1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



197 



an Italian queen which was tnismated. It happened to be the 

 colony which we had on scales, so that a good record was 

 taken, and we naturally observed the brood closely. It al- 

 ways had less brood, and was always the best working colony. 

 The queen was of medium size. The workers were mostly 3- 

 banded. 



Mr. Carlzen— That hive stood at the end of the row, as I 

 observed. They say the end hive in a row gets more bees. 



H. Rauchfuss — But they were not strong in bees. Besides, 

 the hive and its surroundings were so peculiarly marked that 

 the bees could not have mistaken their location. The queen 

 was clipped, so we knew it was the same one. The colony 

 never attempted to swarm. 



Mr. Porter — In Italianizing I noticed one case by observa- 

 tion of the black and yellow bees. In that way the chance 

 for deciding is more favorable. But this matter requires a 

 good deal of science. 



Mr. Devinny — S.uch things ought to be brought before the 

 Agricultural College by the Secretary. 



P. Rauchfuss— I have already suggested it, but the col- 

 lege is overburdened with work, and is without some facili- 

 ties. I suggested an experiment in foul brood, but that re- 

 gion is free from foul brood, and they do not want to introduce 

 it. Experimeuting takes a long time. 



Mr. Alford — The professors are confined nine months in 

 the year. They want a vacation. This comes just when such 

 work can best be done. An experiment station would be bet- 

 ter. The only time they can give to such matters is between 

 the 1st of April and the middle of June, when they are busy 

 with their classes. 



SECOND DAT — SECBETART'S KEPOBT. 



The season of 1895 was, as far as honey-production is 

 concerned, one of the poorest the bee-keepers of Colorado, and 

 of the whole United States, ever experienced. But in spite of 

 the scarcity of our products, prices have not advanced ; on 

 the contrary, comb honey was sold in the Denver market last 

 fall at a lower figure than ever before, and extracted honey 

 only held about its own. Beeswax is the only article which is 

 in good demand at fair prices. It would be well for bee-keep- 

 ers to work so as to increase the wax-production of their api- 

 aries. 



The past season the bee-keepers of the United States have 

 suffered the loss of their greatest benefactor, the Rev. L. L. 

 Langstroth, the Inventor of the movable-frame hive, and 

 author of that standard work on bee-culture, "The Hive and 

 the Honey-Bee." The California State Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion invites the co-operation of the bee-keepers of the world 

 for the purpose of erecting a suitable monument to his mem- 

 ory, and I hope the bee-keepers of this State will not stand 

 back. 



On account of the poor season, the need of organization 

 for the purpose of disposing of our products was not much 

 felt ; but anticipating a good crop the coming season, it would 

 be well to take steps toward that end now. 



Frank Rauchfuss. 



THE president's ADDRESS. 



Ladies and Oeyitlemen : — We have met once more in the 

 capacity of the Colorado State Bee-Keepers' Association. We 

 come together to see each other face to face ; to give and re- 

 ceive ; to tell our experience since last we met; to discuss 

 ways and means of bettering our condition as bee-keepers ; 

 and, I hope, to help each other to be better in every way. 



The past year has been one of much disappointment. We 

 looked for good crops, but they came not. We hoped for liv- 

 ing prices for the little we did produce, and in this have been 

 disappointed. Selfishness is the prevailing motive in the con- 

 duct of affairs in general. True, there are many good and 

 honest people; nevertheless, the prevailing custom of 

 business is to get all it can — " all the traffic will bear" — right 

 or wrong. That bee-keepers may crucify this spirit is my 

 ardent desire. We should be as willing to give as receive ; to 

 help one another. 



This organization is known as the Colorado State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association. It has met annually for 15 years, and 

 has done much good to its members and the apiarists of the 

 State in general. If I mistake not it was through this organi- 

 zation that our foul brood law was brought about. I will not 

 try to enumerate all the benefits to the apiarists accruing 

 from the organization ; but that much good has come, I think 

 all will admit. 



