November, 1910. 



^ "^^^-^^^^^^Morican ^gc Joarnal 



every interest, and make the National 

 Bee-Keepers' Association one of the 

 grandest organizations on earth. 



The Editor. 



National Bee -Keepers' Association 



Address delivered before the 41st Annual Conven- 

 tion, held in Albany. N. Y.. Oct. 12 and i.!. 



By Pres. George W. York. 



L.^DiES AND Gentlemen: — We are 

 met in the 41st annual convention of 

 the National Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 in a city of great historic interest, as 

 it is the oldest surviving settlement in 

 the 13 original States, having been 

 founded in the year 1614. Even "Yan- 

 kee Doodle" was written in a house still 

 standing, on the east bank of the famous 

 Hudson River, opposite Albany! 



We are met in one of the greatest 

 honey-producing States of the Union; 

 a State which contains, also, some of 

 the best and most extensive beeks-ep 

 ers in all the world. It is a State rich 

 not only in honey-production but also 

 in almost everything else that befits a 

 civilization like ours. Surely, we who 

 have come from a distance are honored 

 here by friendships and associations 

 that we will carry with us for many 

 years after this meeting. 



This convention represents the great- 

 eft a^soc'nMon of bee-keepers ever got- 

 ten together in this country. While 

 other countries may have organizations 

 of larger membership, no doubt our 

 Association represents a greater num- 

 ber of extensive honey-producers, and 

 more pounds of honey produced an- 

 nually, than any other similar organiza- 

 tion in all the world. Hence, in many 

 ways, the bee-keepers of this Associa- 

 tions are leaders in almost everything 

 that makes bee-keeping worth while 

 anywhere. Therefore there is a respon- 

 sibility resting upon us that is upon no 

 other class or country of bee-keepers. 

 The question is whether we will measure 

 up to our opportunities and responsi- 

 bilities in the years come. If we are 

 to do this, our organization will have to 

 progress faster than it has done during 

 the past few years. The things which 

 this Association has done in years gone 

 by will not continue its success in the 

 years to come. The new times require 

 new ways of doing things. The organi- 

 zations of the future must be far ahead 

 of those of the past, in what they do 

 to advance the interests of their mem- 

 bership, or they will fail utterly. The 

 question then arises. What can this As- 

 sociation do to help the large member- 

 ship which it has secured, and produce 

 for them the results which they have a 

 right to expect? This is a big question. 

 I do not feel that I am able to answer 

 it fully, or perhaps even partially, but 

 I am going to have the hardihood 

 to leave a few sugestions with you, 

 which, I hope, or at least think, may 

 lead to something better in the months 

 and years just ahead. 



While the National Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation has done most excellent work 

 for its members during its many years 

 of existence, it seems to me the time 

 has come when some advanced steps 

 need to be taken. For a number of 

 years its principal object has been that 



of defending its members in their right 

 to keep bees in certain locations. Ig- 

 norant and jealous neighbors have of- 

 ten been "a thorn in the flesh " of some 

 bee-keepers, but when their complaints 

 were taken into the courts of law by the 

 .Association, we have won in nearly 

 every instance, and rightly so. That 

 very important feature, or object, of 

 this Association is rapidly passing 

 away. In other words, there is not now 

 the demand for such defense, as the 

 right to keep bees has become so evi- 

 dent that today it is seldom questioned. 



As stated in .Article 2 of the Consti- 

 tution of this Association, its objects 

 are: First, "to promote the interests of 

 bee-keepers; second, to protect and de- 

 fend its members in their lawful rights; 

 third, to enforce law's against the adul- 

 teration of honey." The third of these 

 objects is practically taken care of by 

 the Department of Agriculture, which 

 is enforcing the pure food law in a 

 wholesome way. Then it remains for 

 us to consider the first object, of "pro- 

 moting the interests of bee-keepers." 

 It is true the other two objects are in 

 the interest of bee-keeping, but as they 

 are taken care of, it seems to me that 

 we should begin at this convention 

 something looking toward the promo- 

 tion of one of the still greater interests 

 of bee-keepers. I refer to the disposi- 

 tion of the honey product, and adver- 

 tising its use. This means a business or- 

 ganization more than ever. 



