458 



itrnm mmLmmicmn mmm j©^rnmi,. 



I rcRard the honey-bees as one of my very best 

 friends in eriipe luul small Iruit culture, anil keep a 

 small apiary in my smaller vineyard, which is so 

 located that the path of the bees, in the air to their 

 best pasturajie during the blo&soming season. Is over 

 my larger vineyard. 



I find the bees so valuable in fertilizing fruit 

 bloom that 1 not only encourage my neighbors to 

 keep them, but intend doubling my stock in the 

 near future. Their value is greatest whenever we 

 have cool, wet weather during the fruit-bloom, and 

 the winds cannot carry the pollen in dust form from 

 flower to flower. 



Arkadelphia "Nuisance" Case. 



This ca.se, mentioned in the last Re- 

 port, will come to trial about July 16, 

 1888. Meanwhile Mr. Clark has been 

 sent to jail in default of paying a daily 

 .fine for maintaining a nuisance by 

 keeping bees in Arkadelphia, Ark. 



The "Union" has employed several 

 of the most noted attorneys in that 

 State to defend the case, and con- 

 fidently expects a decision in favor of 

 the pursuit. It would be very detri- 

 mental to the pursuit to allow a de- 

 cision against bee-keeping to be put 

 upon record on the plea of its being a 

 " nuisance." 



Mr. Clark gives the following par- 

 ticulars of the case : 



I was released on a habeas corpus bond on March 

 2, for my appearance at lu a.m. the next day. I had 

 not been home with my family more than about 

 three hours when l*was re-arrested and talten before 

 the Mayor and lined $14 and costs, and remanded 

 to jail again Of course it would be nonsense to pay 

 the tine, and go back and have the same thing to go 

 over again the next day. 



The Mayor fined me one day when no one had 

 seen any bees about my place. He sent the Marshal 

 to my house to ascertain if he could see any bees- 

 it was cool, and no bees were flying. The Marshal 

 did not see any bees, and swore that he did not, but 

 the Mayor fined me " all the same." 



We have appealed all the cases— eleven in number 

 —the first day's fine was |.^.00. and an additional 

 dollar for each day : the last day's fine being $l.^.oo. 

 He even fined rae after we had made affidavit asking 

 for a change of venue, averring that 1 "could not 

 get a fair trial, and that he was prejudiced," etc. 



I am confident that if bee-keepers could fully 

 realize my condition, the Bee-Keepers' Union would 

 have 10,000 members in 24 hours. 



Bj' the enforcement of an unlawful 

 ordinance of the city, Mr. Clark has 

 been deprived of his liberty, and the 

 constitutional rights guaranteed to 

 every citizen of the United States. 

 Even granting that it was wrong in 

 Mr. Clark not to obey the city authori- 

 ties, he should have had a speedy trial 

 by an impartial jury — all of which 

 have lieen denied liim. Even when 

 released under a writ of habeas corpus, 

 he was, within three hours, re-arrested 

 and fined. After demanding a change 

 of venue, because of the prejudice of 

 the Mayor, that functionary again fined 

 him, denying him his constitutional 

 rights. Mr. Clark has a strong case, 

 and in justice to the pursuit, ought to 

 be defended. The Union agreed to pay 

 the Hon. S. W. Williams |i250 for de- 

 fending the case up to and including 

 the trial at the Circuit Court next 

 week. 



A member of the Union gives his 

 views of this case in these words : 



It Is our duty to stand by him. and hold up his 

 hands while he is suffering imprisonment, and put 

 to great inconvenience and pecuniary loss In the 

 defense of a principle which is dear to us all. 

 Surely. In a matter of this character, the inlurv of 

 one is the concern of all. I would willingly pay a 



dozen assessments rather than have Mr. Clark 

 worsted in this matter. 



No extra assessment would be neces- 

 sary, if but one-tenth of the bee-keep- 

 ers of America should join the Union. 

 The Manager does not favor an extra 

 assessment, and will not consent to 

 such, unless it becomes an absolute 

 necessity. If its devotees will not de- 

 fend the pursuit, who should do so ? 

 The defense .should have universal 

 support. A few ought not to bear the 

 burden for all. Donations of any 

 amount will be cheerfully received, but 

 extra assessments are not desirable, 

 because what may be a mere bagatelle 

 to some might prove a burden to those 

 less able to contribute their quota. 



