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ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



125 



consideration in the fact that we do not 

 expect any opposition to the work from 

 the southern bee-keepers. 



Frankly, it is realized that if this 

 work were begun in some northern 

 communities there might be opposition 

 or open antagonism from some of the 

 selfish bee-keepers mentioned earlier. 



With money enough for only three 

 men there seemed no use in going at 

 first into places where the work would 

 encounter needless obstacles. 



I sometimes wonder how many com- 

 mercial bee-keepers realize the nar- 

 row escapes that some of our leading 

 bee-keepers have had and how much 

 they owe to some stimulating word 

 from a widely informed bee-keeper. 

 Bee-keeping is, as we all recognize, a 

 business with many pitfalls and at 

 times the best of bee-keepers will be 

 discouraged. Thfs is chiefly because of 

 the isolation of the bee-keeper. 



The name, Alexander, is now associ- 

 ated in our minds with a victory over 

 European foul brood, yet, a few years 

 before his treatment w^as announced. 

 Mr. Alexander went to a New York 

 bee-keepers' convention to say good- 

 bye to his friends. European foul brood 

 had practically destroyed his business 

 and he had definitely planned to quit. 



A few minutes' conversation with one 

 of the State Apiary Inspectors changed 

 all this, and we know the far-reaching 

 result of that brief conversation. 



In this capacity the official Inspector 

 was an unofficial extension worker, and 

 in passing it may be stated that by 

 far the greatest good from inspection 

 comes from the extension features of 

 this work. Another New York bee- 

 keeper, of international reputation, was 

 saved to bee-keeping by the same man 

 in much the same way. 



The brilliant Heddon gave up bee- 

 keeping when he was most valuable 

 to his fellow bee-keepers, a fact which 

 we must always regret. 



We cannot know his inner thoughts 

 at this time but it is an interesting 

 speculation whether his attitude to- 

 ward the industry might not have been 

 changed by the stimulation of an ex- 

 tension man in bee-keeping. 



After Professor Cook left Michigan 

 in 1893, Heddon's interest seems to 

 have lagged, and we know that he put 

 great confidence in Professor Cook. 



The difference between the voluntary 

 help of a fellow bee-keeper and the 



assigned task of helping another, bee- 

 keeper is not a genuine one. 



Every man who goes into such work 

 must carry with him a spirit of help- 

 fulness, of just the kind which actu- 

 ates every good bee-keeper when 

 opportunity is offered to help his co- 

 worker. A large part of the assist- 

 ance comes from stimulation to effort, 

 perhaps more than from information 

 imparted. 



It would be easy to show that every 

 bee-keeper at some time or other needs 

 just such help as is planned in this 

 extension work. There comes a time 

 in the experience of every bee-keeper 

 when he encounters a serious problem; 

 European foul brood may strike him 

 for the first time and find him unpre- 

 pared; swarm control may seem an 

 unsurmountable problem ; adequate 

 marketing may appear virtually im- 

 possible. At present he must get what 

 he can by reading, by correspondence 

 and by expensive personal trips. When 

 extension men are available, he can 

 call on a man to help who knows from 

 wide travel and experience, constant 

 study and caref il observation, how 

 these various " problems have already 

 been solved. 



It would perhaps be considered un- 

 necessary to present these details to 

 a convention of bee-keepers outside 

 the territory covered by the work un- 

 less there was shown some way in 

 which each bee-keeper were in some 

 way involved. What this movement 

 needs'more than anything else is moral 

 support. It can stand valid criticism, 

 and this will be welcome, but in its 

 infancy it will suffer if there is wild 

 denunciation or ill-advised fault find- 

 ing, 



I hope that every bee-keeper will 

 feel it his duty and take it as a pleas- 

 ure to support this work. 



If you hear or read invalid criticism, 

 show the critic where he is illogical 

 and compel him to prove his assertions. 



If such things are published, ask for 

 definite proof or restriction. There 

 should be no attempt to stifle good 

 criticism, however. The extension 

 work does not demand financial sup- 

 port of bee-keepers, their time or their 

 labors; it does demand their good will 

 as does no other effort for the better- 

 ment of the industry. For this reason, 

 this subject is presented to you today. 



President Miller — ^Is there any dis- 

 cussion on this subject? If not, we 



