872 



rHE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



REPLIES by Prominent Apiarists. 



When to Transfer Bees. 



Query, No. 75.— When is the best time to 

 transfer liees from old " gums " to movable- 

 frame hives /—Edgar Co., 111. 



W. Z. HuTcniNSOXSiiys : " During 

 a flow of honey in the spring." 



D^DANT & Son say : " During 

 apple blossoms." 



G. W. Deji AUKE answers as follows : 

 " I transfer bees just as soon in the 

 season as I Hnd them setting enough 

 honey from the fields to keep down 

 robbing." 



Dr. C. C. :Milleu replie.s thus : 

 " During fruit-bloom." 



Dr. G. L. Tinker says: "The 

 easiest, if not the best, time to trans- 

 fer bees, is just before fruit-bloom, as 

 there is the least honey in the combs 

 then." 



Prof. A. J. Cook answers thus : 

 " In the middle of a warm day during 

 fruit-bloom, if the old method is used, 

 as the combs are then light, and the 

 bees are good-natured." 



G. M. Doo LITTLE replies as follows : 

 " I prefer to wait till 21 days after the 

 prime swarm has issued from the col- 

 ony, as then the young queen will have 

 oniv just begun to lay, and all the 

 worker brood will be hatched out, so 

 no loss of brood will occur. The next 

 best time is in apple-bloom, although 

 it can be done successfully, if care is 

 exercised, at any time when the bees 

 can fly." 



.James Heddon says : " By 'mod- 

 ern transferring,' as described on page 

 M(i7 of the Bee Joirnal tor 1883, any 

 time after the hives are well filled 

 with bees and brood, and the weather 

 is warm. By the old method of tying 

 in old combs, many prefer the time of 

 apple-bloom ; and \r> to 20 days after 

 the colony has cast a prime swarm is 

 a good time, if you have a honey 

 extractor." 



Mouldy Brood-Combs. 



Ctuery, No. 76.— What is the best to do 

 with mouldy brood-combs /— U. K. 



Messrs. Dadant & Son reply : 

 •■ Put them where they will get dry, 

 and then give them to strong colonies ; 

 they will clean them. If old and 

 thick, melt them up." 



G W. Demaree remarks thus : 

 ■• I hang them up where they will be- 

 come thoroughly dry, then brush away 

 the dust with a stiff brush, and give 

 them to strong colonies (not too many 

 at a time) to be cleaned by the bees." 



Dr. C. C. Miller says : " Give 

 them, one or two at a time, to strong 

 colonies." 



Dr. G. L. Tinker answers thus : 

 " Bees do not like to touch mouldy 

 combs, and will not until fenced to do 

 so for the want of room. It seems to 

 uie the better plan would bo to cut 

 out the mouldy parts and replace them 

 with clean comb. Mouldy comb is 

 worthless for wax." 



Prof. A. J. Cook remarks thus : 

 " Give tliem.oneat a time, to a strong 

 colony, after cleaning them as well as 

 one can ; or else melt them up." 



G. M. DooLiTTLE replies as follows: 

 " Hang them, one at a time, in a 

 strong colony after the weather gets 

 warm, when the bees will clean them 

 up nicely in 24 hours." 



Jajies Heddon remarks thus : " If 

 not too mouldy, and good in all other 

 respects, place them in the center of 

 strong colonies, as soon as it is safe to 

 spread the brood, and let the bees 

 clean them up, which they can do 

 cheaper than the bee-keeper." 



W. Z. Hutchinson advises thus : 

 " Melt them up into wax if they are 

 very mouldy ; if not, a comb or two 

 at a time given to a strong colony, will 

 secure their being cleaned up." 



Youth's Companion. 



Susie's Swarm of Bees. 



"Oh, grandpa I" said Susie, one morning, 

 "Your bees have come out of their coop. 



And they're all cuddled up on the peach-tree 

 In the funniest kind of a group." 



Our Susie is just from the city ; 



She notices all that she sees, 

 And her prompt though inaccurate warning 



Saved grandpa a fine swarm of bees. 



Defense Fund. 



Here are some responses in addition 

 to the Correspondence published on 

 the other pages of this Bee Journal: 



AVe like Mr. Ileddon's plan of a de- 

 fense organization for bee-keepers, 

 and will vote for the Editor of the 

 Bee Journal to act as secretary and 

 treasurer. You can count on us for 

 all the help we can give.— Decker & 

 Angell, Boyceville, Wis. 



