February, igio. 



American ^ee Journal 



The New Officers of the 

 National 



With the exception of General .Man- 

 ager France, all the officers of the Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Association elected 

 for 1910 are new ones. We thought our 

 readers would like to know them bet- 

 ter, so we put their pictures (excepting 

 the president) on the front page this 

 month, and herewith will be found 

 their biographical sketches, which 

 doubtless will be read with interest. 

 Surely at the present time there is very 

 little opportunity for criticism of the 

 officers of the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, on the grounds that they 

 are not bee-keepers ; most of them are 

 rather extensively engaged in the busi- 

 ness. Read the following sketches, 

 and see if you do not feel that these are 

 real men, and that you are proud of 

 them as leaders in American beedom : 



No. 1.— Vice-Pres. W. D. Wright, of 

 Altamont, N. Y. 



Wheeler D. Wright was born at Berne. 

 Albany Co.. N. Y.. Oct. 3, 1851. and has been a 

 resident of Altamont. N. Y., (formerly Know- 

 ersvillej for more than 40 years. He pur- 

 chased his first stock of bees in iHbb, and has 

 not been out of the business since. He built 

 his first honey-extractor in 1870. of wood, 

 coated inside with wax, as mentioned in the 

 American Bee Journal for 1871. page m. 



In the 7o's he reared Italian queens for 

 sale, and issued a small catalog of bee-keep- 

 ers' supplies; but soon concluded that there 

 was more money for him in honey-produc- 

 tion, which he made his sole business for 

 several years. Later, on account of poor 

 seasons, he concluded it was desirable to 

 combine some other business with it. and 

 for 12 years he conducted a local fire insur- 

 ance business. 



Having a general knowledge of carpentry 

 and cabinet work, and being of a construc- 

 tive turn of mind. Mr. Wright took up the 

 study of architecture 20 years ago, and for m 

 years has practiced that profession. Numer- 

 ous buildings in Altamont and the surround- 

 mg country testify to his ability. He is a 

 memher of the Architectural League of 

 America. 



The largest number of colonies ever reach- 

 ed by Mr. Wright was 435. His number for 7 

 years was over 300 colonies; these were 

 usually kept in two or three apiaries. In 

 1885. he produced over 24.000 pounds of sur- 

 plus honey from 243 colonies, spring count, 

 nearly all of whicli was in the comb. In 

 1887 his crop of surplus was nearly 22.000 

 pounds from 318 colonies. His total honey- 

 production is over 100 tons; three-fourths of 

 it in the comb. At present he keeps about 

 70 colonics. 



Mr. Wright has been connected with the 

 New York State Department of Agriculture 

 for 10 years, in the capacity of inspector of 

 apiaries. He has been thrice elected presi- 

 dent of the young Eastern New York Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. Twenty years ago he 

 held the same office in a society with the 

 same title. 



Mr. Wright's life partner for 30 years was 

 called to her Eternal home a year ago. A 

 son and daughter also survive her. 



It was our pleasure to meet Mr. Wright for 

 the first time at the Detroit convention of 

 the National, in 1008, where he appeared on 

 the program and took an active part in the 

 discussions. He is eminently qualified to 

 fill the high position to which he has been 



elected in the National P.ee Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation, and we are delighted to have him as 

 one of tlie officiary. 



No. 2. — Secretary Louis H. Scholl, of 

 New Braunfels, Tex 



Louis H. .Scholl was born at Hunter. Tex.. 

 Oct. 24, 1880, of German parents. Like Lang- 

 strotli of old. he received no encouragement 

 from his parents, but. in fact, almost every 

 discouragement possible; and the bees 

 which he had accumulated in his minority 

 he purchased to save them from other 

 hands when he attained his majority. This 

 is according to an old German custom, that 

 whatever earnings children may make before 

 becoming of age. belong to the parents. He 

 was told that bee-keeping was no occupati'on. 

 and that he must take up some trade, but 

 he couldn't see it that way. and so struck 

 out for himself on the bee-line. He was 

 about 21 years of age at this time, leaving 

 home October, iqoi. and landing in South- 

 west Texas, where he made a tliorough 

 study of bee-keeping conditions, and at one 

 time was managing apiarist for a company 

 owning 1x50 colonies, distributed in several 

 counties. 



Takingan ardent interest in association 

 work. Mr. Scholl. in 180Q. was elected Secre- 

 tary-Treasurer of the Texas Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, and held it for a number of 

 years. He has also had experience in ex- 

 perimental apiary work, having had charge 

 of such a department in the Agricultural 

 and Mechanical College, at College Station, 

 Tex. At one time he was sent to Colorado 

 to study bee-keeping conditions there, par- 

 ticularly as to foul brood. He was instru- 

 mental in securing the foul brood law tor 

 Texas, and in 1003 was appointed Apiarian 

 Assistant in the Department of Entomology 

 at College Station. The work of foul brood 

 inspection throughout the State of Texas 

 fell to him. In 1004 he lectured to 42 audi- 

 ences, the main topic, of course, being bee- 

 keeping. While at College Station he was 

 elected to fill a position under the German 

 Government, in East Africa, at S3000 per year, 

 but he felt it his duty to refuse the offer in 

 order that he might stay with apiculture, 

 saying that could he have taken Texas and 

 his bees he would have gone. 



The fall of 1004 Mr. Scholl attended the 

 Ohio State University, and remained six 

 months, returning in the spring to look after 

 his apiaries. During his stay at the Univer- 

 sity he worked on his herbarium of Texas 

 honey-yielding plants, and now has a collec- 

 tion of about 300 specimens, which is con- 

 sidered the best collection of its kind to be 

 found in Texas. 