In the first place, the Board of Di- 

 rectors, numbering 12, is too large, and 

 they are too scattered. Three, or pos- 

 sibly five, capable men are sufficient. It 

 takes too long now for the general man- 

 ager to be permitted to do anything. He 

 must first write and get replies from 

 all 12 directors, and by that time it 

 is probably too late to act. The ex- 

 perience of almost anyone is, that a 

 committee of one is the easiest to get 

 together to do anything! Of course, I 

 would not advise a Board, or Commit- 

 tee, of only one, but I think that no one 

 will question that a Board of three or 

 five members would be more efficient, 

 and accomplish all that a board of a 

 larger number could do. 



Second, our annual meetings can 

 never be more than a small representa- 

 tion of the whole membership. State 

 meetings can be fairly large, and can 

 consider many things that would be of 

 interest to the National Association. I 

 would have the State associations 

 branches of the National, and not mere- 

 ly, as now, individual members working 

 independently. The State branches 

 should elect at their annual meetings 

 one or two delegates to the National 

 convention, and then these National 

 meetings should be a law-making body 

 for the whole, and meet at some cen- 

 tral place, the expenses being cared for 

 out of the general fund. Suppose this 

 present meeting were made up of dele- 

 gates from all the States and Territo- 

 ries, who had been elected and given 

 authority to represent their State and 

 Territorial memberships; then we could 

 have an attendance of about 100 of 

 those most capable and most interested 

 and, doubtless, the best able to consider 

 the things of vital interest to the bee- 

 keeping industry throughout the whole 



country. We must get away from dis- 

 cussing the minor things of bee-keeping 

 at our great annual National conven- 

 tions. The matters of the best way to 

 produce honey, the best way to intro- 

 duce queens, and the best way to do 

 a lot of things in bee-keeping can best 

 be left to the columns of the bee-papers, 

 all of which ought to be taken and read 

 by those who desire to accomplish any- 

 thing worth while in bee-keeping. These 

 National gatherings should be devoted 

 to the larger things of honey-produc- 

 tion. They should be business meet- 

 ings throughout, and have to do mainly 

 with the marketing and distributing of 

 the honey crop, beeswax, etc. If bee- 

 keeping is ever to be put upon a busi- 

 ness basis in this country, there must 

 be co-operation in marketing the honey 

 crop. The producers of citrus fruits in 

 California during the past ten years 

 have simply worked wonders for those 

 engaged in that line of business, and 

 they have done it through co-opera- 

 tion. 



The time is rapidly passing away when 

 a single producer in any line can make 

 a success all by himself. These are "get 

 together" times, and bee-keepers have 

 lost much during the past decade in not 

 being properly organized so as to pro- 

 tect their own interests, and realize a 

 proper return for their efforts in the 

 production of honey. Again I say, 

 leave the methods of production and 

 the details in that line to the bee-papers 

 of the country, but the larger and more 

 difficult work — the marketing of the 

 product — let that be controlled by a 

 National organization made up of the 

 branch organizations in the various 

 States and Territories. 



Third, we should all help to make 

 the State conventions a great success. 

 If possible, have some National officer, 

 or officers, always present. Let the Na- 

 tional get out the programs for the 

 State conventions, or at least assist them 

 in doing it. By unitedly working to- 

 gether, every State convention can be 

 made "a hummer." 



The honey-marketing question is 

 surely a live one. The bee-papers can 

 not deal with it in a practical way, as they 

 are not in position to do so. As before 

 mentioned, they can tell the bee-keepers 

 how to produce honey, but when it 

 comes to selling, it is another question. 

 The beginner desires to know where 

 to sell, and how much to charge for 

 his product. This advice can be satis- 

 factorily given him if someone is study- 

 ing the markets, and thus is in position 

 to know hozv to advise. 



This is not a new thing I am talking 

 about. The Colorado and Michigan 

 Associations have been working along 

 this line for several years, and they are 

 gaining ground every year. The On- 

 tario Bee-Keepers' Association is also 

 making progress in the same way. Our 

 National Association will soon have to 

 "get in the swim," or it will pass away. 

 It can't exist long now by simply drift- 

 ing. There is no such a thing as stand- 

 ing still in an organization of this kind; 

 it must advance or it is bound to re- 

 tire. Will we stand by and see it go 

 backward? 



The time has come, I believe, when 

 the National Association can well af- 