I have just read of Mr. Freeborn's 

 suit ; it is a great bugaboo. Doubt- 

 less it will cost something to defend 

 it if tried, but I do not think any one 

 will be foolish enough to let such a 

 suit come to trial. They might as 

 well swear to the identity of a dog that 

 killed sheep, when the dog was not 

 seen, as to swear that they were Mr. 

 F's bees. When they prove the in- 

 dividuality of a honey-bee, they will 

 be pretty sharp. If Mr. F's bees had 

 a private mark, then they might 

 prove that they were his that did 

 the damage.— J. II. Andre, Lock- 

 wood, N. Y. 



Enclosed please find two dollars to 

 assist in defense of Mr. S. I. Free- 

 born, of Ithaca, Wis., in the suit, 

 " sheep vs. bees."— Henry W. Stei'H- 

 ENSON, Cincinnati. Ohio. 



Put my name down on the list of 

 the Bee-Keepers' Defense Organiza- 

 tion tor one dollar, and let me know 

 when it is wanted.— Henry Marden, 

 Roodhouse, Ills. 



By all means we must stand by Mr. 

 S. I. Freeborn in his suit about the 

 bees and sheep. Let it cost what it 

 will, we must do all that is possible 

 to defend the case. Draw on us for 

 our proportion of the cost at an); time 

 — whether it is $1 or $10, we v^ill do 

 our share.— E. France & Son, Platte- 

 ville, "Wis. 



This Wisconsin case must be de- 

 fended to the last. Enter my name 

 for $1, and I will make it $-5 if neces- 

 sary.— C. H. DiBBERN, Milan, Ills. 



My dollar is ready for the " defense 

 fund." I hope that the "big guns" 

 will soon perfect the organization. — P. 

 J. England, Fancy Prairie, Ills. 



CONSTITtlXION OF 



The National Bee-Keepers' Union. 



AiiTici.E I.— This organization .shall be 

 known as the "National Bee -Keepers' 

 Union," and shall meet atuuially, or as 

 often as necessity may require. 



Article H.— Its object shall be to pro- 

 tect tlie interests of bee-keepers, and to 

 defend their riglits. 



Article lU.— The officers of this Union 

 shall consist of a Presiilent, three Vice- 

 Presidents, and a General Manager (who 

 shall also be tlic .Secretary and Tn-asnrer), 

 whose duties sliall he those usually per- 

 formed by such otiiceis. They shall lie 

 elected by ballot, and hold their se\eral 

 oltices for one year or until their successcjrs 

 are elected and installed ; blank ballots 

 tor this purpose to be mailed to every mem- 

 ber by the General Manager. 



Article IV.— The oflicers shall consti- 

 tute an Advisory Board, which shall 

 determine what action shall be taken by 

 this Union, upon the application of any of 

 its members for defense, and cause an 

 assessment to be made upon all the mem- 

 i)ers when the funds may become necessary 

 for defense. 



Article V.— Any person may become a 

 member by paying to the General Manager 

 an ammal fee" of 'i'5 cents, for wliich he 

 shall receive a printed receipt making him 

 a member of this Union, entitled to all its 

 rights and benetits. This annual tee shall 

 be due on the lirst day of July in each 

 year, and must be paid within :-iO days in 

 order to retain membership in this Union. 



Article VI.— Donations for the Defense 

 Fund, in addition to the membership fee, 

 may be made at any time and of any 

 amount. 



Ai:ticle VII.— The auiuial fees paid bv 

 the members shall become a general fund, 

 from which shall be paid the legitimate 

 expenses of this Union, such as printing, 

 postage, clerk-hire, etc. 



AiiTicLE VIIL— Meetings of this Union 

 shall be held at such times and places as 

 shall be designated by the Advisory Board, 

 or upon the written requisition of ten 

 members. 



Article IX. — This constitution may 

 be amended by a majority vote of all the 

 members at any time. 



^^"The Bee-Keepers' Association of Cen- 

 tral Illinois will meet at Bloomington, Ills., 

 on .)uly l.'i, 18S.'). at 10 a. m. 



WM. II. I.AWHENCE, Sec. 



