AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



431 



Report of the Indiana State 

 Bee-Keeper§' Convention. 



Written for the American Be-e Journal 

 BY WALTEK S. POUDER. 



The 13th annual convention of the 

 Indiana State Bee-Keepers' Association 

 met in Indianapolis on Jan. 18 and 19, 

 1893. 



The meeting was called to order at 

 1:30 p.m., with President R. S. Russell, 

 of Zionsville, in the chair. 



After some miscellaneous business 

 was transacted, the minutes of the last 

 meeting were read by the Secretary, 

 and, upon motion, adopted as read. The 

 Treasurer's report was also read, and 

 ordered placed on file. Next followed 



The President's Annual Address. 



Ladies and Oentlemen : — It is with 

 much pleasure and many thanks to the 

 Father of all mercies that we are again 

 permitted to meet in earnest social de- 

 liberation, whereby each may gain wis- 

 dom from the practical labors of others, 

 and be better equipped to solve the 

 many diflScult problems of our favorite 

 pursuit — Apiculture ; and to this end, it 

 is my desire that every member lay aside 

 every selfish motive and strive only to 

 glorify our common industry. 



We have other urgent duties to per- 

 form at this meeting, other than the 

 line of the programme. If it is desired 

 to place our industry in a firm basis, the 

 first thing to be considered is the " Pad- 

 dock Pure Food Bill," which is now 

 pending in Congress, and in which al) 

 honey-producers are most vitally inter- 

 ested. Second, our State exhibit at the 

 World's Fair should be promptly con- 

 sidered ; third, our By-Laws should be 

 amended ; fourth, our State Premium 

 List should be carefully revised and 

 honestly adjusted to benefit the entire 

 industry in a becoming manner; and, 

 lastly, three competent judges appointed 

 by this Association, either of which 

 could award these premiums intelligently 

 in the absence of the others. 



As our State Fair is beyond doubt 

 our greatest educator, it is absolutely 

 necessary that our interests be intrust- 

 ed only to the most competent persons 

 of our industry. The exhibit made last 

 year was very creditable, considering 

 the fact that last year was the poorest 

 honey season ever known in Indiana. 

 This was due to the prevailing drouths, 

 and never perhaps in the history of our 

 State were the clovers so nearly extermi- 

 nated, and even our noble basswoods 

 and fruit-trees of all kinds could 

 scarcely spare sufficient nectar to pay 

 our bees to visit them, so nearly were 

 they famished. It truly was a very 

 dark year for the bee-keepers, but still 

 we should not despair. 



I still have something further to say. 

 Copious rains came just at the right 

 time last fall, and at this time, all 

 honey-plants are in finer condition than 

 I have ever seen them before ; and, if I 

 am not badly mistaken, 1893 will be 

 recorded as the greatest year for honey- 

 production ever known. 



Now, dear friends, under the present 

 encouraging prospect, if we are not al- 

 ready planning, reading and thinking, 

 now is the time to begin and to work as 

 we never did before, until the harvest is 

 secured. Fully believing that our meet- 

 ing will prove both pleasant and profit- 

 able to all the bee-keepers of our great 

 State, I will defer all further remarks 

 at the present time. R. S. Russell. 



Some Reports for 1892. 



A summary of reports of the Indiana 

 bee-keepers for the past season were 

 called for and rendered as follows : 



George P. Wilson, of ToUgate— The 

 past year has been one of the most dis- 

 couraging for the apiary that I remem- 

 ber. The spring was cold and wet, the 

 rains continuing until late in the white 

 clover bloom, thereby causing a very 

 light crop of honey. From 12 colonies 

 I got five pounds of comb honey, but 

 had no extracted honey. This was gen- 

 erally the case with all the bee-keepers 

 of my acquaintance. One man told me 

 that he had 50 colonies, and got no 

 honey at all. Owing to these discour- 

 agements, I have been unable to induce 

 all my neighbor bee-keepers to attend 

 the convention this year ; but I have 

 sent out about 200 programmes, and 

 have written all bee-keepers urging 

 them to attend. 



Our society seems to lack the interest 

 that so important an industry demands, 

 and I think some effort should be made 

 to interest the whole bee-keeping fra- 



