124 



THE AMEKICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Dec, 



EEADIN'G THE MINUTES. 



The Secretary, Mr. Baklridpi-e, read a synopsis 

 of the last meeting's proceedings. The Trea- 

 surer's report was also read, in which it was 

 shown that the society was out of debt, with a 

 small balance in the treasury. The reports being 

 accepted, eleven new members joined the society. 

 There are now fifty-seven members belonging to 

 the association, who have paid their fee of ad- 

 mission. The report of the Secretary shows that 

 tliere were twenty mend)ers at the annual jueet- 

 ingin 1869, who represented 1,001 hives of bees, 

 and 24,709 lbs. of surplus honey. 



ELECTION OP OFFICERS. 



The following officers were chosen for the en- 

 suing year : 



President, L. C. Francis, Springfield, Illinois. 



Vice-President for Illinois, J. B. R. Sherrick, 

 Decatur. 



Vice-President for Wisconsin, R. C. Otis, 

 Kenosha. 



Vice-President for Iowa, W. T. Kirk, Mus- 

 catine. 



Vice-President for Missouri, L. C. Waite, St. 

 Louis. 



Secretary, M. M. Baldridge, St. Charles, Ills. 



Treasurer, James M. Marvin, St. Charles, Ills. 



FIPTn ANNUAL MEETING. 



Vice-President Sherrick made a motion that 

 the next annual meeting be held in Wisconsin, 

 which was sustained. The Secretary therefore 

 gives notice that this meeting will be held, as 

 fixed by the constitution, on or near the fair 

 grounds at the time of the State Fair, and that 

 every member of the Wisconsin Bee-keepers' 

 Society is particularly requested to be present. 



COMMITTEES-. 



J. L. Peabody, G. Ayres, and J. B. R. Sherrick 

 were made a committee to examine the bee hives 

 on exhibition at the fair grounds, and to report 

 on their respective merits. 



A committee was also appointed not only to 

 examine, but to test, the merits of the honey ma- 

 chines on exhibition, and to report upon the 

 same. This committee was composed of Presi- 

 dent Francis, Miles H. Wilmot, and William G. 

 Reynolds. 



It was made a condition that these examina- 

 tions and reports should simply be an expression 

 of the committees, and not of the Convention, and 

 that the reports should be written out and placed 

 in charge of the Secretary before the close of the 

 fair, so as to be published with the proceedings 

 of the Society. 



And right here the Secretary desires to say, 

 this being as good a place as any to dispose of 

 this matter, that the report on hives was not re- 

 ceived during the fair, nor has it been since ; and 

 that the publication of the proceedings has been 

 somewhat delayed in hopes of receiving the same 

 by mail, so that there could be no just cause for 

 complaint. Tlie report on the machines was 

 pr.)mptly attended to, and reads as follows : 



We find two machines on exhibition, one by 

 Wrn. G. King, and another by J. L. Peabody. 



After testing the machines with the best facili- 

 ties in our ])ossession, Ave find them both to be 

 good extractors : but for simplicity of construc- 

 tion, convenience of operating, compactness and 

 durability, we should give the Peabody machine 

 the preference. 



L. C. Francis, 

 Miles H. Wilmot, 

 William G. Reynolds, 



Committee, 

 We will now return to the proceedings of the 

 Society. 



NATIONAL bee-keepers' CONVENTION. 



The subject of holding a National Convention 

 came up for consideration, and a vote taken upon 

 it, which resulted unanimously in favor of a two 

 days' meeting at Indianapolis, on the 21st and 

 22d of December next. Tlie society expressed 

 regret that any unkind feelings should exist on 

 this subject between the Micliigan and North- 

 eastern Associations. As the Michigan Society 

 has issued the call, and as the time and place has 

 been extensively advertised, it does seem that it 

 would be best to meet at Indianapolis this year, 

 and then the Convention may decide by ballot 

 on tlie time and place for holding the next annual 

 meeting. 



Evidently it Avas the design that the following 

 telegram should reach the officers of NortliAvest- 

 ern Society before the hour of the annual meet- 

 ing. Such, hoAvever, was not the case. By the 

 inexcusable negligence of the telegraph agent at 

 Decatur, it Avas not received by the Society till 

 Friday, Sept. oOth, which was too late to take 

 any other action upon it further than to reply. 



Attica, N. Y., Sept. 28, 1870. 

 I'o the North-wes' em Bee-keepers^ Association. — 

 Tiie North-eastern Bee-keepers' Association held 

 a meeting to-day. On motion of R. Bickford, 

 seconded by I. Root, it was voted that this Society 

 desires the National Convention to be held at Cin- 

 cinnati. This point is centrally located, is free 

 from local influences, and is near the home of 

 Rev. Mr. Langstroth, Avhom Ave want present. 

 Please telegraph the desire of your couA^ention. 

 M. QuiNBY, President. 



The following reply was sent by telegraph, as 

 soon as the above was received, but to St. Johns- 

 ville, N. Y., that being the home of President 

 Quinby : 



Illinois State Fair Grounds, Sept. 30, 1870. 



Yoiu- telegram was not received till to-day. 

 The Nortli-western Association has decided to 

 recognize the call by the Mich.igan Society for a 

 National Convention at Indianapolis. 



L. C. Francis, President. 



M. M. Baldridge, Secretary. 



discussion on bee pasturage. 



Miles n. Wilmot, Illiopolis.— The best tree for 

 honey purposes, in my section, is the bassAvood. 

 This tree is in bloom about two weeks, and yields 

 honey at a time Avhen other blossoms are gone. 

 More attention should be given to this tree for 

 shade and ornamental purposes. It is a hardy, 



