134 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feh. 27, 



and see what width of section, 4}^x4}i, seems to have the 

 preference. 



A show of hands revealed the fact that 7 to the foot 

 seemed to have a little bit the lead in the preference; 1% 

 came next ; after that, X%. 



NUMBER OF BROOD-FRAMES DURING THE HARVEST. 



Question. — " How many combs, Langstroth size, should 

 be left in the brood-chamber during the harvest for comb 

 honey ?" 



In answer to this, the President called for an expression. 

 The majority favored the 10-frame size — that is, the majority 

 who voted at all. Mr. Green and Mr. Wheeler thought one 

 section of the Heddou hive sufficient, which would be equiva- 

 lent to 5 Langstroth combs. 



Mr. Walker — Does not Mr. Green have swarming from 

 those shallow oases '? 



Mr. Green — Yes, sir ; but I give them another story, or 

 half section, if they need room. 



Question. — " How many reduce the brood-room of an old 

 colony during the harvest ?" 



An expression from the convention showed that there 

 were but very few who did so, while the majority did not. 



Question. — " How many hive their swarms on less than 

 the full brood-room ?" 



A call for an expression showed that the majority did so. 



ADVERTISING FOE COMMISSION-MEN. 



Question. — "Should the bee-papers accept advertisements 

 of commission-men, soliciting shipments ot honey?" 



Mr. Green — There is no more reason why they shouldn't, 

 than that the publisher of any trade-journal should not solicit 

 advertisements from people coanected with their trade. 



Mr. Mandelbaum — The firm I represent has bought largely 

 on commission, but in the future we propose to buy outright. 

 In answer to the question, I think bee-papers should accept 

 advertisements from commission-houses. It is the bee-keep- 

 ers' own fault if he gets caught by unreliable parties. 



Mr. Newman — I should answer the question in the affirm- 

 ative, providing the bee-papers have investigated the standing 

 of the parties who desire to advertise. The mistake is very 

 often made by the bee-keepers themselves, in not investigat- 

 ing the responsibility of houses that may or may not advertise. 

 I know several parties who have shipped to irresponsi- 

 ble firms ; as a result, they have suffered by it. Bee-keepers 

 should go to the banks and ascertain the responsibility of the 

 commission firms that they are not acquainted with. If such 

 firms are not quoted, they should not be trusted. 



Mr. Mandelbaum — If any bee-keepers have accounts with 

 commission-houses from which they caunot collect or get sat- 

 isfactory returns, the firm I represent will be willing to aid 

 them if in their power. 



Mr. Walker — Referring to Mr. Newman's point, I would 

 say that a high-quoted firm is not necessarily safe. 1 want to 

 know whether they are honest. 



Mr. Newman — But when you go to the banks you can find 

 out their credit. It is not their capital, but their credit, that 

 should be taken into consideration. Give me the standing of 

 a man who has honor and credit, and I will not be afraid to 

 trust him. 



Adjourned to meet at 1:30 a.m. 



[Concluded next week.! 



A Ne'W Binder for holding a year's numbers of the 

 American Bee Journal, we propose to mail, postpaid, to every 

 subscriber who sends us 15 cents. It is called "The Wood 

 Binder," is patented, and is an entirely new and very simple 

 arrangement. Full printed directions accompany each Binder. 

 Every reader should get it, and preserve the copies of the Bee 

 Journal as fast as they are received. They are invaluable for 

 reference, and at the low price of the Binder you can afford to 

 get it yearly. 



If any one desires two of the Binders — one for 1895 

 and one for 1896 — send 25 cents, and they will be mailed to 

 you. 



^-•-^ 



Tlie Alsike Clover Leaflet consists of 2 pages, 

 with illustrations, showing the value of Alsike clover, and 

 telling how to grow it. This Leaflet is just the thing to baud 

 to every farmer in your neighborhood. Send to the Bee Jour- 

 nal office for a quantity of them, and see that they are dis- 

 tributed where they will do the most good. Prices, postpaid, 

 are as follows : 50 for 25 cents ; 100 for 40 cents ; or 200 

 for 70 cents. 



See " Bee-Keeper's Guide " offer on page 14 3. 



CONDUCTED BY 



DR. C C. JSJJLLBS, MARENGO, ILJL. 



LQuestlons may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. MUler direct. 1 



Onawings of the Capping^. 



My bees are on the summer stands, and are all right ex- 

 cept one colony. I was looking at them last week, and found 

 that one colony had fallen comb at the entrance ; I looked in 

 and found that the queen was dead, and the bees were eating 

 off the comb. I found plenty of honey and pollen. What is 

 the matter ? H. M. P. 



Keysburg, Ky. 



Answer. — In winter there is an accumulation of the 

 gnawings of the cappings that the bees let fall. This, how- 

 ever, you would find at all the hives, and is a little like ground- 

 pepper in appearance. If bits of comb are found a fourth of 

 an inch in size, then the mice have probably been gnawing 

 the combs. It's a good plan in winter to have the entrances 

 closed with wire-cloth having three meshes to the inch. This 

 will stop the mice, but allow bees to pass. It would be hard 

 to say what caused the death of the queen. 



Some Sweet Clover Questions. 



1. Can sweet clover be sown in the spring, so as to get a 

 crop of hay the same year? 



2. Would sweet clover be likely to do well in the vicinity 

 of Boston, on rather light land ? 



3. Is there any other clover that could be sown in 

 the spring so as to give a crop of hay and also to be useful as 

 a honey-plant? 



4. If sweet clover was plowed under in the fall, after it 

 had gone to seed, would it come up in the spring ? 



P. C.'J. 



Answers.— 1. I have had it grow two or three feet high 

 the first year, and it would have made a fine crop of hay, pos- 

 sibly two crops. But it doesn't blossom till the second year. 



2. I couldn't be certain about it, but I should expect it to 

 do well. Mrs. Harrison reports that down in Florida it will 

 not prosper, but that's the only report of the kind I ever 

 heard. 



3. Possibly crimson clover might fill the bill, although 

 most say it should be sowed in the fall. It is expected to grow 

 only the one season, whether sowed fall or spring. 



4. I've had a fine stand by having such ground plowed in 

 the spring, and I see no reason why it would not do just as 

 well if plowed in the fall. 



Prodiiciiig Extracted Honey — Fumigating Combs 

 — liuilding a Honey.IIouse. 



1. In working for extracted honey, would you advise the 

 use of half-depth frames in supers, or full-size Hoffman 

 frames, the same as are used in the brood-chamber ? 



2. In fumigating your frames of combs, how much sul- 

 phur should be used to a given number of frames? Is there 

 danger if a little too much sulphur is used ? 



3. I want to build a honey-house. Would you kindly give 

 me a few dimensions and instructions necessary for the pur- 

 pose ? I want it large enough to accommodate the work 

 necessary for 15 or 20 colonies. 



I am almost a beginner, and would appreciate as minute 

 instructions as your time will allow in the matter of the 

 honey-house, or anything in the line of extracted-honey ad- 

 vice. J. M. H. 



Mt. Vernon, Ind. 



Answers. — 1. I don't know which to advise. The half- 

 depth frames are better. In giving additional super room it is 

 better to have shallow frames, so as not to be obliged to give 

 so much room at a time, and indeed it is better not to have so 



