ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



37 



1 think it is largely due to the different 

 forms rheumatism takes; just as differ- 

 ent foods and medicines have different 

 effects on people, according to the dif- 

 ferent systems. The Homeopathic 

 School of Medicine uses bee sting 

 poison. 



Ahout a week ago I got an order from 

 a Doctor in Oklahoma for bee sting 

 poison. He is one of the censors of 

 the Oklahoma School of Homeopathy. 

 They use it is their practice of Medi- 

 cine. 



Prea Dadant — -Mr. Baxter, have you 

 an essay? 



Paper by Mr.' Baxter: 



Because of and Not in Spite of. 



The heading of this article was sug- 

 gested to me on reading an article 

 from the pen of Mr. Arthur C. Miller 

 in A. B. J. for August, 1912, entitled: 

 "Because Of or In Spite Of," in which 

 he seems to doubt the efficacy of the 

 means employed by bee-keepers in se- 

 curing good results, suggesting that the 

 results obtained might not be due to 

 the means employed, but would have 

 "been obtained without them, 



I am one who believes in cause and 

 effect. I do not believe that anything 

 liappens by chance. If I have (as I 

 have had), an apiary that goes into 

 winter quarters with plenty of young 

 iDees, plenty of good stores to last them 

 until the following May, well packed 

 ■with moisture absorbents and upward 

 ventilation, and that apiary shows up 

 in the spring, after an unusually long 

 and severe winter, with nearly every 

 colony alive and in good condition, 

 ■while another apiarj- in the same lo- 

 cality, in exactly the same condition 

 as to bees, stores and make of hive, 

 but not packed v/ith moisture absorb - 

 •ents and upward ventilation, but with 

 sealec^ covers, comes out in the spring 

 "with nearly every colony dead and the 

 "hives full of honey, and when this 

 Tiappens not only during one winter, 

 l)ut in several winters to a greater or 

 less extent, during an experience of 

 thirty-five years, it is reasonable" for 

 "me to conclude, and rightly so, too, 

 that the difference in results w'as due 

 to the mode of packing and not in 

 •spite of it. And so it is with many 

 other operations in the apiary, such as 

 spring feeding to stimulate, requeen- 

 ing, etc., etc., all of which have given 

 surprisingly good results over the let 



alone theory, when carried out judici- 

 ously and within reason. 



One must understand his business, 

 have some purpose or object in view, 

 - and direct his operations to accomplish 

 that object. Experience is the best 

 teacher, and when guided by reason 

 and good, comrnbn sense, we w^ill not 

 work long in vain. 



EMEL Ji. BAXTER. 



Pres. Dadant — The matter is open for 

 discussion; I would like to hear some 

 remarks. 



Mr. Duby — I would like to ask the 

 gentleman a question or two. I am 

 not very much impressed with this 

 absorbing business, but it is a problem 

 that T would like to have solved. T 

 tried that some years ago; I have tried 

 every known method, from wintering 

 in the cellar to wintering in the garret, 

 and the trouble I find is this: 



By the middle of the winter, as I had 

 occasion to open the cover of the super 

 of the hive, whether there was chaff 

 in there or straw, or leaves — it was 

 simply w'ringing wet. 



I have an idea if it were left on the 

 hive& like this it would be injurious 

 to the bees. When I opened this cover 

 it happened to be a nice sunshiny day 

 — and what I did not take out then, 

 when I did take it out in the spring, 

 it was almost rotten — and I have had 

 no better results in wintering with ab- 

 sorbing things like this than in any 

 other way. 



Mr. Baxter — It is just because you 

 neglected to have an outlet for the 

 moisture to escape. If you had put a 

 hole in the end of the cap — or if the 

 cap was not perfectly tight, you would 

 have had no trouble with wet leaves 

 or wet absorbents. I have tested both 

 ways. 



Mr. Stone — I have a hole in the end. 



Mr. Duby — That is worth coming 

 here for. . 



Pres. Dadant — It is hardly proper for 

 the President to say anything. But I 

 want to say that what moisture you 

 get into the absorbents is away from 

 the bees. 



Mr. Coppini — Is it necessary to have 

 absorbents on the bees whilst they are 

 wintering in the cellar? I have prac- 

 tised wintering in the cellar, and I 

 don't use anything of the kind. I take 

 the bottom board off, or give them 

 ventilation underneath. 



Mr. Moore — I will tell a little in-? 



