1885 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



623 



for the bees. If there were no bees there would be 

 little fruit. 



President.— A Massachusetts fruit-man once com- 

 pelled a bee-keeper to remove, because he claimed 

 that his bees injured his fruit. A trial of several 

 seasons without the bees was a failure, and the bee- 

 keeper was prevailed upon to come back. 



CIDER - MIM..>^. 



Mr. Benedict.— \ am satisfied that cider mills in- 

 jure bees. 



Dr. Bcs'sc (who seems to always take the oppo- 

 site side, in order to draw out all points).— Cider- 

 mills are a good thing for bee-keepers in killing off 

 some of our bees, so that they do not go into winter 

 quarters too strong. 



C. E. Jones.— I lost 73 colonies, which had plenty 

 of clover honey; cider carried in killed them; had 

 better spent SIOJ in screening the mill. 



President.— As a means of liarmony 1 suggest that 

 bee-keepers furnish some kind of screen to keep 

 out the bees. We furnished one for a neighbor 

 cider-maker which kept out tiics, etc., as well as 

 bees, and cost only TZ.iM. 



E. K. Root moved that the President appoint a 

 committee to see that a suitable building be erected 

 by the Agricultural Society of the State on the new 

 fair-ground, for the use of bee-keeper.':, as a ))lacc 

 of exhibition and meeting. Seconded and caniiil. 



Dr. Besse, Delaware, chainnuu; ( . i;. .lones, Del- 

 aware; Aaron Benedict, Bennington, were aiipoint- 

 ed the committee. I 



Next was proposed the subject of having llie Ohio ' 

 Agricultural College take up Ai)icultiire as a \ 

 branch of studv. The I'l-esident said he thought 

 the college ought to take such measures, and that it 

 would elevate bee culture in our Stati'. 



Dr. Besse moved that a coTnniillce be appointed 

 to confer with the directors of the .Agricultural | 

 College, to lia\c a station of bee culture established j 

 there. Seeondcil and carried. Ques.— What is to be 

 the object of this department? 



Dr. liesse.— The object is to test lor best bi-es. 

 best methods of management, to report from time 

 to time, and to educate students in bee culture. 



Committee appointed were- Dr. liesse, chaiilnaii; 

 .T. W. Newlove, W. Oldrovd, Dr. Mason. .\.I.I{oot. 

 Ch.as. Muth, Dan White. 



Perliaps I mijiiit niciitioii hero, lliat "nf i'ore 

 retuniing home I li;i<l a foiivei.satiidi willi 

 some of the l"rien<ls at the A,<frkMiUiiial Col- 

 lege, in ve^'ard to tlie above matter, ainl they 

 (lechii-ed tliat it is out of tlietiiiestion to take 

 up any tiling move just now. without if;oi-e 

 funds and more intelligent heli)ers. There 

 are already too many things started thai 

 amount to" nothing, because of the lack in 

 the direction above mentioned : or. to put it 

 brietly, "' too many irons in lite fnc " as it is. 

 1 am' not comix'tent at present to say just 

 what needs to be done. Ihit it seems to me 

 there is no reason why we should be behind 

 the State of Michigan, or any State, for th:il 

 matter. 



WHAT IS THE I'liOl'lMl SIZIO Ol' A COI.ONV TO 

 ST.\IIT^ I X^W I .\Tl;lt Qf .\ HTKKS? 



Dr. /ics.-ic. — I think too many bees do not winter as 

 well as a small colony. 



A. Iienitlirt.— \ can not (luite agree with Dr. Besse. 

 I want a large colony of bees; a small one will eat 

 much more honey in jiroportion to its size than a 

 large one, to keep iii> animal heat. 



C. E. ./oiir.s-. — My e.vperieiice in this: Get a colony 

 in as neai-l.\' a natural condition as possit'le, large, 

 and plentyof honey. 



now MANY BEES ARE NECESSAliV FOK SCCII A 

 COT.ONV? 



Dr. /?(.s8c.— AboutS lbs. 



.1. Uentdict.—i winter out of doors. 



Dr. B.—l winter in the cellar. 



Mrs. Cidp.-l don't cai-e for such large colonies. I 

 don't stimulate in the fall; am satisfied small colo- 

 nies are the best. I winter in chaff hives, and stim- 

 ulate in the spring. 



Dr. Z{f.s,<*(".— Winter half the bees, and extract and 

 ;ell half the honey. 



Prisid<iit.—\}v. Ucsse and Mrs. Culp may be right, 

 but I think there ought to be caution used here in 

 the use of terms. A large colony will sf)metiines 



contract in cool weather to the size of a popcorn 

 ball, and winter well. 



