128 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE 



Yes, co-operation, if you will work 

 together, pays. 



I believe your Northern Illinois 

 meets at Freeport and Rockford alter- 

 nately back and forth, Mr. Lee, its 

 Chairman; they group together and 

 co-operate; he is sent out to look 

 after the purchase of supplies and his 

 expenses are paid. He saves to the 

 individual, members over what they 

 could buy supplies for otherwise. 



Look at Colorado! They buy sup- 

 plies in carloads and the members get 

 the advantage of it. 



There is a boy working up in one of 

 the high railroad towers in one of the 

 suburbs of your state, working a lot 

 of switch levers; he said that 34 Cars 

 went by him last week of western 

 honey, sold through co-operation. ' So 

 we know it pays. *^ 



Question— How do you prevent bee^ 

 drifting in an apiary? 



Mr. Bull^Is that meant — When you 

 are taking them out of the cellar? 



I would take them out at night, pref- 

 erably before a couple of cold days: 

 take them out in the evening, open 'the 

 cellar when dark; leave them an hour 

 or two and they will never cause you 

 • any trouble; I prefer to do the work 

 at night. 



Mr. Kildow- — That has been my ex- 

 perience. 



Mr. Wheeler — There is another point: 

 The drifting of bees during the sum- 

 mer: I have been astonished in watch- 

 ing them closely to see the bees when 

 they have nothing to mark their loca- 

 tion with; when they have nothing in 

 the shape of trees or bushes or high 

 trees; it is astonishing the way they 

 will mix up; it is surprising to watch 

 them. 



I And the best way is to have them 

 among the trees and the bushes and 

 have something for them to go by. I ■ 

 have had that brought to my mind 

 more strongly, than ever this past sum- 

 mer. 



Drifting, of course, is caused by the 

 wind; sometimes when the wind is 

 blowing one direction they will drift 

 one way; another time they will drift 

 another way; in case there is any foul 

 brood or disease, they are apt to get 

 badly mixed, but, if they had any ob- 

 ject to guide them in finding their own 

 hive, they don't get confused. 



Mr. Miller — Mr. Bull's suggestion has 



worked; I have tried it a good many 

 times. 



Mr. Wheeler — I find they drift to- 

 ward one corner of the yard, depending" 

 on the wand. They will get started go- 

 ing and will pour into one hive and' 

 keep pouring in. I have tried the plan 

 of carrying that hive that they drift- 

 ed in, into another part of the apiary; 

 after you get a lot of bees started go- 

 ing into the hive and you will divide 

 up those drifters, those drifters are 

 lost. By carrying the bees and scat- 

 tering them about in the yard as they 

 go into the hives, you will divide up 

 the lost bees until they are scattered 

 all through your apiary. 



Mr. Coppin — I have never seen any 

 drifting of bees except in the spring 

 when I took them out of the cellar, and 

 occasionally it would appear as if they 

 would all go out of the same hives — 

 maybe two or three hives; if I took 

 100 out of the cellar, there would be 

 two or three hives where they would 

 swarm out together. 



In regard to drifting: They always 

 drift back to their own hive, with the 

 exception of the first day I have taken 

 them out. 



I practice taking them out in the 

 morning, when it was fine. 



I have had few that would swarm' 

 out entirely and drift into some other 

 hive. 



President France — I remember in 

 New York, at one of the State Con- 

 ventions, where we had these old ex- 

 perienced men, the question came up — 

 When would 3'ou take your bees out of 

 the cellar? The question was put to 

 each one, saving as the last ones, the 

 Cogswell Bros., Mr. Alexander and 

 those of large apiaries and a great 

 deal of experience: Mr. Cogswell's an- 

 swer was much as that of Mr. Bull's: 

 Preferably in the evening before one 

 or two cold days; he preferred to have 

 cold days following, so that the bees 

 will thoroughly settle down before they 



fly. 



There will come once in a great 

 while a year when those conditions 

 don't prove out. 



Another point: 



We are studying European foul 

 brood as yet in the dark and the cause 

 of the spread of it: I am more con- 

 vinced, the more I study this matter 

 and get results, that the young bees- 



