Feb. 25, 1904. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



143 



of that week to fly, and you will avoid a great deal of 

 trouble. 



Then, again, at a watering-place. I went a long dis- 

 tance at mv own expense, where parties could not let their 

 stock come up and drink at the tank. There were about loo 

 colonies of bees, and that was their only watering-place. I 

 took a little piece of timber and put it around on the inside of 

 the tank — a piece of 2x4,' sawed to fit. It was a round tank. 

 Then put a little waste-pipe and made a mud-hole away from 

 the watering-tank. It is dry around the tank, and the stock 

 come up and drink at their pleasure. The man who brought 

 that complaint is going to have some bees next summer. 



There was a brickyard in California. The owner had 

 no bees, and had no interest in bees, but was com- 

 pelled to stop making brick because his neighbor kept 

 bees. and the bees crossed over the brick to the 

 alfalfa field, and - met the workmen so much that they 

 got stung and had to quit work. The teams would get stung 

 hauling the clay to the mixing. He applied to me to know 

 what to do. "We would be good friends and are now," 

 he said, "but there ought to be something done so that I 

 could do my business without any trouble." 



I asked for drawings of the ground, a plat of it. After 

 looking the situation over I brought the two men together in 

 this way: That on account of this you furnish your clay 

 dump-cars, and the bee-keeper shall pay the expense, and 

 transfer that apiary from there to the other side of the brick- 

 yard. They will be nearer the pasture, and will not have to 

 cross the brick}'ard. They are both living happy neighbors 

 ever since. Save trouble and keep out of court. 



The growth of the Association has been one that per- 

 haps has not been equaled, and I do not see why it should 

 not continue until our ranks are doubled. 



Suggestions have come to me from members, and I con- 

 fess that I am always glad to receive from any members sugges- 

 tions as to what they would like to have this Association take 

 up for its betterment. I, as your General Manager, am sim- 

 ply trying to do what is your bidding, and if you have any- 

 thing that you can suggest for the betterment of the Asso- 

 ciation, I wish you would give me your aid and help. 

 Through this we know better what to do to meet the re- 

 quirements of the various members. 



The National pin represents an order, not only a group oi 

 bee-keepers, but an organization, and this is a day when al- 

 most every line of industry is condensed into organization, 

 into union, into trusts. I do not know that we ought to go 

 into a trust, but we can help one another greatly, and this pin 

 means something. Now, then, to explain a point : At the 

 National Convention there were a great many who were 

 not enrolled as members, but wanted pins — wives, daughters, 

 and sons, who had not joined the Association, and they 

 w-anted a pin ; they wanted to wear it in honor of the Asso- 

 ciation. The question was. Should they have it? I had my 

 instructions, and, of course, had to abide by them, and this 

 style of a pin on my coat has cost us quite a little, too. The 

 Board instructed me that the family could have as many as 

 they saw fit, but as they cost quite a little it would be better 

 that they pay the cost of the pin, that is, 10 cents each, which 

 includes the postage. I would like to see all members of 

 the families wearing the pin, but, of course, others look at it 

 in a different light. 



As to the literature that has been distributed, there is a 

 possibility that some members of the Association have not 

 received all the various kinds of literature that have been 

 sent out. You will do me a favor if at any time there is any 

 of the literature that is a part of the Association that you 

 have not received copies of, or need more of them, if you 

 will let me know it. 



I do not know that I have taken hold of any work that 

 has required almost night and day work as this has done the 

 present year. I have sometimes felt as I did with my State 

 inspection work, that it was too big a task with the other 

 cares that I have, and that I would resign and ask the Board 

 to put in somebody else. There's a great deal to do ; there 

 is going to be a great deal more to do ; and although the dues 

 have been reduced from a dollar to 50 cents on the larger 

 portion of members, the aggregate is going to keep our treas- 

 ury sufficient so that it will mean capital behind it, and I 

 hope for success for the National. 



