Resolved, That the Illinois State Bee-Keepers’ Association desire to return their sincere thanks to the Hon. E. L. Merritt, Chairman McKinley, and others in the House, and Senator Dunlap and others in the Senate, for their valuable services in obtaining the appropriation for the honey display at the World’s Fair.
The resolution of greeting from the State Horticultural Society was as follows:
To our fellow co-laborers, the members of the Illinois Bee-Keepers’ Association:
Brethren:—Feeling that our interests are identical, although we each aim to accomplish the same end by different means, you by extracting the sweets from our blossoms; we (while you are deriving benefits from the mixing of the pollen to fertilize and make our trees and plants fruitful) expecting to derive our reward from the sale of the beautiful fruit; we desire to extend to you the right hand of fellowship, and wish you success in your effort to extend the production of honey; and notwithstanding the fact that your bees may get their heads together and plot for the eating of our grapes and other fruits, yet we still have faith in the utility of the little bee as a helper to the fruit-grower, and admire her industrious and business habits.
Henry Augustine, Pres.
H. M. Dunlap, Sec.
REPORTS OF BEE-KEEPERS.
C. P. Dadant, of Hamilton—Number of colonies, 350; increase, 30; honey produced, 400 pounds of honey-dew and 500 pounds of Spanish-needle honey. Bees in good condition for winter, packed out-of-doors.
Geo. Poindexter, of Kenney—Number of colonies, 90; increase, 3. Amount of honey obtained, 2,000 pounds of clover, and 800 pounds of extracted fall honey. Bees wintered in the cellar, and are in good condition now. He clips the queen’s wings to prevent swarming, and believes in ventilation to induce the bees to work in the supers.
A. N. Draper, of Upper Alton, had about 300 colonies in the spring, and sold 60 colonies, with no increase during the season. He had about enough honey to winter the bees out-of-doors, packed in forest leaves. His bees are kept in four apiaries. He says that white clover was a failure this year. He prevents swarming by having large hives, and plenty of ventilation. He harvested the most honey from asparagus, of which there are a hundred acres in the neighborhood. This honey is of poor quality.