May 21, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



325 



[ Convention Proceedings ] 



Report of the Wisconsin State Convention. 



BY GUS DITTMKR, SEC. 



The Wisconsin State Bee-Keepers' Association met in 

 convention at Madison, at 10 a.m., Feb. 4, and the morning- 

 was spent in social intercourse. At 2 p.m. Pres. N. R. 

 France called the meeting to order. He stated that owing 

 to the marriage and removal from the State of Miss Ada 

 Pickard, there was a vacancy in the office of secretary. Gus 

 Dittmer was nominated and elected to fill the vacancy. 



CO-OPERATION AMONG BBE-KEEPKRS. 



Pres. France, after a few introductory remarks, sug- 

 gested that the subject of co-operation be taken up. Mr. 

 Wilcox thought the subject too broad and general ; that 

 much had been said on the subject in the past, but not much 

 accomplished, and had nothing to suggest at this time. 



Pres. France stated the case of co-operation in Minne- 

 sota, and spoke particularly of the successful co-operation 

 of the " Honey-Producers' Association " of Colorado. He 

 thought that conditions were different here from Colorado. 

 Many large bee-keepers there and mostly small ones here. 

 He thought the outlook was the best in 20 years. He thinks 

 it a very broad subject that should be taken up by the 

 " National." However, local organizations might succeed. 

 He called attention to the fact that Colorado and California 

 glutted our markets before our crops were ready, and that 

 co-operation might be the remedy. He also stated that large 

 buyers and commission men preferred dealing with organi- 

 zations for large lots rather than looking for small lots. 



" Why not form a trust ?" 



Pres. France — We may be forced to it. 



Mr. Wilcox — Educate the bee-keeper to grade his honey. 

 Ignorance and carelessness in this is what makes low prices. 

 The careless one would expect as much as the one who 

 grades carefully. Co-operation would not benefit the care- 

 less ones. 



Mr. Huffman asked, "How can you get around these 

 little bee-keepers that spoil the market ?" It was suggested 

 to buy them out. "Suppose they wont sell 7" They 

 will soon find out they can't afi^ord to stay out. Pres. 

 France had given the subject thought, and thinks it will 

 not come to anything within the year. The first thing 

 necessary is education along the line of grading. 



PARALYSIS AMONG BEES. 



" Is there any cure for paralysis in bees ? and is it con- 

 tagious ?" 



Mr. Pierce didn't think it contagious. He had a case 

 that he thought to be paralysis. It seemed to dwindle, 

 though the brood seemed all rght. He cited a case where a 

 colony had been cured with sulphur. He tried it himself 

 by thoroughly sprinkling the bees with it, and could see 

 no harm done, and in two weeks the disease disappeared. 



Mr. Fox — My experience is that the disease disappeared 

 by letting them alone. 



Mr. Post thought that a change of queen would cure it. 

 He found in his experience that while there were lots of 

 brood there was a continual dwindling away until the col- 

 ony " went up." He does not think it contagious, because 

 none of the other colonies had it. 



Some one, after waiting for the disease to disappear, 

 used sulphur, and after two weeks it had all disappeared. 



CAUSE OF EXCESSIVE SWARMING. 



" What was the cause of the excessive swarming last 

 season ?" 



The late honey-flow. 



Mr. Wilcox — The question should be. What is the prin- 

 cipal cause of swarming? I think that certain conditions 

 bring about certain results ; that hatching brood is the 

 strongest cause. Remove the cause by removing the brood. 



Mr. Rice — I never before knew bees to swarm so much 

 and so late, and to have the swarming increase with the 

 season. 



Mr. Fox — They swarmed the worst in the hight of the 

 honey-flow. I had 32 out' in one day. Perhaps it was 

 caused by limited room. 



Mr. Rice — I had three top stories on most of mine, and 

 all had lots of room, and still they swarmed. 