N. E. France. 



Mr. Niver — I wish to point out a circumstance that oc- 

 curred to me with this button. The other day I went to 

 deliver a package of honey to a lady, and she said, "Wait. Are 

 you a member of the union? If you are a union member I will 



take the honey, but if you are not a member of the union, 

 I will not take the goods." I said, "I am," pointing to my 

 Association button ! She paid for the honey, and I have the 

 button. 



Mr. Craven — I wish to ask whether there has been any 

 move toward the organizing of the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Association in a commercial way. that is, the pooling of our 

 interests in the honey markets, and whether they have taken 

 into consideration the markets, like the citrus fruit agency of 

 California. 



Mr. France — At the National Convention, Prof. Cook 

 gave us a most excellent lecture on that subject, which is 

 possibly an opening wedge, but the Association has not 

 taken up that matter as yet in a way that we are in shape. 



A Member — They have not thought of taking it up yet, 

 have they? 



Mr. France — Oh, various members and societies have 

 thought of it and suggested it, but we have not as yet gotten 

 into a practically working situation. For instance, the Cali- 

 fornia Honey-Producers' Association, then in Colorado and 

 the various States — they must develop something in their own 

 distrifts practical to their localities, and finally they will ad- 

 just themselves into the National. I do not think it would 

 be wise for the National to undertake it any other way. I 

 would saj', however, right on that same line, that if the 

 various associations would refer the matter of marketing 

 their honey to the General Manager of the Association he 

 might make a suggestion. For instance, one locality has an 

 abundance of honey and another has little or none. I have 

 thought that it would be a very good policy if the members 

 of the Association could know, each spring and fall, about 

 what the markets are, where there is a surplus, and inform 

 one another, and avoid, if possible, this overloading some 

 localities and others going short. 



A Member — Mr. France, have you thought of collecting 

 reports of the honey-production of the different parts of the 

 country, and issuing it as a National report to the members, 

 or i^-suing an oflicial statement througli the bee-papers? 



Mr. France — I wanted to get before the members of the 

 Association early the fact that there were parts of the coun- 

 try expecting a good crop, and a great deal expecting a poor 

 crop, and I wanted to get a statistical report of it early for 

 the benefit of the Association, and these reports have been 

 straggling in until there are something over 400 not in yet. 

 They come in slowly, but so far as they do come in they will 

 be a statistical report of the members' products in my Annual 

 Report. I must say that I candidly believe that it is going to 

 be one of the great opening doors for the marketing of honey 

 for the members. A great many sell not only their own 

 honey, but have to buy it, and there will be an exchange be- 

 tween members, and it will be a benefit to them. Dealers will 

 know a little better where to look for the honey, and as to 

 our concealing it from the wholesale men, we can't do it. 



Mr. Wilcox — Will you not tell us if that same principle 

 can, be applied to the purchase of supplies as well as to the 

 sale of honey? 



Mr. France — Yes, sir, I think it can, very largely. I will 

 admit that I have felt a little more duty bound to the mem- 

 bers of the State Association than to the National, and to 

 those of the State Association who were also members of the 

 National. I succeeded this year getting the 60-pound can 

 at about 18 cents' reduction, per case of two cans. Now, there 

 are two sides to this. We don't want to interfere with the 

 suoply business. We want the supplies to be good, and 

 we want the members to patronize the supply dealers ; but it 

 can possibly help to bring these things to the producers at 

 a reduction. I don't believe the Association ought to be a 

 supply dealer. 



Mr. Wilcox — I wanted to suggest that the Association ex- 

 ists for our benefit, and not for the benefit of the supply 

 dealer, and that whatever we may do for the benefit of the 

 membership, legally, honorably, that properly should he done, 

 regardless of the consequences to individuals or certain deal- 

 ers or classes, but work for the common welfare of all ; and 

 I believe the purchase of supplies in large quantities may be 

 worked by the General Manager, perhaps it is even more prac- 

 tical. 



Mr. York — But suppose the supply dealer is a member; 

 you would work for him, too, I suppose? 



Mr. Wheeler — I have a peculiar point in view, in regard 

 to buying supplies this year. I sent for prices on 15,000 

 sections to two different parts of the country, to two dealers, 

 and these men did not vary a cent on price. They asked ex- 

 actly to a cent. What did that mean? 



