530 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.. 



Profits in Bee-Keeping. 



I will not attempt an estimate of all 

 the profits to be obtained in keeping 

 bees, but will refer merely to one phase 

 of the question. 



I take the position that it pays any 

 fruit-grower to keep a few bees, even 

 should no honey ever be obtained from 

 them. Many bee-keepers do not advise 

 others to undertake the keeping of bees, 

 for the reason that so many beginners 

 will not study up how to care for the 

 bees nor attend to them properly, and 

 so make failures. While this is true in 

 many instances, so far as honey is con- 

 cerned, there are also very many in- 

 stances of failures in all avocations of 

 life. The bees are very great aids in 

 the proper fertilizing of fruit-blossoms, 

 and while, in favorable seasons a few 

 bees may accomplish much in a consid- 

 erable territory, in an unfavorable sea- 

 son, such as a cool or wet time during 

 fruit-bloom, it may be only those blos- 

 soms that are near where bees are kept 

 that receive any benefit from the latter. 



Trusting this is enough to open the 

 discussion, I hope now to hear from 

 others. J- W. Rouse. 



(Continued on page 560.) 



Utali Bee-Keepers' ConYention. 



BY GEOKGE E. DUDLEY. 



The Utah Bee-Keepers' Association 

 met on Oct. 4, 1894, in Salt Lake City. 



George E. Dudley, of Provo, was 

 chosen Secretary in place of Mr. John 

 C. Swaner, resigned, 



RAILROAD RATES ON HONEY. 



A committee of three was appointed 

 to confer with the proper officials of the 

 various railways in regard to obtaining 

 lower rates for the shipment of honey 

 from this territory to Eastern markets. 

 The following were selected as the com- 

 mitt : Mr. Scott, Mr. Reese and Mr. 

 Dudley. 



It appeared from the discussion that 

 followed, that railway rates were much 

 higher from Utah to Chicago and inter- 

 mediate points than from California — 

 to those States. Such discrimination by 

 the railroads met the disapproval of the 

 members, and steps were taken to place 

 the matter before the proper authorities 

 in order to get rates redu(;ed. 



A discMission followed relative to fix- 

 ing the price of honey for the home 



market. Nothing definite was arrived 

 at on this proposition. 



THE WINTERING OF BEES. 



Wintering of bees next claimed the 

 attention of the convention. As much 

 loss has been sustained in wintering col- 

 onies of bees in Utah, Mr. Scott, of 

 Springville, was requested to give his 

 method of wintering, as he has been 

 successful in his home apiary. He said 

 he uses the eight-frame Langstroth 

 hives, and sets them side by side and 

 close together on 2x4 inch strips of 

 lumber. He packs the backs with saw- 

 dust, after having nailed boards along 

 the back ends of the hives, about one 

 inch from the hives, to receive it. He 

 places an empty super upon each hive, 

 and nearly fills it with leaves or saw- 

 dust, and puts the flat board hive-covers 

 (which he uses) on the top of the super. 

 Over all these he places a simple board 

 roof that lies loosely upon the covers. 

 By this means there is a light upward 

 ventilation through each hive that car- 

 ries off the dampness and keeps the bees 

 dry and healthy, and prevents loss. 



Interesting remarks were also made 

 by George Hone, of Benjamin, and 

 others, on the same subject. 



An essay was received from Mr. Alex. 

 D. Frazier, bee-inspector of Tooele 

 county, which was read and ordered 

 placed on file. This report gave the 

 total number of colonies in Tooele coun- 

 ty as 647, and the number of pounds 

 of honey produced about 31,300. 



President Lovesy, in a very able man- 

 ner, spoke of the necessity of crowding 

 the hives with bees by the time the 

 honey-flow commences, in order to ac- 

 complish the best results. 



The meeting adjourned to the usual 

 time, next spring. 



George E. Dudley, Sec. 



Provo, Utah. 



Profitable Hee-Keeping:, by Mrs 



Atchley, will continue for some time in her 

 department of the Bee Journal, at least 

 each alternate week. Until further notice 

 we can furnish the back numbers from May 

 1st, beginning with her " Lessons," to new 

 subscribers who pay |1.00 for a year's sub- 

 scription to the Bee Jouknal — that is, we 

 can commence their year with the number 

 having the first lesson, if they so desire. 



One-l^eiit I»osfa,g:e S^tamps we 



prefer whenever it is necessary to send 

 stamps for fractions of a dollar. By re- 

 membering this, you will greatly oblige us. 



Oreat Premium on page 544 I 



