March 22, 1900. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



161 



THIRD DAY. 



Annual Report of the Secretary. 



As this is the 20th annual meeting of our Association, 

 I consider it appropriate to give a short retrospect of the 

 history of our society, and some of the work accomplisht 

 during that period. 



Owing to the loss of all records previous to 1884, a new 

 constitution and by-laws had to be framed that year. W. 

 L. Porter was president, and Robert James secretary. The 

 Association had then about 25 members. In 188.5 Mr. Shiff 

 was secretary, who, as far as can be found out, made the 

 first attempt at gathering statistics of our industry in the 

 State. He reported that there were about SCO bee-keepers, 

 having about 6,000 colonies of bees. Two bee-keepers had 

 150 colonies each, and reported a crop of five tons of honey 

 for that season. 



It was estimated that more than 30 tons of hone)', 

 which went into the channels of trade, were produced in 

 Colorado during 1887. 



In 1888 J. M. Clark reported that from 10 to 12 tons of 

 honey had been marketed in Denver. 



Foul brood was not noticed among the bees in the State 

 until 1886, and in 1888 it had spread along the Platte River, 

 from Littleton near to Brighton, and from Morrison near 

 to Smith's Lake. 



In 1889, while J. M. Clark was secretary, statistics of 

 the bees owned by members were taken with the following 

 result : Colonies, spring count, 2,247; increase, 931 — total, 

 3,178. Yield of comb honey, 130,000 pounds. 



The Association was then composed of 38 members. In 

 1889 the foul brood law was past by the legislature. 



In 1890 30 pounds of comb honey per colony was re- 

 ported as the average for the State that season. 

 In 1891 a meeting was held in Arvada. 

 In 1892 one meeting was held in Golden and one in 

 Loveland. A premium list to be used at fairs was adopted. 

 In 1893 a set of rules for grading comb honey was 

 adopted. Members of the Association contributed honey 

 for an exhibit at the World's Fair in Chicago. 



In 1894 the number of colonies of bees in the State was 

 estimated at 60,000. An exhibition of apiarian products 

 was held at the Gettysburg Building. 



In 1895 the membership fee was reduced from $1.00 to 

 SO cents. 



In 1896 reduced rates on bee-supplies were secured for 

 the members of the Association, and a committee on or- 

 ganization was appointed. A great loss of bees was re- 

 ported in the spring of 1896. 



In 1897 the committee on legislation reported that there 

 was a law on adulteration in existence in the State. 



A law was past to have the proceedings of the State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association incorporated with the Horticul- 

 tural Report. A law preventing the spraying of fruit-trees 

 while in bloom was past. Samples of honey were bought 

 to be analyzed. 



Statistics on bee-culture were gathered with the follow- 

 ing results : 14 counties reported 35,306 colonies (which is 

 not more than half the total number in the State). The 

 average value is £3.36, and the average percent of increase 

 20. The average yield per colony was 26 pounds ; the aver- 

 age price 10 cents a pound. Foul brood existed in eight 

 counties. Six local societies were in existence. 



In 1898 the constitution and by-laws were amended ; 43 

 members reported 5,648 colonies, and had produced 147,478 

 pounds of comb honey and 105,878 pounds of extracted. A 

 new set of grading rules was adopted. 



In 1899 some more amendments to the constitution and 

 by-laws were made. Circulars were sent out to over 200 

 bee-keepers, soliciting for membership ; 500 copies of the 

 constitution and by-laws, and 1,000 copies of the foul-brood 

 law, were ordered printed, and part of them distributed 

 among the bee-keepers. At the present time there are 2J7 

 names of bee-keepers enrolled on the books of the Associa- 

 tion, 165 of which are in good standing. 



All members were supplied by the Association with the 

 numbers of the American Bee Journal containing the last 

 convention report, as well as with the copy of the Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Review containing a half-tone of sections illustrating 

 our grading rules. 



The honey crop of Colorado for the past season is esti- 

 mated at 1,000,000 pounds of comb honey and 200,000 pounds 

 of extracted. There were 22 carloads of 30,000 pounds each 

 shipt out of the State. Prices ranged between 10 and 11 

 cents per pound for comb honey, and 6 and 7 cents for ex- 

 tracted. Frank Rauchfuss, Sec. 



