Pablisbed Weelcly, at ^1,00 per azmtun. 



Sample Copy sent on Applicafion, 



36th Year. 



CHICAGO, ILL., DECEMBER 24, 1896. 



No. 52. 



Proceedings of the Illinois State Bee-Keepers' 



Convention Held in Chicago, Nov. 18 



and 19, 1896. 



BY A SPECIAL BEE JOURNAL. REPORTER. 



tContinued from page 806.] 

 WINTERING OUT-DOORS WITH TOP PACKING ONLY. 



Ques. 5. — Has any one here had experience in wintering 

 bees out-doors with top packing only? 



Mr. West — I winter ray bees altogether that way. I just 

 put a cushion on top of the frames. I take oil the supers, put 

 on the cushion, and with the old Simplicity hive the cover is 

 large enough to go on top. 



Dr. Miller — IIow long have you done that? 



Mr. West — Altogether ever since I used the Simplicity 

 hives in the spring of 1877. I used just a few then, and I 

 went on and increased until I had over 100 at a time. 



Dr. Miller — Will you tell us what was the result in the 

 worst winter you had ? 



Mr. West — I don't think I ever lost more than 4 or 5 per 

 cent. 



Dr. Miller — What is your best result ? 



Mr. West — f have come through with all. 



Dr. Miller — What is the largest number you ever had 

 when you came through with all ? 



Mr. West — 100. For a few seasons I had a trifle over 

 100. I have got a good place, and don't count on losing any 

 at all. 



Dr. Miller — Tell us about the hive-entrance. 



Mr. West — It is just the same in the winter as in the sum- 

 mer. In the Simplicity there is room made by setting the 

 hive forward, and I set over 1}4 inches, and it is that way all 

 the year around ; but with the Dovetail hive there is just a ?« 

 strip under the hives. I have a few Dovetail, but the Sim- 

 plicity are all 10-frame. 



Mr. Green — I have used that plan more or less for a num- 

 ber of years, but two years ago I tried it comparatively with a 

 few to ascertain the difference, and I will never do it again 

 unless as an experiment. I pack most of my bees in large out- 

 side boxes, pack them all around, and in these that year the 

 loss was less than 10 per cent., and in those with only pack- 

 ing overhead, the loss was at least 75 per cent. 



Mr. West — I have my bees on the west side of a tight-board 

 fence, and also on the north, but the south is all open, and on 

 the southeast is a wood-shed and honey-house. 



Dr. Miller — I wonder if that board fence doesn't make a 

 very big difference on the north and west side ? 



Mr. West — It is possible ; I thought it did. 



Mr. Baldwin — I adopted that with one hive. I put on 

 half supers instead of whole ones. I use the half supers and 



fill them with leaves, with a heavy cushion and T tins on top 

 of the frames. It is merely an experiment, but I am going to 

 try 17 that way. 



Mr. West — Some years ago I used leaves instead of"chaff, 

 and filled the supers. 



Dr. Miller — I tried one colony last winter in that way, and 

 it came through all right (I saved 100 per cent, of it), so this 

 year I have 10 out. I don't know how they will come 

 through. It may be a very severe winter, and I may lose 100 

 per cent. Mine are packed a little differently from what has 

 been mentioned. The first story has frames with more or less 

 honey in, then the second story contaius the colony and brood- 

 nest, and then there is a third story in which I put a piece of 

 burlap and then dry leaves. The entrance is, if anything, 

 larger than the summer entrance, for the entrance is 12x2 

 inches ; but that entrance being down 10 inches below the 

 broodnest, I think there is not much danger that there would 

 be too much cold. There would be too heavy a current of air 

 if the brood-nest were in the lower story. Although there 

 might be a larger amount of air as it is, there can be no direct 

 draft on them. 



FEEDING TO PROMOTE QUEEN-LAYING. 



Ques. 6.— When should feeding begin in the spring to pro- 

 mote queen-laying ? How much should be fed ? How often ? 



Miss Candler — I used to do so some years ago, but I have 

 not done it of late years. I commenced as soon as the even- 

 ings were warm — as soon as I could feed at the front. 



Dr. Miller — Please tell us the result of it- 

 Miss Candler — Why, I didn't notice very much difference. 

 I think they do just as well, if not better, if one gives them 

 plenty of honey and does not feed them at all. 



Dr. Miller — Mr. Green, tell us your time of beginning. 



Mr. Green — I say it should not be begun at all. I think 

 the best plan is, to let them have plenty of honey and not feed 

 them. I can remember feeding very early and feeding until 

 late — that was with candy over the brood-frames, and it might 

 have been that they would have done just as well, if not bet- 

 ter, without, but the results were very good at that time. 



Dr. Miller — I notice some of the German writers speak 

 very highly of what they call "speculative feeding." They 

 talk as if they got very good results from it. There may be a 

 difference in the two countries in that respect. I think I 

 have noticed this, that pretty generally a healthy colony of 

 bees with an abundant supply of stores — remember I am say- 

 ing more than a plenty — I think I generally find that in that 

 hive there will be all the brood that the bees can cover and 

 take care of. Now, if they have, what more can you do with 

 stimulative feeding? You may get a queen to lay, but you 

 cannot have any more brood than they can take care of. It is 

 possible there may be cases in which it would do good, espe- 

 cially where they have not enough stores. 



Mr. Baldwin — I have tried it, but with no success, from 

 the fact that perhaps they next day it would be so cold, and I 

 thought it wasn't a success in any way, and I think so yet. If 

 you could give them the fresh feed it makes them fly. I ex- 

 amine ray hives as soon as I can, and give to the weak colonies 

 from the strong. I take from them brood but leave their 

 honey, so they have confidence that they have plenty. I think 

 this preferable to any other plan I have adopted. 



Dr. Miller — Now, the next question — How much should be 

 fed? Suppose you do think it advisable to feed, how much 

 would you think advisable ? Suppose feeding is done every 

 day, then how much would you feed if you were feeding for 

 stimulating ? 



