AUGUST 15, 1916 



715 



BEEKEEPING IN THE SOUTHWEST 



Louis H. Scholl, New Braunfels, Texas 



THE BEXAR CO. ASSOCIATION PICNIC. 



A most interesting event was 

 that of the annual beekeepers' 

 field meet and picnic at the apiary 

 of Mr. E. G. LeStourgeon, about 

 seven miles south of San Antonio, 

 on June 18. The gathering was 

 quite large, and consisted of representa- 

 tive beekeepers from Bexar and adjoining 

 counties. Refreshments were amply sup- 

 plied, and there was ''buzzing" of bee- 

 keepers during the entire day. The value 

 of such coming together can not be esti- 

 mated in dollars and cents. 



The afternoon was profitably devoted to 

 a program, of timely discussions by some of 

 the prominent beekeepers. The old veteran 

 beekeeper, M. M. Faust, of Floresville, dis- 

 cussed the foul-brood situation and inspec- 

 tion work, and touched also on the market 

 conditions existing at the present time. The 

 writer followed with a plea for co-operation 

 and organization of the beekeepers in order 

 to prevent the disastrous losses thru low 

 honey prices brought about by improper 

 handling of our honey crops. In this he 

 was joined by B. I. Solomon and E. G. 

 LeStourgeon in vigorous remarks in the 

 same direction. 



• The outcome of the above-mentioned meet- 

 ing was a motion by the writer that a meet- 

 ing of the honej'-producers of Texas be call- 

 ed at an early date by a properly authorized 

 committee to be selected, and that an effort 

 be made to organize along the same lines as 

 those of the Colorado honey-producers and 

 other like organizations that have been 

 successful in marketing the products of its 

 members. A call for such a meeting was 

 issued July 1, signed by E. G. LeStourgeon, 

 secretary of the Bexar Co. Beekeepers' As- 

 sociation ; M. M. Faust, of Floresville, for 

 Wilson Co.; Louis H. Scholl, of New 

 Braunfels, for Comal Co.; Louis Biediger, 

 of LaCoste, for Medina Co.; Henry Bren- 

 ner, Seguin, for Guadalupe Co.; W. A. 

 Winters, .Jourdantnn, for Atascosa Co. This 

 was tlio beginning of the move for organi- 

 zation. 



THE TEXAS HOXF.V-PKODUCEns' ASSOCIATION. 



A new record was established in Texas 

 beekeeping when the greatest gathering of 

 most of the foremost beekeepers assembled 

 in the Chamber of Commerce Hall, San An- 

 tonio, July 15, in response to the call above 

 mentioned. Over fifteen thousand colonies 



were represented by the owners present, 

 among them being more than a dozen with 

 500 colonies or more, and running up to over 

 1600 colonies as the highest number of any 

 one beekeeper. 



After much timely and valuable discus- 

 sion on the question for which the meeting 

 was called, the writer's motion to organize 

 and adopt the Colorado Honey-producers' 

 Association plan and rules, with such 

 changes as may be necessary, and to appoint 

 a board of seven directors to perfect the 

 organization, was duly carried. 



The officers and directors are as follows: 

 President, I;Ouis H. Scholl, New Braunfels; 

 Vice-president, W. J. Stahman, Clint; Sec- 

 retary, E. G. LeStourgeon, San Antonio. 

 A manager and a treasurer are to be select- 

 ed later. 



A capital stock of $25,000 in $10 shares, 

 with a limit of one hundred shares to any 

 individual or group of individuals, was 

 decided upon. Over $5000 of this stock was 

 subscribed for before the close of the meet- 

 ing, and it is hoped that the rest will also 

 soon be taken care of. 



There are to be a good many benefits for 

 the membeis of this organization a.side from 

 the effort to obtain better prices and a bet- 

 ter market for the beekeepers' products. 

 Co-operative buying and selling of supplies 

 and other needs of the beekeeper are to be 

 taken care of. The dissemination of infor- 

 mation on ci'op conditions, market prices, 

 market conditions, etc., are all to be looked 

 after, and the protection of the members in 

 a number of directions is to be another im- 

 portant item. 



A BIG FIELD FOR THIS ASSOCIATION. 



There is much to do for this new organi- 

 zation. With an effort in the direction of 

 putting on the market thru its organization 

 a superior and more uniform pack of honey, 

 graded according to the rules set down by 

 the association, one stei? toward a better 

 market and better prices will have been 

 obtained. The next most important effort 

 is that of regulating, as far as this is possi- 

 ble for the association to do so, the prices 

 of honey, instead of letting this go on ram- 

 pant as has been the case almost every year. 

 With a hearty ci^-operatjon of the beekeep- 

 ei's this association can do much in this di- 

 rection, and tlie beekeepers as a whole may 

 enjoy the benefits therefrom. I am looking 

 for better times for the Texas beekeeper, if 

 the beekeepei's will help make them so. 