Dr. Besse.— Jf you stimulate in fall, feed early 

 enough so that young bees can have two or three 

 flights before they cluster for winter. 



WHEN WOULD YOU FEED? 



Dr. Besse.— Any time— the sooner the better. 



President. — We have the best results by feeding 

 gradually. Feed, say, Vj lb. every night; feed dur- 

 ing September if possible. 



Mrs. Culp.— I t-hink my plan of setting away full 

 combs, and giving them in the fall, the best plan. 



Dr. Besse.— We should throw out the uncapped 

 honey before going into winter quarters. 



HOW MANY CO.MBS OF HONEY ARE NECESSARY TO 

 WINTER A COLONY? 



Dr. Bc«sf.— Twenty-five lbs. of honey. 

 President.— Five full combs. 



POOR SE.\SONS. 



Prexide^d. — Bee-men are complaining of a poor 

 season. 1 should like to inquire if it is the fault of 

 the season or the apiarian. 



Dr. Bf.s.sp.— May be the fault of the snpplu-dederi?). 

 You should make 'j-iiich space for bees between 

 sections; bees will then go up sooner. 



G. E. Joncn.— Don't put on too many sections in a 

 moderate season at one time. 



WHERE IS THE BEST HONEY LOCALITY IN THE V . S.':' 



Answers— Central Ohio; California in a good sea- 

 son; Florida; basswood locality of Wisconsin and 

 Michigan. 



Dr. Bexsc.—Ohiii extracted and comb honey, taken 

 by me to the exposition at New Oileans, took tlie 

 first premiuuL 



A *'/»«»((/'■/•.— Hardin Co. is as good as any coun- 

 ty in the State, for honey. 



MrK. Ci(/p.— Franklin Co. is a good locality. I 

 tested one colony, and took 25:J lbs. extracted honey. 



now MANY 



)NII 



15 K KEl" 



)NE t.oc: 



/',(.>.i</<;i'.— That depends on circumstances. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



T)ie subject of 



MOVING UEES DVRINfi THE WORKING SEA.SON 



was first taken up. 



Dr. Be^'se—'Slove tt\r ov six swarms every even- 

 ing. .\tler bees ait- all in the hive, set the hives 

 far enou^'h apart to .set others between them when 

 moved ne.xt evfiiing. Set a b(iar<i, or three or four 

 sticks of sto\('W(>od, in front ol the colony moved. 

 I moved UH) colonies :.'.')() or :KXt ft , and very few bees, 

 if any, weiU back. They were caught in a nucleus 

 hive on the old stand. I would advise moving 

 strongest first, then the returning bees would re- 

 enforce the weaker ones left. 



j vl. Zidi'dicf.— When setting bees out of cellar, be 

 sure to i)ut hive on old stand. 



' Mr. tiiirdni, .M. I).. Mt. X'ernon.— I have no trouble 

 in m()\ing bees short disianc<'s, and 1 don't think it 

 nuikes any ditlci-cru'c wlii-thcr we set bees on old 

 stand wheii taken out of cellar or not. 



i Mrs. C'li'p. — I set mj- liees further apart last fall, 

 and saw no bad result. 1 was tiying to sec if I 

 could make them do as 1 wanted, and I did. 



] Dr. (ii)rde)t.—\ winter my bees out of doors, with 



j corn-fodder placed around them, leaving an open- 

 ing on south side, so the bees can fly on warm days. 

 T move them together and set them on scantling- 

 two tiers high. 



Mr. Murris, Fayette Co.— I wintered my bees in a 

 bee-house foi- three years, successfully. I never 

 set out of ('oors for a fly when quiet. The house 

 has a brick foundation, double wall,l ft. space filled 

 with sawdust; 1 ft. sawdust on top, cement floor. 



Presidetd.—ln regiird to cellar wintering, there is 

 a diversity of opinion and t'xperience. Chaff hives 

 seem to be the most practicable, with the variable 

 winter weather we have in Ohio, and public opinion 

 seems to be getting in favor of them. 



A. lii}iiiii(i.— nfes need more ventilation in win- 

 ter than in summer. 



Presidnd. -nyir practice is to leave the entrance 

 open full width all winter. 



Mr. (joiidrieh.—l prefer cellar wintering; keep 

 bees as near the freezing-point as possible, and 

 think it best. 



Dan White.— ] think the cellar, with an experienc- 

 ed hand, the best place to winter, although 1 winter 



