Jan. 14, 1904. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



23 



shoots of the State Association, and that have contributed 

 very materially to the advancement of the bee-keeping in- 

 terests of Colorado. 



The foul brood law, the law forbidding the spraying- of 

 fruit-trees while in bloom, and the pure honey law, are all 

 products of our State organization. The enforcement of 

 these just measures has saved, and will continue to save, 

 the bee-keepers of the State many thousands of dollars. In 

 respect to legislation, our Association has accomplished 

 more than any other bee-keepers' association, not excepting 

 even the National. 



The past two seasons have been hard on bee-keepers, 

 and on bee-keepers' associations as well. The season of 

 1902 approached the nearest to a total failure ever known 

 in the State of Colorado. The present season, while not so 

 bad, was away below the average. The effect of these two 

 off years has beeij to cut out nearly all surplus revenue from 

 the bee-industry, and the beekeeper, in order to make both 

 ends meet, has been compelled to practice many petty 

 economies undreamed of in the palmy days gone by. 

 Strange to say, many of them began by allowing their 

 membership in the State Association to lapse. The finan- 

 cial receipts of the Association during the past year have 

 been very light, while the expenses consequent upon enter- 

 taining the National Association, and preparing and forc- 

 ing the passage of the pure honey bill have been very heavy, 

 not only draining the treasury of its accumulated surplus, 

 but several unpaid bills are staring us in the face ; besides, 

 we are powerless to furnish the funds necessary to a proper 

 enforcement of the law now on our statute books, provid- 

 ing for the punishment of adulterators of honey. 



The greatest need of the Association to day is more 

 paid-in-advance memberships, and a revival of interest and 

 enthusiasm among those who are now in good standing 

 upon its books. Hence, my first recommendation is that 

 each member appoint himself a committee to secure new 

 members. The larger the Association the greater will 

 be its power and influence, and there is no use in trying to 

 run the Association and conduct its work without money to 

 pay its necessary and legitimate expenses. We can and do 

 hold our annual meetings without incurring very much ex- 

 pense, but that is about the least important of the many 

 functions of the Association. In a State that boasts of 

 3000 bee-keepers, at least 1000 of them ought to be patriotic 

 enough to join the State Association, if the matter was 

 properly presented to them. 



I have often thought that the State Association could 

 be of greater benefit to its members by gathering and 

 furnishing them with reliable crop reports during the crop 

 season. I have heard bee-keepers say they would be will- 

 ing to pay $10 per season for such service, and know they 

 are getting the truth. Such reports would cost something, 

 and they would be worth something, but if the State Asso- 

 ciation did the work it could be done with comparative 

 cheapness. This is a matter worth thinking about. 



During each biennial or extra session of the Legisla- 

 ture, the State Association ought to maintain a legislative 

 committee in Denver (resident in Denver, if possible, to 

 save expense), whose duty it would be to watch the trend of 

 legislation, and oppose vigorously any threatened legisla- 

 tion inimical to bee-keeping interests. The expense need 

 not be great, and it might, sometimes, prevent the sneaking 

 through of legislation that would be very hurtful to the bee 

 and honey industry. 



The pure honey law should be amended to the extent 

 that all fines collected from violators of the law should be 

 paid into the office of the State Dairy Commissioner, to be 

 used exclusively for the purpose of enforcing the law. In 

 this manner that branch of the office wonld soon be self- 

 supporting. 



I think it would be a great benefit to the bee-keepers of 

 the State if the Association would publish an annual year 

 book, containing the foul brood law, the anti-spraying law. 

 the pure-honey law, directions for treating foul brood 

 according to the latest approved methods, a brief history 

 of the prosecutions brought under these various laws for 

 the protection of the bee-industry, and other matters of gen- 

 eral interest to bee-keepers might also be included. Such 

 a book, issued in pamphlet form, and containing 20 to 24 

 pages, on the basis of a thousand copies, would cost about 2 

 cents each. Perhaps enough advertising could be secured 

 to defray the whole cost of the edition. 



These are only a few suggestions looking to increasing 

 the usefulness of the Association to its members that have 

 occurred to my mind. I trust that others will make addi- 

 tional suggestions, and that the whole matter may be thor- 



oughly discussed, and if thought best that some definite 

 action be taken. H. C. Morehouse. 



