THE JtMERICSI* BEE JOURIS3tt. 



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MICHIGAN. 



Report of liic iHii-hieuii Slate 

 Convention. 



Written for Uie Americmi, Dee Journal 



BY W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



The Michigan State Bee-Keepers' 

 Association held its 23nl annual meet- 

 in;; on Dec. 12 and 13, 1888. at the 

 Business Men's parlors in the city of 

 Jackson, Mich. The attendance was 

 small, and there is, perhaps, more 

 tlian one cause for it, but the principal 

 one probably is the poor season. The 

 Secretary wrote to about eighty bee- 

 keepers, soliciting their attendance, 

 and the burden of the replies was, 

 " No honey, no money." 



The convention was called to oi-der 

 by President Geo. E. Hilton, at 2:30 

 p"m. ; the Secretary read the minutes 

 of the last meeting, which were ap- 

 proved, and Mr. Hilton then delivered 

 the following as the 



President's Annual Address : 



Again we find ourselves in conven- 

 tion assembled for the purpose of dis- 

 cussing the topics appertaining to our 

 favorite pursuit. Many of us have had 

 experiences the past year that will be 

 of value to us as long as we are en- 

 gaged in apiculture, and to those that 

 come after us, of less e.xperience. 



In some respects, perhaps, there has 

 never been so discouraging a season 

 as the one just past. A few, perhaps, 

 are engaged in bee-keeping for no 

 other purpose than the pleasure they 

 tind in it, but a large majority of us 

 have engaged in it because wc thought 

 that it paid, and have taken np the 

 pursuit with a view of procuring our 

 bread and butter in this way, with the 

 assurance that we should ha^e honey 

 to spare to spread upon the same. 



I>essons of the Past Season. 



The past season has taught some of 

 us the lesson, that it is not wise to 

 carry all of our eggs to market in one 

 l:i^isket ; also, that mixed farming is 

 more safe for the majority than are 

 specialties. I think that for the past 

 two or three years we have heard less 

 of specialists in bee-keeping, and with 

 mj' past experience in good and poor 

 seasons, I cannot advise the masses to 

 make bee-keeping a specialty. 



But in looking over the past year, I 

 see much to encourage us. Those who 

 had any surplus honey at all, have 

 been able to dispose of it at paying 

 prices, yes even at exorbitant prices. 



Who has heard of honey selling at 

 30 cents per pound, and the average 

 price for the United States a trillo over 

 19 cents per pound in the middle of 

 October ? Why, the like has never 

 been heard of since Adam Grimm 

 made a fortune by keeping bees ; but 1 

 ])rophesy that before March 1, 188i), 

 there will be localities in the United 

 States where a fancy article of comb 

 honey will bring 50 cents per pound, 

 and honey will never be so scarce 

 but that a prime article will bring one- 

 third more than a poor one, even 

 though it be gathered from the same 

 blossoms. This teaches us that the 

 profits depend upon the bee-keeper, 

 for if bees will store just as much 

 honey in a nail-keg (which I doubt 

 very much), it will not bring as much 

 in the market as honey stored in beau- 

 tiful white sections. But this season 

 even the lower grades are going to be 

 closed out at soiuc price, and before 

 another crop comes, we will be unable 

 to get honey to make cough syrup for 

 our babies. 



Blessings of a Poor Season. 



Then the past season has established 

 paying prices ; it has denuded the mar- 

 kets, and ■ has forever downed that 

 ghost, " manufactured honey." Is not 

 that enough to pay for all our losses 

 (or rather, for what we have not had 

 to lose) ? We start in next year with 

 a clean market. There will be a de- 

 mand everywhere, and it is the duty 

 that every bee-keeper owes to him- 

 self, to retain this demand, which is 

 easily accomplished by never sending 

 a pound of honey to the large mar- 

 kets, until you have supplied your 

 home and surrounding markets ; these 

 you can control, but as soon as you 

 glut the large markets, you establish a 

 ruinous market at home. 



I had no trouble in selling comb 

 honey at 20 cents per pound until sev- 

 eral carloads were shipped into Grand 

 Rapids, and sold at 10 cents ; then 

 our merchants learned that they could 

 ship honey from Grand Rapids, and 

 retail it at 15 cents, at a better profit 

 than the commission I was paying 

 them ; and for the past four years, 15 

 cents has been our retail price, for in 

 a small place it was very hard to raise 

 the price, unless the market is entirely 

 bare, or will be at the opening of 

 another honey harvest. 



Tlie Fall Flow of Honey. 



Then in addition to the prospects of 

 good prices for next season, the bees 

 as a rule bave gone into winter quar- 

 ters in excellent condition. The fall 

 rains gave us a nice fall flow of honey, 

 which caused the brood-nests to be 

 well supplied with a good quality of 

 honey, and many of us secured a little 



surplus. Since the season ended, the 

 rains have continued, and the clover 

 has a beautiful start for next season's 

 crop. We need not lie awake at night 

 fearing that we must contend with 

 free-trade in sugar, because we have 

 not. 



I need not tell you that many 

 changes have taken place, all in favor 

 of the bee-keeper ; and in all my ex.. 

 perience in bcc-keeping, I do not know 

 when I have felt so much encouraged. 

 I am sure that the darker hour is pass- 

 ing away, and in the future we can 

 see the dawn of that morning of pros- 

 perity in bee-keeping. And now if 

 "'tis not in mortals to command suc- 

 cess," by the help of God let us de- 

 serve it ; let every one go home from 

 this convention with a determination 

 to do better than he ever did before, 

 not only for himself, but for mankind 

 in general. 



Xlie ISee-Iieepcrs' Union. 



Permit me here to urge every mem- 

 ber of this association to become a 

 member of the Bee-Keepers' Union that 

 has done so much for us all, and could 

 do much more good were it properly 

 supported. I am almost ashamed to 

 say that out of 300,000 bee-keepers of 

 North America, less than 400 are mem- 

 bers of the Union ! 



International Bee-Association. 



Before this convention closes I hope 

 there will be some action taken in re- 

 gard to the International Bee-Associa- 

 tion. I should like to see the Michi- 

 gan Bee-Keepers' Association repre- 

 sented at its next annual meeting, in 

 an official manner, and I hope the 

 matter will be thoroughly discussed as 

 to the best manner of being repre- 

 sented. 



I have made the assertion, that ours 

 is the association of the Continent, and 

 I believe that we are looked upon ds 

 at least one of the best bee-keepers' 

 associations in this broad land of ours. 



Now as we go to our several homes, 

 at the close of this, the 23rd annual 

 meeting, let each one resolve to do 

 something for the elevation of our 

 brother and sister bee-keepers, and let 

 us be thankful, 



" For all that God in mercy sends. 



For health and children, home and friends, 



For comfort in the time of need. 



For every kindlv word and deed. 



For happy thoughts, and holy talk, 



For guidance in our daily walk ; 



For beauty in this world of ours. 



For verdant ^rass and lovely UowerB. 



For song of bird, and hum of bees. 



For the refreshing summer breeze : 



For t he sweet sleep that comes with night. 



For the returning morning light. 



For the bright sun which shines on high. 



For the stars glittering in the sky ; 



For these and everything we have and see. 



Oh, Lord, our hearts we lift to thee— 



For everyling give thanks." 



Geo. E. Hilton. 



