THE AMERICAN APIGULTURIST. 



51 



Again, the condition of our honey 

 market is -most deploralole, tlie whole 

 matter being under the control of the 

 commission merchant. There is al- 

 most an entire lack of any means 

 whereby we may ascertain "the true 

 condition of the honey produced each 

 season or the condition of the honey 

 market; the result being that as soon 

 as the beekeepers secure their crop, 

 they ship it to the commission mer- 

 chant, glut the market and depreciate 

 the prices. I sometimes thinli that the 

 beekeepers forget that the commission 

 merchant is sure of liis percentage on 

 the sales, no matter what prices the 

 honey brings, and I fear that quite fre- 

 quently the dealer secures a bonus 

 besides. This is one of the subjects 

 which should receive most careful con- 

 sideration at the convention, for just 

 so long as the beekeepers neglect to 

 settle this matter, just so long will 

 they give to the middle-men nearly all 

 the profits of the apiary ; and, indeed, 

 alter paying the supply dealers' bills, 

 the expense of shipping our honey, 

 and the conunissioners' percentage, 

 there is but little left with which to 

 remunerate the apiarist for his hard 

 season's work. 



I am fully aware that my position 

 will be severely criticised regarding 

 this matter, but I have carefully con- 

 siilered it and am fully convinced that, 

 in placing our honey in the hands of 

 the commission merchant, we destroy 

 the first great principles of business. 

 If I mistake and the system is a cor- 

 rect one, then as "it is a poor rule 

 that will not work both ways," we 

 sliould be al)le to purchase our supplies 

 after the same method. But go to the 

 supply dealer and see if he will be sat- 

 isfied to sell his goods in this way. 

 No! we are obliged to pay cash and 

 should receive cash for our products. 

 The beekeepers mnst devise some 

 means whereijy they can control the 

 honey market. This is by no means a 

 hard task, and I sincerely hope tJiat 

 the convention will take action upon 

 this matter, and if iiossible, establish 

 a remedy. Again, it is a patent fact 

 that for ^a number of years the bee 

 journals 'have failed to fill their mis- 

 sion as representatives of tlie best in- 

 terests of the beekeepers, and to-day 

 there exists an urgent and imperative 

 demand for an independent bee journal 

 which shall be published in the broad- 

 est sense in the interests of the bee- 

 keepers and fully supported by them. 



As a concluding thought, t would 

 refer to the condition of our associa- 



tions. To-day, there is none in the 

 United States which can justly lay 

 claim to the title of a national bee- 

 keepers' association, and until such an 

 one is systematically organized and 

 thoroughly established we shall be sub- 

 ject to these troublesome questions to 

 which I have referred. Our associa- 

 tions should be the supreme judges 

 upon all matters of interest and im- 

 portance to the beekeepers, and in 

 order that they may accomplish the 

 purpose for which they are designed 

 they must be thoroughly organized and 

 systematically conducted. First, there 

 should be a national convention which 

 should be composed of delegates from 

 each state association to a#t as their 

 representatives. This should meet an- 

 nually to discuss and decide matters of 

 interest to the beekeeper, and the pro- 

 ceedings should be stenographically 

 reported and printed in pamphlet form. 

 The state associations should meet as 

 often as circumstances require, their 

 duty being to gather correct state- 

 ments of the condition of apiculture 

 in their respective states, to further its 

 interests as much as possible, and to 

 appoint delegates to attend the na- 

 tional convention, who shall report 

 the condition of apiculture in the 

 states they represent and also work 

 for the interest of the state associa- 

 tions. 



I will not attempt to explain this 

 matter more fully, as it Avould weary 

 your patience, preferring rather to sug- 

 gest these few hints which may lead 

 you to consider its feasibility, for only 

 by and through these means shall we 

 remedy the evils which assail us on 

 every side. 



I am fully aware that I am address- 

 ing an association whose founder was 

 one of the most active, whole-souled 

 and thoroughly practical apiarists of 

 America; whose highest aim was to 

 live out the "Golden Kule" and work 

 for the interest of the science he loved 

 so Avell; who lived far in advance of 

 his time, and only when the light of 

 coming years shall more fully unfold 

 to us his wonderful character and su- 

 perior worth, shall we truly compre- 

 hend how much apiculture suftered 

 when the mind and voice of father 

 Quinby were hushed in the silence of 

 death. But his mantle falling upon 

 this association has so imbued its 

 members with his spirit, that they have 

 ever been true- to the principles of right 

 and justice, speaking whenever the in- 

 terests of the beekeepers were threat- 

 ened, in words which have resounded 



