1873.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



153 



For Georgia, R. Peters, Atlanta. 



" Texas, Rev. R. Sprouli, Vclasco. 



" Arkansas, Wm. H. Fulton, Little Rock. 



" Maine, Mrs. A. C. Hatch, Houlton. 



" Connecticut, Wm. H. Kirk, West Cheshire. 



" Louisiana, John Kasson, Alexandria. 



" Alabama, Miss Fannie L. Norris, Shelby 

 Springs. 



" Massachusetts, E. N. Dyer, Amherst. 



" West Virginia, A. Chapman, New Cumber- 

 land. 



" Nebraska, W. Young, Plattsmouth. 

 On motion, the constitution was amended so 

 as to strike out from the 3d article the words 

 "Recording Secretary" so as to abolish that 

 office. — 



President Clarke on taking the chair, cordially 

 thanked the society for the favor, and took it as 

 an honor and an act of kindness, not only to him 

 but to his country. Many, he said, were far bet- 

 ter qualified than he was to discharge the duties 

 of the office, but he yielded to none in his devo- 

 tion to the cause of apiculture. If that was a 

 qualification, he was eminently qualified. He 

 would try to discharge the duties in a satisfac- 

 tory manner, and asked the society's indulgence 

 wherein he might come short. 



W. R. King of Kentucky, suggested that it 

 was the duty of the former treasurer to make 

 a report. He called for it, and moved to suspend 

 the order of business, that it may be handed in. 

 The regular order was suspended, and after some 

 discussion 



Dr. Lucas of Illinois moved the appointment 

 of a committee of three, to audit the accounts, 

 settle with the treasurer and report in the 

 morning, which being adopted, the President 

 appointed Dr. G. Bohrer of la., Aaron Benedict 

 of" Ohio, and A. J. Pope of la., said committee. 

 The society adjourned to 7 o'clock. 



Evening Session. 



The society met at 7 o'clock p. m. The Pre- 

 sident in the chair. 



The special order of the evening was the dis- 

 cussion of the topic : 



"Is bee-keeping desirable on all farms and at 

 all suburban homes." 



Dr. G. Bohrer thought that in most sections 

 the question could be answered affirmatively, in 

 some localities, unless honey plants were culti- 

 vated, bee-keeping would not prove remunerat- 

 ive. He thought, however, there were but. few 

 such places. 



A. J. Pope of la., thought it could be ovei'done. 



J. Z. Smith of Weston, O., thought all farmers 

 could keep bees with profit. He kept his bees 

 like he kept his hired men, to work all the time, 

 and he made it a point to furnish them some- 

 thing to do. Alsike clover he considered of 

 great value, the first crop can be cut at different 

 times, so that the after growth will come in at 

 different times in rotation, so as to furnish a 

 long harvest for the bees. It makes hay as good 

 or better than red clover and pays as a forage 

 crop alone. Any farm that is rich enough to 

 produce the ordinary crops of the farmer will 

 produce it. 



A. F. Moon said, the subject was of the great- 



est importance, and if properly discussed would 

 answer many inquiries. He was of opinion that 

 any one living near orchards and having the 

 ordinary varieties of vegetation around him, 

 could keep more or less bees with profit. 



Dr. Bohrer said he understood the object of 

 the question was to ascertain whether extensive 

 bee-keeping could be engaged in everywhere, an 

 affirmative answer would therefore have to be 

 conditional. 



M. L. Dunlap of 111., did not so understand the 

 question, but as one of the committee, he under- 

 stood it to be Avhether it could be recommended 

 for family use, to supply every one with a desir- 

 able luxury. We have not everywhere the ad- 

 vantages that Mr. Hosmer enjoys, but he would 

 venture to say that anywhere in the Northwest 

 bee-keeping could be made a desirable pursuit. 

 The mere production of honey, although the prin- 

 cipal object in view, was not the only thing de- 

 sirable about it. The out-door exercise that all 

 American women so much needed was supplied. 

 We look on this country as a stock country and 

 no one thought of saying it was not profitable 

 when intelligently conducted. Yet there are but 

 few who have the patience and necessary know- 

 ledge and intelligence to make it a success. So 

 with bee-keeping, and he advocated bee-keeping 

 as a delightful and profitable pursuit — as a fa- 

 mily recreation and resource — not that thousands 

 of pounds can be raised by all, but that all can 

 have a supply. The Southern sugar plantations 

 were now divided up and were fast getting into 

 a condition to furnish the necessary sweets far 

 cheaper than the beekeeper is willing to sell his 

 honey. The best of syrup cau be had at 00 to 

 75 cents per gallon. The beekeeper would not 

 like to take that for his honey. When we can 

 teach everybody to manage bees, we add another 

 attraction to home, something more is added to 

 keep our boys from the cities and from the vices 

 that abound there. 



We find few farms for sale in our country now, 

 because they are not as they have been, but 

 rural taste has improved them, and our people 

 are learning to appreciate the refining influences 

 of what were once considered foolish and unpro- 

 fitable investments of money and time. Our 

 homes are made more attractive, and our chil- 

 dren are better satisfied. Bee-keeping adds an- 

 other valuable attraction, for it is an interesting 

 pursuit, aside from its pecuniary gains. Su- 

 burban homes need these things to perfect them, 

 and he maintained that it was possible to all to 

 be profited by keeping bees. We have the flowers 

 everywhere, but if they are trampled out, they 

 must be raised, protected and made accessible 

 to the bees, and thus it may be made a success 

 everywhere. He had seen bees kept, and suc- 

 cessfully, even in Chicago, iu the suburbs where 

 white clover abounds, and there is no probability, 

 that the time will ever come when it will be 

 otherwise. 



Mrs. Tapper said, she met a farmer and his 

 wife going out of Des Moines ; the farmer had 

 received the proceeds of four loads of corn he 

 had delivered, which was $1 ', or $3 a load, and 

 his wife had sold the houey from three hives of 

 bees, for which she had received f 25. She had 



