404 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 27, 1901. 



Convention Proceedings. \ 



(Continued from page 38'>.) 



Report of the Minnesota Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



liV DR. I.. D. LEONARD. 



THIRD DAY— FoRENOos Session. 



The first thing on the program was a paper by George A. 

 Forgerson, on 



MIGRATORY BEE-KEEPINQ. 



Migratory bee-lieeping with me was a child of necessity. 

 Living as I do about two miles from any timber, and that tim- 

 ber mostly oak. my only honey-flow was from white clover, 

 and that was by no means certain. 



So reading one. day about migratory bee-keeping set me to 

 thinking and figuring. My figures ran about as follows : 10 

 colonies 2U days on white clover — 50 pounds per colony ; then 

 load them on the wagon and move them six miles to the bass- 

 wood flow, there to remain 25 or 30 days — 50 pounds per 

 colony more ; then load up again, and in the silent hours of 

 the night drive 20 miles east to the buckwheat fields, there to 

 remain from 35 to 40 days — an easy lOO pounds more. 

 Result, 2U0 pounds per colony ; 100 colonies, 20,0U0 pounds, 

 to be sold at lO cents per pound. The figures ran away with 

 me, some of them got lost, and I have not yet found them. 

 Like hatching chickens by steam, it figures up nicely on 

 paper. 



But, alas ! after three years of migratory bee-keeping I 

 awoke to find that my dream of wealth had not been realized. 

 The move to the basswood never paid for the trouble ; the 

 move to the buckwheat fields was better, as, for instance, the 

 first year from 10 colonies I extracted 13S5 pounds of honey 

 in 85 days, leaving sufficient stores for winter. Although I 

 did not do as well the next two years, it led me to establish 

 an out apiary at Hastings, where I have had paying crops for 

 the past three years. George A. Forgerson. 



This paper was followed by one written by Mr. Wm. Rus- 

 sell, as follows, on 



PREMIUMS AT OUR STATE FAIR. 



It is generally understood that the principal objects aimed 

 at by the Minnesota State Agricultural .Society are largely 

 educational in their character — the bringing together of all 

 that is best and most fully developed in each particular line of 

 agriculture in this and adjoining States. Those who have 

 attended the State Fair for a number of years can not fail to 

 be impressed with the improvements that are apparent in 

 every department, and if they are at all observant they will 

 carry away with them some ideas that will be of use in the 

 particular line in which they are engaged. 



It is from the standpoint of a bee-keeper, however, that I 

 would like to say a few words to those assembled here. I am 

 looking back to my first visit to the Fair, and also to my first 

 exhibit, and comparing them with the Fair of 1900. lean 

 see a vast gain for the better. It is true that some of the old 

 familiar faces are not to be seen any more, having laid down 

 the burdens and pleasures of bee-keeping, to be taken up by 

 younger, if less experienced, hands. Not being a farmer, I 

 suppose almost any one can grow good potatoes, cabbage, 

 onions, and all that sort of things, if he has good land to 

 begin with, but 1 need hardly tell this audience that the 

 inability to produce a really first-class article of comb honey 

 is something of which no one need be ashamed, for it requires 

 more skill than the average bee-keeper is possessed of, judg- 

 ing by the specimens that one sees offered in the honey mar- 

 ket. I think quite a number of those present will bear me 

 out in saying that there is a material improvement in this line 

 on honey seen at the Fair, and it is to be hoped that, as in the 

 past so in the future, bee-keepers will vie with eao'h other to 

 produce only a first-class article of both comb and extracted 

 honey, and that their best efforts will always be directed to 

 making a more creditable exhibit at the next Fair than at the 

 previous one. 



One of the most important features of these exhibits is 

 the opportunity offered us of measuring ourselves with our 

 fellow exhibitors, and thus enabling us to decide pretty accur- 

 ately just what ground we occupy as honey-producers and suc- 

 cessful exhibitors. 



Another feature of tlie Fair, and one not to be over- 

 looked, is the premium list. I find by referring to the 

 premium list for 1900 that the sum of .S281 divided into 79 

 premiums, comprises the list which is composed of ,23 lots, 

 beginning with the "most attractive and finest display of 

 comb honey." and ending with the "grand sweepstakes," 

 which means the most attractive exhibition in this department, 

 all things considered. 



