148 



TENTH ANiNUAL REPORT OF THE 



failed because 'his location is poor 

 lacks a true bee-keeper's perseverance 

 if he permits any ordinary difflculty 

 to prevent his moving to a better lo- 

 cality. A well-known author has 

 placed the man second to the loca- 

 tion; but I contend that a real, live 

 bee-keeper will seek out the necessary 

 good location, and stock it .with bees, 

 regardless of difficulties. 



Bee-keeping requires comparatively 

 small cauital, but large experience. 

 In fact, the bees and equipment are 

 as mere tools in tihe hands of an ex- 

 pert, which, properly handled, pro- 

 duce a honey crop. They are as deli- 

 cate mac'hinery, easily gotten out of 

 order if ignorantly managed. An ex- 

 perienced apiarist will rapidly increase 

 his apiaries from nothing to an 

 extensive business. A novice will, 

 through ignorant management, reduce 

 the property to a pile of empty hives 

 in a single year. 



Is it not plain to all why bees are 

 rated as a poor security, and why the 

 business is considered hazardous by 

 many? Simply because everything de- 

 pends on the man in charge. 



The future of bee-keeping appears 

 bright with possibility. Our laws are 

 recognizing the industry as never be- 

 fore. Their aid is material in both 

 pure focMj requirements and in ridding 

 our apiaries of foul brood. Most ex- 

 cellent publications afford the apiarist 

 a view of his brother's methods, and 

 of new inventions not a few. The 

 large bee-supply houses have sought 

 out the best in equipment, and have 

 contributed a world of unappreciated 

 good to the bee-keepers by establisih- 

 ing a standard of hives, supers and 

 honey-packages. 



Last, but not least, we have our 

 State and National conventions wTiich 

 are taking an interest in the much- 

 neglected matter of marketing. Bee- 

 keepers are recognizing the intense 

 and comrnanding importance of qual- 

 ity relative to the demand for honey. 

 Steps are being taken to place this 

 superior article of honey before the 

 consumer in an attractive form. So 

 long as bee-keepers will keep the 

 standard of Quality wthere it should 

 be, there need be no fear but what 

 consistent prices will be forthcoming. 



In conclusion, let us co-operate to 

 help one another, not merely in the 

 matter of establishing prices, but in 



methods, equipment, new inventions^ 

 and locations. Let- us live up to the 

 Golden Rule, and give freely to the 

 bee-keeping fraternity our mite, that 

 others may be benefited thereby^ 

 knowing well that our very success 

 was due to following the teachings of 

 others. By so doing we sliall place 

 bee-keeping on a still higher levels 

 and we ourselves shall have per- 

 formed at least a part of the duties the 

 Creator has allotted us. 



May our efforts be guided by a high- 

 er motive than mere monetary gain^ 

 remembering that while our business 

 career is necessarily brief, our good 

 and useful deeds shall far outlive us^ 

 to go forth and lighten the burden of 

 future generations. 



F. B. CAVANAGH. 



Pres. York — This subject is now be- 

 fore you for discussion. What have 

 you to say about it? How many here 

 have tried bee-keeping as a business? 



(A large show of hands was given.) 



Pres. York — I won't stop to count 

 them. I s'hould think there are thirty 

 or forty. Is there any criticism of 

 the paper, or any further suggestion? 



Mr. McEvoy — I think that is one of 

 the best papers I have heard read in 

 a long time. (Applause.) 



Mr. Dooly — I have been keeping 

 bees for thirty years, not as a busi- 

 ness, but as a diversion, and my suc- 

 cess has been principally in persuad- 

 ing people to keep a few colonies of 

 bees for the delightful addition they 

 will have on their table, but Chiefly 

 for the fact that it brings them in 

 close contact with Nature; and it will 

 give them the true principle of the 

 economy of life, that no man liveth 

 to himself or dieth to himself. The 

 bees, as we all know, live for the 

 others in the hive. The body is the 

 greatest thought in the mind of the 

 bee. It has been a great delight to 

 have many people tell me of the great 

 enjoyment they have in keeping bees, 

 and in keeping in touch with Nature. 



Pres. York — Let us all try to keep 

 to the subject, "Bee-Keeping as a 

 Business." 



W. L. Coggshall (New York)— I can 

 only say that the paper was well 

 written and well put in; it is a mat- 

 ter of experience; that is what tells 

 in all such matters. A man inexper- 

 ienced can't very well take care of 

 bees on a large scale successfully, 



