THE AMERICAN BEE JUUENAL. 



701 



again welcome you to Michigai), and 

 trust that your stay with us shall be 

 so pleasant that your recollection of 

 it stiall be a lil'e-loug joy. 



Fres. Boot said tliat he strongly ad- 

 vocated the location of tliis meeting 

 at Detroit, and Ik; was fully satisfied 

 that there was wisdom in the choice. 

 He had always been much interested 

 in Michigan bee-keepers, and was 

 very glad to meet witli so many of 

 them liere. The matter of defense of 

 our riglits as bee-keepers had been 

 mentioned by Pres. WiUetts, and he 

 was much in favor of unitedly defend- 

 ing our rights. As Mr. T. G. Newman 

 was General Manager of the Bee- 

 Keepers' Union, an organization 

 created for this purpose, he would 

 call upon Mr. Newman to make a 

 statement concerning what had been 

 done, and what was expected to be 

 done in the future, by the organiza- 

 tion of which he was manager. Mr. 

 T. G. Newman then delivered the fol- 

 lowing address, on the 



NATIONAL bee-keepers' UNION. 



During the past year it has become 

 necessary to form a Bee-Keepers' 

 Union. As this society is a Con- 

 tinental one, it would seem to be 

 appropriate that some notice should 

 be taken of it by this Convention. 

 With your permission I will state a 

 few facts, and le.ave it to those present 

 to say whether the work of the Union 

 shall be approved by them or not. 



Last June Mr. S. I. Freeborn, an 

 extensive apiarist of Wisconsin, was 

 sued by a neighbor, who kept a flock 

 of sheep, for alleged annoyance to 

 his sheep lay trespassing bees. 



It was understood that -this was to 

 be a " test case," and if the plaintiff 

 succeeded in obtaining a verdict in 

 his favor, either by the ignorance or 

 prejudice of a jury, other bee-keepers 

 would be likely to be sued to recover 

 damages doneto jmstures, vineyards, 

 and gardens by bees ; and any one 

 owning a few square rods of land, 

 devoted to almost any purpose, may 

 try to recover damages from all the 

 owners of bees in the vicinity. 



Mr. .James Ileddon suggested the 

 formation of a laee-Keejiers' Union in 

 defense of their rights, and to protect 

 their interests. Such a Union was 

 formed, and ofHcers elected as follows: 



President— .Tames Heddon. 



Five Viee-Presidents— G. M. Doolittle, 

 G. W. Demai-ee, A. I. Koot, 



Prof. A. .). Coolf, Dr. C. C. Miller. 



Mimager, Sec'y & Treas.— T. G. Newman. 



The officers were made an Advisory 

 Board, with full power to act. 



This Union, as soon as organized, 

 employed attorneys, obtained " opin- 

 ions of lav/ " from bee-keepers who 

 were also attorneys, and made such a 

 stir in the sheep-bees case, showing 

 such lighting entliusiasm, that the 

 Judge made a thorougli examination 

 of tlie laws of the State, and con- 

 cluded that their existed no laws or 

 rulings upon which he could instruct 

 the jury ; and bee-keepers have cause 

 for pride in the success that attended 

 their efforts in this matter. 



In California a suit has been tried 

 in a Justice's Court against Mr. Bohn 



for alleged damages done to grapes by 

 his bees. Tliis suit was lost in the 

 lower Court, because witnesses were 

 obtained who testilied that they had 

 seen the perforation and destruction 

 of the grapes done by Mr. JJohn's 

 bees. In vain did the defendant's 

 attorneys prove ))y a score of wit- 

 nesses that the bee's tongue could 

 only l)e used to extract sweets from 

 the flowers — not to bore after them. 

 The evidence of the eye-witnesses of 

 the plaintiff's had weight with the 

 jury, and they accordingly returned a 

 verdict against the defendant for i?7o 

 and costs of suit, which amount to 

 over $60. The damages claimed were 

 $299. 



The National Bee-Keepers' Union 

 advised Mr. Bohn to appeal from the 

 decision of the Justice's Court, and 

 assured liim that the Union would 

 stand by him, and aid in the appeal 

 by sending money, obtaining legal 

 advice, depositions from scientific 

 experts as to the incapability of bees 

 to puncture grapes, etc. The appeal 

 has been taken, and our California 

 brethren are now busily at work get- 

 ting members for the Union there. 



A California apiarist says : " If it 

 eoes against us in the higher Court, 

 there will be no end of the trouble 

 that will arise, and our bee-industry 

 will receive a death-blow in Southern 

 California." 



