AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



47 



ukJlu 



Report of the niicliig^an State 

 Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY "W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



(Continued from page 15.) 

 Prof. Cook then read an essay as fol- 

 Jows, on 



Experiments in Apiculture. 



Inasmuch as I presented this subject 

 quite fully in one of the leading bee- 

 papers (page 498 of the American Bee 

 Journal for Oct. 13,1892), the task 

 before me now is considerably lessened 

 in magnitude and importance. In that 

 article, as some of you may remember, I 

 suggested a line of action for our Na- 

 tional and State associations at their 

 next annual meetings, which I doubt not 

 is the cause of my being assigned to 

 speak on that subject now. 



I need not argue here, that experi- 

 ments are desirable with such important 

 problems as the " Nameless Bee-Dis- 

 ease," "Adulteration," "Sugar-Honey," 

 and " Honey Analyses," before us for 

 settlement; he must be dull, indeed, 

 who says that bee-keeping, unlike other 

 industrial pursuits, is crystallized into 

 fact and certainty, and needs no wise, 

 patient, pains-taking research to secure 

 the fullest possibilities in its prosecution. 



Again, it goes without saying, that 

 bee-keepers should not be asked to as- 

 sume the expense and spend the time to 

 personally attend to, or even to oversee 

 this experimental work. With the large 

 appropriations granted for State and 

 National effort in experimentation in 

 practical lines, why should not Apicul- 

 ture have at least the crumbs? If all 

 other pursuits were left to themselves, 

 then we might view with complacency 

 the neglect of Apiculture, but with an 

 appropriation of three-fourths of a mill- 

 ion of dollars for just such work, it 

 staads to reason that Bee-Keeping 

 should claim and secure at least a few 

 thousands to aid her in the struggles 

 which she in common with all Industrial 



pursuits, must confront in the onward 

 march to success. Is it not sheer injup- 

 tice, that with the exception of two or 

 three States at most, not a scintillation 

 in this great glow of experimental re- 

 search comes our way ? 



Again such work needs the skill, 

 patience, and accurate habit which long 

 years of training alone can give. This 

 is the weighty reason that secured to us 

 the experimental laboratories of the 

 States and the Nation. 



Bee-keepers, had they time and money 

 to spare in developing their pursuit in 

 obscure lines, could not, for very lack of 

 skill and training, study the microbes 

 that bring disease ; determine the ways 

 and means to thwart the demon of adul- 

 teration ; and should not be required to 

 settle the doubts regarding " sugar- 

 honey." No, we need trained men ; we 

 must have trained men ; if we assert our 

 rights, we will have trained men. I say, 

 let us go resolutely to the men in con- 

 trol and request action ; if requests do 

 no good, let us demand attention ; and 

 if we are persistent, our demands will 

 be heard and heeded. 



We have two factors in our struggle 

 which maybe made exceedingly influen- 

 tial in our effort : A very intelligent 

 bee-keeping press, sustained by an ex- 

 ceptionally bright and intelligent corps 

 of readers. These papers, if they will 

 unite in a wise plan of action, can 

 through their readers bring such a force 

 to bear on executive and legislative 

 bodies that success is assured. The 

 Director and Board of an experiment 

 station would never stand before a hun- 

 dred petitions from practical men ; what 

 then shall we say of a thousand such 

 pleas, which, through wise action, our 

 bee-keepers may easily secure. 



If bee-keepers would only realize this, 

 they have a power in their hands, strong 

 enough to conquer the strongest enemy 

 that can be brought to oppose them. 



Of course, the National Association is 

 the body to secure recognition from the 

 general government. Yet a word in 

 that connection may not come amiss. 



The statement is made that a reduc- 

 tion of $10,000 in the appropriation, of 

 necessity makes it impossible to secure 

 any aid from that source. But is this 

 true ? When we remember that the 

 grand sum of over $1,600,000 is appro- 

 priated to run the Department, and that 

 the by no means insignificant sum of 

 $27,300 is devoted to the Division of 

 Entomology, we see they are not yet re- 

 duced to a starvation level. The Divis- 

 ion of Pomology receives $11,300, and 

 yet entomology, as studied and investi- 