But is there not more that can be done? Can we not de- 

 vise some way by which we may have a reasonable fund in 

 our treasury ? To do good work we must be thoroughly or- 

 ganized. Organization means labor and expense. That this 

 should be borne from year to year by a few, and the many 



reap the benefit, is not right. We need many members and 

 more money. I hope to see the bee-keepers all over the State 

 brought into contact by means of the State association. I do 

 recommend thorough organization, but not with selfish mo- 

 tives. Let our efforts be to foster, defend and protect, and 

 not for greed and oppression. Almost every business interest 

 except the agricultural is organized, and why not we? In- 

 deed we must do so or be crushed. Most organizations at first 

 are fostering and protective, but as they grow in power be- 

 come the instruments of oppression. So long as we can work 

 in the former spirit I say organize; but for greed, never, no 

 never I 



Our country is vast in extent, and we send products to 

 and receive from far distant places and people. Capitalization 

 and organization together with the great transportation facili- 

 ties favor and are fast leading us into specialism. In the days 

 of the past each family was complete in itself, buying little 

 and selling little, producing what they used, and doing with- 

 out what they could not produce; but now we exchange our 

 honey, corn, pork, beef, potatoes, and whatever we produce, 

 for the products of others, thus becoming dependent upon one 

 another, which also gives much greater opportunity for unjust 

 methods, and the more so the greater the combination and 

 capitalization. Were it possible for me to use all my own pro- 

 ductions, or place the same at home where I know everybody 

 with whom I deal, and also the needs of the people, I would 

 not care a snap for organization ; but since I must exchange 

 with strangers, knowing not with whom I deal, nor where the 

 greatest need of my product is, and even if I did know, and a 

 greedy transportation company lies between me and the needy 

 place, the need of a protective organization appears. 



It behooves us, then, to organize and co-operate ; to place 

 our products to the best advantage through the help of one 

 another; to protect ourselves against injustice. Supply and 

 demand should regulate prices, and co-operation foster and 

 protect. 



I therefore recommend that this organization — which is 

 but a mere speck of what it should be — reach out to the limits 

 of the State ; that we establish some method of continually 

 knowing the supply and location of honey throughout the 

 State, and the market that will best receive it. I do not rec- 

 ommend that we antagonize the honest honey merchant ; but 

 rather that we centralize the business with those we know to 

 be the right kind of men, or sell through an agent of the As- 

 sociation who is practically one of us, and whose interests 

 are those of the Association. Helter-skelter selling, and slip- 

 shod work, is certainly not the best for the pursuit, nor for the 

 best interests of the consumer. The California fruit-growers 

 have already accomplished a system of selling similar to the 

 foregoing, and the bee-keepers of that State are now organiz- 

 ing to the same end. 



A fostering association is at all times right, but I much 

 deplore the condition of affairs that necessitates combination 

 for defence. The State (Nation) should foster all its interests, 

 but she does not. I know there are the so-called protective 

 tariff laws ; but as for benefit to the masses they are about as 

 protective as was the " sugar bounty " law that helped the 

 wealthy sugar manufacturers directly, and a few farmers in- 

 directly, while the mass of over 300,000 bee-keepers had to 

 compete with cheap sugar, especially on their extracted 

 honey. Organized buying and selling would both be a benefit, 

 but the more so in the selling, because the sales should far ex- 

 ceed the purchases, in apiarian lines. 



Every bee-keeper in the State — both great and small — 

 should be in frequent communication with this organization in 

 a central office, and do business intelligently. The manager 

 should know where honey is most wanted, and ship from the 

 point nearest, or where it would bo to the most advantage. 

 One great obstacle in the way is the fact that so many pro- 

 ducers are so encumbered with debts that they must and will 

 sell at once if possible, and regardless of prices or needs of the 

 market. This demoralizes prices both by the direct cut often 

 offered to induce purchasers, and by putting the product on a 

 market not ready to receive it. I do not know how we are to 

 overcome these obstacles, but I do think we should make the 

 effort at once. 



Methods of packing and marketing extracted honey also 

 need attention at your hands. We have no retail package 

 that is practical for shipping, and at the same time propor- 

 tionally cheap. We now depend upon the wholesale package 

 for a shipping package, and depend on the city mixer to re- 

 pack in suitable retail packages. We should have a retail 

 package that can be used as are those of fruits, the goods 

 going to the consumer in the original packages, and without 

 any tinkering on the part of middle-men. 



I have not by any means exhausted the subject, but have 



