APRIL 1, 1916 



8 cents, while a neighbor sold an inferior 

 article for 5 cents, as that was all lie could 

 get. Honey could be sold by parcel post in 

 suitable containers. He urged a national 

 campaign of advertising. If a fund were 

 raised by assessing only ten cents per liive 

 an enoi'inous amount of money could be 

 raised for advertising. It would create a 

 demand and sale for honey. If beekeepers 

 could only get together on a proposition of 

 this kind it would mean much, because in 

 union there is strength. 



The next forenoon we were not present at 

 the sessions; but we were told that Dr. Mil- 

 ler, among others, gave a little talk on olden 

 days. Dr. E. F. Phillips, in response, paid 

 him and some others of the old patriarchs 

 some very high encomiums. We regret that 

 we did not hear this; but apparently all the 

 beekeepers were glad to welcome and see 

 Dr. Miller and his assistant, Miss Emma 

 Wilson. Dr. Miller has arrived at the age 

 of nearly 85. He, with Mr. Wilcox, and Mr. 

 M. M. Baldridge, St. Charles, 111., carried us 

 back to the olden days. The latter, betAveen 

 sessions, gave us some verj' interesting his- 

 tory of the Langstroth liive and the intro- 

 duction of Italian bees into this country. 

 This, doubtless, will be made public some 

 day. 



Dr. Phillips, of the Bureau of Entomol- 

 ogj', Washington, D. C, in the afternoon 

 delivered a stereopticon address. He showed 

 a number of interesting pictures which he 

 and his associates took ; and among the 

 number none called forth more interest than 

 beekeeping in the South Atlantic states. 

 There were more bees and beekeepers there, 

 he said, than anywhere else in the United 

 States. But the trouble was, bees were 

 blacks and kept by the old primitive meth- 

 ods in box hives. He went on to describe 

 some of the superstitions that were rife 

 among some of those plain mountain folks, 

 the purest of the pure Anglo-Saxons, many 

 of whom had never been away from home 

 more than a few miles. Nearly all of them 

 kept a few bees, and they kept them just as 

 their forefathers did three centuries ago. 

 If a death occurred in the family, the bees 

 would liave to be " informed " of it. On 

 Washington's birthday their colonies have 

 to be moved an inch or two or else calamity 

 will follow. When asked how many gums 

 they have, they don't know. If the visitor 

 proceeds to count — "No ! you mustn't count 

 them, for that Avould bring trouble. There 

 are about so many." 'Nough said. 



They know nothing of hiving piime 

 swarms back on the old stand, thus retain- 

 ing the flying bees of the parent colony. 

 The swarms are hived in another gum 



])laced anywhere, and tlie parent colony is 

 alloAved to swarm itself out of existence. 

 The moth miller is rampant over all that 

 part of the country. It finds these parent 

 colonies, second and third swarms, an easy 

 prey. Practically no returns are received 

 from anything except the prime swarm. 

 Tlie.rest die off, either during the winter or 

 are despoiled by the moth miller, or both. 

 If disease should ever get into this South- 

 land, beekeeping would be entirely wiped 

 out because there are nothing but black 

 bees there. Dr. Phillips hoped that some 

 day the state extension Avorkers Avould be 

 able to instruct these people along the lines 

 of modern methods. 



Subsequently in the proceedings a reso- 

 lution Avas introduced urging CongTess to 

 increase tlie appropriation noAV expended 

 for bee culture bv $35,000, making a total 

 of $50,000 all told. This resolution Avas 

 subsequently submitted to the Committee 

 on AgTicultural Appropriations in Wash- 

 ington with the result that $5000 increase 

 was granted by the Committee. The whole 

 Agi'icultural Bill has been temporarily held 

 up in favor of the Military Bill. In the 

 mean time beekeepers should write their 

 congressmen urging their support of the 

 increased appropriation for apiculture. 

 After the Agricultural Bill passes the House 

 it will go before the Senate, with the prob- 

 ability of adoption by that body. Beekeep- 

 ers should Avrite the senators also. If adopt- 

 ed this Avill make a total appropriation of 

 $20,000. The recommendation was made 

 that Avhatever increase Avas granted, if any, 

 should be used by the Bureau of Entomolo- 

 gy to send experts doAvn into this Southland 

 to instruct those simple mountain folks on 

 hoAv to keep bees in the modern way ; how 

 to know bee diseases and hoAv to control 

 them if they ever get a start. It goes Avith- 

 out saying that Dr. Phillips Avill do his part 

 in the Bureau. 



Dr. Phillips Avas folloAved by Mr. F. G. 

 Snooks, freiglit claim adju.ster in the traffic 

 dei^artment of the Erie Railway Co. Mr. 

 Snooks' address Avas one of the most useful 

 that has been given, provided that the hon- 

 ey-producers of tlie country will heed his 

 suggestions. We obtained from Mr. Snooks 

 a digest of his address, which we are glad 

 to present liere. 



Beekeepers and Kallroads 



I am a beekeeper. Bees are a source of 

 my enjoyment. I am connected with a rail- 

 road which is the means of my livelihood, 

 and I should like to call your attention to 

 some interests in common, not as a railroad 

 employee, but as a beekeeper. 



First, let us consider the railroads. Eail- 

 roads have been in the limelight of legisla- 



