512 



myself regret that we cannot spare the time 

 to undertake such a long voyage. 



Your invitation is certainly very attrac- 

 tive, and nothing would have given us more 

 pleasure than to attend one of your grand 

 and celebrated annual meetings, and to make 

 the acquaintance of so many eminent bee- 

 keepers, whose reputation we already know, 

 and whose works and writings we study 

 with interest and advantage. 



It would have been a great pleasure to us 

 to see you again, to make the acquaintance 

 of your family, and to spend a few more 

 pleasant hours together, like those we spent 

 with you, while you were at Nyon, last 

 year; but the undertaking of so long a 

 journey is too much for us, and, unfortu- 

 nately, we shall have to confine ourselves 

 to send you our thanks for the invitation, 

 and at the same time our deep regrets that 

 we cannot attend. 



Please accept our congratulations for the 

 way you fulfill the double duties of editor 

 of the American Bke Journal and of 

 President of the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Association. Accept, also, our best wishes 

 for the success of the Convention whose 

 proceedings interest us so much. 



Accept, dear colleague and friend, the ex- 

 pression of the most affectionate feelings of 

 Yours most devotedly, 



Ed. Bertrand. 



Mr. Williamson, of Kentucky, offered 

 the following resolution, which was 

 unanimously adopted : 



Besolved. by the North American Bee- 

 Keepers' Society in Convention assem- 

 bled, That we return our thanks to 

 Eev. H. R. Peel, England, and Mons. E. 

 Bertrand, Nyon, Suisse, for the frater- 

 nal feelings expressed by them towards 

 the bee-keepers of North America. 



The Secretary read a fraternal and 

 congratulatory letter from Vice Presi- 

 dent S. C. Dodge, Chattanooga, Tenn., 

 inviting the Convention to fix upon 

 Chattanooga as its next place of 

 meeting. 



President Newman delivered the fol- 

 lowing 



Annual Address. 



My Friends and Co-Laborers: Bound 

 together as we are with fraternal ties, made 

 strong by our common interest in hees and 

 honey, we may well greet each other with 

 our pleasantest smile and heartiest con- 

 gratulation. As we get to know and under- 

 stand one another better, our ties of friend- 

 ship will grow stronger and stronger. It is 

 so pleasant to meet with old faces as well as 

 to make new acquaintances. 



This is the first meeting of the National 

 Society, for many long years, that has been 

 held near enough to the borders of our 

 southern brethren for them to participate 

 with us in its pleasant sessions and interest- 

 ing discussions— and I am glad to see so 

 many apiarists from the South to welcome 

 and greet their brethern from the North. 

 Let all unite to make this one of the most 

 profitable sessions of the National Society. 



We have come from the East and West, 

 from the North and the South, not only to 



have a pleasant re-union, but to discuss 

 matters of interest to those present, as well 

 as to the thousands who are waiting with 

 great anxiety to see the record of our say- 

 ings and doings. While giving the strongest 

 arguments, let us be careful not to use 

 words that will wound the feelings of those 

 who may think differently from us, Aye, 

 "let us spread liberally the cement of 

 brotherly love and affection— that cement 

 which unites us into a Society of friends," 

 having but one object— and that the fur- 

 therance of the science and art of progres- 

 sive apiculture. 



At the last meeting of the National So- 

 ciety, it will be remembered, I made this 

 remark : " We should agree upon a price 

 that will pay for production, and at i he same 

 time not retard consumption, and then all 

 should be guided by this, thus aiding to es- 

 tablish a regular market price for honey, the 

 same as is obtained for wheat,corn and oats." 

 It is certain that "in union there is 

 strength." That which in an individual ca- 

 pacity none of us could accomplish, is easily 

 done by a strong, united and influential 

 body. As an illustration, the last meeting 

 of this Society appointed a committee to 

 wait on the postal authorises to get a rever- 

 sal of the order prohibiting the use of the 

 mails for transporting queen bees, and 

 though many individuals had often peti- 

 tioned that functionary, it was not accom- 

 plished until this body took the matter in 

 hand. We art now in the enjoyment of 

 the result of our united action in this par- 

 ticular. 



I have earnestly labored for some time to 

 bring about such a unity of feeling and ac- 

 tion, that, as a body, this Society might reg- 

 ulate the prices for honey, based, of course,, 

 upon the "supply and demand," and the 

 cost of production. I am much gratified to 

 see that each year some point is gained in 

 this direction. In this manner oidy can we 

 ever make honey a staple product, and have 

 its marketable value alike in every locatity, 

 the cost of transportation only excepted. 

 Illustrations are numerous, where prices 

 obtained for honey of the same quality vary 

 5 to 10c. per lb. in places only a few miles 

 distant. It is never thus with grain, meat 

 nor dairj products. 



To act understandingly, we must ascer- 

 tain the extent of the crop, and by consid- 

 ering it in connection with the demand, we 

 can determine the value, and if we can but 

 combine, maintain the price so established. 



This season, facts and figures from all 

 parts of the country, indicate that the en- 

 tire crop for 1SS0 will be but one-half of the 

 usual supply. 



In Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mis- 

 sissippi, Tennessee and Vermont, there is 

 about an average vield. 



In California, Michigan, New York and 

 Virginia, % of the usual crop. 



In Alabama, Canada, Missouri and Ohio, 

 one-half. 



In Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine 

 and Pennsylvania, one-third. 



In Indiana, Georgia, Kansas, Nebraska 

 ami Texas, one-fourth. 



In Illinois and Wisconsin, much less than 

 one-fourth of the usual crop. 



The season has been unfortunate for 



