Oct. 4, 1900. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



631 



tions, calling- attention to the seriousness of the situation, 

 <incl ask State and National governments, where they have 

 not already done so, to pass such legislation as will aflord 

 the necessary relief. 



Indorsement should be made of the splendid work done 

 by the inspectors of Wisconsin and New York ; and in tlie 

 last-named, especially the Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 should receive the thanks of this Association for the in- 

 terest he has taken in the matter of the suppression of 

 black brood thru the Empire State. This commissioner has 

 not only helpt in every way possible, but has placed on the 

 pay of the State some four inspectors, bee-keepers, each of 

 whom has a series of counties in which it is his duty to 

 make frequent and careful inspections of all apiaries within 

 his jurisdiction. The prompt and energetic measures un- 

 dertaken bv the State of New York should be recognized by 

 bee-keepers in every State in the Union ; for without such 

 prompt action bee-keeping might be almost entirely wiped 

 out of some important sections of other States, as it is 

 already in some localities in New York. 



A vote of thanks should also be tendered to Dr. W. R. 

 Howard, Bacteriologist at the University of Fort Worth, 

 Texas, who has performed a service for bee-keepers in his 

 investigations of black brood and pickled brood, with very 

 little show of remuneration. Such services, if paid for 

 either by any individual State, or by the general govern- 

 ment, would cost hundreds of dollars. 



HONEY ADUI,TKRATION IN THE CITIES. 



I am glad to believe that adulteration, one of the 

 greatest evils with which we have to contend, is not on the 

 increase ; indeed, it has been most decidedly checkt (thanks 

 to this organization) in some of our large centers of popu- 

 lation ; but there is a broad field for work, and this con- 

 vention should not only hold up the hands of the general 

 manager in the work he has already begun, but should con- 

 sider plans by which the evil may be further curtailed. 



BEES FOR BUSINESS. 



This Association should go on record as indorsing the 

 efforts made by queen-breeders to develop a strain of bees 

 that can work on red clover. Too much attention has 

 been given to the breeding of handsome bees — bees for 

 color. The matter of breeding for longer tongues, and the 

 securing of shorter corolla-tubes in red clover, will come up 

 later in the sessions of this convention. 



SPRAYING DURING FRUlT-BI,OOM. 



From all sections of the country we hear complaints of 

 bees and brood being poisoned during spraying time. 

 Ignorant and vicious fruit-growers in many localities, some- 

 times in spite of legislation, persist in administering the 

 poisonous mixtures during the time that the trees are in full 

 bloom. It has been shown repeatedly by experiment sta- 

 tions and by private individuals that spraying during 

 blooming time is both a waste of material and a great 

 damage to a very important industry — bee-keeping. This 

 convention should pass certain resolutions praying State 

 legislatures to enact such legislation, where there are no 

 anti-spraying laws, as will bring the needed relief to bee- 

 keepers. The general manager of this Association has 

 already done some good work, especially in the preparation 

 of certain pamphlets on this question of spraying, designed 

 for free distribution by the members of this organization. 



RETAIUNG EXTRACTED HONEY. 



Some recommendation should go forth from this Asso- 

 ciation to the bee-keepers of the country, urging the impor- 

 tance of the development of the home markets for extracted 

 honey. Too much of the liquid article is being rusht to the 

 ■cities, where it is adulterated, and palmed off on the unsus- 

 pecting public. A number of prominent producers are no%v 

 bottling their own product, and putting it out on the mar- 

 kets of their own vicinities, under their own name and 

 guarantee. The fact has been demonstrated over and over 

 again, that the general public will pay a good round price 

 providing it can be assured that the honey it is buying is 

 pure bees' honey, and that the bee-keeper or person putting 

 it out is reliable and honest. 



BBES A NUISANCE. 