Mr. Scholl resigned his position at College 

 Station Dec. i. 1005. in order that he might 

 go back to his home in New Braunfels. to 

 enlarge and build up his private bee-busi- 

 ness. 



June 20. 1006, Mr. Scholl married one of 

 New Braunfels' favorite young ladies. Miss 

 Emma Froelich. who has indeed been a help- 

 meet to him in every way. 



Mr. Scholl now has about 20 apiaries scat- 

 tered over the country, the nearest being 8 

 miles, and the farthest ii)7 miles from New 

 Braunfels. He regards this stretch of ter- 

 ritory as important, in that it gives a variety 

 of flora, so that if there is a failure of the 

 honey crop in one locality he may get it 

 from another. In 1007 his honey crop aggre- 

 gated over 20.000 pounds, or $2000. exclusive 

 of beeswax and vinegar. 



As our readers know, Mr. Scholl is a spe- 

 cialist in bulk comb honey production, 

 which is simply comb honey cut from shal- 

 low extracting frames and packed in various 

 sized cans; then extracted honey is run in 

 on the comb, which is cut so as to fit snugly 

 on the inside of whatever sized can is used. 

 The proportions are two-thirds comb and 

 one-third extracted honey. From his api- 

 aries in the season of two Mr. Scholl secured 



between 40.000 and 50.000 pounds of chunk 

 honey. 



Mr. Scholl is a pmlific writer, and con- 

 tributes not a little to the various bee- 

 papers. His position as editor of "South- 

 ern Beedom." in the .American Bee Journal, 

 is too well known to require comment. 



With Mr. Scholl's ability and experience 

 in so many directions, it seems to us he 

 ought to make one of the best secretaries 

 the National has ever had. He stands over 

 six feet in height, and if all the other officers 

 e.xpect to measure up to him. some of them 

 will have to do considerable stretching, in 

 more ways than one. 



No. 3 General Manager N, E. France, 



of I^latteville, 'Wis. 



The subject of this sketch was born July 

 24, 1857, on the wild prairies of Iowa, having 

 Indians as neighbors. In 1862 his parents 

 moved to Platteville, Wis., riding all the dis- 

 tance of 230 miles in the fashionable "auto- 

 mobiles " of the time— a covered wagon and 

 ox-team— with a cow tied behind the wagon. 



For some years his father. E. France, had 

 bees in boxes, and by 1857 had succeeded in 

 having all straight combs by the use of melt- 

 ed wax on the underside of the frames with- 

 out any bottom-bars. Later. Langstroth used 

 a frame of wood on all sides. 



In 1865 to 1885 " N. E." went to school fall 

 and winter, and was at home during the 

 summer on a fruit and bee farm. In 1875 he 

 owned his first 6 colonies of bees, which 

 gathered a good honey crop, and in the fall 

 filled the hives with honey-dew for winter 

 stores. The next spring the bees were all 

 dead, but the bee-keeper's hopes were not 

 frosted. He bought more bees and built up 

 another apiary, and by the fall of 1877 had 75 

 colonies. He heard of a machine to take the 

 honey out of the comb and save the comb. 

 He drove 40 miles, besides going some miles 

 by railroad, to see the first honey-extractor. 

 The whole can and stationary inside fixtures 

 turned. In 1S78 he extracted 5120 pounds of 

 honey, and as it was work in those days to 

 take the honey from the combs, it sold for 

 30 cents per pound, or 5 cents more than 

 comb honey. 



Since that time Mr. France has harvested 

 30.000 to SQ. 000 pounds Of honey in a single 

 season. In each of three years he sold a car- 

 load in one sale. For a number of years he 

 has employed students attending the Nor- 

 mal School at Platteville, to help in caring 

 for his several apiaries. 



Mr. France has held a number of pub ic 

 positions in bee-keeping, as well as in public 

 schools, etc. He served as secretary for 2 

 years, and as president for 4 years, of the 

 Southwestern Wisconsin Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation; 2 years as secretary, and 8 years 

 as president, of the Wisconsin State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association ; for 7 years as general 

 manager of the National Association; and 

 for 13 years as Wisconsin State Inspector of 

 Apiaries. In the last two positions he is 

 still serving. 



Mr. France was principal of the same 

 school for 10 years, and for 6 years was a 

 student in the State Normal School located 

 at Platteville. For 4 years he was Deputy 

 United States Mail Carrier, and was super- 

 intendent of the bee and honey display at 

 the Chicago Pure Food Show, in which the 

 National Association won the highest award. 



'rhere probably is not another man who 

 has done more in a general or public way for 

 bee-keer>ing than has Mr. France; and he 

 has done it all at much sacrifice, and so un- 

 selfishly. The general managership of the 

 National Association means a great deal of 

 work, and for very small pay. But Mr. 

 France has done it all because his big heart 

 was in it. 



At the Harrisburg convention of the Na- 

 tional, in 1007. a gold watch was presented 

 to Mr. France, and a set of silver spoons to 

 Mrs. France, all of which was only a slight 

 token of the esteem in which Mr. France 

 and his good wife are held by the bee-keep- 

 ers of America. 



No. 4. — Director J. E. Crane, of Middle- 

 bury, 'Vt. 



Some 70 years ago there came a little 

 stranger to a farmer in Western 'Vermont, 

 to which the parents attached the name of 

 J. E. He there watched the snow fall in 

 winter, and saw the crows lly over in sum- 

 mer, and wondered at the fire-flies, and how 

 the night-hawks should fly only at night, and 

 heard in terror the thunder that rolled in 

 the clouds. He went to a " district " school 

 when old enough, and was. perhaps, one of 

 the most stupid in his class, though he re- 

 members once that he did get to the head of 

 the class during one whole term. As lie 



