140 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



tice Wallbridge was strongl}' of the 

 opinion that the steadiness of the cli- 

 mate would be favorable to wintering 

 bees, and he intended to enter upon the 

 practical woi'k of beelieeping. 



president's address. 



At the request of President Jones, 

 Mr. MoKnight, of Owen Sound, Presi- 

 dent of the" Ontario Association, read 

 the President's address as follows : 



It affords me genuine pleasui'e to 

 meet with you all in this our usual 

 annual gathering — pleasure for more 

 reasons than one. I am pleased to 

 meet with our American friends, who 

 have honored Canada, and honored 

 Toronto by choosing this as the place 

 of meeting of the National Associa- 

 tion. True, it is a "National" Asso- 

 ciation, but the representation from 

 Canada is usually so small, we had 

 scarcely the right to expect, much less 

 enjoy, the pleasure of having Canada 

 chosen as the place of meeting. I am 

 pleased, because our own Canadian 

 Association has turned out in such 

 force to welcome our American 

 brethren. 



I am also pleased and proud to have, 

 what has always seemed to me, one of 

 the things I most desired, and I am sure 

 I only speak the mind and express 

 the feelings of all our Canadian breth- 

 ren, when I say that they have long 

 wished for a chance to welcome to 

 Canada's shores the " Father of Bee- 

 keepers," the great " Huber of xlnier- 

 ica," our venerable friend and brother, 

 Rev. L. L. Langstroth. 



Last winter was an unusually severe 

 one to beekeepers, but it was severe 

 (with few exceptions) only to those 

 Who did not take the proper precau- 

 tious in preparing for winter, at least 

 so it has been with Canadian bee- 

 keepers. I venture the assertion that 

 much more care will be taken this fall 

 to prepare for the coming winter. 

 The spring came upon us unusually 

 cold and wet, and this state of affairs 

 was prolonged until nearly the first of 

 June. Had the season opened as the 

 majority of seasons do, many colonies 

 would have escaped and come through 

 all safe, though then very weak, but 

 the cold and backward season com- 

 pleted the work which the careless 

 beekeeper began, and these colonies 

 became victims of "spring dwind- 

 ling." "When the season came upon 

 us," the majority were not ready to 

 reap the harvest. The flow at first 

 was only sufficient to supply material 

 for a genuine '■ swarming fever," and 



I opine that many allowed too great 

 a number of swarms. Only last week 

 I received a report from one beekeeper 

 who had one colony in the spring, but 

 who has no less than 15 — an increase 

 of 14. While the other honey-bearing 

 sources supplied a fair proportion of 

 the flow, still, to Canadian thistles, 

 Canadians are indebted for the great 

 majority of the crop of 1883. Bokhara 

 clover has also done well, and I am of 

 the opinion that it will become one of 

 the future staple honey plants of the 

 country. 



On the whole, our beloved pursuit 

 is in a most prosperous and happy 

 condition. During the past season 

 giant strides have been made in api- 

 culture, both in the improved method 

 of manipulation, and in the advanced 

 ideas with regard to placing the pro- 

 ducts of the hive in a pleasing and, 

 salable shape before the people. 



We may ascribe the success and 

 advancement so obtained, in part, to 

 the able manner in wiiich all the sub- 

 jects which tend to this advancement 

 are handled hy able and energetic 

 writers in the many journals which 

 the public have the benefit of perus- 

 ing at a small cost, and which are 

 constantly disseminating useful knowl- 

 edge on matters interesting to bee- 

 keepers. Conventions, such as this, 

 have much to do with its advancement, 

 as it is at these meetings that we learn 

 from each other what each one of us 

 has been doing during the past year, 

 and by thoroughly discussing the va- 

 rious thoughts and experiences which 

 are advanced, we are enabled thereby to 

 arrive at correct conclusions regarding 

 many questions which have held doubt- 

 ful prominence in our minds until sub- 

 stantiated by like experiences from 

 others. 



Honey shows are likewise a great 

 item in giving apiculture a helping- 

 impetus. I feel that it is the duty of 

 eveiy beekeeper to take his entire 

 crop to these places, whether the prizes 

 are large or not, and when once the 

 beekeepers make the "Honey Depart- 

 ment" one of the leading attractions 

 of the Fair, the Agricultural and other 

 societies will not long lie dormant in 

 the matter, but each will vie with the 

 other in trying to see which will have 

 the greatest attractions in our depart- 

 ment. 



I cannot close without mentioning 

 the honored dead — of such men as 

 Wagner, Quinby, Colvin, Grimm, and 

 a host of others who have gone before 

 us and who have done so much for us. 

 I must also refer regretfully to the 



