1904 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1019 



AN EXPLANATION FROM W. Z. HUTCHIN- 

 SON. 



In justice to myself and my fellow-mem- 

 bers of the National Association, an explan- 

 ation is due them before they cast their 

 votes for officers this month. When I no- 

 ticed that my term of office as Director ex- 

 pired this year, and considered that Mr. 

 Brodbeck's continued ill health would pi'ob- 

 ably prevent him from again accepting the 

 Secretaryship it seemed to me that it might 

 be better if I were elected Secretary in- 

 stead of Director. Correspondence with Mr. 

 Brodbeck brought out the fact that he not 

 only did not care for the office, but would 

 not accept it. I thought of mentioning the 

 matter in the Revieiv, but feared that I 

 would be accused of using it to further per- 

 sonal ends. The only course opened seemed 

 to be that of addressing a circular to the mem- 

 bers, and, with the apiDroval and consent of 

 Mr. Brodbeck, I sent out the following: 



A PERSONAL REQUEST PROM W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 

 Flint, Mich., Aug. 13, 1904. 

 My Bee-keeping Friend and Fellow-member of the Na- 

 tional Bee-keepers' Association: 



Inclosed you will find a copy of a notice that will ap- 

 pear in all of the bee-journals for August. In that no- 

 tice you w'll see that my term of oflice as a Director 

 expires with this year, and I would ask you as a favor 

 not to nominate me again to that office. I should like, 

 however, to see Michigan still represented on the 

 Board, and I know of no better man for the position 

 than R. L. Taylor, of Lapeer. Mr. Taylor is fair-mind- 

 ed, well-educated, has practiced law several years, been 

 twice elected Prosecuting Attorney for his county, 

 served two terms in the legislature, and has been for 

 years an extensive bee-keeper. As there is no lawyer 

 on the Board, his election would be unusually desirable. 



While I do not care to retain the office of Director, 

 and should prefer to see Mr. Taylor elected in my place, 

 there is an oflice which I think I could fill with satisfac- 

 tion to both the Association and myself, and that is that 

 of Secretary. The prosperity of the Association is 

 largely dependent upon the holding of successful an- 

 nual conventions, and the success of the annual conven- 

 tion depends largely upon the Secretary. It is he who 

 must know everybody, know who rides this hobby and 

 who that, and thus be able to assign the right topic to 

 the right man. It is he who must write to this one and 

 that one, and encourage and enthuse and bring togeth- 

 er a big crowd of the flower of the country. Then the 

 report of the meeting must be gotten into good shape, 

 and published. 



I don't think it is egotism when I say that I think I 

 am better fitted to act as Secretary than I am to fill any 

 other office in the gift of the Association. Don't thinit 

 that, in wishing for this oflice, I simply have in mind 

 the paltry salary or the little fame that may come for 

 work well done, but I have deeply at heart the welfare 

 of the Association, and desire that position in which I 

 believe I can render it the most efficient service. 



I am aware that, in sending out this circular, I am 

 doing something out of the ordinary; but it is the only 

 way in which I can let you know these things, and I 

 have been doing things "out of the oi-dinary " all of 

 my life. I don't always ask myself if this is what other 

 folks would do, but. is it a reasonable, sensible thing to 

 do? If it is, or I think it is, I do it. 



Now, then, if you think I would make a good secreta- 

 ry, and you would like to see me elected, send your vote 

 7101V to Mr. France and thus help nominate me, and, if I 

 receive the nomination, vote for me again in November 

 and help elect me. 



By the way, you can use the inclosed slip in voting, if 

 you wish, writing in the names in the blank, adding 

 your own name and address on the margin, and then, 

 enclosing it in an envelope, mail it to Mr. N. E. France, 

 Platteville, Wis.; or, if you prefer, you can write out 

 the list on a postal. Don't forget or get it mixed. I 

 should like to have you vote for Mr. R. L. Taylor to suc- 

 ceed me as a Director, and I should like to have you 

 vote for me as Secretary. 

 _ Thanking you in advance for any favors in this direc- 

 Jiion. I am as ever yours, W. Z._Hutchinson. 



All would have passed off smoothly had I 

 not made the mistake of sending this circu- 

 lar to only a part of the members. To print 

 the circulars, envelopes, and address them, 

 and pay the postage, was quite an expense. 

 If I sent it to all of the members it would 

 cost some $25 or $30. It occurred to me 

 that it would not be necessary to send this 

 circular to all the members— that if sent to 

 half of them it would accomplish its pur- 

 pose. That this might be considered unfair 

 did not occur to me. It seemed as though I 

 had a perfect right to ask just as many as 

 I pleased to vote for me, and that I was 

 under no obligation to ask all because I had 

 asked a part. I think tww that all should 

 have been treated alike. I did not intend 

 to slight any one, but, as the sending out of 

 that circular letter, in the manner in which 

 it was sent, seems likely to cause ill feeling 

 and division in our ranks, I hereby with- 

 draw my candidacy and most urgently re- 

 quest my friends to cast their vote for some 

 one else. 



When the members met in St. Louis, 

 and compared notes, this man had received 

 a circular and that one had not, and it was 

 very natural that a "scheme" should be 

 suspected. Hints of the feehng that exist- 

 ed came to me from various sources; but 

 there was nothing definite, or in such shape 

 that I could come out publicly and explain. 



I make this explanation because I prefer 

 to sail under my true colors, even if by so 

 doing I may stand lower in the estimation 

 of my friends. 



Right here let me say that Mr. R. L. 

 Taylor knew nothing whatever of the send- 

 ing out of the circular. 



Now, then, having made my explanation 

 let me go a little further. Whether or not 

 my course is deserving of censure or praise, 

 there ought to be some method whereby 

 candidates may be discussed in advance of 

 nominations, without any stigma being at- 

 tached. If an officer does not desire re- 

 election he ought to be allowed to say so. 



I have published this matter in Glean- 

 ings instead of the Revieiv for two reasons: 

 It reaches a larger number of members than 

 are reached by the Review, and it will reach 

 them before they begin voting this month, 

 while the Review won't reach its readers 

 until the month is half over. Thanking Bro. 

 Root for his courtesy in this respect I am 

 as ever yours, W. Z. HuTCHINSON. 



OVERSTOCKING. 



Outyards vs. One Large Yard; a Most Re- 

 markable Yield of Honey in an Off Year. 



BY E. W. ALEXANDER. 



We send you a photo of our apiary, also a 

 report of our honey crop of 1904. My only 

 reason for sending this report for publica- 

 tion is that I am very much interested in 

 this subject of overstocking. I was in hopes 

 I could get a picture of our whole yard; but 



