44 THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



Dr. Miller — Mr. President, your committee has the honor 

 to report that we have examined the treasurer's books and 

 found them correct. 



Pres. York — I see on the program that the first thing 

 after dinner is the President's Address. It is a good thing it 

 didn't come before dinner. We probably all feel better about 

 it now, and can stand it. 



PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



Another year of bee-keeping experience has rolled around 

 since last we met. To many of the bee-keepers of the central 

 portion of our country it was a year of abundance of swarms 

 and of honey. To some it brought the largest crop of honey 

 they had ever had. Consequently to-day they wear a broad 

 smile in addition to their good clothes. 



Perhaps on account of the unusual crop, it seems the 

 price of honey has weakened a little lately. But this ought 

 not so to be. There is never enough honey produced to sup- 

 ply all who would eat it if they only knew its true value as 

 a food. The fact is, a lot of people do not know that their 

 health would be better — their life .pleasanter and sweeter — if 

 they would add to their regular daily "bill of fare" the honey 

 that bee-keepers produce and offer for sale. Some day I 

 hope to see honey advertised in the daily newspapers, along 

 with Uneeda Biscuit, breakfast foods, etc. When the people 

 once realize what a healthful food honey is, there will be no 

 further trouble about keeping up the price to where it ought 

 to be. 



THE ILLINOIS BEE- KEEPERS' LAW. 



Since our last meeting, the committee then provided, in 

 conjunction with the State Association, has secured an appro- 

 priation for bee-keeping in Illinois, amounting to $2,000 for 

 a period of two years. Already an inspector of apiaries, Mr. 

 J. Q. Smith, and a deputy inspector, Mr. Herman F. Moore, 

 have been appointed under the law. Another spring they 

 can be called upon, and will do what they can to help put an 

 end to bee-diseases in this State. 



While this law applies only 'to Illinois, all bee-keepers are 

 interested in it, regardless of yvhat State they may live in ; 

 for every State added to the list of States having laws in the 

 interest of bee-keeping makes it just so much easier for the 

 States without such laws, to secure them. 



CO-OPERATION AMONG BEE-KEEPERS. 



This is a subject that received considerable attention at 

 the Los Angeles convention of the National last August. 

 Something has been done about it in a few of the Western 

 States, but it seems that not much effort has been made to 

 get the bee-keepers of the Central and Eastern States together 

 for their own benefit. Ours is a large country. If you doubt 



