Vol. XV. 



OCT. 15, 1887. 



No. 20. 



TERMS rei.OOPKR Annum, IN Advance ;T J? i^+ nJ\l S ^Ti /> rl -l-vt 1 S '7 '^ f Clubs to different postofflces, not less 

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 10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single num- \. piiRimHvn sfmt-mokthty rv J U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun- 



ber. 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be ( ruBLisHtu skmi jiomhly by , ^^.j^^ ^^ ^^^ Universal Postal Union. 18 



made at club rates. Above are all to li I DD/IT MCFMhlA /1U//1 cts. per year extra. To all countries 

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CONVENTIONS. 



MILLER SUGGESTS SOME THINGS TO BE AT- 

 TENDED TO BEFORE WE CONVENE. 



T BELIEVE bee-conventions are inci-casing- in 

 M[ i)(ipiilarity. Rig-htly conducted, there is no 

 'jit reason they should not. If I am not mistaken, 

 "*■ in Germany they have a society, it' not socie- 

 ties, with something like .500 members. Did any 

 society in this country ever reach 200 members? 

 Perhaps we have something to learn from our 

 German brethren in this regard. 



For many who attend the larger conventions, the 

 attendant expense makes it important that every 

 thing should be planned to occupy the time in the 

 most profitable manner, and it appears to me quite 

 worth while to spend considerable time in advance 

 in talking the matter over. As one of the officers 

 of the North- American society, I am quite anxious 

 that our ne.xt meeting should be successful; and as 

 the same things may apply to other societies, it is 

 well to talk out loud. 



Something has been said already about having 

 the North American a representative society, but 

 no definite action has been taken in that direction 

 as yet. Perhaps it would be a good idea for those 

 who have thought most about this matter, to tell 

 us specifically just what should be done. 



Going back to general principles, a mistake is 

 often made in appointing the time— that is, the day 

 of the week. If members are expected from a dis- 

 tance, and a two-days' session is to be held, Tues- 

 day and Wednesday are by no means as good days 

 as Wednesdaj- and Thursday, nor even as Thurs- 

 day and Friday. If the first day is Tuesday, it is 

 difficult for some to be there on time; and if it 



closes on Friday it is also difficult for them to get 

 home in time; but it seems better, if there must be 

 any break in numbers, that it should be at the 

 last end rather than at the first. Besides, if a 

 member is present and much interested, he will 

 perhaps make more effort to remain than he would 

 to get there on time. 



One of the bad things about most meetings that I 

 have ever attended is the being confined so many 

 hours in a room with perhaps little or no ventila- 

 tion, the attention kept continuously fixed for 

 three or more hours at a stretch. It is a little 

 strange that a set of men will get together and 

 warmly discuss the kind of ventilation that is best 

 for bees, and forget that ventilation is just as nec- 

 essary for the human family. If it is difficult to 

 properly ventilate the room, the windows can at 

 least be opened during- a 1.5-minutes' recess, when 

 the members can be moving about without danger 

 of taking cold. Neither is this recess a waste of 

 time. I believe more can be accomplished in IV4 

 hours after recess in the forenoon or afternoon 

 than in VA hours without a recess. I know I am rap- 

 ping my own knuckles in saying this, but that docs 

 not alter the facts. 



At what time should the election of officers take 

 place? For one, T don't know. There seem ob- 

 I jections to electing officers for the North American 

 I before the place of next meeting is decided; be- 

 cause, if it should be at the extreme South or North 

 I it might not be best to elect officers from the op- 

 I posits extreme who might not be at the next mcet- 

 ! ing. 



I It has been customary for the newly elected offi- 



, cers to assume control during the latter half of the 



convention. There may be some good reasons for 



I this, but there are some against it. A set of offi- 



