816 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The question was fully discussed, the 

 convention agreeing upon the one idea, 

 that no person should be encouraged to 

 keep bees, who was not naturally 

 adapted to the business. 



At this point an opportunity was given 

 to pay dues, and also to become members 

 of the Association, to which a large 

 number responded. 



Subjects from the Q,uestion-Box. 



The question-box was next opened, 

 and the following questions i-ead and 

 discussed: " Was there an over-produc- 

 tion of honey in the United States last 

 season ?" 



Before discussing questions at any 

 length, Rev. L. Johnson, of Kentucky, 

 arose, and, by permission, introduced 

 two sisters to the convention — Misses. 

 Amelia and Mary Beach, of Beach Bluff, 

 Covington, Ky. — stating that they had 

 recently lost their father, who was a 

 bee-keeper, and as they desired to con- 

 tinue the business, asked that a small 

 contribution be raised for the purpose 

 of purchasing " Langstroth's Revised" 

 book; $2.10 was very soon collected, 

 and presented to the two sisters, which 

 amount was more than sufficient to pay 

 for the book. 



The question-box was again drawn 

 upon, and the following question read: 

 " Is not 18 or 20 cents per pound a high 

 price for comb-honey ?" 



Those who discussed this question 

 agreed that 18 and 20 cents is a high 

 price for comb-honey for this year, 

 everything else being considered. 



Next question was, " Would you put 

 bees, wintered in-doors, out before they 

 can fly ?" 



This question was answered in the 

 negative. 



The next question was asked by Dr. C. 

 C. Miller, viz. : " What is a standard 

 section?" The 4ji|;x4j^xl% inches was 

 rather agreed upon, but a few favored a 

 little smaller section. 



SECOND DAY — MORNING SESSION. 



The morning session was opened with 

 prayer by Rev. L. Johnson, after which 

 communications from Dr. A. B. Mason, 

 Mrs. Anna L. Cowan, O. A. Cory and D. 



B. Combaugh were read. An Invitation 

 sent in by the President of the Cincinnati 

 Chamber of Commerce, inviting the (;on- 

 vcntion to visit the Chamber of Com- 

 merce, was also read, whereupon Dr. C. 



C. Miller moved that a vote of thanks be 

 extended to the Chamber of Commerce, 

 for their kind invitation. 



Next, Mr. Chas. F. Muth read the 

 following : 



The President's Address. 



Fellow Bee- Keepers : — 



Since it is my pleasant duty to present 

 the President's address, I take pleasure in 

 offering you a most heartfelt welcome to 

 our " Queen City of the West." As our 

 worthy Mayor said, sometime ago, "We 

 can intrust to your care the keys of the 

 city," because it is a known fact that bee- 

 keepers, as a class, rate second to none in 

 regard to sociability and a general good 

 character. We bid you a hearty welcome ! 



Bee-keepers attend their meetings in 

 order to renew old friendships, make new 

 ones, and have a general good time among 

 friends. But very few would abandon the 

 comforts of their homes, and travel hun- 

 dreds of miles, if pleasure qlone was the 

 object. The nerous rerum, the matter of 

 dollars and cents, plays quite an important 

 part. 



SOME IMPORTANT BEE-QUESTIONS. 



The question of how to make our business 

 pay best is of vital interest to every one of 

 us, especially at a time like the present, 

 when competition with the sugar interests 

 bears heavily on the prices of honey. The 

 knowledge of economy in apiculture, and 

 the art of producing the largest crops, is 

 nowhere better elucidated than in our 

 meetings. 



Bee-keepers have no secrets, as is the case 

 among the followers of many other pur- 

 suits. Perhaps all of us have gathered the 

 most points from a personal exchange of 

 ideas at bee-keepers' meetings. 



The next question, and by no means the 

 least, is, How can we market our honey 

 best, and in what shape or manner oflFered, 

 does it bring the best prices ? These are 

 the questions that bring us together, and 

 the solution of which is exercising the 

 brains of the best bee-keepers. 



SPRING MANAGEMENT OP BEES. 



Since extracted-honey has almost become 

 a staple article, every bee-keeper may de- 

 cide for himself whether he should produce 

 comb or extracted-horiey, or both. The 

 main question with him is as to the best 

 means to employ for the production of a 

 large crop. 



He may have the most prolific queens, 

 his successful wintering may be an accom- 

 plished fact, and his colonies may be in a 

 flourishing condition four or five weeks 

 previous to the beginning of the honey 

 harvest, but, misled by fine weather and 

 the lively flight of bis bees, he forgets that 

 flowers, generally, yield no honey just at 

 that period, and that the consumption of 

 their stores is greatest when brood-rearing 

 is at its best. Every thing may seem i)ros- 

 perous to our sanguine friend until he sees 

 dead larva? at the alighting-boards. 



Upon examination, he finds the hives full 

 of bees, no stores, and little or no larvae in 



