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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feb. 19, 1903. 



Pres. York — That is the only thing^ that is green about 

 Mrs. Miller, I can assure you all. 



Dr. Miller — /am about her sometimes. 



Pres. York — Yes, we know you are about her some- 

 times. May be that is one of her trials ! 



Others who had come in were : Mr. Clyde Cady, of 

 Michigan ; Miss Candler and Mr. Jones, of Wisconsin ; and 

 Mr. Kluck, the president of the Northern Illinois Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association. 



The first on the program was Pres. York's annual 

 address : 



THE PRESENT NEEDS OF BEE-KEEPERS. 



It would be interesting, and perhaps profitable, did 

 time permit, to trace the growth of bee-keeping from its 

 infancy as a pastime and as a business until this present 

 hour. But it is not my purpose just now to read to you a 

 history of bee-keeping, however much I might desire so to 

 do, and however much I am incapable of such a task. But 

 we who are here to-day are mainly interested in things that 

 afi'ect o;/r own welfare as bee-keepers, and care not so much 

 as to what afi'ected or interested our predecessors. 



LAWS ON BEE-DISE.\SKS. 



One of the pressing necessities at this time are laws on 

 foul brood and other contagious diseases among bees. The 

 bee-keepers of every State that has not already such a law 

 on its statute books must work to that end. Illinois, espe- 

 cially, needs to move at once in this direction. There are 

 localities in our State where, if something is not done soon, 

 bee-keeping will be a thing of the past. At the com- 

 ing session of our State Legislature a bill should be intro- 

 duced and passed, so that when another spring-time comes 

 we may be ready with an efficient inspector to look after 

 the apiaries that are afi'ected with foul brood or other dread 

 diseases. 



This Association, in connection with the State Associa- 

 tion, should act in this matter, and see that the necessary 

 steps are taken to secure the passage of such a law. We 

 must protect the lives and health of our bees else there will 

 be no bees to keep, and, like Othello, our occupation will be 

 gone. 



ORGANIZATION AMONG BEE-KEEPBRS. 



There is a tremendous lack of interest among bee-keep- 

 ers in the line of organization for their own advancement. 

 Nearly every other industry is organized, and reaping the 

 benefits of such get-together plans. Bee-keepers do not 

 seem to realize the advantages that are to be gained from 

 such organization. We need some Moses to lead us out 

 along these newer and better lines, and to show us. wherein 

 we are standing in our own light. 



Perhaps the first and main reason for organization and 

 pooling our interests is to secure a better marketing of our 

 honey product from year to year. Too many bee-keepers 

 regard their honey crop as just so much extra gain— or like 

 finding money. They do not regard it as they do their 

 other farm crops, hence they rush it off to the grocery 

 store and accept whatever may be offered them in cash or 

 trade. This is exceedingly unfortunate, for too often such 

 foolish procedure, if at the beginning of the honey-selling 

 season, may be the cause of the loss of many dollars to 

 other bee-keepers, as it has a tendency to set the price for 

 the entire season. 



Now. if bee-keepers were thoroughly organized such a 

 thing would rarely occur, and thus all would be protected, 

 and all reap a richer reward from their toil and honey 

 product. 



Bee-keepers should take a livelier interest in their Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Association. Where it now has less 

 than a thousand members it should have several thonsand. 

 Were such the case, bee-keepers could secure almost any- 

 thing they go after. But there is a whole lot of selfishness 

 that must be thrown overboard before the most successful 

 organization can be obtained. There is seemingly too 

 much of the feeling that each individual member will not 

 get in return 200 cents for every 100 he invests in member- 

 ship dues. We must take a broader view of things. We 

 must learn to have satisfaction in the general advancement 

 of the good of all rather than the little success of the indi- 

 vidual. Thus, and thus only, can we hope to raise the stan- 

 dard of bee-keeping and bee-keepers. 



The MARKETING OF HONEY. 



There is much we need to-day in the line of marketing 

 honey. There is perhaps little to be desired in packages, 

 either for comb or extracted honey in a wholesale way. 

 However, there might be an improvement, or more uni- 



formity in the grading of comb honey. But so long as 

 every bee-keeper thinks his own honey, like the young fel- 

 low imagines his girl — the " only onliest " — just so long is 

 there going to be disagreement and trouble in grading. It 

 seems strange that it is so utterly impossible to get two or 

 more bee-keepers to grade their comb honey alike, but such 

 seems to be the fact, nevertheless. Perhaps this convention 

 can help in this matter, as well as in others that I suggest. 



A NATIONAL HONEY EXCHANGE. 



For years the American Bee Journal has discussed this 

 subject, which is one of such magnitude that no one seems 

 to know where best to take hold in a practical way. And 

 yet, in certain quarters, judging from what has been writ- 

 ten recently, some might be led to think it an entirely new 

 thing under the sun. But don't you believe it. A number 

 of our brightest minds has been meditating as well as writ- 

 ing concerning a honey exchange, and some day I have no 

 doubt something tangible and helpful will result. Surely, 

 something of the kind must come. Bee-keepers will have 

 to get together on this subject of marketing their honey, 

 else there will continue the present haphazard way of dis- 

 posing of the crop which so often demoralizes prices and 

 spoils what would otherwise be good markets. 



But before much headway will be made in the direction 

 of a honey exchange, bee-keepers must have more confi- 

 dence in each other. They must also be willing to pay well 

 for expert management ; and they can afi'ord to do this, 

 and will do it, when they see that it will be to their financial 

 interest to do so. 



Perhaps in no other business are there more and better 

 brains than in bee-keeping. Then why may we not expect 

 that this great question, like many another, will be solved 

 to the satisfaction of all concerned ? 



But I must not run on, else there will be no time for 

 more important matters in which you are interested. I 

 merely desired to call attention to a few of the real needs of 

 bee-keepers to day, as I see them, trusting to your ability 

 and wisdom to devise plans as to how all the needs are to 

 be met. 



OUR ASSOCIATION. 



A closing word as to our Association — the Chicago- 

 Northwestern. There is no good reason why it should not 

 exceed in membership and good works every other associa- 

 tion of bee-keepers on the continent, except, perhaps, it be 

 the National. We have the field. We have the bee-keepers 

 in that field. What is needed is that every beekeeper in 

 the field covered by this Association shall become a mem- 

 ber. Don't forget that only $1.00 pays your annual dues, 

 not alone in t/iis Association, but also in the National as 

 well. This is a big advantage, and ought to be embraced 

 by every bee-keeper at least within a radius of 300 miles of 

 Chicago. 



And now I trust that our present sessions may be both 

 interesting and profitable, and that you may all feel well 

 repaid for having come to this meeting. 



George W. York. 



(Continued next week. ) 



No. 2.— The Hive-Problem— Size and Shape. 



BY R. C. AIKIN. 



IN the previous article I said that a hive 12x12 inches, and 

 20 to 30 inches high, was approximately an ideal size and 

 shape for wintering and breeding. The reason is that 

 the colony cluster can, when there is a good strength or 

 large number of bees, easily keep warm all that is above 

 them, for they can cluster clear across the hive, filling it 

 with bees from wall to wall in all directions, and when so 

 touching all sides all above the cluster is bound to be warm 



As indicated before, in summer the colony has filled 

 from the top down with honey. If the flow stopped when 

 half way down, there is yet much breeding-room below, 

 which is usually used to advantage in rearing many bees 

 for winter, so the colony can go in with a cluster sufficiently 

 large to withstand much cold, yet have plenty of stores 

 above them. Again, they may fill the hive to the exclusion 



