44 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



bees became alarmed and carried their 

 lioiiey into market, selling it for just 

 -what the grocer pleased to pay them 

 and taking groceries in payment. I 

 went to one of my customers early in 

 September to sell him some honey. 

 The tirst thing he told me was he 

 thought lie could not buy of me this 

 fall, as having gained a reputation, my 

 price would be too high for him. He 

 said that a man was in his store a day 

 or two before and wanted to sell him 

 nice comb honey ; lie was very anxious 

 to sell immediately, for he was afraid 

 there would be no market in a few 

 days. He had received this impression 

 by reading that the country was filled 

 with honey. He told the grocer man 

 that it would not be many days before 

 lie would see wagons laden with milk 

 cans tilled with honey coming into 

 town, and then there would be no 

 chance for liim. He finally sold his 

 honey for twelve cents a pound taking 

 most of it in trade. He also showed 

 me a letter from a man in Booneville, 

 offering him honey at a very low figure. 

 I know of a wholesale house in Utica 

 that is selling first-class honey at fif- 

 teen cents pel- pound. Now, what will 

 this price net the producer? Not a 

 very profitable one I think. Now, I 

 am one who believes there is such a 

 thing as overstocking the country with 

 bees and our markets with honey. 

 Let us get rid of this false notion, that 

 beekeeping is so easy and profitable 

 that incompetent and lazy persons can 

 get rich by it as by magic. Cannot some 

 of our writers be prevailed upon to 

 enlighten the public on this point, that 

 beekeepers are a hard-w^orking class, 

 working six days in a week, yes, some- 

 times seven? I think the time h:is 

 come when our conventions should 

 make an eftbrt to make it pay finan- 

 cially to those who attend them. 



The social part is grand and good. 

 You know that beekeepers are a good 

 set of fellows, open-hearted, frank and 

 jolly. They are always sweet and 

 good-natured, not apt to do wrong. 

 I never heard of one being hung or 

 sent to prison. The meanest thing I 

 ever heard of one's doing wis to run 

 away and leave his wife. I was talk- 

 ing with a Koman Catholic girl a short 

 time since, and asked her why it was 

 so many left the lloniish church and 

 joined the protestants. Her reply was 

 " no genuine catholics ever leave their 

 church. Those who do arc spurious." 

 So I think this man who Ici't his wife 

 was a spurious beekeeper. 



The conventions in the past have 



been of lasting benefit to those attend- 

 ing- them, educating us in our profess- 

 ion : how to manipulate and manage 

 our little pets, the best races of bees, 

 the best supplies, etc. Now, if we can 

 devise a plan to hold our markets to a 

 good, fair living price for our products, 

 the result Avill be beneficial. I would 

 suggest to this convention that we 

 make it a point all over the states to 

 make a display of our products at our 

 annual county fairs and make it a 

 point to sell all the honey we can, es- 

 pecially extracted, in small packages. 

 These things have been done in ot^her 

 places, why not here? Let us try it. 

 Let a number of our beekeepers in 

 each county pledge themselves to 

 make a display ; then appoint a com- 

 mittee to see the oflicers of our fairs, 

 and get them to give us an equal 

 chance with other branches of indus- 

 try . This, I think, will be one way to 

 help our home markets. 



This is the third convention over 

 -ivhich I have presided; one as vice 

 president, our worthy president, Dr. 

 Marks being sick and unable to attend. 

 You have always by your willingness 

 to be in order made it a very pleasant 

 duty to preside. 



Hoping that this may be the best and 

 most profitable convention yet held, 

 I now thank you for your kind indul- 

 gence, and bid you an official farewell. 



Mr. Dickinson then offered the fol- 

 lowing resolutions on the death of Mr. 

 Theo. Houck which were adopted and 

 placed on file. 



Died at Denver, Colo.. June 10, 1S83, 

 of hasty consumption, Theo. Houck of 

 Canajoharie, N. Y., aged 26 years and 

 3 mos. 



Mr. Houck was formerly the editor 

 of the Beekeepers' Exchange. 



Whereas, An Infinite and All-wise 

 Creator has deemed it expedient again 

 to remind us of the shortness and un- 

 certainty of life, by the de.ith of our 

 worthy and esteemed brother, Theo- 

 dore Houck, and 



Whereas, The N. E. B. Association 

 desire to place upon record our appre- 

 ciation of him who has thus early in 

 life been taken, therefore be it 



Itesolved, That by his death this as- 

 sociation has lost a worthy and efficient 

 member, apiculture a zealous advocate, 

 and society a christian gentleman. 



Jtesolvcd, That to the family of our 

 deceased brother we tender our heart- 

 felt sympathy ; and though w e would 



