110 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



duties on Cuban honey imported into 

 this country, will seriously cripple if 

 not entirely destroy an industry still in 

 its infancy (satherin,"- only about fifty 

 million po'unds yearly) but which under 

 the same fostering care extended to 

 other industries is destined to become 

 a business of immense proportions. 



Therefore. We, tlie beekeepers of 

 the United States, petition our honor- 

 able representatives in the U. S. Senate 

 that the article admitting Cuban honey 

 free into this couutry be stricken out 

 of the Spanish-American Treaty. 



Geo. W. House, 

 P. H. Elwood. 



The following committee was ap- 

 pointed to present the above resolu- 

 tions to the beekeepers of the United 

 States, and also to the Senate and 

 House of Representatives, viz., Messrs. 

 Todd, L. C. Root, Vandervort, Betsin- 

 ger, Locke and Elwood. 



The secretary was instructed to have 

 printed copies of theabove resolutions, 

 and to send them to beekeepers, and 

 interested parties throughout the Unit- 

 ed States, and especially to those who 

 had previously received another cir- 

 cular issued by the association. 



ELKCTION OF OFFICERS. 



An informal ballot was taken for 

 president, which gave Mr. L. C Root 

 the majority— 41 votes. Tliis was fol- 

 lowed by a formal ballot, which gave 

 Mr. L. C. Root 41 votes and elected 

 him president. 



Mr. L. C. Root was by acclimation 

 unanimously made president. Secre- 

 tary House was instructed, and did 

 cast the vote of the association for 

 Chas. Dickinson as vice president. 



Mr. House stated tliat he should pos- 

 itively decline reelection as secretary, 

 as he had served in that capacity for a 

 long time, and he thought tliere were 

 others who should share the burden. 



A formal vote was then taken, which 

 resulted in the election of Mr. Frank 

 I. C. Berick, as secretary. Mr. I. L. 

 Schofleld was elected treasurer. 



President Root then presented his 

 annual address as follows : 



THE HONEY MARKET. 



The one great interest which comes 

 before us most prominently, demanding 

 the attention of all who are in any way 



interested in the production of honey, 

 is, How shall we create a more general 

 demand for our products and establish 

 a permanent and well regulated market 

 for the same? 



It may be well first to notice some 

 of the causes which have brought 

 about the present condition of the 

 market that we may be better able to 

 work intelligently in placing it upon a 

 better basis. 



Twenty-flve years ago, box honey in 

 two to eight comb boxes, weighing 

 from five to ten lbs. each, would whole- 

 sale readily at from 30 to 40 cts. per 

 lb. and retail in proportion. 



With this advantage, had the minds 

 of beekeepers generally been fixed 

 upon the idea of establishing a reliable 

 and permanent honey market, and had 

 they worked as faithfully to that end, 

 as they have in the direction of pro- 

 ducing a greater quantity of honey, 

 we should not have the unsettled 

 market of to-day. 



Besides, if we had kept this matter 

 fully in mind in all of its bearings, we 

 should have found that by producing 

 less surplus honey in better shape, we 

 should have experienced far less loss, 

 particularly in wintering. 



There are many who have lost in 

 bees during the winter much more than 

 they have gained by their efibrts to 

 produce a large amount of surplus. 



I do not fail to recognize the grand 

 progress which has been made during 

 the past in the production of honey, 

 and yet I repeat that far too little at- 

 tention has been given to fostering 

 and encouraging a demand for honey 

 which Avould sustain a permanent and 

 substantial market. 



We have had by far too many pet 

 hobbies and too much selfishness to be 

 gratified. We have not worked with 

 enough unity and with enough willing- 

 ness to make such sacrifice as would 

 result in the greatest good to the 

 greatest number. 



Our bee-literature has been seriously 

 at fault as an educator. Books have 

 been written and journals have been 

 published from selfish motives. The 

 tendency has been far too great in the 

 direction of urging everybody indis- 

 criminately to engage in beekeeping 

 without first qualifying themselves as 

 in any other pursuit. 



Beginners have been led to desire to 

 produce a large amount of honey, 

 rather than to pursue well-considered 

 and cautious methods which would 

 secure a less quantity in better mark- 

 etable form. 