Mr. Post — I had the besl improved non-swarming 

 queens, reared for honey-gathering. They swarmed with 

 little or lots of room. I kept them in by caging the queen, 

 but as soon as she was released they came out. 



Mr. Van Ennick — I agree with Mr. Wilcox. Remove 

 the brood and give them lots of room before the swarming 

 season sets in. With this management you can keep down 

 the swarming fever and have hardly a swarm. 



Mr. Post — That is all right for strong colonies, but it 

 will not work with weak ones. 



Mr. Wilcox — Yes, I have seen such cases. 



Mr. Gloege — That may be the case where the queen is 

 superseded. 



Mr. Fox — I had special reference to after-swarms with 

 lots of room. 



Mr. Huffman — Better kill the queen, or remove the 

 brood and fill with empty combs. Pay special attention to 

 queens that don't swarm, and work along the line of rear- 

 ing from them. We may have different ways of working, 

 but insure the same result. 



Mr. Fox — Will killing the queen stop swarming, Mr. 

 Huffman ? 



Mr. Huffman — Yes, that is the principle. 



Some discussion took place in regard to spraying trees 

 with poison, with the intention of killing the bees. It was 

 the general opinion that such intention could not be proven. 



At this stage Pres. France read the report of his work 

 on foul brood throughout the State. This brought about 

 a discussion on this subject. 



Vice-Pres. Huffman took the chair. 



PREVENTION OF FOUL BROOD. 



Mrs. Blakely — How would you prevent foul brood ? 



Mr. France — Keep clear of it ; don't buy old comb, 

 bees, hives, etc. 



Mr. Perry — Root it out. 



Mr. Huffman — Mr. Perry could root his own but not his 

 neighbor's. Would foul brood start in an apiary without 

 contact ? 



Mr. France — One in one thousand. 



Mr. Pierce — Why will it not spread from yard to yard 7 



Mr. France thought it did spread. He cited a case 

 where bees had been burned year after year, but still it kept 

 appearing from neighbors' bees, not from trees where 

 squirrels had destroyed old comb. 



" Do you know that bee-trees contain foul brood ?" 



Mr. Fox — I think it could be carried from yard to yard, 

 and from yard to tree and back again, by robbing. If they 

 are not disturbed it might remain year after year, as I do 

 not think it can be carried except by contact in robbing. 



Mr. Danniher cited a case of a bee-tree where they had 

 plenty of brood, and foul brood, and lived year after year. 



Mr. Pierce — Did they live year after year in proper 

 condition ? Do you know what foul brood is 7 



Mr. Danniher — I do. 



Others doubted it. 



Mr. Huffman — Will they live and have foul brood ? 



Mr. France — Yes, I have known them to do so for three 

 years. 



SEALED COVERS IN WINTER. 



"Should the honey-board be left sealed down when put- 

 ting bees in winter quarters 7" 



Mr. Pierce — No, by no means, as they are all stuck up 

 with glue, and will collect moisture. 



Mr. Fox — Do you leave the honey-board off altogether 7 



Mr. Huffman — I do. I don't know what others do. 



Mr. Fox — I use the honey-board. 



Mr. Pierce — Should the cover be removed ? 



Mr. Fox — Yes. 



Mr. Wilcox — Yes, I should have ventilation. 



Mr. Pierce — In a moist cellar it would be worse. 



Some discussion took place as to the merits of oilcloth. 

 It appeared that nine were in favor and seven against. 



Mr. Wilcox raised the point that you must use the 

 queen-excluder to keep the queen out of the super. 



" Will you get more honey by using them 7" 



Mr. Wilcox — You will not get more honey, but you will 

 get rid of all annoyance. 



Do you use a bee-space between the brood-frames and 

 honey-board ? Yes, always. 



Which do you prefer, wood and zinc, or all-zinc 7 I pre- 

 fer the wood and zinc ; all-zinc warps. 



Are you ever troubled by the queen going through the 

 zinc ? I have had them go through the perforated zinc, but 

 it happens very seldom. 



