Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-08-23
FARM BUREAU
NEWS0F INTEREST
Successful Beekeepers Meeting Held
in TT. Atkinson on Thurs
day, Aug. II.
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL
COMMUNITY MEETING
Big Community Program Carried Out
at Bernard Davis in Orleans
Township.


of Iowa in Bookkeeping. This fact
was emphasized at the bee keepers
meeting and picnic which was held in
TT. Atkinson on August 18th.
Mr.. Lyle Of the state college ex-
tension service states that the num-
Der of demonstration apiaries has in
creased from 6 in 1920 to 100 in
1922 and arrangements are practical
ly completed for the caring of 15C
apiaries in 1928. The increase in
honey production in these demon
stration apiaries over the old fashion
ed m:shod of handling bees has been
increased from so to 400 per cent
and the interest shown in our own
county was brought out by the fact
that about 80 people gathered at the
home of Anton Moser, who is an
experienced beekeeper in Fit. Akin
son, for Mr.. Lyle's requeening de-
monstration in the morning. Mr..
Lyle showed the beekeepers some
new methods of finding queens which
will greatly facilitate the work at
requeening time.
From Mr., Moser's apiary the
crowd went to the Community Park
for picnic dinner, after which an
excellent and interesting program
was carried out. Mr.. Anton Moser,
president of the Beekeepers Associa-
ton, expressed his gratitude at hav-
ing such men as E. R. Root and l..
c. Dadant for the meeting. The adj
dresses of Mr.. Root and Mr.. Dadant
were remarkable and of great inter-
est to the beekeepers when they real
lied that they were listening to two
of the most successful beekeepers in
America.
An interesting sidelight on bees
was brought to our attention through,
al demonstration made by Mr.. Root
and Mr.. Lyle in the handling of
bees. Many of us have looked in
wonder at pictures of Mr.. Root or
some other bee specialist showing
them covered with the insects and
all have thought they must be some
great wizard to be agile to handle
them in this way. Mr.. Root ex-
planned the trick by stating that this
was accomplished by any method
which would break up their organiza-
ton, so shaking the bees from the
frame on a sheet of newspaper they
were emptied into hat which Mr..
Lyle placed on his head and upon
its being removed, permitted the bees
TO cluster over his head, hang from
his eyebrows, cover his arms, etc.
Should this have been attempted
without first disorgauizing the col
ony it would probably have resulted
in his being stung to death, but with
their organization disrupted the bees
were harmless.
We could not help but make this
lesson for ourselves, as it surely
brought out the value of organiza-
ton and the helplessness of the Dis
organized group.
Another Successful Community
Meeting
From the beekeepers' picnic the
County Agent went Immediately to
the Community Meeting, which had
been arranged at Bernard Davis in
Orleans township, and was delighted
to find the yard we'll filled with
automobiles and about 200 people
ready for the program which was to
be carried out.
Z. j. Mildenstein, County Agent
| from Howard County, was also pre-
sent, and last but not least several
large freezers of ice cream.
The program was somewhat dis
rupted by the violent storm which
came up during the showing of the
first reel of motion pictures and we
were not able to complete arrange
ments for the next community meet
ing.
Orleans township, however, is out
standing in the fact that they are
holding regular monthly community
meetings and find them pleasant and
profitable.
We are anxious to have other
communities so organized. Inc
County Agent will be glad to attend
as many of these meetings through
out the county as possible, bringing
with him the Farm Bureau motion
picture machine and educatioha
films furnished by the Visual lnsruc'
ton Service of the Iowa State Col
Ilege. A letter to the County Agen
asking for assistance in organizihs
community meetings will usually re
suit in arrangements being immedi
ately made for holding them.
At a meeting of the board OF or
actor of the Winneshiek county fure