June 13, 1901. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



377 



With a pitcher in one hand I poured the hot sj-rup into the 

 can, while the other hand kept the can moving about over 

 all parts of the comb. Having the can thus suspended by 

 strings made it much easier. 



2. Yes, mouth down. 



3. Generally there is no trouble in getting bees to take 

 syrup whenever they can reach it. Perhaps it was too cold 

 weather for them to leave the cluster. Sometimes they will 

 take hot syrup when they will not take the cold. The 

 nearer the cluster the surer they will be to take it. If put 

 in combs they will be sure to take it. For fear of starting 

 robbing, don't give the combs till nearly dark. 



Probably Superseded the Queen. 



I have a colony of black bees to which I introduced an 

 Italian queen last July, and in the fall they were mostly 

 yellow bees, but this spring they are almost as black as 

 ever. What is the cause of that? Mixx. 



Answer. — It is quite possible the bees may have super- 

 seded the Italian queen with one whose progeny is darker. 

 It is even among the possibilities that a queen from outside 

 may have gotten in, but such a thing is not at all probable. 



Material for Cell-Cups-What to Feed to Work 

 Them Up. 



1. In making cell-cups for queen-rearing, what is the 

 wax mixed with ? 



2. In the dry season when the bees will not work up the 

 cups, what is best to feed them so as to induce them to work 

 them up ? Jamaica. 



Answers. — 1. The wax is not mixed with anything, 

 but used pure. 



2. Nothing is better to stimulate bees to work than 

 honey, unless it be a mixture of honey and pollen. In the 

 absence of this, a syrup of sugar does very well. 



Dividing for Increase. 



1. I don't care to let my bees swarm. Would it be safe to 

 take one, two, or even three frames of brood from each hive, 

 and when I get 10 framesput them in a hive, making sure that 

 I have not taken a queen from any of the hives ? Does it 

 make any diiference if there are any bees on the brood- 

 frames ? Do you think the bees would tight with each 

 other, because there will be bees from different hives, such 

 as Italians, blacks, and Hybrids, or would you brush the 

 bees off when you take out the brood-frames ? 



2. What would I do for queens for each new colony thus 

 made? Colorado. 



Answers. — 1. It will be safe to take one to three frames 

 of brood from each strong colony so far as those colonies 

 are concerned, but very unsafe for the brood if you take no 

 bees with the brood. Even if you take with each frame all 

 the adhering bees, all but the youngest will return, and 

 you may not have enough bees to protect the brood. There 

 will be no trouble as to bees from different colonies fighting 

 if this is done when honey is yielding well. But taking 

 one, two, or even three frames of brood from a colony of 

 bees will by no means make it a sure thing that there will 

 be no swarming. To make sure that there will be no 

 swarming, you must take all the brood away. One way is 

 as follows : 



Suppose two colonies, A and B. Take all the brood 

 from A, brushing the bees back into the hive, and replac- 

 ing the frames of brood with frames of foundation. To 

 prevent the bees from being too much dissatisfied, leave 

 one frame of brood, to be taken away a day or two later. 

 Put these frames of brood into an emptj- hive, and put it 

 on the stand of B, putting B in a new place. This should 

 be done early in the day, the earlier after bees are flying 

 the better, unless you take the time when bees are having a 

 play-spell after dinner, which is the best time of all. I'or 

 a day or two all the field-bees of B will return to the new 

 hive. A will not swarm, but the case of B is not so sure. 



2. You can buy untested queens for a reasonable 

 amount, and you will do well to have your queen on hand 

 before forming your new colony. Or, j'ou can in advance 

 rear queens as instructed in your text-book. If you have 

 no good text-book on bees, by all means get one at once and 

 make a thorough studj' of it. It is hardly a safe thing to do 

 much in the way of artificial increase without some knowl- 



edge of the whole field of bee-keeping as given in the bee- 

 books. Even if you have explicit instruction just what to 

 do, some unforseen incident will occur, and if you have no 

 general knowledge of the subject some little thing may 

 knock all your plans endwise. 



