wm. Urie; vice-president, sixth district, 

 J. L. Gray; vice-president, seventh district, J. M. Doudna. 



Many bee-keepers were assembled from various portions of the 

 state. 



The first subject of importance to come before the association 

 was in relation to kind and size of hive best suited to bee-keeping 

 in Minnesota. The discussion that followed revealed the fact that 

 at present there is no real agreement upon this subject. The pre- 

 vailing opinion, however, appeared to be that Minnesota bee-keep- 

 ers will do well to avoid either extreme. 



Following this, E. K. Jaques presented a paper on the subject 

 "How to produce Fine Comb Honey." He urged the necessitj^ of 

 careful systematic work from start to finish. All colonies should 

 be strong— kept so by uniting the weak ones and abundant feed- 

 ing when required. Hive-stands should be up from the ground 

 and kept level. He would use full sheets for foundations, and 

 urged the necessity of careful work in putting it in, that it may be 

 where it should be, in the middle of the section. He would not give 

 surplus until the bees are ready to use it. This paperelicited much 

 discussion. I may here add that the quality of honey produced in 

 Minnesota is not excelled in any state, a fact which the exhibit 

 made at our last state fair abundantly proved. 



The association was then favored with a paper from Prof.O. Lugger, 

 state entomologist, on the inuch inooted question, "Is the queen 

 bee capable of fertilizing the egg laid by her so as to determine 

 its offspring; or is that determined by the food fed to the larvae 

 by the bees?" This paper was well received, and like the other did 

 not pass without being freely commented upon. 



Mr. C. Theilmann's paper on "Honej^ as Food and Medicine" was 

 next listened to. He contended that lioney was one of the very best 

 of all foods; that it was highlj'^ nutritious, and easily assimilated; 

 that it should find a place upon every table. 



Miss Kate Howe, of Kellogg, Minn., was not able to be present 

 but sent a paper on "The Practical Question, Pay in Bee-Keeping." 

 She urges the fact that bee-keeping pays as well as other kinds of 

 farming; that while there are many sad failures, it is usually owing 

 to the mismanagement of the apiarist. 



The question of when and how much shall we use foundation was 

 generally discussed. The majority appeared to be in favor of full 



