Jan. IS, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



37 



Report of the Ontario Bee-Keepers' Convention, 



Held at Barre, Ont., Canada, Dec. 16, 17 



and 18, 1902. 



REPORTED BV MORLBY PBTTIT. 



The annual convention of the Ontario Bee-Keepers' 

 Association was held in the Court House, in Barre, Ont., 

 Dec. 1^, 17 and 18, 1902. 



Pres. J. D. Evans called the meeting to order at 2 p.m., 

 and Mr. J. K. Darling offered prayer. 



Sec. Wm. Couse read the minutes of the last annual 

 meeting, which were approved. 



Pres. J. D. Evans then read his address, as follows : 



THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



I am glad to greet you again, to renew our friendship, 

 and exchange our experiences. While the past year was 

 not a record-breaker in the yield of honey, still the yield 

 was fair, and quality and price good. 



One of the lessons we have learned is, there is never a 

 good crop in all parts of Ontario in one year, and any api- 

 arist who has a large crop of honey should make inquiries 

 as to the honey-yield in the whole Province before jumping 

 to the conclusion that it is abundant and going to be cheap ; 

 the importance or correct information on this point, and 

 the influence of the Association in keeping up fair prices, 

 was well illustrated in the disaster that befell the attempt 

 of certain commission men in Toronto to break the honey 

 market last fall ; and in this connection I wish to say that 

 the thanks of the Association is due Mr. Byer for his 

 prompt and energetic action in the case. 



I am much disappointed in the slow increase in our 

 membership. Early in the year the executive prepared a 

 circular showing the usefulness of the Association to bee- 

 keepers, and had it mailed, at considerable expense, to about 

 7000 bee-keepers in Ontario. I regret to say that the in- 

 crease in membership did not justify the expense. It seems 

 amazing to me that any bee-keeper should be so blind to his 

 own interests as to stand aloof from so useful a society. 1 

 was surprised at receiving only six applications for the ser- 

 vices of the inspector of apiaries during the year, and wrote 

 Mr. McEvoy asking him to let me know what applications 

 he had received, and what apiaries he had visited. The in- 

 spector refused to give me this information, and quoted 

 some old resolution passed in the time of the late Mr. Prin- 

 gle, forbidding him to give any information of this kind ex- 

 cept to the Minister of Agriculture. 



If any such resolution is on the books of the Associa- 

 tion it is of no force whatever, as by the statutes of Ontario 

 the inspector has no authority to visit an apiary unless 

 when sent by the president of the society. See Sec. 3, Ch. 

 283, S. A. 1897. 



Section 6 of the same Act provides a fine of not less 

 than S20, or more than SSO, or imprisonment for two or three 

 months, for any owner who conceals the fact that foul brood 

 exists among his bees. 



Section 10 of the same Act reads: " Every bee-keeper 

 or other person who is aware of the existence of foul brood, 

 either in his own apiary or elsewhere, shall immediately 

 notify the president of the Ontario Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion of the existence of such disease, and in default of so 

 doing shall, on summary consideration before a Justice of 

 the Peace, be liable to a tine of S5 and costs." 



Section 12 of said Act orders the Association to report 

 to the Minister of Agriculture each year, the number of 

 colonies destroyed, and the locality where found, so that 

 the secrecy sought to be observed is contrary to law, and 

 absurd. 



I think the Association should seek for the authority to 

 appoint a spb-inspector in each of its districts, and thus 

 save unnecessary travelling expenses ; and that in the 

 future our presidents should strictly enforce the law, that 

 no inspector or sub-inspector inspect any apiary unless 

 directed by the president for the time being. It would be 

 well to have a by-law passed defining the duties of the in- 

 spectors, and the Act for the suppression of foul brood 

 among bees, printed in the minutes of this session. 