You will do well carefully to examine back numbers of 

 this journal also. See pages 345, 328, 312, 297, 264, etc. 



\ Convention Proceedings. | 



(Continued from page 357.) 



Report of the Minnesota Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



BY 1)1'.. L. II. I.KuNAlil). 



SECOND DAY — Fokesoox Session. 



The first thing on the program was Pres. West's address, 

 read by Mrs. Acklin, as follows : 



PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



The Minnesota Bee-Keepers' Association was organized at 

 Minneapolis about eight years ago, by a few determined and 

 loyal bee-keepers, under the laws of Minnesota. Wm. Urie, 

 Wm. Danforth, and B. Taylor, successful bee-keepers who 

 have since passed to their eternal homes, were present at that 

 meeting. There had been previous attempts made to organize, 

 and meetings had been held ; the Association got into debt, 

 and was in bad repute. Under the present management the 

 debts have been paid, and there is a surplus in the treasury. 



Compared with other societies in importance, ability and 

 influence for good, our Association stands in the front ranks. 

 It is now a strong and vigorous society, having increased its 

 membership, which includes some of the most noted apiarists 

 in the West. When thoroughly organized the society at once 

 took steps to put the honey department at the State Pair — 

 which had become a disgrace to the bee-ieepers of the State 

 — under the supervision of honest bee-keepers. From that 

 time until the present that department has gradually grown 

 in size, quality and importance — in fact, no department of the 

 State Fair has shown such marked improvement with the 

 same amount of money expended. 



Through the influence of this society a grand exhibit of 

 the products of the little "busy bee "was made at Omaha, 

 which demonstrated that the finest honey — as well as butter — 

 comes from the grand, young State of Minnesota. The 

 exhibit was a grand surprise to every one, and won great 

 honors for Minnesota. Exhibits were made by some of our 

 bee-keepers which scored 100 points. 



Through the influence of this society a law was passed 

 by the State legislature, making it a crime to sell or offer for 

 sale adulterated honey, unless the package containing the 

 same is marked, represented and designated as such. The 

 enforcement of this law by the State Dairy and Food Com- 

 missioner has been of great benefit to the honey-producers of 

 Minnesota, and his report upon this subject made in .January, 

 ISyy, is quite elaborate. Our influence has also been felt 

 among the commission men of the twin cities, and good has 

 resulted therefrom for the bee-keepers of the State. 



Organizations are necessary in all branches of industry, 

 to protect aud educate those engaged in such industry. No 

 bee-keeper has arrived at that stage of perfection and success 

 in his occupation where he can afford to dispense with the 

 benefits derived from such an organization as this. Here we 

 meet for friendly discussion and mutual profit. 



The rapid advancement of apiculture during the past 50 

 years is in keeping with the rapid strides made in all other 

 departments of life where genius and invention have been 

 developed, due to the energy, enterprise, and self-sacrificing 

 labors of such men as Father I/angstrolh, Moses Quinby. 

 Adam Grimm, Capt. J. E. Hetherington, Lyman C. Root, Edwin 

 France, Chas. Muth, H. R. Boardman, G. M. Doolittle, P. H. 

 Elwood, A. E. JIanum, Prof. .\. .1. Cook, Dr. A. J. Boardman, 

 Dr. A. B. Mason, Chas. Dadant, I). A. Jones, W. Z. Hutchin- 

 son, Dr. C. C. Miller, A. I. Root, E. R. Root, and a host of 

 others, whose bright and inventive minds and consistent 

 lives have made, or arc making, the bee-papers of to-day 

 suierior to the papers printed in the interest of any other 

 line of business. What other branch of learning or occupa- 

 tion has had such honest, heroic, self-sacrificing, devoted and 

 eminent workers '? Their influence and superior qualities of 

 heart and mind have blessed all other departments of life in 



