68 



SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPOET OF THE 



bees cannot possibly get as much propolis 

 as they do where there are trees producing 

 gum, apd one man located in a particular 

 location cannot have any idea of what 

 another one experiences in a different loca- 

 tion. We sometimes have propolis over 

 the frames so thick that it becomes un- 

 pleasant, but this is an advantage when 

 you transport your bees and I think things 

 of that kind explain some of the differences 

 of opinion and the difference of methods. 

 I do not want to urge that you change 

 your systems, I simply explain what we 

 do and how we do it and our reasons for^ 

 doing it and that is all. Then you can 

 draw your own conclusions. If you think 

 it is worth while, it is not difficult for you 

 to trj' the 10-frame hive with only 9 

 frames, but do not try on one hive only, 

 because if you try one hive only, there 

 may be conditions affecting that one hive 

 that may not be true of others and then' 

 your experiment is a failure. You should 

 try on a few hives as near as possible 

 similar to some other hives which j^ou hav^ 

 and. with nearly the same conditions, the 

 • you can tell whether one is better tha 

 the other. 



The President — 1 do not have a ver\; 

 good location. I have to depend upo 

 white clover and some times heartsi 

 and seldom Spanish needle. It used ro 

 be very much better years ago. I have 

 no bottom lands. 



I have never taken any surplus from fruit 

 trees. On our prairies they have drained 

 all marshes and swamps have been tiled 

 all over our country, so that we have no 

 wet places, everything is drained and it is 

 very seldom there is any Spanish needle 

 any where in the field. I do not say others 

 cannot raise honey by other methods, be- 

 cause I know they do raise honey and some 

 have just as much as I have, but if I can 

 raise good crops in meager localities, if 

 they use the same management, the same 

 methods, why could not they double the 

 quantity that they are raising? I think if 

 thej' use larger hives, or double the Langs- 

 troth bodies, as Mr! Pellett does, so as to 

 give the queen all the room possible so as 

 to raise a large colony, that they would 

 get a great deal better results. 



Mr. Root — I do not want to take any 

 more time. I would like to speak about 

 that Hoffman frame. I find the question 

 of Hoffman frame is largely what oile 

 started with in the first place. I think 

 with very few exceptions those who started 

 with the wide space on their Langstroth 

 frame are still using that. In later years 

 the newer men started in the field with 

 Hoffman frames and are still using that. 



In the west I find them using Hoffman 

 frames. I also find large producers who 

 do not like Hoffman frames and you could 

 not prevail upon them to use them. 



The question of bee glue, or propolis is 

 a matter where a regular Hoffman is 

 necessary. I find in those places they are 

 using a little metal projection to keep the 

 frames apart. I like a self spaced frame, 

 so I can pick up a bunch and move them. 

 I like a self spacing frame, because I can 

 shove them all together in haste. I may 

 kilt some bees, but I am careful to blow 

 the smoke inside and it is done very 

 qjaickly. I took this idea from Mr. Julius 



offman. At that time he was operating 

 ,100 colonies alone, and he said he could 

 ot do it with the open or non-spaced 

 frame. 



The President^jMr. France was to be 

 with us and give us a talk, but he has not 

 made his appearance at all. We have no 

 word from, him. 



I do not kno^y of anything else. There 

 are no questions, I. believe. 

 ^ Dr. Baxter — Is there anybody in the 

 room that has some questions?', 



Mr. Dadant — I would suggest that we 

 call up the photographer .on the telephone, 

 find out whether he .is ready. 



The President then called upon Dr* 

 Baxter to take the chair. 



Dr. Baxter — JXIembers of the Associa- 

 tion, before I assume the chair I wish to 

 thank you for the honor you have conferred 

 upon me, because I do. consider it an-honor 

 to be President of the Illinois State Bee- 

 Keepers Association, and it is with sone 

 hesitancy at the same time that I accept 

 this office, because I know thatit means 

 work. 'There is much to be done \a tjie 

 State of Illinois, expecially in the matter of 

 education and legislation. A number of 

 you men are here from the various legisla- 

 tive districts of this State.'. When I iheft 

 the Legislature over here I wonder if theie 

 is any other bee-keeper in the State, for 

 the simple reason that the bee-keeper at 

 home never talks to his legislators. There 

 were five men in the Legislature last "year 

 that I came in contact with that had been 

 talked to by the bee-keeper at home. Now 

 you must commence on your legislators 

 and educate them to be bee-keepers and 

 ask them for larger appropriations. From 

 the present time on, the appropriatioji for 

 foul brood inspector will be asked for by 

 the Director of Agriculture. What we 

 advise that man to ask for in all probability 

 will be made up by the director in his 

 budget. Now, it is necessary for the men, 

 especially for the inspector and the depu- 

 ties, to see the director and impress upon 



