1887 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



87 



carp ponds, drying fruit, etc.; and we find 

 the price he has fixed is about as low as it 

 can be figured. It is possible, however, 

 that, if the manufacturers could be given a 

 very large order, to be worked at their lei- 

 sure, a little better figure might be obtained. 

 We will ascertain in regard to the miitter. 



THE OHIO STATE BEE-KEEPERS' 

 ASSOCIATION. 



HELD AT COLUMBUS, O., JAN. 11, 12, 13, 1887. 



fHE meeting was a very interesting one, con- 

 sidering the small attendance, which was 

 owing to the neglect of one of the officers 

 in not giving proper announcement before- 

 hand. 



FIRST DAY. 



On account of the small number present, an in- 

 formal meeting was held. 



SECOND DAY— MORNING SESSION. 



Convention called to order with Dr. H. Besse in 

 the chair. Minutes of previous meeting were read 

 and approved. Treasurer's report i-eceived. The elec- 

 tion of officers, being next in order, resulted as 

 follows: Pres., Ernest R. Root, of Medina, Medina 

 Co. ; Sec. and Treas., Frank A. Eaton, of Bluffton, 

 Allen Co. Other matters of business having been 

 disposed of, by request of the association Pres. 

 Root gave a talk on foul brood as it appeared in 

 the " Home of the Honey-Bees." In brief, the ad- 

 dress was as follows: The disease first broke out 

 about the first of last July. He was not cei-tain as 

 to how it originated, but thought it was started by 

 robber bees gaining access to a few kegs of honey 

 which had been purchased some time before. The 

 incipiency of the disease was difficult to describe. 

 A few afl:'ected cells appear in its early stages, and 

 the larvae have a light coffee color; as the disease 

 advances, the larva changes to a darker coffee col- 

 or, like the coffee-berry, and finally dries up in one 

 side of the cell. If a toothpick be inserted into an 

 affected cell in its first stages, the diseased matter 

 will adhere, forming a sort of string. The speaker 

 stated, that during the past , season they had had 

 sixty cases. Each, as soon as discovered, was 

 treated as follows: All the combs of the affected 

 hives, after the bees were shaken off into a clean 

 new hive, were consigned to the boiler- furnace. 

 He thought it cheaper to give the bees a set of new 

 clean frames filled with foundation, than to ex- 

 tract the old diseased combs, render out the wax, 

 and boil the frames for use again. The diseased 

 hives were then scalded out with steam. He was 

 not sure hut that the disease might appear again 

 the coming year, but in no colonies so treated did 

 the disease reappear. 



After the speaker closed. Dr. Besse said he did 

 not think it necessary to go to the great waste or 

 expense of burning up the frames, combs, and 

 honey. Why not extract the honey, render the 

 wax, and boil the frames, and in that way save 

 that which would otherwise be wasted? 



Pres. Root thought there would be a good deal of 

 risk attending such a practice— that robbers might 

 gain access to the diseased honey and wax, while 

 80 working. 



In this connection the advisability of purchasing 

 honey to feed, instead of sugar, was opened for 

 discussion. It was argued, that, as the former 



might contain the germs of foul brood, it were 

 better to feed sugar. 



Mr. Goodrich.— Feed your own honey that you 

 know is all right. 



Secretary.— Suppose you haven't any honey to 

 feed? 



Dr. Besse.— Purchase your honey, and boil it. 

 If 213° will kill the germs, I can see no danger. 



Mr. Cole.— I think the practice of buying sugar to 

 feed, is damaging to our trade. When people see 

 you buying sugar they won't believe but that you 

 intend putting it upon the market again in the 

 form of honey. 



After further discussion, in which the members 

 of the convention were divided in their opinions, 

 the convention adjourned till 1 p. m. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The convention was called to order, with Pres. 

 Root in the chair. A list of questions was handed 

 in by S. R. Morris, and discussed in the following 

 order: 



1. How should a house be constructed to keep 

 honey best, both in winter and summer? 



Dr. Besse.— I keep it best in a dry house that does 

 not reach either extreme of hot or cold. 



Secretary.— Keep it in a honey-house that gets 

 quite warm in summer and fall, then remove to 

 some room in the house where the temperature 

 does not go down to freezing. 



E. Cole. —Do not keep it— sell it. 



2. Is comb honey injured or made unsalable by 

 freezing? 



After some discussion it was generally agreed 

 that the quality .was not injured by freezing, but 

 the combs are cracked by freezing, and thawing 

 would cause the honey to drip. 



3. Which is the best mode to control or prevent 

 Swarming? 



J. W. Newlove.— I use single-tier crates, and give 

 the bees plenty of room by tiering up. Put a crate 

 upon the hive about ten days before the honey- 

 flow starts. When the bees are thoroughly at 

 work, and have filled the sections about half, raise 

 the crate and put under it an empty one, and so on, 

 gi\ing plenty lof room. 1 recommend this plan 

 to my customers who are farmers. I find by this 

 plan that bees seldom swarm. 



Secretary.— It is an easy matter to control 

 swarming when running for extracted honey, as 

 a liberal use of the extractor will greatly control ; 

 but the difficuIty;conie8 in when working for comb 

 honey. I have practiced, very successfully, ex- 

 tracting from the side combs^in brood-chamber, 

 placing them in the center. If the colony is very 

 populous, remove one comb, placing an empty 

 frame with but a starter in the center, thereby 

 giving the queen plenty of room, at the same time 

 putting on one tier of sections, then tiering up as 

 fast as the honey-flow will warrant. 



4. Will the drone progeny of an Italian queen 

 be pure Italian, provided she mated with a hybrid 

 drone? 



No one present had any occasion to doubt the 

 well-founded principles of | Dzierzon and other 

 writersion thistsubject. 



5. Which is most profitable- to give a newjs'warm 

 full frames of foundation, or>lonly starters? 



Dr. Besse.— I use starters only, 

 Pres. Root gave W. Z. Hutchinson's plan. 

 J. G. Ricketts said that Mrs. Jennie Culp used 

 full sheets, and much preferred them. 



