THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



341 



Explanatory.— The figures beb'OKE the 

 names indicate the number of years that the 

 person has Itept bees. Those after, show 

 the number of colonies the writer had in the 

 previous spring- and fall, or fall and spring, 

 as the time of the year may require. 



This mark indicates that the apiarist is 

 located near the centre of the State named : 

 6 north of the centre ; 9 south ; O* east ; 

 ♦O west; and this 6 northeast; 'o northwest; 

 On southeast; and P southwest of the centre 

 of the State mentioned. 



New Jersey and Eastern Convention. 



Tlie New Jprdey and Eastern Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association met in Clarendon Hall, 

 New York City, March 11, 1885, at 11 a. m. 

 Tlie Secretary's report and minutes of last 

 meeting were read, accepted, and placed 

 on file. The Treasurer not being present, 

 his report was postponed till the after- 

 noon. 



The following is the President's address: 

 It affords me a pleasure to meet you all as 

 brother bee-keepers ; for it is with us as 

 with our bees, a real pleasure to have a 

 good old-fashioned swarming-time. But 

 we can boast of better judgment than 

 they, in that we do not occupy the busy 

 season for this pastime, but select the 

 spring and fall. Very approprite times it 

 seems to me for us to gather and exchange 

 congratulations,thoughts, and experiences, 

 and lay our plans for future action. 



The little bees must unite their efforts 

 and spend themselves for the good of a 

 common cause ; so if we would make our 

 convention a grand success, we must come 

 together upon a coiiimon footing, and by a 

 free and social iiitiMciuuse, gain from 

 each other that intoniiiition as well as 

 inspration that will enable us to plan our 

 spring campaign with more certainty of 

 success, and pursue it with more energy. 



Our occupation is one that calls for our 

 best efforts, and we know that what is 

 worth doing at all is wortli doing well. 

 Where can we find an industry that is 

 more worthy of our attention ? For it is 

 nothing less than the gathering of that 

 choicest of nature's sweets, which poets 

 have chosen to call the " nectar of the 

 gods;" and the fact tliat it comes to us 

 direct from the same hand that has so 

 gorgeously decked the lilies of the fields, 

 should prompt us to study well the means 

 which supreme wisdom has given us that 

 we may gatlier and appropriate so great a 

 bounty. It seems to nie to be a wanton 

 disregard of opportunities for one who 

 lives among the flowers of the country to 

 allow their nectar to waste. And more 

 than this, the study of the bee, its ways 

 and habits, brings to us snch forcible ex- 

 amples of industry, wisdom and political 

 economy, that it would be strange indeed 

 to find one whose attention is devoted to 

 this ennobling pursuit ever to become a 

 disgrace either to society or the State. 



But li ere sentimental beekeeping is 

 like faith without works ; it leads one to 

 bankruptcy. We must not forget that it 

 is " by industry we thrive." We are too 

 apt to indulge in the sentimental and 

 theoretical, and neglect the practical. The 

 important question for us to consider is, 

 how to make bee-keeping pay ; for true it 

 is that only a few have acquired any con- 

 siderable fortune in this direction. But 

 this is so in all other occupations. It is 

 only the few that rise to prominence in 

 any business or profession. The great 

 majority trudge along seciu-ing only a 



bare living, and the old adage is as true 

 for us as others, that " it is the man that 

 makes tlie business, not tlie business the 

 man." 



The essential elements of success in 

 bee-keeping are location and (pialification; 

 when either is lacking, failure is certain. 

 We can select our location. Our country 

 is broad and honey free, but to be fully 

 qualified to keep bees is no small attain- 

 ment. It is to know how to direct the 

 efforts of the little bees, so that they will 

 be able to gather the greatest amount of 

 honey possible. It requires patient study 

 and observation to know and understand 

 the laws that govern their instinctive ac- 

 tions. And to this end we meet in con- 

 vention that we may compare notes and 

 experiences, and thus give to all the benfit 

 of the knowledge of each. Our interests 

 are in common ; then let us do all we can 

 to assist each other, and thus raise our 

 " sweet" occupation to a higher standard 

 of perfection, and to that end let each add 

 his mite to promote the interests of tliis 

 association. 



The subject of wintering bees was then 

 discussed, each member describing his 

 method of preparation and the results, 

 after which the convention adjourned un- 

 til 2:1.5 p.m. 



At2:15 p. m.. Prof. Kroeh.the treasurer, 

 being now present, rendered his report, 

 which was accepted and placed on file. 

 An essay was read by the Secretary, from 

 John Aspinwall, on " Bee-Keeping for 

 Knowledge or Profit." 



The subject of "Spring Management" 

 was next taken up and discussed as fol- 

 lows : 



Prof. Kroeh : I feed with an entrance 

 feeder at evening, and robber bees do not 

 trouble ; but the bees will not remove all 

 the syrup. I do not know but what I feed 

 too late, or else the syrup is too thick. 



Mr. King thought, as a general rule, the 

 syrup was made too thick, as in breeding, 

 bees need great quantities of water, and 

 he would suggest that the syrup be fed 

 very thin, and in this way stimulate and 

 supply the necessary water at the same 

 time. In stimulative feeding put the en- 

 ameled cloth under the cushion that the 

 moisture may be retained, which is very 

 necessary in breeding. 



