196 



thanks to the officers and Committee, 

 spoke in high terms of the position the 

 Society had achieved in their hands. 



Rev. Herbert R. Peel proposed and 

 Mr. F. Cheshire seconded a vote of 

 thanks to the Royal Horticultural 

 Society for their hearty and ready co- 

 operation in the projects of the British 

 Bee-Keepers' Association. After the 

 election of officers, in which warm ex- 

 pression was given to the value of the 

 Hon.. Sec, the list of votes for the 

 Committee (the whole of whom have 

 been re-elected) was read. Mr. Huckle 

 was appointed paid Assistant Secretary. 



Perhaps the most important proposi- 

 tion was moved by the Rev. E. Bartrum 

 in an able and telling speech :— That in 

 the opinion of this Association it is 

 advisable that a professorship of api- 

 culture should be established in con- 

 nection with the Science and Art 

 Department at South Kensington, and 

 that the Committee be requested to 

 take such steps as shall seem expedient 

 with a view to the establishment of a 

 professorship. The proposer pointed 

 out that in relation to apiculture we 

 were behindhand, as we formerly were 

 in drawing, designing, and many 

 branches of technical knowledge, but 

 that the schools of design had accom- 

 plished a work in relation to the objects 

 the importance and value of which to 

 the community, it was impossible to 

 estimate. No large town could now be 

 visited without seeing signs of progress. 

 Apiculture being so behindhand, should 

 we not do well by taking the same steps 

 here as have done so much in other 

 directions V The duties of a professor 

 would be to visit the normal schools and 

 training colleges. ut Just look,'" said the 

 speaker, " at the wonderful ignorance 

 of our teachers on the question, while 

 in Germany no man is admitted to a 

 mastership of a village school without 

 he can pass an examination in bee- 

 culture. The value of the bee is not 

 measured by its power of producing 

 honey. It has an influence of the most 

 marked kind upon many of our crops, 

 and without its visits to our orchards 

 their fruitage would be little better 

 than total failure. In ten years we 

 should by this step do a work which we 

 can hardly imagine. If the Association 

 cordially sanction my proposal the 

 Committee will use its influence with 

 the Department to bring about so desir- 

 able a consummation; and in taking 

 this step we shall not be regarded as 

 riding a personal hobby, for our en- 

 thusiasm will rest in the conviction that 

 we are advocating what will benefit the 

 country at large." 



The Rev. George Raynor seconded 



the proposition with equal ability, re- 

 marking that the present moment 

 seemed perhaps an unfitting one for 

 bringing it toward ; but he thought that 

 in the present depressed condition of 

 agriculture the farmers might well 

 catch at every straw presented to them. 

 The fertilization of many crops, es- 

 pecially clover seed, received peculiar 

 help from bee-keeping. "I am sure, 

 then," added he, "that a better time 

 could not be found for the question in 

 hand, and here, it may be, that agricul- 

 ture's extremity will be apiculture's 

 opportunity. We should endeavor to 

 connect this subject with the teaching 

 of youth. It is impossible to prevent 

 the* cottager adhering to the brimstone 

 pit, but with the rising generation we 

 may have hope to spread enlightened 

 ideas." The proposition was unani- 

 mously affirmed. 



Mr. J. P. Jackson proposed the forma- 

 tion of a reference and loan library of 

 works relating to bee-culture, which 

 after debate was carried nem. con. The 

 meeting was large and influential, many 

 prominent apiculturists from a distance 

 being present. The prize schedule will 

 be considered at the next meeting of 

 the Committee on March 10th. 



Death of the Rev. J. Van Eaton. 



It is with sorrowful feelings that I write 

 to inform you of the death of the Rev. Dr. 

 John Van Eaton, pastor of the United 

 Presbyterian Church of York, Livingstone 

 Co., N. Y., who died of heart disease March 

 5, 1880, in the 63d year of his age. Occupy- 

 ing the same pulpit and looking to the 

 spiritual welfare of a large congregation for 

 more than a quarter of a century — his was 

 a vigorous, active, useful life, a noble man- 

 hood, a triumphant death. A brother 

 minister, who knew him well, remarked in 

 his funeral eulogy, "that he was looked 

 upon by his associates in the body as the 

 ablest member of this presbytery." 



A deep scholar in theology, hi% sermons 

 full of ripe thought ; were interesting, con- 

 vincing and .eloquent. Aside from pastoral 

 duties apiculture was his chosen pursuit. 

 He gave to its improvement the powerful 

 genius of a fertile brain, and with assistant 

 co-laborers to carry out his ideas, by practi- 

 cal experiment, successfully wrought the 

 solution of important problems in progres- 

 sive apiculture, one being the practical and 

 profitable use of wax foundation for surplus 

 honey after it had been condemned as un- 

 suitable for such purposes by the almost 

 unanimous voice of several Associations. 



M. Quin by is at rest ; Adam Grimm, and 

 many others whose names were familiar as 

 writers in our bee publications, are no more. 



Thus one by one are passing away those 

 who have done much towards placing bee- 

 keeping in the position it now occupies. 



Peoria, N. Y. C. R. Isham. 



