182 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



December 



Could any part of North America 

 have excelled? The landscape, 



"Russet lawns and fallows gray, 

 Where the nibbling flocks do stray," 



green wheat and golden cornfields be- 

 girt by the distant forest-capped hills, 

 just now changing from green to 

 gold, was never lovelier. The sight 

 of the happy homes along the route 

 served but to endear those we call 

 our own, and the people going about 

 their daily duties reminded us that 

 we were not alone in this great 

 struggle for existence. Arrived at 

 St. Joseph, the electric line took us 

 direct to the building in which is the 

 large and handsomely furnished 

 "Commercial Club Room," which at 

 the very first glance promised solid 

 comfort. And many a weary bee- 

 keeper who had for the last few 

 weeks been hustling around to get 

 his pets safely quartered for the 

 winter in time to be off for the ex- 

 pected feast, found rest in the ample 

 and richly upholstered easy-chairs 

 so abundantly furnished. 



And what language is equal to the 

 description of that rest? Surrouded 

 by the faces of earnest, well-tried and 

 faithful veterans in the cause, if 

 there were among that company any 

 who were on the verge of growing 

 faint-hearted, they surely then and 

 there absorbed sufficient antidote to 

 thoroughly eradicate such symptoms. 

 Think you to find lukewarm, dis- 

 interested persons in such assemblies? 

 Ah! no. Each face was all eager 

 attention, lest perchance the owner 

 thereof might fail to catch that which 

 was being offered. Enthusiasm ran 

 so high and the persistent buzzing 

 was so loud as to attract many who 

 made but little or no pretence of be- 

 ing bee-keepers. 



After an exchange of extremely 

 warm greetings and a very short 

 season of chatting, the convention 

 was called to order and opened by Dr. 

 Miller leading in prayer. 



Then followed a sort of class meet- 

 ing exercise, during which the mem- 

 bers were called upon to give the 

 number of colonies, place of residence 

 and their business other than bee- 

 keeping, if any. Beginning with 

 Frank Benton, the secretary, it con- 

 tinued until time for adjourning. 

 As this might prove interesting to 

 the absent, I herewith give all that I 

 was enabled to get: 



Frank Benton, Washington, D. C, 

 government employe; 140 colonies. 



Ralph Benton. Washington, D. C, 

 school boy; one hive. 



M. Arnold, Burlington, Kan., gen- 

 eral farmer; thirty colonies. Raised 

 both queens and honey. 



J. C. Mold, railroad engineer, start- 

 ed with two; increased to six or eight 

 this season ; made increase by feeding 

 sugar syrup. 



R. F. Holtermann, Canada, editor 

 Canadian Bee Journal, made forty- 

 three pounds per colony. 100 col- 

 onies. 



Dr. J. Conroy, Florence, Kan., pill 

 vender, made 1500 pounds. 100 col- 

 onies. 



H. C. Nichols, farmer, 150 colonies. 



E. C. L. Larch, Savannah, farmer, 

 5000 pounds, 125 colonies. 



J. Vandusen, Sprout Brook, N. Y., 

 manufacturer of flat bottom founda- 

 tion; 165 colonies; were transferred 

 to Capt. Hetherington on account of 

 death of son in the Battle Creek 

 (Mich.) railroad wreck a year ago. 

 Realized about one-third of the usual 

 crop. 