The report was adopted and placed on the records of 

 the Association. 



Mr. Harris I think a committee should be appointed 

 to insist that the report of our ])roceedings should be pub- 

 lisht together with the report of the Board of Horticulture. 



Mr. Rhodes — I don't know how our report can be pub- 

 lisht as long as one has the power to cut it down. 



At this juncture some members of the Board of Horti- 

 culture came in, and David Brothers, President of the 

 Board of Horticulture, spoke at some length, in substance 

 as follows : 



"I think our interests are identical. The main body 

 thinks so. We come bearing the olive branch. Anytliing 

 the Board can do for you, we will do — nine out of ten of us, 

 anyhow. It is not right for your report to be cut all to 

 pieces. I think the report should be printed just as it leaves 

 your hands." 



A committee consisting of Messrs. Rhodes, Harris and 

 H. Rauchfuss was appointed to confer with a committee 

 from the Board of Horticulture on an arrangement for hold- 

 ing the next meetings of the Board and the Association 

 jointly to such an extent as would be satisfactory to both. 



Pres. Aikin had not prepared an annual address, but 

 spoke in substance as follows : 



A Statement by the President. 



To think we have had an organization for 20 years, in- 

 creasing in interest, efficiency, and membership (now 217), 

 is certainly very encouraging. That this was accomplisht 

 without work is not true. Those on committees know this 

 requires work, foresight, studying of human nature, and 

 intense thought. I have spent practically days and days 

 in thinking, planning, and writing. I did it with pure 

 motives. I spent of my money and time ; tho perhaps they 

 could be called selfish motives, for I wanted to see the or- 

 ganization stand high, and the upbuilding of the organiza- 

 tion is an honor to the executive board. 



Then, we are not only generally but individually bene- 

 fited. Largely because of my position, and also because of 

 my writing in the bee-papers, I have become known all over 

 the country as a producer, and so it has been a help to me 

 in my private business. And yet, your prosperity is my 

 prosperity. Whenever we undertake to break down the 

 business of a neighbor we break down our own. As a com- 

 munity we are trying to get people here. Who is so selfish 

 as not to want people in our business ? Each one has just 

 as good a right as I have. It would look unfair to come 

 right beside me and reap the benefits of my preliminary 

 work, but you have a right to come into my territory. We 

 should ask ourselves what we would do if we were in that 

 man's place. 



As to the position of the Association, 217 is not half 

 what it ought to be. Any one who buys honey knows that 

 there are those all around who don't know the first princi- 

 ples of honey-production. A lady observed me fixing up 

 supers and separators and taking the honey off, and said 

 the ideas gained paid her well. I bought her honey, and it 

 was largely improved by separators, but the grading was 

 very unsatisfactory, and it cost me something. The Asso- 

 ciation with a large membership and a small fee would en- 

 able the executive to reach those bee-keepers who overstock, 

 and who damage the reputation of goods, and could publish 

 the proceedings, and put them in the hands of every member. 

 We don't expect members to be here. The money for 

 membership comes back in many ways. The effect of the 

 work of our marketing organization has put money in the 

 pockets of our bee-keepers all over the State, causing them 

 to get IS to 20 percent more than they otherwise would have 

 gotten. We know this to be a fact. 



I want to see the Association prosper, but I have other 

 burdens, in lines that most of you know nothing about, and 

 I want to see the executive go into other hands. 



R. C. Aikin. 



Mr. Harris offered a resolution thanking the officers for 

 the efforts put forth for the Association for the past two 

 years, which was carried. 



A motion that Dr. Headden, Prof. Gillette and E. R. 

 Root be made honorary members was carried unanimously 

 by a standing vote. 



QUEENS— BREEDING, ETC. 



Mr. Harris — We are not careful enough in breeding to 

 see where our stock comes from. The pedigree is not 

 stated, and it should be. The matter of good, prolific 

 queens is of the greatest importance. Proper stock comes 

 first,^then proper condition and handling, and then we are 



