STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 139 



pounds of honey at 9 cents a pound in the same locality. 

 I could have bought 5,000 pounds more at 8 cents. What 

 are you going to do with those that know the price, and 

 hold the better honey at simply a fair price? The past 

 summer, when I wanted to sell my honey, I had to run 

 up against honey sold at 12^ cents a pound and I bought 

 12 cases myself and gave 135^ for it to the storekeeper. 

 The storekeepers are just about as smart as we are. You 

 come into the city with a thousand pounds of honey on j'Our 

 wagon and you want to sell it. You bring it to a store and 

 they say, "Well, we will give you so much money for it." 

 If you are a stranger in that city you probably can drive all 

 over it and you can't get any more money for it, and you 

 blight as well have taken the first bid in order to get rid 

 of your honey. These grocery keepers have an organization 

 that is called the Retail Grocery Association. When a fellow 

 comes in, the first man he strikes makes an offer. If you 

 could stay around you would probably see him go to his 

 telephone and watch the honey man, to see which direction 

 he is going, and then telephone to his next friend, "There 

 ,is a man in town with so much honey; I made an offer of 

 so much money;" that is when there is an abundance of 

 honey. If the article is scarce then they buy it. But you 

 will always have to contend with the bee-keepers who do not 

 know the prices and do not care. They bring their honey in- 

 to market early, and you men that have honey and are try- 

 ing to make a living have to hold on until that honey is 

 out of the way, and is consumed, before you get better prices. 

 You have to contend with these parties that do not take a 

 bee-paper, and, don't know the price of honey nor how much 

 honey there is in the country. They sell it for whatever they 

 can get. They go to the store and take it out in other 

 commodities, while you want to get the cash for it ; and they 

 always sell it for less money than we can. 



The balance of the evening session was in the hands of 

 Ernest R. Root, who delivered a very interesting lecture, 

 copiously illustrated with stereopticon views, also with mov- 

 ing pictures. 



SECOND DAY— Morning Session. 



December 1, 1904. 



At 9 :50 a. m. Pres. York called the convention to order 

 and requested Dr. Miller to invoke the divine blessing. 



Dr. Miller — Our Father, we thank Thee for another 

 night's rest. Prepare us for the work of the day. We pray 

 Thee that the same kind feelings, and the same kind spirit, 

 may prevail here to-day as did on the past day. We thank 

 Thee for the acquaintances of the other bee-keepers, and that 

 we may meet together in a kindly spirit and discuss the 

 things in which we are mutually interested. We pray. Oh 

 God, for Thy blessing upon us. Wilt Thou care for the dear 

 ones at our respective homes. May we feel that they are safe 



