AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



685 



he intended to have used that word, and 

 probably in the German letter he did 

 use it ; but in translating it, not being 

 as familiar with the fine shades of 

 meaning of the English words, he inad- 

 vertantly used the word ordinary. That 

 is a charitable view to take of the matter, 

 • and we think a correct one. — Ed.] 



lissonrl Stale Conventioii, 



The Missouri State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation was called to order by Vice- 

 President G. P. Morton, at Sedalia, on 

 Oct. 7, at 1 p.m. The Secretary being 

 absent, A. A. Weaver was elected tempo- 

 rary Secretary. 



The proceedings of last meeting not 

 being available, a partial report was 

 ■ read from the Missouri Bee-Keeper, and 

 approved. 



The Secretary's report was read and 

 approved. On roll call, 11 members 

 responded. 



The Standing Committee on^ the 

 World's Fair reported. 



The election of officers was deferred 

 to the morning of the second day. 



The matter of obtaining an experi- 

 mental station was considered. It was 

 decided to appioint E. F. Quigley as a 

 committee to investigate and report at 

 the next meeting. 



A Lecture to Beginners. 



BY G. p. MOETON. 



Mr. President, Ladles and Oentlemen : 



It becomes my pleasant duty on this 

 occasion to lecture the "beginner in 

 bee-keeping." 



There is so much to be said — so much 

 to be offered — on this subject that I 

 hardly know what to say' or what to 

 leave out. In almost every line of 

 business, education peculiar to that 

 business is the first requisite to success. 



In pointing out the way to beginners 

 in bee-keeping, I must lay stress on this 

 one point, and insist that they huy and 

 read, study and practice at least one of 

 the many good books on bee-keeping. 

 Become a constant subscriber for one or 

 two good bee-periodicals, and read them 

 and keep posted on the progress in our 

 profession. 



After you have read bee-literature 

 awhile, buy two or three of some one of 

 the many good movable-frame hives 

 that are offered for sale ; have them 

 filled with large, early swarms. See and 



know that each swarm has a vigorous 

 and prolific queen ; then attend to each 

 hive and assist the bees in filling the 

 hive with straight and all-worker combs. 



Now you will find something that you 

 do not understand, and I will not be 

 present to tell you what to do. Refer to 

 your books and periodicals, and practice 

 what they teach. Do not talk about 

 luck in bee-keeping. Do not worry 

 about moths. Do not say that these 

 things cost too much, and that you have 

 not time to attend to them. 



If you once understand the business, 

 it is less trouble and less expense to 

 succeed than to fail. It costs less to do 

 anything right than to do it wrong. But 

 if ill omens follow in your wake in bee- 

 keeping, I would advise you to get out of 

 the business, or not commence in it at all. 



While you are advancing thus far in 

 bee-keeping, make other subjects a 

 special and careful study. ' Learn to 

 know when a colony is queenless by the 

 actions of the bees outside of the hive. 

 Study the succession of honey plants in 

 your neighborhood. Know at any time 

 on what your bees are working. Learn 

 to double up weak colonies, and weed 

 out weak and puny queens. 



Commence at the close of one season 

 to prepare your bees for the next. 

 Protect them against the cold of Winter 

 and heat of Summer, and especially do 

 not expect them to winter on the wind. 



Review and condense ; become a 

 student of apicultural literature. Use 

 movable-frame hives ; secure straight 

 combs; keep all colonies strong; study 

 the habits of bees ; study the honey- 

 flow and its source ; become acquainted 

 with all the modern fixtures and supplies 

 in bee-keeping, and buy only those that 

 will pay ; know at all times the exact 

 condition of your bees ; allow them 

 plenty of Winter stores, and protect them 

 from the extremes of cold and heat. — G. 

 P. Morton. 



J. G. Banning wanted to know how 

 to tell when a colony is queenless ? 



E. F. Quigley replied : Queenless 

 colonies, in Spring, will not carry pollen. 



E. R. Garrett said : That is not safe 

 I have seen them carrying pollen when 

 they were queenless. 



John Conser said the best way to 

 detect queenless colonies is to open the 

 hive, and if queenless, the bees will be 

 found running over the frames as if 

 hunting for something, or as if lost. 



Mrs. J. M. Null bore testimony to the 

 same. 



G. P. Morton said that it might be 

 known by the action of the bees in their 