I greatly regret that througli some misunderstanding 

 Prof. Harrison was not in a position to carry out his experi- 

 ments in curing foul brood with formalin. He wrote the 

 secretary early this season asking for samples of foul and 

 black brood, and asked that Mr. Gemmill supply them. 

 Unfortunately, through the delay in the correspondence, 

 and the fact that the sub-inspector ((Jemmill) was busy, sam- 

 ples were not sent until it was too late, and we will have no 

 report this session from the Professor. I hope he will be 

 supplied with all necessary materials for his experiments 

 next season, for they are of the utmost importance. 



I hope that we may have a pleasant and profitable 

 meeting. J. D. Evans. 



Wm. McEvoy thought people whose bees have foul 

 brood should do as they do in Wisconsin — report directly to 

 the inspector. The president changes every year, and has 

 not the oportunity of understanding the situation as the 

 inspector can. 



R. F. Holtermann — We must act in a legal way. If the 

 Act is wrong, have it amended ; but in the meantime the 

 inspector should comply with the Act ; then he has the Act 

 to back him. 



Mr. Gemmill — The Foul Brood Act of Ontario was the 

 first law of its kind in America. We can not expect it to 

 be perfect ; but if we do not like it let us appoint a committee 

 to have it amended. 



On motion, a committee composed of the following was 

 appointed to amend the Foul Brood Act : Messrs. Darling, 

 Sibbald, Gemmill, Byer, and Newton. 



KKKDING FERMENTED HONEY, 



"Can slightly fermented honey be safely used for 

 spring feeding?" 



W. A. Chrysler — Yes. I prefer to heat it and evaporate 

 to the consistency of ripe honey, then add water to make it 

 thin enough for feeding. 



J. K. Darling indorsed this. 



KNOWING FOUL BROOD AND CURING IT. 



" How do you know foul brood, and how is it cured ?" 

 Mr. McEvoy explained the symptoms and gave his 

 valuable cure. To dispose of the brood leave about a quart 

 of bees, and pile up two stories high for 10 or 12 days till 

 most of the brood hatches. Treat this colony for foul 

 brood in the usual way, and give them a queen. All opera- 

 tions should be done in the evening, and during a good 

 honey-flow. If the flow should stop suddenly you must 

 feed. You can't cure foul brood in fruit-bloom — the flow is 

 too risky. If it should stop you might have starved brood. 

 Wait till June. Mr. McEvoy has not much faith in forced 

 swarms curing this disease, as one shaking does not rid the 

 bees of the diseased honey in their sacks. 



WEED-PROCESS COMB FOUNDATION. 



" What is your experience with Weed-process founda- 

 tion ?" 



Mr. Chrysler — I have not used it. 



W. J. Brown — It is no advantage. 



Jas. Armstrong — For the brood-chamber I would not 

 use anything else. There are more sheets of the founda- 

 tion per pound, and it is stronger. 



Mr. Holtermann — The objection raised to section foun- 

 dation is that the bees do not work on it so readily. Pres- 

 sure in milling it makes it harder. 



C. W. Post — It is good when properly manipulated. 



W. J. Craig — The hardness depends on the wax used. 

 Wax from cappings is much harder than that from old combs. 



Several members said they found the bees prefer old- 

 process foundation. Some maintain the contrary. 



FULL SHEETS OF FOUNDATION AND FORCED SWARMS. 



" Is it advisable to use full sheets of foundation in 

 making forced swarms ?" 



Mr. Chrysler — If you do, put an empty hive-body under 

 for a few days. 



Mr. Post — For extracted honey use foundation. For 

 comb honey use starters. Five or six starters give worker- 

 comb ; more than that give drone-comb. 



FORCED SWARMS. 



"Is forced swarming a success?" 



Mr. Chrysler — Yes, if you do not shake prematurely. 

 Wait for some sign of swarming. 



F. A. Gemmill— This matter has been well discussed in 

 recent bee-papers. Forced swarms should be made when 

 there is honey coming in. The bees should be allowed to 



