196 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Mar^h 27, 19' 2 



KJ^^J^>V<^VtiV>iVJ'VJi^ 



Convention Proceedings. 



Report of the Wisconsin Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



BY ADA L. PICKAED, SEC. 



The iSth annual convention of the Wisconsin State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association was held in the State Capitol at IMadi- 

 son. Feb. s and 6, 1902. 



The convention was called to order by Pres. N. E. 

 France, a man of sterling worth, nobility of character, and 

 great experience in all branches of apiculture. 



Copies of the song, "Buckwheat Cakes and Honey," pre- 

 sented to the convention by our congenial friend. Editor 

 York, were distributed to each person present, and all joined 

 in singing the jolly song under the leadership of iS'Ir. York. 



president's annual address. 



Our genial vice-president, Mr. Huffman, took the chair 

 while Pres. France delivered his annual address. He spoke 

 of the last honey crop of Wisconsin as not being an aver- 

 age crop. The outlook for the southern part of the State 

 last year was good, but the drouth cut the crop short. He 

 also mentioned the fact that the reason why many did not 

 obtain good prices for their honey was because they did 

 not put their honey up in salable packages. 



He recommended that the National Association adopt 

 and furnish to each member of the Association, a badge 

 that will be suitable for a State Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 as well as the National Association, as we are a part of 

 that Association. 



Mr. France also spoke of the advisability of holding 

 our conventions in different parts of the State, on years 

 except Legislative years. He said we could not afford to 

 meet elsewhere than in Madison on those years, as there 

 were frequently bills introduced into the Legislature very 

 detrimental to the bee-keeper, as there was in 1901. and 

 only through the ardent work of the committee of bee- 

 keepers going before the Legislative Committee was the bill 

 defeated. 



BEE-CELLAR IN THE SOLID ROCK. 



Mr. C. H. Pierce, of Columbia County, said, in beginning 

 his paper : "Being a beginner in the bee-business, as well 

 as being somewhat timid in coming before a gathering of 

 mostly veteran bee-keepers, I was on the point of declining 

 to write a paper, but thinking I had something in the way 

 of a winter repository for bees which perhaps none of you 

 have ever tried, I answered the secretary that I might give 

 a description of my bee-cellar blasted from solid rock." 



As most of the Wisconsin bee-keepers are not so fav- 

 orably blessed as !Mr. Pierce, to live in a community as 

 noted as the Wisconsin Dells, and have access to those old 

 sandstone bluffs, it was very interesting to all to listen 

 to his description of his bee-cellar. If Mr. Pierce is a 

 beginner in the bee-business he is a wide-awake, practical 

 man, and is willing to break the bread of his experience to 

 others, and at the same time sit and drink at the fountain 

 of others' experience. 



An interesting discussion followed lliis paper, and the 

 question was asked, "Does noise disturb bees while in winter 

 quarters?" Mr. Kluck said he winters his bees in the house- 

 cellar, and that the boys and girls made as much noise in 

 their play as they pleased, and it did not disturb the bees. 



Mr. Lathrop's bee-cellar is near a railroad track, where 

 the passing of the trains jars the ground terribly, and it 

 did not seem to disturb the bees. The general concensus 

 of opinion of the convention was that noise did not dis- 

 turb bees while in winter quarters. 



A CENTRAL HONEY-PRODUCERS' F.XCHAKGE. 



It has been the good fortune of the Wisconsin Bee- 

 Keepers' Association, for the past three or four years, to 

 have Mr. York meet with us. He gave an address on 

 "The Need of a Central Honey-Producers' E-xchange." He 

 advised that in some inland city (preferably Chicago) there 

 be organized and conducted a stupendous honey-producers' 

 exchange. The central organization should ascertain the 

 probable amount of honey in the country at the close of 

 the honey harvest; should have a large, suitable place for 



the storage of honey, and be in position to advance a 

 quarter of the actual value of the honey handled. He 

 proposed this should be managed by one efficient man 

 (with his own special assistants) capable of managing great 

 affairs, and that he should be responsible only to a board 

 of five directors, elected annually by the stockholders. 

