essary that every member should subscribe for more shares of stock. After a discussion of this matter at the annual meeting, a motion was made and passed that every member should be asked by the secretary to take one-third or more of his annual rebates in stock until all of the capital stock of the association has been sold.

It is hoped that every member will not only subscribe for more stock, but that he will also exert his influence to get other bee-keepers, who produce good honey and grade carefully, to become stockholders in the association. The stronger we get, financially and numerically, the better work can we accomplish. It seems that it should not be necessary to urge bee-keepers to increase their holdings in a co-operative company that brings them such good returns on their investment. That the same is considered perfectly safe by those most intimately acquainted with its workings is evidenced by the fact that its board of directors, who were already some of the heaviest stockholders, have subscribed for more stock.

For several years it has been a rule of the association to make the rebates on the commission sales payable on the 1st of December following, thus allowing the association the use of this money for another season, and the following plan has been adopted for this year:

once.

1-To pay the 1905 dividend of 10 per cent. on the stock at

2-To pay the 1906 dividend of 10 per cent. on the stock. June 1st.

3-To pay the rebates on the honey sales of members on December 1, 1907.

Members may take all or part of their 1906 rebates in stock, thereby enabling them to get the 10 per cent. dividend on the stock for this year.

Or they may take part in stock and part in bee-supplies, getting a 2 per cent. discount on orders of supplies for January delivery. Send in your subscriptions for stock and orders for bee-supplies now, and, if possible, get your neighbors and friends to send their orders with yours.

Always remember that the business of the association is your business, and that you should give it all the support you

can.

Wishing you all a successful season.

Mr. Rhodes—I have been much interested in this report, and the way we can accomplish something is to get those that are here to take stock.

Mr. Lyons-Is there any limit placed on the number of shares?

Mr. Rauchfuss-No; shares cost $10.00 each. Have sold approximately $6,000.

Mr. Francis-The work of this association is a good thing, for small bee-keepers and large; but in case one of us has not quite a car, we can go and get some one to go in with us; whereas if we belonged to the association, we have to grade up too high, and others who do not grade up to the rules think that it should be reduced.

Mr. Aikin—I don't like to do all the talking, but Mr. Francis has opened a point we have to contend with all the time. We compelled the Eastern buyers to pay more for their honey than they had been accustomed to doing. One man from a commission house in Chicago said: "You have made us pay good for our honey this year; we will catch you some of these times when there is a big honey crop, and we will do you up." Not only the commission houses want to manipulate the honey prices or endeavor to break down this incorporation, but the beekeepers also. It seems the people have an idea that you must do your business through the association. If you put $100.00 in the association, it gives us that much more working capital. If the stockholder can sell his honey for more money outside, he can sell it outside. Every last man in the State knows that the association has helped him in getting more money for his honey. An an illustration, a buyer will come in from Chicago, or Kansas City, or some other place, and will look at your honey and say: “You have very nice lot of honey, graded a little nicer than some of the rest of the beekeepers. Now, I will give you so much for that honey. Keep still, and don't say anything about it." So it comes about that one bee-keeper contracts the carload honey and gets his slice out of the other bee-keepers. We are not before you only to talk, but wish to have it investigated, and see if you do not think that the presence of the association in the State, doing business, has benefited the honey market in Colorado. You have only to investigate and find out that the things I represent are true and correct. Our honey is a little bit better graded; therefore the price. is higher than what the producers could get direct from the East.

Mr. Rauchfuss-We buy extracted honey in carload lots from outsiders if members cannot supply the demand, as we have to have it. We are willing to put up a good grade of honey, and want members who have enough confidence to sell through the association. I wish to say that you are not obliged to sell your product through the association if you are a stockholder. If you wish to sell outside of the association, there is nothing to hinder you from selling to the outside. Another point: there are a few members who are so unfortunately located that they cannot sell through the association, as they have no assistance and have not enough to make a carload shipment; they possibly could ship it in to us locally, but the freight rates are so prohibitive. They know very well that the very presence of this association in the State protects them and secures them a higher price on their product. One member said to me: "I know I am being benefited by it, and

besides that it is a good, safe investment. I get 10 per cent., and would rather trust the association than the bank."

Mr. Steele Mr. Herman Rauchfuss told me that before the association was organized that he sold his honey to the commission men here in Denver at $1.90 a case. This would be all the commission men would give you. Today you are getting $2.50 to $3.00, considerably more than the other price. Now, I would like to know, did the commission men raise the price, or did the Colorado Honey Producers' Association raise it?

Mr. Aikin-I wish to urge upon every one of you to have more confidence, and wish to say to you it is a big problem. We have to combat with, at odds, various opposing agencies. You investigate the Honey Producers' Association and you will find that the Honey Producers' Association is nothing more or less than this State Association, and you ought to take more interest in it. I cannot explain everything in detail, but want you to follow it up and investigate for yourselves, and see what is in it.

Mr. Rauchfuss-The question of grading we have discussed. A number of years ago the State Beekeepers' Association adopted a set of grading rules; the same were adopted by the Colorado Honey Producers' Association, and in the course of time some defects have been found out and should be remedied. We should take the matter in hand now. You cannot afford anything to go back East and have some objection found on grading. One point was brought out by one of our brothers, that, grading to these rules, a person is permitted to take half separator honey, or otherwise good heavy honey, and put in fifteen or twenty sections and stick in some real light stuff, in order to get the weight of case. To get satisfaction to the buyer, you must put yourself in the buyer's place. This applies to each grade. Don't put anything in that you would not want to buy yourself. Every person has his ideas. If a person puts in the case just what should be in that grade, he is not losing anything by it, either. Think that the way we can accomplish the best results is by having a minimum weight of each section for each grade. Honey sells by looks, and not by taste.

