AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



595 



Think of it ! Three-fourths of a mill- 

 ion of dollars devoted annually to ex- 

 periments in agriculture, and probably 

 not two thousand — I think the amount 

 is much less — not one-three-hundred- 

 and-fiftieth of the whole given to aid 

 apiculture ! I say without fear of con- 

 tradiction, that this is a stupendous in- 

 justice. I affirm with positive assur- 

 ance that I am right — that the bee-keep- 

 ers in every State where bee-keeping is 

 an important interest might, in all 

 modesty, claim $1,000 to be expended 

 annually in behalf of their pursuit. 

 This, in addition to the proceeds of the 

 station apiary would serve to secure one 

 first-class man, the best that could be 

 found, whose time should be given en- 

 tirely to this work. And can we doubt 

 that rich results would attend such ef- 

 fort ? Then .$40,000, instead of a 

 scant $2,000, would be expended for 

 such experiments. Even then, apicul- 

 ture would fall short of its deserts, and 

 would receive less than its exceeding im- 

 portance might very justly demand. 



But how can such action be secured? 

 How can the Board of Directors of the 

 several stations be brought to recognize 

 the rights of bee-keepers, and the im- 

 portance of their vocation in this very 

 practical manner ? It is by no means 

 as difficult an undertaking as would 

 seem. If bee-keepers will wake up to 

 their rights in this matter, and demand 

 recognition and justice, they will re- 

 ceive them as certainly as the leaves fly 

 before the gale. No Board dare disre- 

 gard a just demand backed by any con- 

 siderable number of the constituents of 

 its members. 



I would suggest that each State asso- 

 ciation appoint a good committee of 

 live, wide-awake bee-keepers to wait on 

 the Board controlling the station in their 

 State, show the reasonableness of their 

 demands, and press it with the unction 

 that comes from knowing that one is 

 asking only what is his unquestionable 

 right. Then this action should be sup- 

 plemented by personal letters from a 

 score or two of the most prominent bee- 

 keepers to each of the Board of Direc- 

 tors. These will constitute a battering 

 ram that will raze to the ground the 

 most inexcusable indifference, and secure 

 action from the most conservative direc- 

 tors. These letters should be hand- 

 written and persona], not circulars. Of 

 course, this takes work ; but so does 

 every undertaking that has in view any 

 really valuable accomplishment. 



A third duty, and the most diflBcult 

 one of all, will be to decide on the right 

 man to do the experimental yfovk. He 



must be a keen, able man, full of en- 

 ergy, full of the spirit of genuine hon- 

 esty, and with natural tact in the direc- 

 tion of experimentation. Good-hearted- 

 ness, needy circumstances, political affil- 

 iations, should all be thrown to the 

 winds. Decide on the very best man in 

 the State, and urge his appointment be- 

 fore the Board, with a force and energy 

 that the excellence of the cause war- 

 rants, and a startling success will re- 

 ward the effort. 



If there is not a waking up, and a re- 

 form all along the line, it will be because 

 bee-keepers are asleep to their own in- 

 terests. There is not a case on record, 

 where any considerable number have 

 appealed for recognition, and demanded 

 earnestly their rights in any such good 

 cause, that success has not crowned the 

 effort. Not always at first, it is true, 

 but the delay is never long. This will 

 be no exception. Bee-keepers will wake 

 up to the importance of this matter; 

 they will demand recognition ; the 

 Boards will, as they must, concede the 

 justness of the demand; and apiarian 

 stations will then be the rule, and not, 

 as now, the exception. A. J. Cook. 



The foregoing essay was then dis- 

 cussed as follows : 



In reply to a question. Prof. Cook said 

 that Rhode Island, Iowa, Colorado, 

 Michigan and California had experiment 

 stations in apiculture. He thought the 

 Association should put itself on record 

 in regard to this matter. In the White 

 City the display of the bee-keeping in- 

 dustry was not what it should be. 



On motion by Jas. A. Green, of Ottawa, 

 Ills., a committee was appointed to draw 

 up a resolution embodying the views of 

 the Association upon the question. Prof. 

 A. J. Cook, Dr. A. B. Mason, and Jas. 

 A. Green were appointed as such com- 

 mittee. 



The question as to whether less or 

 more bees were being kept, received at- 

 tention. From the remarks made it 

 seemed that bee-keeping was drifting 

 more into the hands of the specialist?, 

 who, owing to better facilities and 

 greater experience, were able to produce 

 honey in larger quantities. 



The convention then adjourned until 

 2:00 p.m., when the committee on pro- 

 gramme reported, and their report was 

 adopted. 



An essay by Mrs. L. C. Axtell, of Rose- 

 ville. Ills., was then read by Secretary 

 Benton, entitled, 



