On 20 August 1938, the annual picnic of the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers’ Association took place at Dell Delight Park in Hollidaysburg. Amongst the various activities planned was a smoker contest in which beekeepers would challenge each other to set up their smokers. Prizes were promised! This was obviously a popular ‘sport’ as the Vermont Beekeepers’ Association promised the same, with queen bees as prizes!
August is often a month when beekeepers take a moment to relax together. The main honey-gathering activities are over and preparations are underway for winter, but most of that activity is necessarily left to the bees themselves. The weather is usually still pleasant and whilst summer is nearing its end, there are still plenty of sunny days ahead. The beekeeper's main role with their colonies is simply to keep an eye on things, keep an eye out for wasp attacks (and now hornet), and a few other jobs.
About a week before the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers’ practised their smoker abilities with each other, the Empire State Honey Producers’ Association in New York met at Lake Champlain. There they were treated to a tour of the orchards and the beekeeping operation in action at the McIntosh estate, where hundreds of colonies were worked. They could also buy honey and apples from the roadside market.
Meanwhile, in Ohio District quite a different approach was taken. Three one-day trips were planned to three regions where a talk and demonstration in association with the Ohio University would:
‘touch on problems peculiar to each, emphasis being placed on crop and market reports’.
This sounds more educational than fun, but the Ohio Beekeepers’ Association also promised that ‘each day’s program will be concluded with a banquet’. Thus, much food was presumably eaten as well. The talks on offer were also aimed at improving practice and explaining the latest scientific knowledge gained about honeybees. The program detail gives us a glimpse to what the Ohio beekeepers could have expected:
August 10 – The Northeastern Ohio Field Day
Held at the Ohio Experiment Station in Wooster. An opportunity to visit experimental plots of clover and alfalfa varieties which are important as bee forage.
August 11 – The Northwestern Ohio Field Day
Held at an extraction planet in Bellefontaine, with a particular emphasis on their newly constructed honey house. Honey extraction will be in operation granting a chance to see two radial extractors (the Ontario honey strainer and the gravity system).
August 12 – The South-Central Ohio Field Day
Held at Washington Court House where the fall honey flow is as ‘dependable’ as the clovers in Northwestern Ohio.
Other associations held picnics and field meetings around the same time. At the Western New York Meeting free ice cream was on offer, at the Ottawa County Meeting (Michigan) Queen bees were to be auctioned to the highest bidder, while at New Hampshire the meeting was set to coincide with the Farm and Home Week at Durham on 18 August and promised a demonstration on handling bees.
Not all the picnics and field meetings went to plan, however. The Macron County meeting was well-attended (about 30 beekeepers) but was ruined slightly by a ‘stubborn downpour’.
Beekeepers have long held social events, and these examples from 1938 show that they were often a mixture of fun, entertainment, eating, and talks, including practical’s and demonstrations. Games were to be had and in some instances, the day(s) were very much a family affair or connected in some way to other agricultural events set for August.
Source
‘Meetings and Events’, American Bee Journal, 78:8 (August 1938), pp. 380-382.
Your piece offers a delightful glimpse into the beekeeping community's traditions and seasonal activities, particularly from 1938. The anecdotes about the smoker contest and educational field days add charm and depth, making it informative and enjoyable. The blend of historical context and practical advice provides a beautiful connection between past and present beekeeping practices.