 Stock should be taken at so much per colony of bees owned. 

 An exchange of this sort ought to be a handsome dividend- 

 paying investment. 



Those who heard the address and discussion were con- 

 vinced that that was the only way the bee-keepers could real- 

 ize good prices for their product. I believe such an ex- 

 change ought to be organized, and that all of the Wisconsin 

 bee-keepers should be interested in this subject, and fall 

 into line and help make it an effective co-operative organ- 

 ization. 



A resolution was passed recommending the National As- 

 sociation to bring up the subject of a honey-producers' 

 exchange at their next meeting. 



QUESTION-BOX — SELLING BEES. 



The question-box is a prominent and helpful feature in 

 our conventions, and the rest of the afternoon was spent 

 in questions and answers, or, perhaps I should better say, 

 discussions. This is where some can be made to talk. Some 

 of the most backward about talking in conventions have 

 the best and most practical methods, but are too 

 bashful to let their still, small voices be heard in an assem- 

 blage of that kind, but if called upon, and urged, they will 

 disclose their secrets. 



Which would be the more profitable, to keep bees for their 

 honey product, or for sale?" was asked. Some thought it 

 the most profitable to keep bees for sale. Mr. York sug- 

 gested that it would pay to rear bees for sale, and said he 

 thought he could dispose of 500 colonies annually at $4.50 

 to $5.00 per colony. But the question came up, if there 

 would not be a greater danger of overdoing that than any 

 other branch of bee-keeping. 



Air. Lathrop said that from personal experience it was 

 not profitable to sell bees for less than $5.00 per colony. 

 One member said he would not sell bees to his neighbors 

 as he wanted their honey-.trade. But if Mr. Neighbor really 

 wants tees, and so many people are in the business of 

 selling bees, he will buy of some one else, and then you 

 have lost the sale of the bees and also the honey. 



SWEET CLOVER. 



The sweet clover question was discussed. It was thought 

 that it was peculiarly adapted to some kinds of soil, and 

 thus was more valuable as a honey-plant in some localities 

 than in others. One having experience in sowing sweet 

 clover seed suggested that the seed should be sown 

 about the time the seed ripens, as it was best to follow up 

 Nature. Mrs. Lucky said that the bee-keepers' sweet-clover 

 enemies will turn out friends if we will persist in sowing 

 sweet clover seed. Almost all farmers object to sweet 

 clover until they become acquainted with its value, and then 

 they like it. 



The bee-keepers did not hold an evening session, as 

 we usually do. but went in a body into the Assembly Room 

 where the Wisconsin agriculturists, horticulturists and bee- 

 keepers, held a joint meeting. The evening program con- 

 sisted of addresses by Prof. Henry and Ex-Gov. Hoard, 

 interspersed with vocal and instrumental music and read- 

 ings. It was a very profitable evening. Prof. Henry made 

 us better acauainted with our Holland neighbors than we 

 ever were before. 



SECOND DAY— Morning Session. 



Thursday morning's session opened at 9:30 with Vice- 

 Pres. Huffman in the chair. 



EXTRACTED HONEY. 



The first on the program was a paper on the "Produc- 

 tion and Care of Extracted Honey," by Elias Fox, of Ve'r- 

 non County, read by Mr. York. We were sorry Mr. Fox 

 could not be present to give his paper, as he is a good con- 

 vention man. But we were glad to hear his paper, as it 

 was a good, practical one, full of note-worthy pointers. A 

 lively discussion followed it and the subject of sour honey 

 came up. The man who extracts unripe honey, whether at 

 the convention or not, was scored on all sides. Mr. Wil- 

 cox thought people who produce sour honey ought to try 

 to earn a more honorable living than to sell unripe honey. 

 The question was asked, "What should be done with sour 



