AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



218 



of its diseases, and of its relations to 

 plant-lice. 



Few of you who do not view the econ- 

 on^y of the bee from the purely ento- 

 mological or scientific stand-point, are 

 aware of the errors that are yet extant 

 in connection with the subject, and are 

 still perpetuated in many of the popular 

 treatises on the bee, and there is no bet- 

 ter evidence of the biological questions 

 yet to be decided than the discussions at 

 such gatherings as these, which, as 

 evidenced this afternoon, involve the 

 Influence of the bee on the sweets which 

 it gathers. I am satisfied that no thor- 

 ough investigation under competent 

 direction would fail to elicit most inter- 

 esting facts, and to settle many disputed 

 points. 



In connection with the wintering of 

 bees in the cooler portions of our coun- 

 try, there is much that remains to be 

 investigated. The statistics of the in- 

 dustry have never been properly col- 

 lected, and could not be, except by some 

 national organization. 



These are a few of the directions, 

 gentlemen, in which I feel that the Na- 

 tional Department may work advanta- 

 geously, and if, in dealing with the sub- 

 ject, I have endeavored to indicate in 

 plain words some things which the De- 

 partment has and has not done, it is in 

 the hope of calling attention publicly to 

 the matter, and of bringing about in the 

 future the action which I feel all bee- 

 keepers desire. C. V. Riley. 



In reply to a question, Dr. Riley said 

 that in the Secretary of Agriculture's 

 report, there was a recommendation to 

 re-organize the Department, and to les- 

 sen the number of the Divisions. For 

 this reason he doubted if the plan of 

 asking for the addition of another Divi- 

 sion would be looked upon with favor. 

 He also doubted if an experimental api- 

 ary could be, or rather would be, estab- 

 lished at Washington. If we knew how 

 diflScult it had been for him to secure 

 what was necessary for him in carrying 

 on the legitimate work of his own special 

 department, he doubted if we would ask 

 for what had been suggested that we 

 ask for. He said that the best thing 

 that bee-keepers could do would be to 

 make friends with the incoming Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture, and get him inter- 

 ested in bee-culture. 



It was decided to retain the committee 

 another year. 



Relinqiiishing Incorporation. 



The Secretary read the following com- 



munication from Wm. F. Clarke, of 

 Guelph, Ont., Canada: 



Fellow Bee-Keepers : 



Being unable to attend your annual 

 convention, by reason of distance and 

 cost of the journey, I beg to submit for 

 your consideration, a respectful remon- 

 strance and protest against the action 

 taken by the Association in regard to 

 incorporation. 



1. Because the said action was uncon- 

 stitutional. By virtue of its original 

 Constitution repeatedly re-affirmed, the 

 Association was international. At the 

 outset, both the United States and Can- 

 ada were contracting parties. By virtue 

 of the incorporation, the international 

 feature of the Association has been de- 

 destroyed, and the body has been con- 

 verted into a local and State organiza- 

 tion. 



2. Because the action was taken with 

 undue haste, and without full discussion. 

 At the Kei>kuk meeting, where the mat- 

 ter was literally rushed through, the 

 attendance was small, comprising but 

 few of the older members, and none at 

 all from the far East. Such an impor- 

 tant step;might at least have had a 

 year's notice of motion, and full discus- 

 sion in the bee-periodicals. 



3. Because the action was precipitated 

 in the face and teeth of strong objection 

 on the part of the two Canadian dele- 

 gates, who forwarned the prime movers 

 in the scheme, that those whom they 

 represented would consider the proposed 

 incorporation equivalent to an act of 

 expulsion. The chief promoters of the 

 scheme have since declared that they 

 did not understand that Canadian bee- 

 keepers would regard it as an act of ex- 

 communication. It has been demon- 

 strated that the Canadian delegates' 

 present at Keokuk were right in their 

 judgment. Their clients assembled at 

 the annual meeting of the Ontario Bee- 

 Keepers' Association in January last, 

 unanimously took this view of the mat- 

 ter. 



4. Because the act of incorporation is 

 of no earthly use. It is like the fifth 

 wheel to a carriage, or a second tail to a 

 dog. The only argument in its favor 

 urged by its advocates, has been that it 

 would enable the Association to hold 

 property, sue, and be sued ; neither of 

 which it needs or wants to do. It is 

 therefore, literally, a work of super- 

 erogation. 



5. Because it has caused friction and 

 unpleasant feelings among those who, 

 for a score of years, had worked in har- 

 mony. Coming at a time when tariff 



