660 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOLHOAl. 



Oct. 6, 1904. 



damage to colonies of bees than any of the above, they are 

 not usually styled bee-enemies. Bee-pests among the feath- 

 ered tribe may be divided into two classes — domestic and 

 vrild. Among- the former, ducks are found to be the most 

 destructive ; they seem quite sting-proof, and will stand 

 watching at the entrances of hives ready to gobble up the 

 bees almost as fast as they emerge or alight. Hens will 

 also frequently contract the habit of bee-killing, and less 

 frequently turkeys ; but in all cases of domestic birds, as 

 well as with most wild ones, it appears to be individual 

 birds that contract this habit. Therefore, the whole mem- 

 bers of scarcely any species or variety must not be branded 

 as " apicides ". In fact, I have frequently allowed poultry 

 of every variety to go through my apiary at all seasons 

 without check, only excluding any occasional culprit that 

 might turn up. But I by no means recommend this prac- 

 tice, for unless the apiary is constantly under the observa- 

 tion of somebody, a great deal of harm may be done before 

 the mischief is detected. A fowl snapping at bees at the 

 hive-entrance will be very soon joined by others, and these 

 will probably join in the fun when they see what is up. 



Of wild birds, the great tit (Farus major) and the blue 

 tit (Parus caruleus) are both addicted to the habit of killing 

 bees ; watching at the entrance of the hive and catching 

 the bees as they emerge from it. The cole tit {Parus ater) 

 will sometimes eat a few dead bees, which are usually found 

 on the ground under the entrance to the hives, but I have 

 never seen any member of this variety killing bees, though 

 some writers imagine they do ; but this is probably because 

 they may have occasionally seen these harmless little birds 

 visiting their apiaries with the object I have stated. Many 

 bee-keepers have also supposed that the swallow (Hirundo 

 rustica), the swift (Hirundo apus), the martin (Hirundo 

 riparia), are enemies to hive-bees, but I do not concur in 

 this idea, and I am glad that I can bear testimony to clear- 

 ing the character of these beautiful harbingers of spring 

 against such a charge. I have frequently, for years, 

 watched the swajlows dart through numerous bees in their 

 flight to and from their hives, and never have I seen these 

 birds kill a single bee. Indeed, on the contrary, they 

 always appear to keep clear of them. Some writers on 

 bees assert that they have " often watched them chasing 

 the swallows away from the vicinity of the apiary, espe- 

 cially in early autumn, after the honey-flow had ceased, 

 when the irritability of bees is very much increased ". 

 Though I have never noticed anything like this occur, I 

 have no reason to doubt the statement in view of the way I 

 have seen swallows " fight shy " of bees when they met 

 them in their flight near the apiary. I have noticed fowls, 

 more than once in summer, chase and capture blue-bottle 

 flies buzzing about the fronts of hives right in the thick of 

 numerous honey-bees on the wing, which the fowls did not 

 seem to mind. 



The latest stimulus to bee-keeping in Ireland is the 

 formation of the " Irish Bee-Keepers' Federation " some 

 two years ago. The avowed object of the Federation is to 

 " improve the prospects of bee-keepers in Ireland as a 

 national industry". 



For individuals, membership consists in the holding of 

 at least one pound (fS.OO) share in the Federation. 



The Irish Agricultural Organization Society has already 

 formed local bee-keepers' co-operative societies in different 

 districts in Ireland, and these societies may become mem- 



bers of the Federation by the holding of five £\. shares, and 

 one extra ^1 share for every five members over 25 in the 

 local co-operative society, and thus a society's members will 

 be entitled to the privileges of the Federation as if they had 

 become p hare-holders direct to the latter. 



The general rules of a local co-operative bee-keepers' 

 society are those under the Industrial and Provident Socie- 

 ties' Act 1893, which are in force for all Industrial and 

 Productive Societies, but these rules are subject to special 

 rules devised by the I. A. O. S. to suit each different kind of 

 co-operative society. A few extracts from the special rules 

 of co-operative bee-keepers' societies will give a fair idea of 

 what they are like : 



Rules I and II refer — To the name each society may be 

 called, and the registered office of same. 



Rule III states — The object of the society shall be to 

 develop and improve among the members of the society the 

 industry of bee-keeping, and any industry allied thereto or 

 arising out of bee-keeping ; to furnish its members with 

 the technical instruction needful to carry on their industry 

 in the best manner ; to buy hives or any other requisites 

 which may be required by its members; to sell honey, bees- 

 wax, or other products of the industry, and to secure for 

 members the profits derived from the sale. 



Rule IV fixes the shares at five shillings each, payable 

 in the manner following : One shilling (about 24 cents) on 

 application, and the remainder in such calls as the commit- 

 tee of the society may from time to time direct, at least 14 

 days' notice being given of each call. 



The object of having the shares so low is to enable bee- 

 keepers of small means to become members at one share 

 each, while those in better circumstances are expected, but 

 not obliged, to take several to make up the necessary share 

 capital. Should the ordinary share capital not be sufficient 

 to carry on the business, the society may issue transferable 

 preferential shares to such amount as the ordinary business 

 meetings may determine, and subject to such authorization, 

 to an amount equal to its subscribed ordinary share capital. 

 As, however, the issuing of preferential shares is not quite 

 in harmony with the principle of co-operation, as propa- 

 gated in Ireland by the I. A. O. S., the formation of such 

 share capital is only resorted to when it is absolutely neces- 

 sary to do so. 



"The society may also issue guarantee shares to its 

 members to any amount, such shares to be utilized solely 

 for the purpose of securing capital necessary for its busi- 

 ness. Such guarantee shares shall be withdrawable on the 

 holder giving six months' notice in writing, but may be 

 cancelled by the committee at their discretion ". I am not 

 aware, however, that guarantee shares have been issued or 

 applied for in any of the co-operative societies. 



The Irish Bee-Keepers' Federation, Ltd.. is formed for 

 the advancement of their own interests. It provides all 

 necessary requisites for its members on the lowest terms, 

 and markets their honey and other bee-products to the best 

 advantage. It supplies commercial advice to local socie- 

 ties, and meets the various needs of the industry as they 

 arise 



The Federation is managed by a committee elected by 

 the members, the Federation Local Co-operative Societies 

 being entitled to vote in proportion to the number of 

 their members. County Kilkenny, Ireland. 



Procccbinas of (Eotux^ntions 



Report of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the 



Texas State Bee-Keepers' Association, 



Held at College Station, Tex., July 



5 to 8, 1904. 



REPORTED BY LOUIS H. SCHOLL. 



iCoatiuued from page t-61.' 



Mr. H. H. Hyde read a paper on "The St. Louis Convention, 

 and When and How to Go." [As it is now too late for the 

 publication of this paper to do any good, it is omitted. — Edi- 



TOK.l 



NUMBER OF COLONIES FOR GOOD BEE-RANGE, AND COST. 



The question, "How many colonies will a good range 

 support, and what should the bee-keeper pay for such loca- 

 tion?" was discussed with quite a difference of opinion. 



Mr. Weaver said that it depended upon locality entirely 

 as to the number that it would support. A c;ood locality will 

 support a larger number in certain years and in some years 

 it will not stand half as many. If there is a regular honey- 

 yield in every year, then the number would remain the same. 

 As to paying for a location, that all depends, too. Some peo- 

 ple will not want any pay of any kind where vou locate an 

 apiary on their place. In such cases it is a good idea to keep 



