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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



be well for the apiarian supply dealers 

 to fall into line with the other manufact- 

 urers in the matter of prizes. His opin- 

 ion was that it would be better to do so. 

 Thereafter, prizes for their output were 

 dropped from the list. As bees are no 

 longer a novelty to the general public ; 

 are sometimes an annoyance to the peo- 

 ple on a crowded Fair ground, and their 

 transport inconvenient and expensive, it 

 was thought best to leave them off the 

 list, also. Our prize list is, therefore, 

 confined to honey, and other things 

 into the composition of which honey 

 enters. 



If my memory serves me right, there 

 is not a word in the essay I wrote for the 

 Detroit meeting about my taking prizes 

 at honey shows. I sent two photographs 

 of honey exhibits I had made at Toronto 

 to the Secretary of the Association, and 

 a note explanatory of those photographs, 

 in which I incidentally mentioned the 

 prizes awarded them, and expressed the 

 belief that the amount of these prizes 

 had not been exceeded by any one for a 

 single exhibit of honey. I felt that this 

 note might, or might not, be read to the 

 meeting — it was personal throughout. 

 Judge of my surprise on reading the 

 report of the Detroit meeting, and find- 

 ing that my essay had not elicited one 

 word of discussion, but that several gen- 

 tlemen promptly took exception to the 

 correctness of the opinion I hazarded as 

 to the prizes. 



Now, Mr. Editor, whatever other peo- 

 ple may think, I do not believe I am at 

 all thin-skinned, but the facts as stated 

 lead me to believe there is a good deal in 

 the position Dr. Miller takes, respecting 

 the use of essays at conventions. The 

 theory is that they are to serve as the 

 basis of systematic discussion upon the 

 subjects they introduce, but when the 

 author finds they are read— mayhap to 

 an audience made restive under the in- 

 fliction — and put aside in silence, he is 

 forced, of necessity, to one of two con- 

 clusions, viz. : That the position he 

 takes, and the reasons he adduces, are 

 so strong, and the grounds he occupies 

 so completely covered, that there is no 

 room for discussion. But this is not 

 consistent with the theory that an essay 

 is only an introduction to the subject 

 being enlarged upon. The other conclu- 

 sion is, that the views expressed are not 

 considered worthy of criticism, nor the 

 suggestions made worth discussing. A 

 modest man will be apt to find himself 

 impaled upon the sharpest horn of the 

 dilemma. 



Perhaps the remedy for the alleged 

 surfeit of essays at bee-keepers' meetings 



is to have but two or three on the pro- 

 gramme. Or the evil may correct itself 

 by the essay-writing bee-keepers stand- 

 ing upon their dignity and keeping their 

 counsel. 



Owen Sound, Ont. 



[Brother McKnight now knows how to 

 sympathize with us. We have several 

 times spent much valuable time, and 

 given considerable patient study upon a 

 subject for an essay, only to have it read 

 and passed without one word of com- 

 ment. The only consolation we can find, 

 is that the subject was so completely ex- 

 hausted that discussion was totally un- 

 necessary. We offer him this consolation 

 in the present case. — Ed.] 



Sonffiern California Bee-KeeDing, 



The Southern California Bee-Keepers' 

 Association held its first meeting for 

 1891, on Thursday, Jan. 8, at the 

 Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles. 



This organization is of recent forma- 

 tion ; nevertheless, it was evident to 

 every one present, judging by numbers 

 and representative bee-men in attend- 

 ance, that it starts out on a firm footing. 

 It is predicted that before the Associa- 

 tion is a year old, its membership will 

 be larger, and will wield a greater in- 

 fluence in the interest of their product 

 than any like organization now in ex- 

 istence. The membership represents 

 over 14,000 colonies of bees. 



Promptly at 1:30 p.m. the convention 

 was called to order by President C. N. 

 Wilson, of Los Angeles. After welcom- 

 ing the strangers in attendance, and 

 stating the object of the meeting. Secre- 

 tary Brodbeck was called upon to read a 

 report of the previous meeting. Follow- 

 ing this came election of new members. 



J. F. Mclntirc, of Fillmore, was elected 

 Vice-President to represent Ventura 

 county, and J. Williams, of Tustin, as 

 Vice-President for Orange county. 



A legislative committee composed of 

 one from each county was appointed as 

 "follows : T. F. Arundell, Ventura ; C. 

 W. Newall, San Diego ; H. P. Luther, 

 San Bernardino, and C. N. Wilson, 

 chairman. 



Executive Committee — C. N. Wilson, 

 C. W. Abbott, L. E. Mercer, L. T. Row- 

 ley, and G. W. Brodbeck. 



One of the great drawbacks to this in- 

 dustry is a disease called foul-brood, as 

 the disease is considered incurable, 