An apiarist in Anaheim. Calif., had 

 the fence around his apiary torn 

 down, all his bees killed by sulphur, 

 the hives piled up under a valuable 

 pepper-tree and consumed by fire. 

 Another apiarist was threatened with 

 hanging — all because some fruit- 

 growers had moved into the neighbor- 

 hood after his apiary had been estab- 

 lished several years, and they wanted 

 to compel him to move away with his 

 bees. 



As a Continental body of apiarists, 

 have you no word of encouragement 

 for an organization created for the 

 purpose of defending the rights and 

 protecting the interests of the bee- 

 keepers of America V Do you say : 

 " Let us co-operate, and, if necessary, 

 maintain our rights as bee-keepers in 

 the highest courts of the land V" That 

 can be done only by having sufficient 

 money to defray the expenses, and 

 such are usually very high. To be 

 sure, it will be a small matter, if all 

 will bear their part of the burden. 

 One thousand dollars of expenses 

 when divided between l,Ono persons, 

 is only a dollar for each, and can 

 easily be borne ; but when one has to 

 pay it all, it becomes a heavy burden ; 

 and, to many, one that would be im- 

 possible to bear. United effort is 

 essential to successfully defend our 

 chosen pursuit ! 



The National Bee-Keepers' Union 

 needs strong hearts, willing hands, 

 and many shekels. Are you willing 

 to help 'i" Is your name enrolled 

 among the "National Guards." If 

 not, lose no time in becoming a mem- 

 ber, and thus help to fight the battles 

 of our pursuit in defense of its rights ! 

 If we can raise a column of ()atriots 

 sufficiently strong to present aformid- 

 able front, we shall cjarc the envious 

 ones to "bring on their lawsuits," 



and by "an imposing array'' and 

 " unbroken front," gain a lastiing and 

 permanent victory I 



ISIr. S. T. Fettit said tliat it was 

 necessary to band together to defend 

 ourselves. 



Rev. W. F. Clarke said, " United 

 we stand." He would prefer to have 

 the National Bee-Keepers' Union con- 

 solidated with the North American 

 Bee-Keepers' Society if it was pos- 

 sible, lie was one of the first in 

 Canada to join the Union, and said 

 tliat if it is not consolidated, we must 

 co-operate with tlie Union in the most 

 decided way. 



Mr. W. E. Clark said he agreed 

 with the last speaker— if it can be 

 done, he wasinfavorof consolidation. 



Mr. C. E. Isham said that the great 

 light for the Union was to be fought 

 in California in the raisin district. 

 We must sustain the Union, and 

 defend our pursuit. 



Mr. T. L. 'V^on Dorn said that the 

 bee-keepers of Lower California were 

 in dangr'r of being entirely driven out 

 by the raisin-growers. 



Mr. C. F. Miith remarked that the 

 matter was one for the Courts to 

 decide— not that of one pursuitagainst 

 another. 



Prof. A. J. Cook said that it was a 

 case of bee-keepers and fruit-growers 

 on one side, and ignorance on the 

 other. The bees are the besttriends 

 to fruit-growers, to fertilize the 

 flowers, and thereby produce the fruit. 

 In the spring when there are but few 

 insects to fertilize the flowers, the 

 bees are very valuable. 



Mr. II. R. Boardraan advised con- 

 ciliation, when there are complaints 

 against bees by fruit-growers and 

 others. A crate of honey given to 

 such complainants, will do much to 

 cause them to feel differently. 



Rev. W. F. Clarke said that in 

 Court, a crate of honey would do no 

 good— law must decide the case. He 

 tlien offered the following resolution : 



Resolved. That a committee of seven 

 be appointed to consider and report 

 upon the best methods of protecting 

 the interests of bee-keeping from 

 legal attack prompted by ignorance. 



The resolution passed, and the com- 

 mittee was appointed as follows : W. 

 F. Clarke, T. G. Newman, W. E. 

 Clark. James Heddon, C. F. Muth, S. 

 T. Pettit, and Prof. A. J. Cook. 



The President's annual address was 

 then given as follows : 



BiioTHEii Bee-Keepers of North 

 America :— We have assembled here 

 at our annual convention to consider 

 that which pertains to the best in- 

 terests of our pursuit. I shall not 

 occupy your time with an exhaustive 

 aildress, for the programme is full, 

 and very complete, and our time is 

 short at best to consider the many 

 important subjects which .will be 

 presented. I am here as a member of 

 this Society to assist as best I m;iy in 

 throwing light upon the topics brought 

 before us. I take it as an expression 

 of good-cheer and great generosity in 

 those who have arranged the pre- 

 liminaries for these meetings, that 



