302 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



and as hybrids were the most industrious 

 bees, he should say— hybridize. 



Mr. Crane (Vt.) found that many colonies 

 were unproductive, and that bees differed 

 in constitution and industry. Tlie safest 

 way was to breed from the most vigorous 

 colonies and increase to strong stocks. 



L. C. Root (N. Y.) liad received 60 untest- 

 ed queens from H. Alley, and all were very 

 superior. Tlie way was to breed up, and 

 avoid breeding in and in. He felt sure that 

 several were breeding very carefully and 

 with a large percentage of pure Italian bees 

 of industrious, prolific character. 



THE NATIONAI^ ASSOCIATION. 



J. S. Coe (N. J.) remarked tliat the Na- 

 tional Association should be supported. 

 The chicken interests supported its nation- 

 al association and took means to perpetuate 

 tlie organization. Eacli State should be re- 

 presented by delegates. The State organiz- 

 ation should be composed of delegates from 

 county bodies— and they from township 

 societies. The great questions of how best 

 to dispose of our honey, belong to such 

 bodies. We should study to bring producer 

 and consumer together. 



Dr. Family (N. Y.) said that chickens 

 were gotten from all parts of the world— 

 and we sliould get bees not only from Italy 

 but Africa, and all parts of the world, to im- 

 prove our stock. The National Association 

 should import, experiment and find out 

 what to use and what to discard. 



J. H. Nellis remarked that by organiza- 

 tion we could do n)any things that now was 

 impossible. The plan mentioned by Mr. 

 Coe was the best way. Delegates should 

 be sent and their expenses paid. They 

 could be instructed to have various themes 

 discussed, and if a fund was provided, 

 prizes could be offered to bring out the best 

 intellect in the country, and thus perfect 

 the science of the apiarist. 



R. Bacon remarked that iioiiey was not 

 second to poultry in importance, the world 

 over. If a proper stand be taken we can 

 sustain a successful National, as well as 

 State, county and township organizations. 



THURSDAY EVENING. 



The Association met and as the first busi- 

 ness was the election of officers for the 

 coming year, they appointed a committee to 

 nominate them. 



While the committee were in session, 

 Thomas G. Newman remarked that one of 

 the great questions now agitating the minds 

 of bee-kceiicrs was — " How to dis])Ose of 

 honey to advantage." He said that the 

 price asked was no doubt a fanexi one, and 

 that the sooner it was lowered, the sooner 

 honey would be taken from the list of 

 "luxuries" andbe brought into general de- 

 mand. Now only the rich and extravagant 

 used much honey for the table — but the 

 time was not far distant when it would be 

 used by families of moderate means, and 

 take its place beside that of butter, cheese 

 and cream. If bee-keepers would create a 

 home demand for their honey, by offering it 

 at a reasonable price, they would still get 

 as much as they now do, and save the com- 

 missions of middle men. and at the same 

 time he vastly increasing its consumption. 



L. C. Root remarked at some lengtn ui)on 

 his mode of treatment. He said that he 

 permitted swarming just as little as ])os- 

 sible, and prevented the desire to swarm; 



he had taken 10,271 lbs. of lioney from 119 

 colonies. 



The committee reported, and the follow- 

 ing were duly elected officers of the Nation- 

 al Association for the current year: W. J. 

 Andrews, Tenn., President. N. N. Bet- 

 singer. N. Y. ; J. S. Coe, N. J. ; R. R. Miir- 

 jihy. 111.; G. W. Zimmerman, 0.; J. Van- 

 dervoort, Pa. — Vice Presidents; J. H. 

 Nellis, Secretary; J. S. Hill, Treasurer. 



New York City was selected as the next 

 place of meeting, and the third Tuesday of 

 October, the time. J. S. Coe was instructed 

 to make all necessary arrangements. 



The Secretary was instructed to issue an 

 address to the bee-keepers of America — 

 earnestly advising them to organize, and 

 protect their interests; and also to send one 

 or more delegates to the next National Con- 

 vention, instructed as to how it can best ad- 

 vance the individual interests of bee-keep- 

 ers at large. 



Some desultory conversation was then 

 indulged in by those present, and then a 

 vote of thanks was passed to the proprietors 

 of the Atlas Hotel for so liberally placing 

 its comfortable parlor at the disposal of the 

 Convention. 



The essays, for which the N. E. Bee-keep- 

 ers' Association had offered a prize, were 

 then read. The prize being already awarded 

 by the committee to the essay of Prof. A. J. 

 Cook, of Lansing. Mich. 



L. C. Root (N. Y.) remarked that one of 

 the principal points for successful winter- 

 ing was 'perfect quietude. If the bees were 

 in good coiidition he never opened his de- 

 pository from Nov. 1.5 to May 1. He kept a 

 thermometer suspended through a hole in 

 the floor aliove, and the temperature did not 

 vary all winter only between 45 to .50deg. 



After some further discussion the Con- 

 vention adjourned to meet in New York on 

 the|third Tuesday in October, 1877. 



[Owing to the wonderful grandeur and ex- 

 tent of the display in the Centennial Exhi- 

 bition it was deemed prudent only to hold 

 sessions at evening. This, together with 

 the natural pressure of business, makes this 

 report rather brief.] J. H. Nellis, -Secy. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



The Prize Essay. 



The centennial committee of the North- 

 Eastern Bee-Keepers' Association appoint- 

 ed as the committee of judges on the es- 

 says: J. P. Moore, of New York; H. Alley, 

 of "Mass., and J. S. Hill, of Ohio. 



The judges convened and performed their 

 duties on Thursday evening, Oct. 2(5. 



Four essays were presented, all very use- 

 ful and instructive papers. The gentlemen 

 who sent the essavs are Rev. E. C. Brig!J:s,of 

 Iowa; Dr. W. B. Rush, of La.; Wm. II. S. 

 Grout, Es(|., of New York, and Prof. A. J. 

 Cook, of ■Mich. 



After due consideration, the committee 

 awarded the prize to Prof. A.J. Cook, of 

 Mich. 



This seemed a worthy dhcision. We can 

 only regret that low finances restrained our 

 giving a prize to each worthy competor. We 

 can but hope that the unsuccessful may ap- 

 preciate their reward in the good done the 

 mass of apiarists who have failed hereto- 

 fore in wintering their bees. 



J. H. Nkllis, 



Sec'y of North-Eastern B. K. Association. 



