14 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



pounds of honey, it is capable of an ex- 

 pansion so great as to wholly eclipse the 

 present production of sugar from the 

 sugar-cane. Four contiguous counties 

 have produced in one season over four 

 million pounds of honey, and this repre- 

 sents but a fractional part of what 

 might have been gathered. 



Knowing well the genuine interest you 

 take in the welfare of the people of your 

 country, I am confident that you will 

 give this subject the attention its import- 

 ance deserves. Should there be any 

 points on which you desire additional 

 information, command me at your pleas- 

 ure. Yours, etc., P. H. Elwood, 

 President of the North American Bee- 

 Keepers' Association; also President of 

 the United States Honey Producers' 

 Exchange, and President of the New 

 York State Bee-Keepers' Association. 



The letter I received in reply is not at 

 hand, but it stated that the subject 

 should have the attention its importance 

 seemed to demand. I am glad to say 

 that the treaty makes no change in the 

 present duty. 



As the hand of our legislators has 

 once been laid heavily upon us, and may 

 be again, I suggest that a standing 

 "watch-dog" committee on legislation 

 be appointed. Also, if you think best, 

 this committee may be authorized to 

 draft a bill regulating the use of arseni- 

 cal poisons on fruits and vegetables, by 

 spraying and other processes. That bill 

 should be in suitable form for submis- 

 sion to the several State Legislatures. 



The Committee on Medals have com- 

 pleted their labors, suitable dies have 

 been obtained, and medals stamped for 

 distribution to affiliated societies, as 

 called for in the Constitution. Much 

 credit is due to Mr. Thomas G. Newman, 

 who worked on this committee with his 

 usual vigor and ability. A few extra 

 medals to be awarded for meritorious 

 inventions, discoveries and experiments, 

 would help our society and pursuit. 



The original experiments made by Pro- 

 fessor Cook, on Fertilization by the 

 Honey-Bee, read at Washington, is 

 worthy of a medal, but probably our 

 awards should be conditioned on having 

 the report first made to this Society. I 

 hope Professor Cook has continued his 

 experiments so as to include buckwheat, 

 as farmers have but little idea of the 

 great benefit they derive from the honey- 

 bee in the fertilization of this grain. 



A medal should be offered for the best 

 essay for general distribution on "The 

 use of Honey in the Arts and Manufac- 

 tures." When we know that a single 



firm of bakers within a few months 

 bought SI 3,000 worth of honey to use 

 in their business, we are led to believe 

 that its use might be largely extended. 



Manufacturers have learned that cer- 

 tain chemical processes take place with 

 honey that do not with sugar. 



In medicine honey might often be sub- 

 stituted for syrup, to the benefit of the 

 patient, as it is more easily digested, and 

 in lung and throat diseases it is a valu- 

 able medicine. 



Formerly it was the custom of our 

 secretaries to prepare a copy of our pro- 

 ceedings for the press, or a copy from 

 which reporters could make extracts. I 

 advise that we return to this custom. 

 Reporters are not familiar with bee- 

 keeping, and while we sometimes have 

 excellent reports, usually those pub- 

 lished in our dailies are not creditable to 

 either bee-men or to the papers that pub- 

 lish them. I therefore ask that our 

 Secretary furnish a report for the press. 



We are pleased to have with us in this 

 meeting many representative bee-keep- 

 ers who have not met with us heretofore. 

 Mr. Frank Benton, who has nearly 

 compassed the world in search of new 

 varieties of bees, and to whom bee-keep- 

 ers are under lasting obligations, ex- 

 pected to be here, but is kept away by 

 sickness. 



One whom we have been accustomed 

 to meet at our State Conventions is not 

 here— Mr. G. H. Ashby — whom we held 

 in high esteem for his superior qualities 

 of head and heart, will be sadly missed 

 on the floor of this Convention. 



P. H. Elwood. 



A vote of thanks was given to the 

 President for his able address. 



A recess was then taken, when the 

 following members paid the annual dues: 



J. S. Barb. Oakfleld, Ohio. 

 B. Wells, Fostoria, Ohio. 



E. Calvert, Valley Junction, Iowa. 



F. A. Hayes, Farragut, Pa. 



P. H. Elwood, Starkville, N. Y. 

 J. M. llambaugh. Spring, 111. 

 0. L. Hershiser, 24 W. Seneca street, 

 Buffalo, N. Y. 



W. E. Clark, Oriskany, N. Y. 



W. D. Wright, Altamont, N. Y. 



R. F. Holtermann, Brantford. Ontario. 



V. V. Blackmer. Orwell. Vt. 



Solomon Vrooraan. Hartford. N. Y. 



S. Coriieil, Lindsay, Ontario, 



R. INIcKnight, Owen Sound. Oiitaiin. 



H. L. Leonard. Brandon, Vt. 



.7. E. Crane, Middlebury, Vt. 



R. H. Holmes, Shoreham, Vt. 



Ira Barber, DeKalb Junction, N. V. 



J. E. Uetherington.Cherry Valley, N.Y. 