Mr. Working — I wish to emphasize the importance of 

 publishing such a year book, containing the Association 

 history of the current year. Who knows fully what the 

 Association has done this year ? It would be especially 

 valuable to put in the hands of people who want informa- 

 tion, and to give to reporters. 



Mr. Morehouse— I think such a book, put in the hands 

 of the bee-inspectors for distribution, would increase the 

 membership of the Association. 



F. Rauchfuss — I am often asked, " What are the in- 

 spectors doing ?" The law requires the inspectors to re- 

 port yearly to the State Association. I often found diffi- 

 culty in getting proper reports from them when I was sec- 

 retary. Their reports should all go in such a book, and il 

 they did not report properly, the fact should be mentioned, 

 too. Hence, it would be an incentive to them to fulfill their 

 duty. I am in favor of such a book. 



Mr. Gill — It would be something new and progressive, 

 and I think we could well afford it. 



Mr. Rhodes — I move the matter be referred to an 

 advisory committee, consisting of the Secretary, F. Rauch- 

 fuss, and D. W. Working. (Carried.) 



A letter was read from Manager France, of the National 

 Association. 



Mr. Rhodes — I move this be referred to a committee to 

 report during this session as early as possible. (Carried.) 

 H. Rauchfuss, J. N. Cornelius, and F. H. Hunt were ap- 

 pointed as the committee. 



J. B. Adams, F. L. Thompson, and J. Cornelius were 

 appointed a committee on Resolutions. 



FOUL BROOD— CAUSa AND CURE. 



Mr. Aikin — I wish to add about the comb of foul brood 

 that is on exhibition here. I do not just understand what 

 the inscription on the top-bar means. 



Mr. Francis — The bees of a diseased colony were shaken 

 off on starters and one of the original combs kept. That 

 is it. 



Mr. Gill — I wish to ask the opinion of the members on 

 this point : Last year I had 75 cases of foul brood in one 

 yard, not bad, but just developing. At the foot-hills I had 

 an apiary that had wintered poorly, giving me a lot of 

 combs. I shook those 75 colonies on full combs during a 

 heavy flow of honey, so heavy that scarcely any smoke was 

 needed. What do members think the result was ? The 

 original colonies showed the disease very slightly. 



Pres. Harris — When a man has one smallpox pimple, 

 he's got the smallpox ! 



Mr. Gill — Just two cases of the disease appeared, and 

 they showed only one cell a piece. 



Mr. Aikin — To what extent were they manipulated in 

 shaking ? 



Mr. Gill— The rew hives were set on the old stands, and 

 the bees shaken off vigorously, so that they were nearly 

 drowned in the new honey shaken out with them, between ■ 

 the hours of ten and two. 



Mr. Adams — I should say they might come out all right 

 and they might not. 



H. Rauchfuss — I think there was no chance for those 

 bees to have diseased honey in their sacs. They get foul 

 brood by robbing now or next spring. 



Mr. Adams — Suppose a nurse-bee, which had just filled 

 its sac before the shaking was shaken off among the others, 

 and deposited its load in the new hive. It might take three 

 years for the disease to develop. 



Mr. Gill — There was precious little sealed stores in the 

 hives, and those that had any were shaken off on starters, 

 and not on combs. But even in that event there would be 

 about one chance in ten thousand that a nurse-bee would 

 transmit it. 



Mr. Aikin — My opinion is, Mr. Gill is pretty nearly per- 

 fectly safe if the disease was just starting. But if he would 

 undertake to shake on combs in any other condition than 

 those he mentioned, he would be pretty sure to have it to do 

 all over again. If the average owner of bees undertook to 

 follow Mr. Gill's example, you can imagine just how he will 

 do it. He will be sure to manage so as to have his bees 

 scattering into adjoining healthy colonies, and taking in 

 infected honey with them. 



Mr. Porter — I had some colonies close together on a 

 platform. One of them became badly affected during the 

 flow. I shook them off onto starters, and some off the bees 

 ran along the platform and entered another hive. Of 

 course, I felt badly about it, but, after all, the other colony 



