148 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



satisfies his mind until you can get his 

 system in the right condition to apply 

 the final remedy. 

 Santa Ana, Calif. 



P, S. — The reader may think that the 

 preliminary treatment was what cured 

 the man, but I know it was the bee- 

 stings, for I saw the result with my own 

 eyes. — Dr. D. G. 



'■^^■^■^■^■^^^^■■♦■■^^■^■^■^■^■^it^OI 



Tlie MlcMgan Slate Conyentlon. 



Jfeportedfor the " American Bee Journal " 

 BY W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



(Continued from page 120.) 

 Mr. M. H. Hunt next read an essay, on 

 the 



Future of the Supply Trade. 



The manufacture of bee-keepers' sup- 

 plies has kept pace with the wonderful 

 increased demand for them. To do this, 

 special machinery has been invented, 

 and a number of large, well-equipped 

 factories have been built. The years 

 necessary to do this, have also developed 

 a number of skilled workmen, in this 

 special line, who can turn out almost 

 perfect work. An order for a carload 

 now can be shipped as promptly as a 

 small order could a few years ago. 



During this time a large number of 

 small factories have sprung up, adver- 

 tised their wares, flourished for a time, 

 and dropped out, and why ? Principally, 

 I think, on account of the imperfect 

 work done; for it is not possible, with 

 poor and limited machinery, to compete 

 with the larger institutions. Neither 

 can they turn out goods as cheaply as 

 those who buy and work on a much 

 larger scale. Sometimes it is true the 

 less freight helps the small concern, but 

 usually this inducement is more than 

 over-balanced by the work done. 



In the future the small manufacturers, 

 I think, will turn t-heir attention to sell- 

 ing the products of the larger ones, and 

 find it fully as profitable, for their sales 

 will be increased by the liberal advertis- 



ing the goods will have, which their own 

 limited products could not pay for. 

 When this comes about, we will have 

 more uniformity in all we use, better 

 and cheaper goods, more prompt ship- 

 ments, and less liability to mistakes, 

 which are so annoying when in a hurry 

 for goods. 



The man who starts a small factory 

 almost always has an inventive turn of 

 mind, and imagines his hive, frame, or 

 whatever it may be, to be very superior, 

 and often convinces the novice so that 

 he buys, and starts out with something^ 

 he will regret later on, especially when 

 at some time he needs more, and finds 

 his enthusiastic supply dealer has gone 

 out of business, and he has to pay 20 

 per cent, extra for an odd size or special 

 construction. 



A few years ago there were hundreds 

 of small cabinet shops scattered over 

 the country, making furniture by hand 

 or with light power, but they have all 

 disappeared, so far as manufacturing is 

 concerned. The large factories are 

 doing it all, and we now get better and 

 cheaper furniture. I predict the same 

 future for the bee-supply trade. 



M. H. Hunt. 



L. A. Aspinwall — A small, illy-equip- 

 ped establishment cannot compete with 

 the large, well-managed concern. In 

 the matter of sections, we may yet have 

 to look for something cheaper than wood 

 to use in their construction. Although 

 not exactly in this line, I wish to say 

 that I have experimented since 1888 in 

 controlling increase. With other domes- 

 tic stock we control increase, why not 

 with bees ? I can control increase with 

 wooden combs by preventing the rearing 

 of drones. The only difficulty is that 

 all of the colonies in the yard must be 

 supplied with wooden combs, because 

 the drones, and the bees imbued with 

 the swarming fever, mix in from the 

 other hives. The wooden combs are 

 costly, and I am now at work upon a 

 plan whereby I hope to succeed without 

 their use. 



Next came an essay by Mr. H. D. Cut- 

 ting, entitled, 



Advantages that Bee-Keepers May 

 Expect from Bees and Honey Hav- 

 ing Been Exhibited at the 

 World's Fair. 



The subject assigned to me by our 

 Secretary is "Advantages that bee- 

 keepers may expect from bees and honey 

 having been shown at the World's Fair." 

 I will pass the bees by stating that it 

 simply demonstrated the possibility of 



