THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Tl 



exert that energy necessary to raise 

 the common vegetables to supply the 

 family table, and are satistied to live 

 on " hog and hominy the year round." 

 The race is not won by the sluggard, 

 but by him who is ever on the alert 

 and ready to exert both his physical 

 and mental powers. 



While much has been accomplished 

 by our leading apiarists in the science 

 of bee-keeping, there are hundreds of 

 smaller lights scattered throughout 

 the country with a few colonies, with 

 their untiring zeal and energy, who 

 have added much to the knowledge 

 and progress that have been made in 

 bee-keeping ; and the result is, that 

 the sweet-silvered voice of the patent 

 hive vender with his moth-trap is no 

 longer heeded in our land, except by 

 liini who reads not. 



In our discussions I have observed 

 that we are more inclined to speak of 

 our success than our failures, when 

 often our best lessons are from our 

 failures ; then let us not fail to give 

 our experience, wherein we have 

 failed, that others may benefit thereby. 



In my observations, there is no in- 

 dustry in this country in which thei'e 

 has been more progress made in a de- 

 cade, both scientitically and practi- 

 cally, where the product comes from 

 the soil ; and if a majority of our citi- 

 zens could be induced to keep a few 

 colonies of bees, there would be much 

 wealth gathered annually which now 

 is lost, to say nothing of the effects 

 that a good dish of honey has upon 

 the family, socially, for we are all 

 prone to get a little sour at times, and 

 need sweetening up, and if it could 

 not be done with honey, a few stings 

 would make us forget ourselves for 

 the time being. 



I would call to remembrance the 

 death of the Rev. J. C. iJelhnan, the 

 first president elect of this Associa- 

 tion, hoping that this Society will re- 

 member him with appropriate reso- 

 lutions. 



While the Agricultural College of 

 Indiana, Purdue, is experimenting 

 ■with all the domestic animals, and 

 has so far omitted the bee, I think it 

 would be well for this Association to 

 call the attention of the Board to the 

 fact. 



For the financial condition of the 

 Association I refer you to the report of 

 your treasurer, Mrs. E. Stout. And 

 for the general work of the Associa- 

 tion to the report of your secretary, 

 Frank L. Dougherty, who has labored 

 industriously for the up-building of 

 the Association. 



There has been a move in some of 

 the other industrial associations of 

 tills State, as well as this one, to ob- 

 tain an appropriation from the State, 

 that they miglit be able to give their 

 discussions to the masses, fresh from 

 their meetings. I would, therefore, 

 recommend co-operation with these 

 societies in an effort to procure such 

 an appropriation. 



In conclusion, let me congratulate 

 this Association on the great stride 

 that has been made toward tlie im- 

 provement of the honey bee, and 

 while we have not been able yet to 

 breed them without » sting, or with a 

 tongue long enough to reach the honey 



in the red clover on our deep rich 

 soils, we have lessened the propensity 

 to sting, and are increasing the past- 

 ure by tlie cultivation of many honey- 

 producing plants ; and, considering 

 the time since the experiments com- 

 menced, I think the improvements in 

 the bee have been equal to the im- 

 lirovements in any of the domestic 

 animals. 



The several particulars mentioned 

 in the president's address were dis- 

 cussed at some length, eliciting many 

 tacts of direct interest to those 

 present. 



A committee, consisting of Mrs. 

 Cass Robbins, Dr. J. H. O'Rear and 

 J. M. Robinson, reported a series of 

 appropriate resolutions on the death 

 of the Rev. -J. C. Bellman, a foimer 

 president of the Society. 



The subject of " Dividing, or Nat- 

 ural Increase " was again taken up, 

 the subject leading to a discussion of 

 the best plan of handling natural 

 swarms. The prevailing opinion 

 seemed to favor a basket or box in 

 which to secure swarms that have 

 settled. 



Mr. Mutli described a device which 

 he had seen in use at Mr. Hill's, near 

 Cincinnati, consisting of an oblong, 

 perforated box, which could be quickly 

 adjusted to a pole. He thought any 

 shaped box, holding not more than a 

 half-bushel, bored full of one-half 

 inch holes, and leaving both ends 

 open, would answer all practical 

 purposes. 



Tlie opinion of the majority seemed 

 to be that, in divisions of all kinds, 

 the main object should be to keep all 

 of the old bees together, that the 

 largest amount of honey might be se- 

 cured. The meeting adjourned for 

 supper. 



