THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



369 



National Bee-Keepers' Association. 



This Society met at Cooper's Institute on 

 Tuesday, Oct. 16tli. President W. J. An- 

 drews in the chair; J. H. Nellis, Sec'y. 



Tiie following were appointed committee 

 of arrangements: Capt. J. S. He^herington, 

 J. H. Nellis, A. J. King, T. G. Newman and 

 S. M. Loclie. 



The President delivered his annual ad- 

 dress as follows: 



Fellow Bee-Keepers:— Just one year 

 ago we met in convention at Philadelphia. 

 That meeting marks an era in our liistory — 

 it being the Centennial year of American 

 independence. That was my first meeting 

 with you. I came into your midst an entire 

 stranger. Without any solicitation on my 

 part, and to my great astonishment I was 

 taken completely by surprise in being 

 chosen your presiding otiicer, an honor 

 which I have never for a n)omnnt thought 

 was intended for me personally, but to that 

 section of the country from which I hailed. 

 I accepted it as a tender of the olive branch 

 of peace. 



Soon after our separation at Philadelphia 

 a national election was held, and as soon as 

 the result was known in all the States, the 

 question uppermost in the minds of our 

 people was, " Who is to be our next presi- 

 dent?" At one time it was seriously ap- 

 Erehended that the question would have to 

 e decided by the sword— that our country 

 would again be plunged into civil war— all 

 eyes were on Congress. With breathless 

 anxiety their meeting and action was await- 

 ed. They met and good counsel prevailed. 

 From turmoil and threatenings of war came 

 peace, and it is with feelings of profound 

 pride that we have witnessed during the 

 last year the efforts put forth by our fieople 

 of all sections to renew those bonds of good 

 fellowship that existed prior to that period 

 that we were thrown into the terrible 

 vortex and calamities of civil war. And it 

 is my sincere prayer, as it should be of 

 every true patriot and lover of his country, 

 that we may all continue to cultivate those 

 reciprocal feelings, until all our people, 

 whether they be of the North or of the 

 South, of the East or of the West, may have 

 that fraternal feeling one for the other 

 which 1 know exists among bee-keepers. 

 Could 1 give utterance to a stronger wish 

 for the good and welfai'e of our whole coun- 

 try? 



I know of no class of any calling, profes- 

 sion or avocation among whom a more 

 friendly and fraternal feeling exists than 

 among bee-keepers. I have had 1 he pleas- 

 ure of making the acquaintance and ming- 

 ling with a number of my fellow bee-keep- 

 ers of every section of our country,— many 

 of whom differed with me both religiously 

 and politically— yet our social relations 

 were the very kindest; in fact, I think I am 

 fully justified and warranted in saying: — 

 point out to me a bee-keeper, one who loves 

 the pursuitand takes an interest in it, and I 

 will show you a man of benevolence and 

 generous impulses, one whose latch-string 

 to his mansion is on the outside, one ready 

 and more than willing to extend to you the 

 hospitalities of his home; one ever ready 

 to greet you with the cordial grip of friend- 

 ship. 



One of the principal subjects that will be 

 before us at this meeting will be, the best 



means of promoting the interest of this 

 Society and placing it on a sure foundation. 

 1 am sure that no one who properly appre- 

 ciates the benefits derived alone in produc- 

 ing a closer bond of union will for a mo- 

 ment entertain the idea of disbanding. It 

 is to be hoped that some plan will be sug- 

 gested and adopted that will yet draw us 

 still closer together and " forge the links of 

 brotherhood and good fellowship." I have 

 given the subject much thought and con- 

 sideration and have had considerable cor- 

 respondence with a number of our mem- 

 bers. It occurs to me that this might be 

 best accomplished by the formation of local 

 county societies with State heads, and act- 

 ing as auxilaries to this society. One of 

 the chief drawbacks to our success is the 

 expense in reaching the place of meeting. 

 With these county and state societies as 

 auxiliaries and a beneficiary system in cqn- 

 nection therewith, this objection would be 

 overcome and there would be a pecuniary 

 incentive for sending delegates to our meet- 

 ings. The adoption of such a system I 

 think, too, would prove a great benefit to 

 each individual. Soon after my return 

 home from Philadelphia last year I opened 

 a correspondence with several' of our mem- 

 bers, and advanced this idea to them. All 

 those with whom I corresponded thought 

 favorably of it. 1 then wrote out and had 

 published in two of the bee papers setting 

 forth my views fully on the subject, which 

 no doubt you have all read, and it is there- 

 fore unnecessary for me to repeat them 

 here. 



That great good has resulted from our 

 and similar local organizations cannot be 

 doubted. It is but a short time in the past 

 and within the recollection of the most of 

 us that the only mode of keeping bees was 

 in the old log gum and common box hives. 

 Langstroth invented the movable -frame 

 liive, and a few adopted it. Then local 

 organizations began to spring into existence 

 and these soon culminated in the organiza 

 tion of this Society. At its very first ses- 

 sion one of the leading topics was tlie adop- 

 tion of a uniform standard frame,— no 

 conclusion, however, was arrived at, yet 

 the matter was thus called to the attention 

 of bee-keepers generally; and now by com- 

 mon consent the Langstroth frame has 

 come almost into universal use. This we 

 are glad of for two reasons, ^rsf, because it 

 shows a just and proper appreciation for 

 the genius of its inventor, and, secondly, 

 the attainment of the desired end— a uni- 

 versal frame. 



Not only has this been accomplished, but 

 we have witnessed the introduction of the 

 Italian bee, which is now universally ad- 

 mitted to be far superior to our native 

 blacks; and then, too, we have had the in- 

 vention of the extractor, an implement 

 which has proven itself an indispensible 

 one in the hands of all who have given it a 

 trial; and very recently comb foundation 

 and machinery for its manufacture have 

 been introduced. These foundations have 

 been sufficiently tested to prove them a suc- 

 cess, and are rapidly coming into general 

 use. 



There yet remains one great desideratum 

 to be accomplished by our Northern breth- 

 ren—one which is of no moment with us of 

 the South— wintering; and may 1 not add 

 that this, too, is about to be, if not already, 

 accomplished in chaff. Now we do not 