The only wonder is that there were 

 not 10,000 members of the Union 

 within a few months after its organi- 

 zation. There ought to have been a 

 general rush to the defense of the pur- 

 suit. 



It is a shame that, with 300,000 bee- 

 keepers in the United States, so few 

 are willing to defend the pursuit 

 against its enemies. Many are selfish, 

 and think that so long as they are not 

 molested, they will not join the Union. 

 But as soon as thej'. are even threat- 

 ened, they rush around for some help, 

 and want the Union to tell them what 

 to do, etc. But the Advisorj" Board 

 has decided that the Union can defend 

 only those who have become members 

 before thej' were in trouble of that 

 kind. 



It will take nearly two thousand 

 dollars to successfully defend the cases 

 now on hand, and the Union must 

 have two thousand members during 

 the coming year, or it will be obliged 

 to let the cases go by default — and the 

 pursuit will suffer an ignominious 

 defeat ! 



To those Not lUembers of the Union. 



Reader, are you satisfied to accept 

 the latter as tlie result of your apathy 

 If not, sit down at once and send a 

 dollar as a membership fee to the Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Union. You will 

 get a receipt by return mail, and may 

 then have the consolation of knowing 

 that you have done your duty in this 

 case ! It is now or never 1 Inaction 

 will insure defeat — activity is life — 

 energy — power ! 



UNION IS STRENGTH ! 



Financial Statement. 



From July 1, 1887 to June 30, 1838. 



Balance as per last report f224.25 



From H7 members at jl.oueach 97.00 



From iy4 members at 1 1.25 each 242.50 



$563.75 



Paid S.W.Rich's suit $IOO.(Xl 



Paid Z. A. Clark's suit 125 00 



Printing, stamps, stationery, etc 80.48 



$305.48 



Balance on hand July 1. 1888 $258.27 



Concluding Remarks. 



I now submit my third annual Re- 

 port with the hope that it will meet 

 with general approval. Having served 

 the Union for three years to the best 

 of my ability, with the consciousness 

 of having done my duty for the pur- 

 suit, I shall welcome my successor as 

 soon as your choice is revealed. 

 Yours fraternally, 



Thomas g! Newman, 



General Manager. 



IOWA. 



The Condition of the Bee§, and 

 the Prospects. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY EZRA. J. CRONKLETON. 



The Election of Officers. 



It now becomes my duty to call for 

 $1.00 for the coming year, as dues 

 from each member. The enclosed 

 Blank is to be used for that purpose ; 

 and also a Voting Blank. Fill up all 

 the blanks, and send to the Manager 

 with a postal note or money order for 

 $1.00 in the enclosed envelope. It must 

 be received by Aug. 1, 1888, or the vote 

 will be lost. 



As so many complain that the prosy 

 side of bee-keeping is always told, I 

 will give a little of the other side as 

 regards this part of Iowa. My bees 

 were wintered in the cellar, on good 

 linden honey, and lots of it, with no 

 loss of colonies. They were put on the 

 summer stands on April 1, the weather 

 that month being cool and unfavorable. 

 During May the weather was cool, wet 

 and unfavorable in the extreme, there 

 being at least 20 days that the bees 

 were confined to tlie hives. 



The whole spring bloom passed away 

 with but very little benefit to the bees ; 

 still with all these discouraging cir- 

 cumstances, when June arrived, my 

 bees were in very good condition for 

 white clover ; but, alas, the clover 

 bloomed and the cool air that has pre- 

 vailed all the spring continued. The 

 clover seems to secrete nothing, and 

 the consequence is that I have not had 

 one swarm of bees. 



My bees are now fully as weak as 

 they were last April. 1 have fed hun- 

 dreds of pounds of honey, and prob- 

 ably 100 pounds of sugar, to keep them 

 alive until linden bloom arrives ; if 

 that does not secrete any nectar, 1 

 will be discouraged. It keeps down 

 increase, and entirely does away with 

 the swarming, that so many are so un- 

 ea.sy about. I have lost no colonies 

 jet, but I hear of many that have lost 

 all within the last ten dajs. 



I have 42 colonies of bees this sea- 

 son. I have been very successful until 

 this season, but I have not learned it 

 all yet, I presume ; at least I have not 