Tlie evening session was called to 

 order promptly at 7:30. The first 

 question being that of " Wintering." 



Dr. O'Rear was a strong advocate 

 of indoor wintering, pi ef erring a 

 house above ground. 



Mr. Sliaw also sided with the Doc- 

 tor, believing that the difference in 

 the amount of stores consumed would 

 more than compensate for the trouble 

 and cost of the building. 



Mr. Muth, Mr. Dougherty, and 

 many others had wintered on the sum- 

 mer stands for years successfully. 

 They thought that, while indoor win- 

 tering had some advantages in the 

 Northern States, it was not preferable 

 in this latitude. 



Providing pasturage for the bees 

 was discussed with an interest which 

 bodes good for the future honey crops 

 of Indiana. The value of all the 

 honey-producing plants which grow 

 in oiir climate was fully discussed. 

 Alsike and sweet clover {(/ieJ/Jot) be- 

 ing the favorites. 



Mr. Thompson, president of the 

 State Dairymen's Association, said he 

 was not a bee-keeper, but the thorough 

 discussion he had just heard called up 

 a new line of thought to him. The 

 dairymen are directly interested in 

 the clover, and he thought there 

 would be no need of scattering the 

 seed in the fence corners and waste 

 places, as some member had sug- 



gested, but each could greatly assist, 

 the other in the planting process, for, 

 quoting Prof. Cook, " happily, civili-. 

 zation is opposed to selfishness." 



Mr. Mason had not succeeded in 

 getting a good start with meliloti 

 thought alsike preferable. 



Mr. Learning had visited Mr. Salis- 

 bury, in Illinois, who had many acrea 

 of it sown, and who pronounced it a 

 decided success, after trial on a large 

 scale. 



The hour having become quite late,. 

 the meeting adjourned until the 

 morning. 



The second day's meeting waa 

 called to order promptly at 9 a. m., 

 with increased attendance. The elec- 

 tion of otlicers became the order of 

 business. All the old officers were 

 re-elected for another term, as fol- 

 lows : For President, Hon. I. N. 

 Cotton, Traders' Point ; Secretary, 

 Frank L. Dougherty ; Treasurer, Mrs. 

 E. Stout, both of Indianapolis. On 

 motion of Dr. O'Rear, a committee 

 was appointed to confer with the 

 State Board of Agriculture, on the 

 subject of larger premiums and better 

 accommodations for the bee-keeping 

 interest. 



A communication from Dr. A. B. 

 Mason, Toledo, Ohio, in reference to. 

 the Tri-State Fair, of Ohio, Michigan 

 and Indiana, was referred to a special 

 committee, consisting of Messrs. 

 Muth, Davis and Johnson. The^ 

 recommended the sending of Presi- 

 dent Cotton as a delegate to said Fair, 

 with power to act for the Society, in 

 the best possible manner, for the in- 

 terest of the bee-keepers. 



Prof. Cox, formerly State Geologist, 

 now of California, entertained the 

 Society with a description of bee- 

 keeping in that State. Prof. Collett 

 also spoke a few minutes, in his happy 

 style, of the instruction and moral 

 influences of the honey bee. The rest 

 of the morning session was consumed 

 in discussing minor subjects con- 

 nected with tlie business. 



The afternoon session opened with, 

 a discussion of the merits of comb 

 foundation, the secretary describing 

 the particulars of its manufacture in 

 different torms, including tlie wired 

 frames as made on the Given press, 

 samples of which he had present. 



Gov. Porter being present, waa 

 called on to address the Society, 

 which he did. He complimented the- 

 Society on its increased attendance 

 each year, and on the intelligent man-- 

 ner of its discussions ; he referred to. 

 his former meeting with the Society, 

 and of the general information he 

 had gained during his short stay. He- 

 was greatly interested in these indus- 

 trial meetings of the several State 

 societies, and believed that they 

 should have all the encouragement, 

 possible, as they were destined to 

 place our State in the very front rank 

 of industrial States. He spoke of the 

 great improvement in the several in- 

 dustries ; thought the Legislature 

 should make a sm;ill allowance for 

 each society to enable it to send our 

 reports of the proceedings of the 

 meetings to all parts of the State, so 

 as to place the knowledge of the spec- 

 ialist into the hands of those who ar© 



