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West. 111. & East. Iowa Convention. 



The fourth semi-annual meeting of the 

 Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa Bee- 

 keeper's Society was held at New Boston, 

 111., Oct. 2-3, 1878. 



Meeting called to order at 10 a.m. Presi- 

 dent D. D. Palmer in the chair. Minutes of 

 the. last meeting approved as published in 

 the American Bee Journal. A com- 

 mittee of three, consisting of L. H. Scudder, 

 E. D. Godfrey and James A. Simpson, was 

 appointed to arrange questions for discus- 

 sion. Motion carried that the dues of each 

 member, after joining, be paid 25 cents at 

 each meeting, or twice, instead of once a 

 year. A letter from Hardin Haines was 

 read, in which he wished his name to be 

 erased from the Society's books. His 

 request was granted. Adjourned for dinner. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



Admission of new members, the following 

 added their names to the Society : 



Jesse Bogart, Eliza, 111. 



J. S. Jackson, Keithsburg, 111. 



H. F. Putnam, Galesburg, 111. 



E. H. Scudder, New Boston, 111. 



Craig Hanna, Gerlaw, 111. 



G. W. Armstrong, Keithsburg, 111. 



Miss Minnie Armstrong, Keithsburg, 111. 



Miss Mary Scudder, New Boston, 111. 



Miss Bell Jarvis, Oquawka, 111. 



Mrs. Craig Hanna, Gerlaw, 111. 



D. H. Westbrook, Lettsville, Iowa. 



Mrs. D. D. Palmer, New Boston, 111. 



S. Y. Orr, Morning Sun, Iowa. 



A. N. Van Camp, Wilton. Iowa. 



W. H. Chase, Moline, 111. 



Mrs. M. E. Benedict, New Boston, 111. 



John Hoover, New Boston, 111. 



C. O. Perrine, Chicago, 111. 



Wm. A. Dustin, Princeville, 111. 



Thomas Dunn. Alexis, 111. 



Mrs. T. Shaw, Monmouth, 111. 



Miss Maggie Derr, Keithsburg, 111. 



An address of welcome was read by L. H. 

 Scudder, of New Boston, as follows : 

 Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : 



It is with pleasure we welcome you. Our 

 little city is not famous for its palatial 

 residences, or huge piles of brick and mor- 

 tar, but our citizens are wont to boast of 

 the fact that New Boston was surveyed and 

 platted by one whose name will be revered 

 by millions yet unborn— I refer to our 

 Martyr President, Abraham Lincoln. 



I see before me to-day many familiar 

 faces, and some who are at present strangers 

 to us, but we cannot long remain strangers 

 when a common interest binds us together. 

 The question naturally arises, why are we 

 here ? Do we come here to gather in a few 

 crumbs of knowledge and then silently 

 depart? Far from it, rather let us be 

 governed by the most liberal sentiments, 

 rendering if possible full compensation for 

 every valuable thought. In this way, and 

 this only, can our chosen pursuit, " Api- 

 culture," attain that degree of perfection we 

 desire to see. Our little workers in their 

 search for hidden sweets render a full 

 equivalent for all their stores by imparting 

 increased fertility to the varied plants 

 they visit— so too can we, by a free exchange. 

 of thought, be mutually benefited. 



" The honev-bee that wanders all day long, 



The field, the woodland and the garden o'er, 

 To gather in his fragrant store, 

 Humming in calm content his quiet song, 

 Seeks not alone the rose's glowing breast, 

 The lily's dainty cup, the violet's lips, 

 But from all rank and noxious weeds she sips 

 The single drop of sweetness, closely pressed 

 Within the poisoned chalice—" 



Thus, if we seek only to draw forth the hidden sweet 

 In all the varied human flowers we meet, 



In the wide garden of humanity, 

 And like the bees, if home the spoil we bear, 

 Hived in our hearts it turns to nectar there. 



We believe that apiculture is yet in its 

 infancy. When we note how much has been 

 done in a very few years, can we not 

 reasonably hope for much more ? 



The old log gums have not all passed 

 away, neither have the old "fogies" who 

 belong to the same age, but cannot long 

 survive the deluge of light continually 

 thrown over our land by The American 

 Bee Journal. Would we had more like 

 it. 



Time reminds me we have work to do, 

 and I will not further trespass on your time. 

 Thanking you for your kind attention, 1 

 will once more bid you welcome, welcome 

 to our city. 



The committee on questions brought in 

 the following : 



In what shape shall we put up comb honey 

 for market ? 



T. G. McGaw. I would use what is called 

 the prize box. 



C. O. Perrine. It depends very much on 

 the market you sell in. We used to be glad 

 to get honey in any shape, got it in churns, 

 tubs, sugar troughs, etc.; we had to boil, stir 

 and mix ; later a change was demanded, 

 honey was then cut out and repacked, very 

 little difference as to how it was put up. 

 The majority of comb honey should now be 

 put up in the prize box. Dealers prefer to 

 glass the honey themselves ; large producers 

 might glass their honey with profit. 



D. D. Palmer. Would it not, on the whole, 

 pav to glass. 



C. O. Perrine. Distance of shipment, and 

 amount of handling, makes much dif- 

 ference. Glass adds much to freight, in 

 long distances, as from California. Have 

 had comb honey packed with combs running 

 lengthwise of the car, come through with 

 but very little breakage. A few cases here 

 and there. Ship only those sections which 

 are well secured. Would put any open 

 space in the sections at one side, rather than 

 at the top or bottom. Careful packing 

 pays well. I would suggest a wide patch of 

 wax be put on every side of the section, 

 which would, I think, cause the bees to 

 fasten each comb all the way around. 



D. D. Palmer. Is there any way of ship- 

 ping honey safely other than by packing 

 solid in a car ? How about the swinging 

 platform, springs, rollers, etc.? 



C. O. Perrine. The California honey was 

 packed as tight as possible ; cars roll back- 

 ward and forward of themselves. 1 prefer 

 the common car for shipping honey. Would 

 suggest that four to six shipping crates be 

 packed in one bundle, flat; one alone is too 

 light ; they get jammed worse, and being 

 handled by hackmen and others are not 

 kept right side up. Put handles to case of 



