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176 



SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



Points in Judging Bees. 



"In judging Italian bees at fairs, what 

 points should be taken into considera- 

 tion?" 



Mr. Wilcox — I did not ask that ques- 

 tion, but that is just the information 

 I want. I may say what I have done, 

 but I don't know what I ought to do. 

 I have considered as of first importance 

 uniformity of markings. This, of course, 

 speaks of Itahan bees. Uniformity of 

 markings of the worker-bees is my 

 standard for purity. If all the bees are 

 alike — size, color and shape — I consider 

 it proof positive that they are pure- 

 bred. It is the only standard I have, 

 absolutely, in judging bees. If I had 

 them in my apiary where I could ob- 

 serve their actions, then I would have 

 additional standards, but we can not 

 have that at the shows, consequently 

 we must judge from the looks only. 

 Size and uniformity of markings are the 

 principal things. Size, however, is aa 

 uncertain standard, because the more 

 agitation, excitement and jarring you 

 give them the larger they will be. You 

 go in the morning and look at the bees 

 on exhibition and they are small, and 

 in the afternoon they are much larger. 

 The fact is, they have gorged themselves 

 with honey.? So you can not depend 

 very much upon the size, but you can 

 upon the markings. 



Mr. Jon-es — Wouldn't it be a little ad- 

 vantage for a person to get them in 

 show condition, if he knew when the 

 judge was coming around? 



Mr. Wilcox — If size were important he 

 could, but size is not a very important 

 point. 



Mr. Hutchinson — Uniformity is all 

 you can go by. You can't tell by the 

 size. If they are uniform in marking 

 that is the best we can do. 



Foul Brood Legislation. 



Dr. Bohrer — It may be a mere matter 

 of criticism upon my part to call the 

 attention of this Association to the mat-, 

 ter of foul-brood legislation. I under- 

 stand that here in Illinois you have a 

 law for the ' use of the bee-keepers of 

 the State, but that does not clothe a 

 bee-inspector witli authority to go up- 

 on the premises of a man who may have 



foul brood, except at his will and pleas- 

 ure. I don't know if you want to get 

 the legislation to take cognizance of a 

 matter of that kind. Find out and make 

 a report of such persons as refuse flatly 

 and absolutely to allow a bee-inspector 

 to cure the disease or stamp it out, 

 destroy his bees or make an effort to 

 get them cured. If you can gather 

 sufficient evidence, even perhaps one or 

 two cases of that kind, where men have 

 refused, then go to some influential 

 member of the legislature, and some 

 man who knows something about the 

 business, if you can find one. We suc- 

 ceeded in our State in finding a man 

 who knew something about bees and 

 the wants of the bee-keepers. He laid 

 it before the legislature. They were 

 ready to hear it, when they found it was 

 about to destroy an industry — an infant 

 industry but growing rapidly — and we 

 got a law. I believe if you can go be- 

 fore your legislatures with something ol 

 that kind and send men who understand 

 what foul brood means, the destruction 

 that it will bring to the industry in the 

 State if not stamped out — and there is 

 no question about that, it is unques- 

 tionably spreading, and where there is 

 any carelessness tolerated it will con- 

 tinue to spread — if you will lay the mat- 

 ter before the legislature in that shape,, 

 get an influential member that will work, 

 you may get a foul-brood law through 

 that will clothe you with authority tO' 

 stamp out the disease. I have Been 

 twice to our State legislature and have 

 learned something about the way these 

 things are managed, and it depends 

 largely upon whose hands you get it 

 into. ^ 



Getting Better Conventions and At- 

 tendance. 



"How shall we have a big attendance 

 and a good meeting next year?" 



Mr. Taylor — Advertise. 



Mr. Jones — Everybody come again 

 and bring one with them. 



Pres. York — I think that is a pretty 

 good idea, and perhaps it could be 

 pushed a little more in the various bee- 

 papers. Is there anything further? It 

 not, we will stand adjourned until the 

 call of the Executive Committee next 

 year. 



