150 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



[Jax., 



not take the place of a standard work on the hab- 

 its of bees and their management in every partic- 

 ular, but they will in many respects furnish the 

 masses with knowledge of a reliable character, 

 which no work now in print can produce, and in- 

 formation too, which will prove to be of infinite 

 value not only to the beginner, but to many who 

 have the benefit of years of experience in practi- 

 cal bee-keeping. 



But, says one, has not all this been done, and 

 is it not the object of our society still to have 

 our proceedings printed, and offered to the 

 public ? In reply, I would say, that in part it 

 has been done, but not in full, and unless our 

 constitution and by-laws are so shaped as to 

 provide for the accumulation of a treasury fund, 

 I see but one plan by which this object can be 

 accomplished, and that is for the editors of all our 

 bee journals to procure and publish a true and full 

 report. And in order that they may procure a 

 full report, our society should employ some one 

 who is fully competent to make out a complete 

 copy, and furnish the same to each editor, who 

 can well afford to put the same in print, and 

 send it in company with their journals to each 

 subscriber ; for it will render them much more 

 interesting and valuable to the readers, who, on 

 this account, will procure a much larger number 

 of subscribers thau they will if the journals are 

 less interesting. 



Such a plan, however, can only be carried out 

 in full, by a hearty co-operation of those who 

 edit our bee journals from time to time, and 

 cannot, to say the best of it, be made an effective 

 measure longer than from one session to another. 

 And in casethe editors who make such arrange- 

 ments happen to vacate the editorial chair, 

 before the proceedings are printed and distrib- 

 uted, the matter is left to the option of their 

 successors which leaves it surrounded with 

 uncertainty. So that the surest plan will be 

 that of raising the necessary fund, within our- 

 selves, and have our printing done. And there 

 are two methods of obtaining a sufficient amount 

 of means to accomplish this. One is to appeal 

 to the liberality of the members of the society 

 at our meetings, and the other is that of amend- 

 ing our by-laws, so as to tax each member fifty 

 cents or one dollar per annum, or as much as 

 may be necessary to defray the expense of 

 printing. 



To some it may be uninteresting to hear this 

 matter discussed, but to such I would say, that 

 this is a matter of no minor importance, as it is 

 the very foundation upon which depends all 

 our future prospects of success and profit, to not 

 only the masses who arc annually looking to us, 

 for something new and valuable, but to ourselves. 

 For, if we expect to be very materially benefited 

 by meeting together from time to time as a 

 national body, it is a matter of the most vital 

 importance to have our transactions in print, to 

 be kept as a book of reference when at home. 

 For there is no one whose memory is so good 

 as to enable him to make a record of all he hears, 

 in his mind, and be ready to call the same into 

 requisition whenever circumstances may demand 

 it. 



But aside from this, if the results of our expe- 



rience in practical bee-keeping, are put in print 

 and distributed throughout the country, thous- 

 ands of persons, both male' and female, who up 

 to the present time have little or no knowledge of 

 apiculture as a branch of industry, will be in- 

 duced to engage in it at once. Such will be the 

 case, more especially with the women of our 

 country than many now suppose, as many of 

 them are favorably situated in every respect, 

 except that of a competent knowledge, as to 

 how bees are to be handled in order to be 

 profitable. 



A true knowledge of bee-keeping will at once 

 teach them that this pursuit is peculiarly adapted 

 to their sex. The apiary being situated near the 

 dwelling, renders it convenient for them to su- 

 perintend the same and see that their little ser- 

 vants and co-laborers are kept constantly em- 

 ployed in an advantageous and profitable manner. 



At the present time we have quite a number 

 of talented and educated ladies who are engaged 

 in bee-keeping, and are admirers of the same as a 

 pursuit of income and profit; and many of them 

 have requested me, through the medium of nu- 

 merous letters received, to use every effort in 

 my power to encourage women to resort to this 

 branch of business as a means of support. And 

 I know of no one method so well calculated to 

 offer such encouragement as that of placing our 

 proceeding in the hands of thousands who as 

 yet know nothing of this profession as one of 

 income. And by adopting this plan, we place 

 before them the names and addresses of several, 

 who are reaping handsome rewards from their 

 bees. 



But, ladies and gentlemen, time forbids that 

 I should discuss this subject at greater length, 

 as there are many other matters of importance 

 to be considered by our society. . But I must 

 request most earnestly, that before we adjourn, 

 effective measures will be adopted through which 

 our proceedings will appear in print promptly 

 after each session, and reach the firesides of 

 many who as yet are uninformed as to the mer- 

 its of this occupation. And in conclusion, I 

 will state that unless we can devise means, 

 through which our record can be put in print, 

 I cannot encourage the upbuilding and farther 

 prosperity of a national society of beekeepers. 



G. Bohkek. 



Dr. Bohrer's paper was, on motion referred 

 to the business committee. 



The president drew the attention of the so- 

 ciety to the topics suggested by Mr. Quinby, as 

 presented in the president's address, and sug- 

 gested that they be taken up and disposed of, 

 which was agreed to. 



Mr. Quinby' s first question was : 



" Will right management of bees develop peace- 

 fulness of disposition, as we know wrung manage- 

 ment developed the opposite? - 



Dr. Bohrer, of Indiana, said he had handled 

 bees roughly without irritating them, while 

 others could not be kept peaceable with the qui- 

 etest handling. They varied in temperament. 

 He considered that they had fixed habits, while 

 their dispositions were inconstant, but that they 

 acted wholly on the defensive. By gorging them 



