513 



honey production on account of the unpro- 



Eitious weather. Dees were strong in num- 

 ers, and active in disposition, hut it was 

 •all in vain — the nectar was absent from the 

 bloom ; they could not gather that which 

 did not exist. But are we disheartened ? 

 No, certainly not; we may feel somewhat 

 discouraged, hut are in no mood to give up. 

 Does the loss of a crop of grain dispirit the 

 farmer'.' Does a season of cattle plague 

 cause the herdsman to give up the rearing 

 of cattle? Does the failure of a crop of 

 fruit result in the abandonment of fruit 

 culture? Or, does the burning of a. city 

 cause its permanent desolation ? 



No ! Such reverses only stimulate the 

 progressive and undaunted man to further 

 dilligence and more dauntless courage. So 

 we, who have suffered a partial failure, even 

 for the second time, will, with courage en- 

 hanced by our reverses, labor even more 

 zealously for "the years of plenty" yet to 

 come, when thousands of tons of nature's 

 sweetest nectar will he gathered by our bees 

 and all will rejoice over a magnficent yield 

 and a golden harvest, filling our markets 

 with honey and our pockets with money. 



Several of the, Vice Presidents having re- 

 signed. I have appointed others to fill the 

 vacancies, as provided by the Constitution. 



The subjects to come before this Con- 

 vention are varied and momentous, and I 

 trust, we shall exercise our best and most 

 matured judgment. As the programme 

 issued by the Executive Committee is in 

 your hands it is unnecessary for me further 

 to enumerate. The general prosperity of 

 the Society is a subject for congratulation. 

 It is steadily increasing in numbers and in- 

 fluence, and each successive meeting has 

 been adjudged better than its predecessor; I 

 therefore, trust tins will eclipse the meeting 

 held at Chicago, a year since. 



In conclusion allow me to thank you for 

 the honor of being twice unanimously 

 elected as your presiding officer. 1 have 

 endeavored to serve you faithfully, and have 

 left no work undone, that, according to my 

 judgment, would advance the interests of 

 this Society and be advantageous to the 

 apiarists of America. To make this 

 Society national in its character, and 

 world-wide in its influence has been my 

 aim. How far this has been accomplished 

 I leave it to you to determine. When my 

 successor is elected 1 shall be most happy to 

 welcome him to this chair, with all its 

 honors and responsibilities. 



Permit me to add that I have been ear- 

 nestly solicited by many members of this 

 Society to consent to serve as your Presi- 

 dent for the coming year. I fully appreci- 

 ate these well-meant solicitations but, be- 

 lieving that the prosperity of the Society 

 will be enhanced by the election of some 

 one else to that office, I must positively de- 

 cline to accept it. I shall, however, give 

 the Society my cordial support, and assist it 

 by every means in my power to become even 

 more prosperous and useful than heretofore. 

 Again allow me to thank you for all the 

 honors you have conferred upon me, and to 

 express the hope that this meeting will be 

 both interesting and profitable to you all. 



The Secretary and Treasurer's reports 

 •were read and approved. 



The Executive Committee made the 

 following report, which was adopted : 



The Executive Committee would respect- 

 fully report that they have, in accordance 

 with the instructions given at the last 

 meeting, prepared badges for the use of 

 members to designate them from others. 

 They have also prepared letter heads, pro- 

 grammes and membership tickets, and made 

 all necessary arrangements for the present 

 meeting, and hope that it will be, in practi- 

 cal value, second to no Convention ever 

 held by this Society. In reference to the 

 letter headings we caused to be printed for 

 the use of the <.fficers of this association, Dr. 

 W. W. Hipolite, Vice President for Arkan- 

 sas, remarks as follows : 



" Not long since I received some printed 

 letterheads for the use of Vice Presidents of 

 the National Bee-Keepers' Association, and 

 find them exceedingly well gotten up. I 

 think the person who originated the idea is 

 entitled to the thanks of the, Association. 

 When communicating with the officers of 

 our State Pair or other Associations, or 

 with others in the interests of our Society, 

 it looks as though we had an existence as 

 such, and not merely in name." 



Vice Presidents' Reports : 



S. C. Dodge, for Tennessee, under 

 date of Sept. 25, reports the season to 

 have been a poor and unprofitable one 

 for honey-producers and queen-breeders 

 in his State. He has been encouraged 

 to do but little to advance the cause of 

 apiculture in his section, and has made 

 no attempt at the organization of so- 

 cieties, etc. The winter of 1879-80 was 

 very mild, and bees came through 

 splendidly ; fruit and white clover blos- 

 somed every wiiere, but the season was 

 so wet in the spring that the flowers 

 secreted very little nectar, and till sum- 

 mer long the bees have barely had 

 enough to keep up moderate breeding, 

 with little or no swarming or surplus. 

 At present the golden rods are in bloom 

 anil the white aster is just beginning to 

 open. These are our main reliance for 

 winter supplies. I feel warranted in 

 predicting heavy losses during the com- 

 ing winter, especially with those bee- 

 keepers who let their bees take care of 

 themselves, and we have many of that 

 kind in this section. 



C. F. Muth,for Ohio, made an extract 

 from the Secretary of State's report for 

 1880, showing that State to contain 169,- 

 755 colonies of bees, and to have pro- 

 duced 2,-521,000 lbs. of honey during the 

 year 1879. 



Dr. W. W. Hipolite, for Arkansas, 

 responded by letter. He anticipated 

 meeting with the Convention, but at 

 the last moment was prevented by 

 urgent professional duties. He also 

 adds : In thus failing to respond either 

 in person or by report I would not have 

 the Society judge that I have neglected 



