34 



SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



have a total of 56,350 colonies, which 

 with a very low average of 40 pounds 

 per colony would be a possible 2,254,000 

 pounds of honey in one year. 



In letting the bids for our 5th An- 

 nual Report, George W. York, of the 

 American Bee Journal, being the lowest 

 bidder, got the contract for 1000 copies 

 — 300 of which were to be cloth- 

 bound — for all of the members of the 

 State Association as well as for those 

 who came through other affiliated as- 

 sociations of the State. 



As our 6th annual report is not like- 

 ly to be out in time to place copies in 

 the hands of the legislators, we do not 

 think that more than 500 copies can be 

 used, with as many of that number 

 bound in cloth as we are likely to have 

 members. 



In one or two cases our membership 

 blanks were returned to us, wherein 

 the writer said: "My bees have never 

 had foul brood, and I do not see any 

 use of a foul brood law." But when 

 this man's bees got foul brood he was 

 the first one to cry out; "I have just 

 as good a right to protection as you 

 members of the Association have, for 

 I pay as much taxes as you do." To 

 be sure he has in the eyes of the law, 

 — does he get it? It is not reasonable 

 to expect the inspector to leave a man 

 who has done all he can to help pro- 

 cure a foul brood law till last, and go 

 first to the man who did not want the 

 law, and did all he could to discourage 

 its passage. 



Some bee-keepers who live only for 

 self, and know nothing about foul brood, 

 have even told their representatives 

 that they did not care whether we had 

 a foul brood law or not, as their bees 

 had never had it, and they did not fear 

 it. 



In concluding, I wish to say, the ac- 

 tion which the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Association took when it passed a reso- 

 lution allowing all bee-keeperss' associa- 

 tions throughout the United States (or 

 the entire continent, I believe) to join 

 them in a body through their respec- 

 tive secretaries on payment of 50 cents 

 per member, did more to promote bee- 

 keepers' organizations, and increase the 

 membership of those already formed, 

 than any act that we can do to help 

 ourselves. All bee-keepers are anxious 

 to be members of the National, as it 

 assists then when being imposed upon. 



so long as they are in the right. And 

 every association should sacrifice one- 

 half its fees and thereby help their 

 own and the National Associations. 



We were told during the year by the 

 General Manager that our State stood 

 at the head in the list of members to 

 the National. (Later we see in the 

 Report of the National that Illinois 

 stands 2nd, with 282 members; Wiscon- 

 sin 1st, with 307 members; New York 

 3rd, with 210, and California 4th, with 

 206.) 



We have great faith that our mem- 

 bership will never be any smaller, but 

 hope for greater numbers as the years 

 of prosperity for bee-keepers come this 

 way. We can ask a bee-keeper with 

 the best of grace to join our Associa- 

 tion, because we are getting member- 

 ships in the National with the same 

 $1.00 fee. 



Jas. a. Stone, Sec. 



President — The next thing in order 

 is the Treasurer's Report. 



(See next page) 



Mr. Stone — Mr. President, maybe I 

 ought to have given my financial^ re- 

 port at the same time with my report 

 as Secretary. It corresponds exactly 

 with the report of the Treasurer. 



Treasurer Becker read a certificate 

 from the State Bank of Pleasant 

 Plains as to the funds in their hands 

 to his credit as Treasurer, an-d this was 

 ordered filed as a part of his report. 



Secretary Stone — I will say that every 

 order has to be signed by the Presi- 

 dent and Secretary before Mr. Becker 

 gets it. My account must agree with 

 Mr. Becker's. 



The Secretary read his financial re- 

 port as follows: 



{See next page) 



Pres. Smith — You have heard the re- 

 port of the Secretary. 



Mr. Dadant — As it has been custom- 

 ary to appoint a committee to audit 

 the financial reports of the Secretary 

 and Treasurer, I move that the Presi- 

 dent appoint such a committee. 



The motion received a second, and 

 the President appointed as such com- 

 mittee Mr. Dadant and Mr. Hyde. 



Al 



