240 



American 'Ree Journal 



Mar 21, 1907 



too many bills. It will be like it was 

 two years ago. It was hard to get our 

 Bill through for an appropriation of 

 $l,ooo, and too many Bills will defeat 

 us in our efforts, and result in our 

 getting nothing. I think we would bet- 

 ter let the spraying matter alone, and 

 get the Foul Brood Bill through. 



Mr. Dadant — I would like to insist on 

 giving the committee full scope. Let 

 them use their judgment in drafting the 

 Bill. Do not tell them to get up this 

 or that kind of Bill. We want a Bill 

 that will make sure destruction of foul 

 brood. As to passing three Bills — let 

 them do it if they can. I do not think 

 that we should limit the committee. If 

 the legislature does not pass all the Bills 

 — if they will not enact at one sessioiv 

 all that we want, we will go after them 

 next year. 



The motion received a second and 

 was carried. 



The result was as follows : President, 

 .1. Q. Smith; Secretary, Jas. A. Stone ; 

 and Treasurer, Charles Becker. First 

 Vice-President, J. E. Johnson of Wil- 

 liamsfield ; 2nd Vice-President, S. N. 

 Black, of Clayton ; 3rd Vice-President, 

 E. J. Baxter, of Nauvoo; 4th Vice- 

 President, A. L. Kildow, of Putman ; 

 5th Vice-President, W. H. Hyde, of 

 Canton. 



Pres. Smith : — The appointment of 

 foul brood Inspector is next on your 

 list of business coming before you. 



Mr. Stone — I move that our present 

 Inspector, Mr. J. Q. Smith, who has 

 served so acceptably, be appointed for 

 the coming year. 



The motion having received a second 

 the question was put by Mr. Johnson, 



courage us so that we neglect our bees, 

 and thus lose many colonies, so that 

 when a good honey-year comes we are 

 not prepared to meet it to the best ad- 

 vantage. 



You have perhaps noticed that unless 

 we exert ourselves to follow our best 

 judgment, we naturally fall into a habit 

 of doing a good deal as others do. The 

 man who merely follows the crowd will 

 never succeed as well as he who does 

 what, after careful consideration, he 

 concludes to be the right thing to do, 

 whether others do it or not. 



Let us review our present situation. 

 We have had an exceedingly poor 

 honey year, and last year was not extra 

 good. The blue-grass in the pastures 

 is in many places killed out by dry 

 weather, and, should we have a wet year, 

 which we usually do after a dry "one, 



Secretary Jas. A. Stone. 



Treasurer Chas. Becker. 



Mr. Black — If they do not pass all, 

 they might pass one. 



Mr. Baxter — Leave the committee ab- 

 solutely unfettered. I believe these Bills 

 will not conflict with others. We are 

 as much entitled to an appropriation as 

 other State societies. I believe we can 

 show the legislature the importance of 

 bee-keeping in this State. 



The question was called. 



Pres. Smith — The motion is carried. 

 I will appoint as such Committee : Mr. 

 Dadant, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Stone. 



Mr. Pyles — ^I move that the Secretary 

 send to the members of the State Bee- 

 Keepers' Association the names of the 

 committees on appropriation in the 

 Senate and in the House and ask them 

 to write to their members, personal let- 

 ters. 



The motion received a second and 

 was carried. 



Mr. Pyles— Mr. President, I move 

 that the rules be suspended, and that we 

 proceed at once to the election of of- 

 ficers for the ensuing year. 



the newly elected ist Vice-President, 

 and unanimously decided in the affirma- 

 tive. 



A very sensible and interesting paper 

 was read by Mr. Johnson on : 



IN THE POOR YEARS PREPARE 



FOR THE GOOD YEARS THAT 



ARE SURE TO FOLLOW 



As we come together to discuss 

 things of interest to bee-keepers at this 

 convention, we come not as bee-keepers 

 having just reaped a bountiful harvest, 

 but we come, at least most of us, having 

 cause for discouragement, as in most 

 parts of Illinois there is this year al- 

 most a honey-famine. As bee-keepers, 

 we usually get enthusiastic when we art 

 in the midst of a prosperous year, and 

 when in the midst of a good honey- 

 harvest, we at once begin to plan to 

 increase the size of our apiary, and us- 

 ually we increase our number of colon- 

 ies only to find that when we are best 

 ready for a big honey-flow we don't 

 get it. Then the poor years will dis- 



the white clover will spring up unhind- 

 ered ; not only so, but many people have 

 thinned out their stock so that it will 

 not be pastured so closely as usual ne.xt 

 year, and it is only when the white 

 clover gets ahead of the cattle that it 

 can yield its best. Not only so, but dur- 

 ing a wet year there will be much more 

 abundance of heartsease, Spanish-needle 

 and other fall flowers ; so, taking all 

 things into consideration, I think we 

 have a fair prospect for a moderately 

 good year in 1907. So let us not for- 

 get that in the time of a poor honey- 

 year is the time to keep up courage and 

 prepare for the good years that must 

 certainly follow. 



Let me cite another feature. I have 

 quite a few neighbors that keep from 

 4 or 5 to 15 or 20 colonies of bees. 

 Three years ago they would stop me 

 in the road to talk bees, but now those 

 who have any bees left don't give them 

 a thought, because they don't bring in 

 an income. I talked with a man the 

 other day who had had from 20 to 



