THE AMEBIC AN APICULTURIST. 



251 



tal state, and has been recognized 

 as a business possessing both 

 pleasure and proflt. It is but a 

 few years ago a few of tlie progres- 

 sive beekeepers began to malve ex- 

 hibits of bees and their products at 

 the fairs. It was a small begin- 

 ning, and the premiums were small. 



A few years ago the attention of 

 the State Agricultural Society was 

 called to this growing industry, 

 and the persistent efforts of a few 

 to make a creditable exhibition ; 

 and the3^, with their usual liberality, 

 made a new department with a 

 much larger premium list, giving 

 the beekeepers a building to them- 

 selves, with competent judges to 

 make the awards. It was an ex- 

 periment with the Society, but with 

 Mr. W. J. Baxter as superinten- 

 dent of the department, everything 

 moved off finely, and the exhibition 

 proved a success. And to encour- 

 age the beekeepers to greater ef- 

 forts, the Societ}' increased the pre- 

 mium list to $31)0, the largest 

 amount offered by any State Agri- 

 cultural Society at that time. Mr. 

 J. C. Shoemaker was made super- 

 intendent of the department, and 

 he proved to be the riglit man in 

 the right place, and it was the 

 unanimous expression of all exhib- 

 itors, that Mr. Shoemaker was'just 

 the man for that department. 



With the large and varied pre- 

 mium list, it brought out a large 

 exhibit of bees, honey and bee- 

 keepers' supplies. 



Mr. R. L. Taylor, of Lapeer, 

 had on exhibition 4,317 lbs. of 

 comb honey, besides bees, Given 

 Foundation Press, machine for 

 punching holes in frames, for wiring 

 samples of foundation ; bees, bee- 

 hives, etc. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, Rogersville, 

 Mich., had 3,500 lbs. of comb honey, 

 eight full colonies of bees, including 

 Italians, Cyprians, Syrians, Carnio- 

 lans and Blacks, a large collection of 

 honey-bearing plants pressed and 



mounted, a large collection of bee 

 literature, beekeepers' supplies, 

 etc. 



Elmer Hutchinson (a brother of 

 W. Z.) had four full colonies of 

 bees, honey plants, extracted 

 honey, etc. 



Dr. Besse, of Delaware, Ohio, 

 fine collection of extracted honey, 

 queens, nuclei of bees with queen, 

 beekeepers' implements, comb 

 honey, etc. 



O. H. Townsdem, Armada, Mich., 

 bee-hive, two fine pyramids of ex- 

 tracted hone^^ and case of comb 

 honey. 



Mr. Quick, Leoni, Mich., extract- 

 ed honey in glass and tin packages, 

 samples of comb foundation, bee- 

 smokers, five cases of comb honey, 

 and several other articles apper- 

 taining to bee culture. 



E. Mason, AYagon Works, Ohio, 

 foundation machine, and Given 

 Press, samples of foundation. 



H. D. Cutting, Clinton, Mich., 

 case of bee literature, samples of 

 the different varieties of honey, 

 bee-hives, Langstroth straw hive 

 sent by Mr. A. Hoke, Union City, 

 Ind. (a new thing). Bee-feeders, 

 queen-cages, sent by Henry Alley, 

 received first premium, also first 

 premium at Tri-State Fair at Tol- 

 edo, O. 



C. M. Weed, Chicago, 111., col- 

 lection of honey-bearing plants. 



C. K. Hubbard, LaGrange, Ind., 

 Hubbard's patent bee-hive, finer 

 than silk, and could be placed in 

 more positions than a Congress- 

 man on the witness stand. 



Last, but not least, came M. H. 

 Hunt, Belle Branch, Mich., and 

 from the extent of his exhibit he 

 has been on a lively hunt all sum- 

 mer. He occupied the whole side 

 of the building, 48 feet, with the 

 largest and most interesting exhibit 

 of this kind I ever saw. 



He and his friendly assistant 

 Mr. Chas, Collins, were kept busy 

 from early morn till the building 



