340 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 28, 1903. 



I Convention Proceedings J 



Report of the Wisconsin State Convention. 



BY GUS DITTMER, SEC. 

 (Contmued from pa^e 326.) 



SECOND DAY— Morning Session. 



The convention was called to order at 9 a.m. by the 

 President. 



I EXHIBITS AT CONVENTIONS. 



Mr. Fox spoke of having exhibits at the annual conven- 

 tions. To the members attending these meetings it would 

 be no extra expense to speak of, which was not the case in 

 making an exhibit at either a County or State fair. 



Mr. France spoke of offering inducements in the way 

 of premiums for the exhibits by manufacturers and supply- 

 dealers. He spoke of a case where an exhibit had been 

 made at considerable expense and no premiums given ; and 

 thought that unless premiums were offered there would be 

 no premiums of the kind in the future. 



Mr. Dittmer said that the advertising of the manufac- 

 turer and dealer in displaying his goods was enough, and 

 that he was opposed to paying premiums for the privilege 

 of advertising. 



Mr. Wilcox — The exhibits should be in separate rooms, 

 as it attracts the attention of the members from the discus- 

 sions. 



Mr. Huffman — The question is. Shall we offer premiums? 



Mr. Wilcox— We can't afford it. 



Mr. Fox — lam willing to bring honey to exhibit with- 

 out a premium. 



Mr. Pierce — I suggest that we ascertain how many will 

 bring an exhibit next year. 



Mr. Fox — I move that we offer premiums if we can 

 afford to do so. Carried. 



QUII,TS AND HONEY-BOARDS IN WINTERING. 



" How early should the quilts be put on in the fall ?" 



Mr. Wilcox — No need to put them on at all unless you 

 winter the bees outside. 



Mr. Otto — I never use quilts, but honey-boards, and put 

 the bees in late. Bees are always quiet, and I am never 

 troubled with moisture in the hive. 



Mr. Pierce had experience with honey-boards, oilcloth, 

 and cushions. He had trouble with moisture dripping from 

 honey-boards and oilcloths ; the cushion is warm and ab- 

 sorbs the moisture, which is always at the top. 



Mr. Otto — I don't think you can winter as well without 

 the honey-board, as the bees need water. 



Mr. Huffman — Do they use it to thin the honey ? 



Mr. Fox — The quantity of the moisture depends on the 

 temperature in the cellar. The higher the temperature the 

 more moisture. 



Mr. Huffman — I abandoned the honey-board long ago 

 and took to quilts. I am never troubled with moisture or 

 bees needing water. My cellar is dry and all right. In a 

 wet cellar the bees are liable to be moldy. 



Mr. Pierce — I think that in a cold cellar there is liable 

 to be too much moisture, and that in a warm one it will 

 evaporate and pass off. 



Mr. Adair — I find that they are liable to be wet with a 

 honey-board, as the moisture accumulates on the board and 

 drips on the bees. 



Mr. Huffman — I found moisture frozen on the top of 

 the honey-board, which shows that the moisture passes 

 through the cushion and out of the hive. 



CARRYING BEES IN AND OUT OF THE CELLAR. 



" Is it the practice of all bee-keepers to close the en- 

 trance of hives in carrying bees into and out of the cellar ?" 



Mr. Fox — I don't believe it is. 



Mr. Dittmer always carries them in and out without 

 bottom-boards, on cold mornings, providing indications are 

 that the bees can have a flight that day. He pays no atten- 

 tion to location. 



Mr. Fox never closes the entrance, and pays no atten- 

 tion to location. 



Mr. Pierce thinks it a mistake to put them out in the 

 morning. 



Mr. Gross always puts them in at night, when there is 

 no trouble about bees flying about. He put them out once 

 in the morning, and afterward had a snow-storm. 



Mr. Otto finds a smoker very useful in taking bees out. 

 He has taken them out when there was a snow-storm after- 

 ward, and there was no harm done. 



Mr. Wilcox takes them out during the day so they can 

 fly. He thinks it risky to take them out at night, as they 

 can not get back, and cluster outside. 



" Is it best to take them out in the morning or in the 

 afternoon ?" 



Mr. Fox — That depends on the distance you have to 

 carry them. 



A vote was called for, and the majority voted in favor 

 of taking them out in the morning. 



Mr. Pierce — At home I prefer to take them out in the 

 morning, and always put them on the old stand. 



Mr. Wilcox — It is always advisable to put them on the 

 old stand if convenient. 



Mr. Otto — I always put them on the old stand. 



An expression being called for, a majority voted in 

 favor of putting the bees on the old stand. 



Mr. Pierce thought that they should be looked over 

 occasionally during the winter, even if most of them were 

 all right. 



Mr. Fox — If the entrance is kept open they should not 

 be disturbed until after the first flight. 



Mr. Wilcox — The proper way is to use a loose bottom- 

 board. 



" How do you keep the mice out ?" 



Mr. Wilcox — Keep the bees in and you will have no 

 trouble to keep the mice out. I find a mouse in the hive 

 occasionally, but have had no bad results. 



" What do you have for a bottom-board ? 



Mr. Wilcox — I place the hives six inches apart, and then 

 lay boards across the top, on which I place the next row, 

 and so on. These boards are the bottom on which the dead 

 bees drop. This always keeps the hive clean. I have no 

 trouble in taking them out, as we let it cool off first. If 

 they bother us about coming out, we use smoke and drive 

 them back. 



" How far is your cellar from the yard ?" 



Mr. Wilcox — We have to carry them from 20 to SO feet. 



Mr. Moe — Do you prefer to put them in late or early ? 

 In cold or moderate weather ? 



Mr. Wilcox — If they are out too late they will freeze. I 

 put they out, say from the 15th to the 20th of November. 



Mr. Fox — From the 15th to the 26th is my experience. 



Mr. Huffman — That depends on the condition of the 

 weather. I would leave them out until after Christmas, if 

 the weather was favorable. 



Miss Bruce — That depends on the condition of the cel- 

 lar. If it is wet leave them out ; if it is dry it will be all 

 right to put them in early. 



Mr. Wilcox — That does not matter with me. Just leave 

 the cellar door open until the weather is cold enough. That 

 will keep the bees in, and give them plenty of fresh air to 

 keep them quiet. If I am troubled about bees clustering on 

 the bottom I raise the hive from the bottom-board and let 

 them cool off. They will go up all right. 



SOWING .ALSIKE FOR HONEY. 



" Is it profitable to sow alsike exclusively for honey ?" 



It seemed to be the general opinion that it did not pay, 

 that it was worth several times more for hay than for 

 houey, and that we could not afford to sow it for honey 

 alone. 



Mr. France raised the question if it would not pay to 

 furnish the seed to the farmers ? 



If you do they will think you are getting all the profit 

 and the best end of the bargain. 



Mr. Huffman — You must induce farmers to sow alsike 

 instead of red clover. Get them to understand that it is 

 most profitable to them. I am satisfied that it is a mutual 

 benefit. 



This was followed by a discussion as to the merits and 

 paying qualities of alsike for honey as compared with 

 alsike for seed. 



LAYING WORKERS. 



" How can a laying worker be detected, and how pre- 

 vented ?" 



Mr. Minnich — My method is to get rid of them by tak- 

 ing the hive off some distance, shake all the bees from all 

 of the frames, and let them fly back to the old stand, where 

 a new hive has been prepared, new frames and a queen. 



Mr. Huff-nan — Put into the hive frames with hatching 

 brood and they will kill the laying worker. 