In various sections of the country bees have been de- 

 •clared a nuisance. They are being voted out by town 

 councils, and suits are being begun ; but in the great ma- 

 jority of cases where the bee-keepers have got into trouble 

 they are not members of this Association. Within the last 

 few days two parties have written for advice as to how to 



proceed. But neither of them was a member of the Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Association. I wrote to both, telling 

 them that they could not expect the As.sociation to defend 

 them, but that I had no doubt if they gave the facts in each 

 case to General Manager Secor, inclosing a membership 

 fee of one dollar, he would advise them how to proceed ; but 

 that it must be distinctly understood that, as they were not 

 members before the trouble began, they could not expect 

 financial aid by joining the Association now. Bee-keepers 

 who are already members should use every effort to induce 

 their neighbors and friends who are also in the same busi- 

 ness to send in their dollar, and thus be ready for any 

 emergency that may arise, and at the same time help the 

 Association carry on its grand work. 



RESOLUTIONS. 



Thus far I have outlined work for the committee on 

 resolutions. I do not mean to dictate ; but having been be- 

 fore our Ohio State legislature in the interest of certain 

 bills up for passage, I have learned the value of an indorse- 

 ment by a State or National association. When I tried to 

 interest the members of our Ohio legislature in a foul-brood 

 bill and in an anti-spraying bill, about the first question I 

 was askt was, " Does your State organization ask for 

 them ?" When they learned that we had no such organiza- 

 tion thev manifested very little interest in the measures 

 that I was advocating. The reason of this is not difficult 

 to find. Our legislators are constantly beset by people who 

 have all kinds of hobbies to ride and axes to grind ; and as 

 it is impossible to listen to all their claims, our law-makers 

 are compelled to confine their attention to matters that 

 emanate from representative bodies of men rather than to 

 the men individually. 



Resolutions, suitably drawn, would go a long way in 

 influencing legislators, and even our general government, 

 in matters directly touching our interests : and in this con- 

 nection it goes without saying, that this organization 

 should lend its indorsement to the Brosius Pure-Food Bill, 

 or some equally good measure that may be brought before 

 our next Congress. , . , t 



There are many other important matters to which i 

 might refer ; but as these will be brought up in one way or 

 another during the sessions of this convention, I forbear. 



E. R. Root. 



On motion of Dr. Mason it was voted that the presi- 

 dent's address be referred to a committee consisting of Rev. 

 E. T. Abbott, Hon. Eugene Secor, and Mr. O. L. Hershiser, 

 to consider the suggestions offered, and make such recom- 

 mendations as they might see proper. 



AMember— Are they to be the committee on resolutions ? 



Dr. Mason— I think' it a very good plan to make that a 

 separate committee— they will have enough to do. 



Pres. Root— That matter will come up a little later on 

 when we appoint committees. 



A Member— Was there a committee appointed last 

 evening ? 



Pres. Root — Yes, but not on resolutions. 



The next thing on the program for this morning is a 

 paper on "Queen-Rearing by the Doolittle Method," by 

 Mrs. H. G. Acklin, of Minnesota, who has had considerable 

 experience in the rearing of queens. 



By Mrs. Acklin's request Mr. George W. York, presi- 

 dent of the Chicago Bee-Keepers' Association, read her 

 paper, which is as follows : 



QUE EN=REAR1N0 BY THE DOOLITTLE METHOD. 



^: I do not follow the Doolittle plan exclusively, notwith- 

 standing it has pleased our worthy secretary to assign me 

 this subject. I presume there are as many methods used in 

 rearing queens as there are queen-breeders. Individuality 

 is sure to crop out, in the minor points at least, in every 

 undertaking in life. Nevertheless, I think Mr. Doolittle is 

 a real benefactor to bee-keepers, and especially so to the 

 qaeen-rearing element, and that he should receive our life- 

 long homage. I believe he has been perfectly unselfish in 

 giving his experience to the world, and just imagine what 

 a vast amount of planning and tinkering he has saved the 

 lesser lights. 



I speak for myself now, as we are so crusht with work 

 during the queen-rearing period that it would be practically 

 impossible for me to evolve for myself, without any pointers 

 or suggestions, a plan which wouid be altogether satisfac- 

 tory. If I mistake not, Mr. DooUttle is the pioneer in the 

 cell-cup method. 



No one can rear good queens unless great care and un- 

 tiring vigilance is practiced in the selection of queens to 



