AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



575 



increased trade profitable, and unless 

 his locality yields profusely every year, 

 or nearly so, he will not find it profitable 

 to increase his apiary to more than a 

 hundred colonies without establishing 

 out-apiaries. Whether out - apiaries 

 should be established, and a man's 

 whole time and energies should be de- 

 voted to producing honey, is a question 

 which ought to be carefully considered 

 before attempting it. 



The last few years have not been very 

 encouraging to such practice. But 

 there is no reason why every land owner, 

 at least, should not diversify his labor 

 and cultivate his mind and hand by 

 keeping bees enough to supply his own 

 family with honey, and enough to spare 

 to trade to some neighbors who never 

 will keep bees, for something needed in 

 .the home. — Farmer and Breeder. 



Forest City, Iowa. 



Texas State Bee-Keeprs' Conyentlon. 



A. H. .TONES. 



The Texas State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation met in their 14th annual conven- 

 tion at Greenville, Tex., on April 6 and 

 7, 1892, there being about 40 bee- 

 keepers in attendance. 



The convention was called to order by 

 President W. R. Graham, and Rev. W. 

 K. Marshall, of Marshall, Tex., led in 

 prayer. President Graham stated the 

 object of the meeting, and outlined the 

 work and business to be done. He also 

 cordially welcomed the delegates to the 

 hospitalities of the city, and to his own 

 home north of the city. 



The minutes of the last annual meet- 

 ing were read and approved. The roll of 

 membership was called, and the death 

 of Mr. J. J. Bankston announced. A 

 committee was appointed to draft reso- 

 lutions of respect to the deceased 

 brother, as follows : A. H. Jones, Dr. 

 W. E. Smith and J. D. Moody. 



The question-box was substituted for 

 a programme. 



Dr. Marshall was invited to state his 

 experience in bee-keeping, and gave an 

 interesting talk. 



Dr. Marshall was the oldest bee-keeper 

 present, and, perhaps, the oldest in the 

 State. He began bee-keeping when 

 quite young, back in the days of super- 

 stition, when it was thought that if a 

 man sold bees, he sold his luck. He was 

 taught that it was not wrong to steal 

 bees if he left remuneration for them on 



the stand from which the bees were 

 taken. 



From the bee-keeper who taught him 

 this, he took a colony of bees, leaving a 

 five-dollar gold-piece on the stand from 

 which he took the bees. Being asked 

 afterward if he had obtained any bees, 

 he told his story to the owner of those 

 he had stolen. Being asked if any one 

 saw him, he said a woman at the house 

 saw him. The owner said : " I'll bet 

 that woman got the money. You will 

 make a bee-keeper." 



Dr. Marshall, in his remarks, said that 

 he was perhaps the first man to receive 

 an Italian queen west of the Mississippi. 

 He purchased this queen in 1863, of 

 Rev. L. L. Langstroth, and paid $25 

 for her; and that Judge W. H. Andrews 

 rode from McKinney, Collin county, on 

 horseback to Rusk, Cherokee county, a 

 distance of nearly 150 miles, to see this 

 queen. Dr. Marshall made many his- 

 torical statements. 



The number of colonies and condition 

 of the same were called for. There were 

 800 colonies represented ; they had 

 wintered well, and were in good condi- 

 tion, and the prospect for a good yield 

 was favorable. Fifty pounds of honey 

 per colony was the average for last year. 

 It was demonstrated from all reports 

 that the industry was on the increase. 



The movable-comb hive was discussed 

 at length, and comb-foundation formed 

 an interesting topic. The manner of 

 putting up and selling honey was dis- 

 cussed freely, and the management of 

 bees was an important feature of the 

 discussions. 



Reports of committees was called for, 

 and the Committee on Resolutions re- 

 ported the following, which were ac- 

 cepted, and unanimously adopted : 



Whereas, Our beloved brother, J. J. 

 Bankston, of Golden, Tex., departed 

 this life on April 12, 1891. 



Resolved, That we deeply deplore the 

 loss of our brother, thus cut down in the 

 midst of his usefulness, and in the prime 

 of life ; that in his death we feel that 

 we have lost a worthy advocate of our 

 favorite vocation. 



Resolved, That we tender our sincere 

 sympathy to the bereaved family, and 

 that these resolutions be spread on the 

 minutes, and a copy of the same be 

 furnished to the bereaved family. 



The question-box was then opened. 



Which pays best, full sheets of foun- 

 dation or starters, both in brood-frames 

 and in sections ? Reasonably good 

 starters were decided best. 



