AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



463 



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Report of the Iowa State Bee- 

 Keepers' Convention. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY J. W. BITTENBENDER. 



The 10th annnal convention of the 

 Iowa State Bee-Keepers' Convention 

 met on the Fair Ground at Des Moines, 

 with the President, Secretary, and 

 Treasurer, and a very good attendance 

 of the members. All were enthusiastic, 

 and bee-subjects were discussed with 

 much interest. 



The bee-keepers reported a fair crop 

 of white honey, mostly comb, with the 

 most sale of comb honey at 15 cents per 

 pound, and extracted at 10 cents ; with 

 a few sales at 12% cents. Some locali- 

 ties reported some fall honey gathered. 

 Bees are in good condition for winter, 

 and the prospects are fine for a good 

 honey crop in 1893. 



The programme was then taken up, 

 it being 1:30 p.m. 



After the usual preliminary business 

 was transacted, Mr. Eugene Secor, of 

 Forest City, delivered the following 



President's Annual Address : 



It is natural for bees to breed and 

 multiply. The Creator implanted this 

 propensity in every living thing, and of 

 course bees are no exception. In order 

 to fulfill this law it is necessary for 

 them to provide food to last through the 

 winter. In their wild state it was not 

 difficult to meet these two requirements. 

 From the abundance of wild flowers, 

 and with the instinct of industry im- 

 planted, they could easily store not only 

 a sufficient amount of honey to winter 

 upon, in the mild climate of which they 

 were natives, but often a surplus. 



To succeed in bee-keeping it is neces- 

 sary to understand these instincts in the 

 bees, and control them to our own ad- 

 vantage and profit. The propensity to 

 increase is so strong that if left to them- 

 selves they are inclined to increase in- 

 ordinately, and at the expense of sur- 

 plus honey. If controlled and guided 



by a master hand, they will often store 

 several hundred pounds per colony. 



It will be readily understood, then, 

 that intelligence and skill are necessary 

 to make bee-keeping pay. You old bee- 

 keepers understand this. If none but 

 skilled workmen were present, it would 

 not be necessary to call attention to first 

 principles. 



THINGS BEE-KEEPEKS SHOULD KNOW. 



Just as the farmer should understand 

 the nature of his soil, and the crops best 

 adapted to it, so the bee-keeper should 

 thoroughly comprehend the most impor- 

 tant principles of his art, and by obser- 

 vation and experience learn to apply 

 them. There is ample scope for use of 

 his best judgment and highest skill. He 

 should undersand the flora of his local- 

 ity; then the problem of how to increase 

 the strength of his colonies before the 

 main honey-flow appears ; and how to 

 have the least number of bees per col- 

 ony when they are only consumers, will 

 tax his best mental powers. 



How to prevent excessive swarming 

 when honey is the object sought, will 

 require skill and executive ability. How 

 to obtain the largest product with the 

 least manipulation will require study 

 and experience, What are the essential 

 improvements in hives and apiarian im- 

 plements, requires knowledge and judg- 

 ment. How to get our surplus honey in 

 the most attractive form for market is a 

 thing that comes not by intuition, but by 

 observation and study. How, when and 

 where to market our product is worthy 

 of our best thought. 



Knowing that bees are natives of a 

 warmer climate than this, it should be 

 our endeavor to give them such care and 

 protection as is needed for their safe 

 wintering, and our own future profits. 

 Therefore, the whole range of intricate 

 and important questions is presented to 

 every one who would prosecute the in- 

 dustry of bee-keeping to a successful 

 issue. 



A MUTUAL INTERCHANGE OF IDEAS. 



We are met here for the purpose of 

 mutual help. No one knows all there is 

 worth knowing on any subject. Knowl- 

 edge gained from the experience of any 

 intelligent and observing bee-keeper 

 may be of value to the fraternity, and 

 should be freely given for the benefit of 

 the pursuit. The only way the industry 

 of bee-keeping can be made to assume 

 its proper place among the rural occupa- 

 tions, is for bee-keepers to develop the 

 art through mutual suggestion and 



