266 ANNUAL REPORT 



through the cold weather of the winter until they commence breed- 

 in the spring. 



A lady member. At what temperature should the the cellar be 

 kept. 



Mr. Wilcox. In a dry climate or a dry cellar the temperature 

 may be kept at 40° or a little below. As it gets moister it should 

 be kept a little warmer. The variation of a few degrees will not 

 make much difference if the other things are all right. 



Mr. Sampson, I wish to draw out a thought which I think of 

 value to parties thinking of undertaking to keep bees. It is in re- 

 gard to persons attacked by bees. Now, the remark was made last 

 night that when a bee stings a person, it created an odor which 

 caused other bees to spring towards the person stung. This draws 

 out the fact that bees are very sensitive to smell, and some people 

 give forth more odor from the body\ and are more liable to be 

 stung than others. I would like a thought upon that from the 

 President. 



President Wilcox. These small matters have all a certain bear- 

 ing and influence. It used to be thought that odors had a power- 

 ful effect. I may say that if a man does get stung he wants to call 

 to his aid all the nerve power he has and not flinch a bit. There 

 are many facts of importance in connection with those things, that 

 nothing would give me me more pleasure than to take up the sub- 

 ject where Prof McLean left it in his very interesting lecture last 

 evening and give an hour or two in following the same line of 

 thought. Bat we cannot do it because we have not the time. 



I think, judging from my own locality, that a neighborhood can- 

 not be overstocked with hives unless it produces ten or fifteen thous- 

 and pounds of honey to the square mile. There are hundreds of 

 swarms that do not gather one-tenth part of the honey that goes to 

 waste in the honey season. 



Mr. Gay lord. I want to ask you what you think the shrinkage 

 on an average should be. 



Mr. Wilcox. Well, while they are lying dormant in the cellar, 

 under proper conditions, they ought to use from five to ten pounds, 

 ordinarily, of honey. I dont think under the best conditions they 

 will use over five. The time that they run short of honey is after 

 they are put out and commence to fret, then they must have a sup- 

 ply of honey and pollen. If you don't you will see them killing off 

 the brood and the young bees will sutler. 



Mr. Cutler. We have out on the prairie a bee-keeper who has 

 been in the business probably over 20 years. He has kept bees 

 ever since I went out there and that was 20 years ago. He claims 