Regarding facing of honey: There is considerable in that; the front of the case should always give a fair indication of what the contents of your cases are. Sections composing the front of the case should be of the same finish or same color. We find some individuals face all their honey, and when you go behind it you find honey that is not at all what the grade requires. Another point: Nail your cases with cement-coated nails.

Mr. Henthorne-Smooth nails raise up all the time. I prefer the cement-coated nails; then you are not bothered with having to nail covers on again when you are loading a car or wherever you are disposing of your honey.

Mr. Rauchfuss-Another thing, when you nail up your cases, do not permit the bottoms to stick over. Plane the bottom off

even.

jecting.

Cannot make a good job in loading a car when they are pro

No. 2 grade, grading to our present grading rules, is altogether too low. Permitted putting in a whole lot of dark honey, hardly fit to put on the market. With a difference of just 25 cents per case between No. 1 and No. 2, think this ought to be revised.

Mr. Henthorne There is not enough difference made between the two grades in the prices. The grading rules should be made so as to make a better grade of the No. 2, or else sold at a less price.

Mr. Rauchfuss-During the last six weeks a member's No. 3, or cull, honey was sold at a better price than a No. 2 grade of another party's grading. The reason for this was that this party put up a very good grade; had nice-colored honey and graded very good. We have to live up to the grading rules. This party has gained by grading a little higher than the rules; he has received a little more for his honey than the party who grades just to the grading rules and receives not as much for his honey.

Mr. Henthorne-As Colorado beekeepers, we ought to stay by our grading rules. We have impressed on the minds of Eastern buyers what our rules are. We must do our part in grading according to them.

Mr. Rauchfuss-Some of our people live in localities where they never produce a No. 1 white honey. Why should they put all into the No. 2 grade?

Mr. Elliott-In my locality, bees produce just as good, just as full-capped and smooth, only light amber in color. It is No. 1 in grade, but should go as No. 1 amber, as our rules call for white. It is light amber. Think there should be something in the rules which will permit this grade of honey to go as it should; not as No. 2.

Committee on Revising Grading Rules: Mr. Henthorne, Wesley Foster, A. Elliott, Mr. McCombs and Mr. Crawford.

Mr. Rauchfuss-In order to have this committee do good work, they should have large experience in casing honey, and, if possible, should represent different localities, under different crop conditions.

Committee on Exhibits: Mr. McCombs, Mr. W. L. Porter and Mr. Pease.

Report of Committee on Exhibits-Mr. S. Francis receives premiums for best nucleus Italian bees and queen in observatory hives; best nucleus Carniolan bees and queen, in observatory hives; best nucleus Caucasian bees and queen, in observatory hives; largest display, and best, of bees of various races. Mr. F. Rauchfuss receives premiums for best case of white comb honey, best case of light amber honey, best and largest display of comb honey, best fifty-pound of white extracted honey, in suitable glass jars for retail trade; best display of granulated extracted honey

in small packages. Mr. Cornelius, best display of ten-pound yellow beeswax, best display of special designs in beeswax. Mr. R. C. Aikin, best exhibition of photographs of apiaries and things pertaining to apiculture.

Motion made and carried that report be accepted.

Question Box:

Question 1-Why do bees build brace combs on separators?

Mr. Aikin-I find very little trouble in bees building brace combs with fence separators, old style. Think the reason bees build brace combs is a surplus of wax in the colony, which may be caused by the stop of the honey flow. In such cases they will put it almost anywhere.

Mr. Evans-It makes a good deal of difference if the sep arator is perfectly clean. I find that brace combs are quite often on starters.

Mr. Cornelius-This has a great deal to do with the bees not having room enough. Bees loaded with honey, and no room, must have some place to dispose of wax and honey; therefore they build brace combs on the bottom or anywhere.

Mr. Aikin-If bees are crowded they are forced to build brace combs. If the honey flow should stop, bees have a surplus of wax, therefore causing brace combs to be built.

Mr. Porter-Why do they sometimes waste a good deal of their wax? You will find the hive all covered over with wax.

Mr. Aikin-This is a different condition. The bees have no brood, and new bees are doing something. Bees drag the small scales of wax out with them, but many of those scales of wax are being utilized.

Mr. Rauchfuss-Have seen them carry the wax off as porpolis.

Mr. Porter-Has anyone seen porpolis from the sunflower

plant?

Mr. Aikin-Never have seen it.

Mr. Porter-I have seen it; it has a greenish color.

Mr. Rauchfuss-Why is it that Caucasian bees gather dif ferent porpolis than other bees? The color is of a grayish green, soft, different from what other bees gather in the same yard.

Mr. Porter-It must be of the sunflower.

Question 2-What is the best covering to use over the brood frames during the winter, and over the sections in the summer? Mr. Rauchfuss-Bee escape board.

Mr. Francis-I experimented with the inside cover; made them at home, and use them instead of quilts. I found last summer, and this summer, also, on cool mornings, when I visited the apiaries, bees scattered all over the combs, while those with burlap over the frames, bees did not seem to be so lively. I think they are a good thing to keep sections clean and for wintering.