December, 2001

The Nebraska Beekeepers Association came into being in 1885. The first Association President was E. Whitcomb of Friend, Nebraska. One of the events that lead Whitcomb and others to form an association was the spread of sweet clover to the great plains. Prior to the introduction of sweet clover, heartsease (smartweed) was the principal floral resource for Nebraska beekeepers. At the 1892 meeting, Whitcomb stated, "In our school days we were taught that Nebraska was part of the Great American Desert. The sudden manner in which white clover has taken possession of a great portion of our state marks a new epoch for this industry." Beekeepers were very active in scattering clover seed across the state.

The early meetings were held on the State Fair grounds, and they took place during the State Fair. Whitcomb described the early meetings as follows, "Although attendance was not large, those present were the right kind of wide awake bee keepers and enthusiastic in the work, and as a consequence, the meeting was interesting and instructive." One of the first missions the association undertook was to prepare a 100-foot long exhibit of the sweet clover honey they planned to produce for the 1894 World's Fair in Chicago. They knew that a rural state would need good exposure to capture a world market for Nebraska honey. Whitcomb organized the honey display, and Professor Charles Bessey of the State University set up a display of Nebraska honey plants.

Whitcomb was concerned that prior to 1890 the honey exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair was set up by a beekeeper from a neighboring state (E. Kretchmer from Iowa). However, he was comforted that the display included 20 pounds of Nebraska honey. Whitcomb was appointed the first Superintendent of Bee Culture at the Nebraska State Fair. Whitcomb established 16 categories for exhibitors:

• 20 lbs. Basswood or clover sections
• 20 lbs. Fall comb honey sections
• Gallon extracted white honey
• Gallon extracted fall honey
• 20 lbs. Granulated honey
• Single purpose hive
• Chaff hive
• Verified report of surplus honey stored by one colony
• Exhibit of partly drawn foundation
• Exhibit of apiarian implements
• Display of honey in marketable shapes
• Display of honey candy
• 1/2 gallon honey vinegar
• Honey extractor - demonstrate on grounds
• Bee smoker

The early meetings had a "camp meeting" atmosphere. Everyone brought food to share, and special "Songs of Beedom" were composed and sung each year. All attendees presented a short paper on a topic of their choice, typically 4-6 paragraphs, followed by discussion. The papers were also published in the association newsletter. Occasionally, a speaker from outside the area would attend a meeting, but the format of all attendees presenting a short paper persisted for many years. A question box was available at early meetings and proved to be the source of lively debates. In thinking about the early meetings, I concluded that such a meeting would be very stimulating if, as Whitcomb said, "those present were the right kind of wide awake bee keepers and enthusiastic in the work."

Women were active members, and one of the most colorful was Mrs. J.N. Heater of Columbus, Nebraska. At the 1893 meeting she presented a paper titled, "Woman as a bee-keeper." She began by stating, "I never did feel willing to grant to the lords of creation exclusive rights to anything," and she concluded, "These are but a few thoughts....we now leave it to the wiser ones to suggest further why we should or should not enter into this field of labor, to possess it." Mrs. Heater managed an apiary of 150 colonies. She was featured on the cover of the September 1895 issue of the American Bee Journal.

The first association newsletter was published monthly by L.D. Stilson of York, Nebraska from July 1890 to April 1897, and early editions are available (in fragile condition) in the University of Nebraska Library. Little information about the Nebraska Beekeepers Association is available prior to 1890. The first newsletter was titled, "The Nebraska Bee-Keeper." In March of 1896 the title was changed to the "Nebraska Bee Keeper and Irrigator" when Stilson became interested in windmill irrigation. The subscription rate was 50 cents per annum. Subscribers could also receive the American Bee Journal and the Nebraska Farmer for $1.35 and $1.25 per annum, respectively. Stilson's newsletter, like many others of the time, was a "for profit" publication. Stilson described his journal as, "devoted to the honey bee, its productions, and the home surroundings." It was illustrated with drawings (good quality), and it included many advertisements. Two prominent supply dealers and advertisers were J.M. Carr of Harvard and G.M. Whitford of Arlington. Stilson himself also raised chickens and advertised his birds and capon tools.

Most articles were written by Stilson or association members, but occasionally contributed articles by well- known beekeepers from other regions were included. A brief summary of some typical articles follows:

• How many colonies shall we keep? (G.M. Dolittle, contributed article). Many new discoveries about bee biology and beekeeping were making it possible to earn money from what had previously been a gentleman's hobby. The question of how many colonies one person could manage was of great interest.

• Do bees move eggs? Biological debates were frequent and intensely debated subjects. Some subjects, such as this question, continue to be debated today.

• American foulbrood eradication. American foulbrood was a major problem for beekeepers, and much attention was focused on programs to eradicate it.

• The nature of rest and working. This article was typical of many on that gave advise on how conduct oneself. It suggested that rest is doing the opposite of what one normally does. For a farmer, rest would be reading a book, but for a teacher, rest would be working in a garden. Perhaps this is why many people with jobs that do not involve physical labor or being outdoors find beekeeping a form of rest today.

• Sweet clover. This article by W.M. Stolley of Grand Island was one of many articles on honey plants. The article included instructions on establishing clover in praries. It also included a drawing of his apiary.

In May of 1897, the Nebraska Bee-Keeper was superseded by "The Busy Bee." E.T. Abbot was the new editor. The new newsletter contained more contributed articles from regional experts and many advertisements for apiarian supplies. It remained a for profit publication.

The 2001 annual meeting of the Nebraska Beekeepers Association was attended by the right kind of wide awake beekeepers who are enthusiastic in the work, and as a consequence, the meeting was interesting and instructive. Attendees enjoyed invited presentations from Dr. John Skinner, University of Tennessee and George Hansen, Oregon beekeeper, pollination specialist, and master photographer. Both men provided windows into their beekeeping worlds and the joys and challenges they find in their work.

Not willing to grant exclusive rights to anything to the lords of creation, Nancy Wagner contributed an outstanding workshop on creating Ukranian eggs. Ukranian eggs are a time honored craft that uses beeswax to create art designs on egg shells. In addition to the beekeepers present, young artists and their families from the Lincoln area were invited to participate in the workshop. Participants kept their creations and were able to purchase a kit for $7.50 to allow them to continue in the craft. We can all look forward to seeing these young artists work at the 2002 State Fair Bee Culture exhibit.