In order to understand this matter properly it is necessary 

 to compare the Minnesota list with one or two others, whose 

 shows, by the way, do not come up to that of Minnesota by 

 any means, for instance : 



Minnesota. lllbwifi. WiKconsin. 



Finest display of Comb Honey ?12-8-5-3— 28 ?20-15- 5=40 .«8-4— 12 

 Finest display of Extr'd " 12-8-5-3—28 20-15-10=45 6-3— 9 



Granulated Honey 5-3-1— 9 20-15-10=45 



Beeswax 5-3-2-1—11 12-8-4—24 2-1=3 



Honey-Vinegar 3-2-1— B 4-3- 1— 8 



Extraoting-Frames 5-3-1— 9 .5- 3- 2=10 



Nucleus of Yellow Bees 3-2-1— 6 4- 3- 2= 9 8-4—12 



Nucleus of Dark Bees 3-2-1— 6 4- 3- 2= 9 



Carniolan Bees 4-3-2—9 8-4=12 



Total for bees. - - - 13 27 24 



It will be seen from the foregoing that in some particulars 

 our premiums are considerably behind those of Illinois, while 

 they compare favorably with those of Wisconsin. For 

 instance, Minnesota pays a total of .$12, divided into six 

 premiums, for bees, while Illinois pays a total of $27, and 

 Wisconsin a total of $24, divided into four premiums. It is 

 to this part of the premium list that I would like to call 

 special attention. It is a well-known fact that a person can 

 always get just about what he is willing to pay for, and this 

 holds as good in exhibiting bees as in other walks of life. I 

 will venture the assertion that there is not a bee-keeper pres- 

 ent that would care to take a choice queen with a nucleus of 

 her bees, and shut them up in an observatory hive for a week 

 in an overheated room like that at the State Fair, for a 

 premium averaging from $3 to nothing. It simply will not 

 pay, and that accounts for the poor showing made at the 

 Fair of 19U0, and I consider the remark of the judges that 

 it was the poorest lot of bees they had ever seen, was per- 

 fectly justifiable. Were tlie same policy pursued with other 

 kinds of stock the result would undoubtedly be the same in a 

 very short time. 



I hope that anything said in this paper will not be 

 regarded as a complaint against the premium list or any one 

 connected with the management of the Fair, for it is not so 

 intended. In the main, the premiums are liberal, that is, 

 while only a few bee-keepers make exhibits, but suppose 50 

 should decide to make exhibits, then there would not be 

 enough to pay the expenses of half of them. Should we ever 

 be blessed again with a good honey-crop and a pushing assist- 

 ant superintendent, it is safe to say that 50 entries would be 

 secured. While our present assistant superintendent holds 

 ofSoe I can assure you that there will be but very few bee- 

 keepers in the State that will not have an invitation to attend 

 the State Fair. 



The Fair has been quite a success, its finances are steadily 

 increasing, and it seems to me that tlie time has come for this 

 Association to take some steps to secure more money for the 

 premium list. It is not my intention to say just what should 

 or should not be done in that line. My main object in writing 

 this paper is to outline a few of the more important features 

 of the premium list where they might be amended, in order to 

 start discussion : for I consider that unless the reading of a 

 paper does that it fails entirely in its purpose, for "In a mul- 

 titude of counselors there is safety." Wm. Russell. 



Following this paper was one by Dr. E. K. .Jaques, on 

 "Bee- Keeping for Pleasure." 



The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as 

 follows : 



President, Wm. Russell ; first vice-president, G. A. For- 

 gerson ; second vice-president, G. H. Pond : third vice-presi- 

 dent. Dr. Mary McCoy ; secretary, Dr. L. D. Leonard, Syndi- 

 cate Block, Minneapolis ; and treasurer, L. E. Day. Execu- 

 tive committee, H. 6. Acklin, Wm. VanVliet, E. K. Jaques. 

 L. D. Leonard, Sec. 



Please send us Names of Bee=Keepers who do not now 



get the American Bee Journal, and we will send them sam- 

 ple copies. Then you can very likely afterward get tlieir 

 subscriptions, for which work we ofl'er valuable premiums 

 in nearly every number of this journal. You can aid much 

 by sending- in the names and addresses when writing us on 

 other matters. 