Mr. Dean said that he had the best suc- 

 cess in pouring the feed down between 

 the combs, besides its being a very rapid 

 method of feeding. 



Mr. Dean wished to know how he could 

 get early drones so that his queens might 

 fertilize before his neighbor's native bees 

 could mix with his. In reply, Mr. Hutch- 

 inson said that he cut out a piece of drone- 

 comb and put it in the centre of a favorite 

 colony long enough ahead of the queens, 

 that they may be old enough to fly when a 

 queen is hatched in the early spring, or 

 about March 1. 



The next subject was, "Foundation- 

 its manufacture and use." 



Mr. Crane : Does it pay to manufacture 

 your own foundation ? 



Mr. King : Not unless one is going to 

 use large quantities— say 1,500 or 2,000 lbs. 

 per year— or unless one is so far from sup- 

 ply dealers that he could not secure it on 

 account of large freight or express rates. 



Prof. Kroeh said that one had only to 

 use .500pounds per year to make it pay. 



Mr. Vescelius said that it was a great 

 loss of money to fill the brood-nest or 

 even sections with foundation. 



Mr. Treadwell said he could see the 

 loss, but not in the same way that Mr. 

 Vescelius did ; that it was a loss of time 

 and honey, which the bees consumed 

 while building comb, and of course that 

 was where the loss came in, but he would 

 rather pay 60 cents per pound than al- 

 low tlie bees to take $5 from him. 



Mr. King said that it would pay to use 

 foundation at SI per pound. 



Mr. Hutchinson said that his trouble 

 from using full sheets of foundation in 

 frames, was that if he put a swarm on full 

 sheets of foundation, the heat and weight 

 of the bees would break them down ; but 

 Mr. Crane simply runs a wire from one 

 corner to the other, that is, from top to 

 bottom, one on each side, running differ- 

 ent ways. 



" The comparative merits of the differ- 

 ent races of bees " was then taken up. 



Mr. King said that he had always found 

 the Italians the best bees for all purposes, 

 but considering that different locations 

 were more suited to the strain that did the 

 best in that certain location. He had, 

 about one year ago, taken 100 colonies of 

 Italians and 10 colonies of .Syrians to 

 Cuba, and from the reports of them he was 

 convinced that the Syrians were the best 

 bees for that climate. Why ? Because 

 the Italians would stop breeding to a cer- 

 tain extent as fall approached, and that is 

 just the time they want their bees breed- 

 ing most, as their principal honey flow is 

 in the winter. On the other hand the 

 Syrians bred right along, and very fast, 

 thus being very strong in numbers at the 

 right time. He thought this proved that 

 it was necessary to select the strain that is 

 best fitted for the place in which one 

 wishes to locate. 



Mr. Treadwell had 10 colonies of Sy- 

 rians, and would not give them yard room, 

 as they were not only very savage, but 

 were such prolific breeders that they con- 

 sumed all the honey in rearing brood. 

 Up to the present time he Is in favor of 

 Italians, but thought he might change his 

 mind before another season, as from what 

 he had seen and heard of the Carniolan 

 race, he thought the chances were in their 

 favor. 



The subject of "Reversible Frames" 

 was next discussed. 



Mr. King that all he had heard and seen 

 about the reversible frame was in com- 

 mendation of it, and thought it was yet to 

 be an important factor in bee-culture. 



Mr. Cook had tried the reversible frames 

 on a few hives, and liked them sufficiently 

 well to continue their use. He likes Mr. 

 Heddon's way of reversing the best. 



The convention then adjourned until 

 7:4.5, when the question, "Is a standard 

 frame desirable and practical ?" was dis- 

 cussed. 



Mr. Crane said he favored a standard 

 frame, because it was very handy when 

 buying or selling bees, or even nuclei, to 

 have them on frames that would slip into 

 your own hives without trouble. 



Mr. Cunkey said that he thought we 

 might as well try to get the public to adopt 

 a standard shoe, as to get old bee-keepers 

 to adopt a standard frame. 



Mr. Peet said he favored the Langstroth 

 frame, and thought if a standard frame 

 was ever adopted it would be that frame, 

 as all the principal apiarists were using 

 them. 



Mr. Treadwell said that some of our 

 bee-keepers would not get out of the rut, 

 but would keep one size frame just be- 

 cause their fathers had used that size, 

 but thought that a standard frame was 

 desirable if only to be used by beginners. 



It was, however, decided that a standard 

 frame is practical and desirable. After 

 discussing the marketing of honey, the 

 convention adjourned to meet at 10:15 a. 

 ni., on tlie next day. 



The convention was called to order at 

 10:15 a. m. on March 12, with President 

 Cook in the chair. The question, " Is feed- 

 ing bees with meal in early spring to be en- 

 couraged ?" was the first brought forward. 



Mr. Treadwell said that he had given 

 meal to his bees, but they would not 

 toucli it. 



Mr. King : If they would not take it, I 

 think it shows very conclusively that they 

 did not want nor require it ; but still 1 

 think that the feeding of meal should be 



