1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



301 



SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



A Director for Every State Having a Sufficient 



Number of Members; Official Seal for 



Advertising. 



BY WALTER S. POUDER. 



As a friend and member of the National 

 Bee-keepers' Association 1 wish to offer a 

 few suggestions as to its work for the best 

 interests of the membership. I have made 

 many efforts to increase the membership 

 in Indiana, but most of my efforts have 

 been futile. Bee-keepers whom I have con- 

 sidered good material for this Association 

 answer me that they can not see where they 

 will be benefited. They say that they do 

 not intend to quarrel with their neighbors 

 about their bees. Many have the impres- 

 sion that the Association is intended princi- 

 pally to protect those who do not get along 

 well with their neighbors. When asked why 

 I am a member, and how it has benefited 

 me, I simply have to say that I am a mem- 

 ber because I considered it a good class of 

 men to be associated with. I have kept bees 

 since 1877, and in several localities in this 

 city; and, so far as I can recall, I have never 

 had a neighbor who did not admire my bees. 

 A few pounds of honey distributed among my 

 neighbors is advertising that has brought as 

 good returns as any advertising that I have 

 ever done. I admit that localities where 

 there are great vineyards or extensive sheep- 

 ranches might change the matter entirely, 

 and that in some cases bee-keepers might be 

 greatly imposed on ; but I can not help 

 thinking that in any case of quarreling 

 among neighbors there is a better way to 

 settle the matter than through the efforts of 

 an attorney. I never have and never will 

 appeal to the Association for aid in fighting 

 my neighbor. 



I have one or two suggestions to make, 

 and in doing so I am voicing the sentiment 

 of a number of Indiana bee-keepers. I 

 would suggest that, when a State has secur- 

 ed a certain membership, that State should 

 be entitled to a member of the Board of Di- 

 rectors. He should be one who is sufficient- 

 ly interested in the work to perform his 

 services free of all charges. 



Members should be supplied with an elec- 

 trotype with which to print the official seal 

 and guarantee of purity on their regular 

 labels, in printers' pale ink, color to be 

 named by the Association. Members asking 

 this favor should apply to the local director, 

 and stamps should be furnished by the As- 

 sociation at the Association's expense, suit- 

 ably worded, and bearing the autograph 

 signature of the secretary. This would be 

 similar in some respect to the method adopt- 

 ed by Uncle Sam a few years ago when we 

 had our checks and drafts stamped. 



I would also suggest that a certain per 

 cent of the funds be placed by the manager 

 through some reliable agency, advertising 

 honey bearing the label of the National Bee- 

 keepers' Association. Reproduce the label 



in all advertisements, and wording could be 

 made very interesting to the general public 

 by explaining granulation, "manufactured 

 comb honey," etc., and many other points 

 of interest could be mentioned. 



I am convinced that such a procedure 

 would bring a flood of increase in member- 

 ship, and make the Association much more 

 useful than it ever has been. Let us hear 

 from others, as to how their ideas conform 

 with the ideas expressed above. 



Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 6. 



[There are some suggestions here that 

 are worthy of consideration on the part of 

 the membership. —Ed.] 



»»«»««« ■ ■ ■ 



SHOULD THE NATIONAL BEE-KEEPERS' 

 ASSOCIATION BECOME IN- 

 CORPORATED ? 



Should it Undertake to Handle Honey and Sup- 

 plies ? 



BY WM. M. WHITNEY. 



Mr. Editor:— I notice from the report of 

 the proceedings of the convention of the Na- 

 tional Bee-keepers' Association, held at St. 

 Louis, that the question of incorporation was 

 up for consideration; that a committee was 

 appointed to which the question was refer- 

 red; that said committee reported its action, 

 and asked further time in which to consider 

 the matter, and was given until the next 

 annual meeting in which to make a final re- 

 port. 



All members of the National have or 

 should have an interest in this matter ; and 

 I take it that the committee, before making 

 final report, would be pleased to have an ex- 

 pression of opinion from the rank and file of 

 the membership upon so important a ques- 

 tion. It was a wise saying of the chairman 

 of that committee, when he reported to the 

 convention, asking for further time in which 

 to make final report, that it was of vital im- 

 portance, and should not be acted upon has- 

 tily. 



This may be considered purely a question 

 of policy. All such questions, as a rule, 

 have two sides to them; and, as we look at 

 matters from our individual standpoint, 

 which often differs from that of others' ; it is 

 hardly to be expected that our conclusions 

 will be unanimous upon any subject which 

 may be presented; hence it may not be con- 

 sidered strange if a difference of opinion 

 should develop in this case. 



In considering this matter, the prime 

 question seems to be, " What is the object 

 of incorporation?" What are we to gain 

 by it ? Is it for the purpose of doing busi- 

 ness as a corporate body ? Is it to give the 

 National a standing in court ? or is it hoped 

 that, by incorporation, we may command 

 greater respect from legislative bodies ? Is 

 it one or all of these ? Let us take up these 

 questions seriatim, and discover if we can 

 what the results of incorporation may be. 



We hear it occasionally whispered that it 



