756 



I'HE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL: 



WITH 



REPLIES by Prominent Apiarists. 



Secretion of Wax. 



Qn«rr, Xo. 164.— Can bees secrete wax more 

 than once? or can old bees secrete it at will?— J. 

 H.C. 



Old bees can secrete wax.— W. Z. 

 Hutchinson. 



Yes ; but old bees do not take to it 

 from choice.— G. L. Tinker. 



They can secrete it when needed, 

 and probably at will. — A. J. Cook. 



I think that they secrete wax at 

 will.— James Heddon. 



I think, under pressure, they can, 

 although it is not the usual way. — C. 



C. MiLLEK. 



This is theory, but we would say 

 yes to both questions, although the 

 secretion of wax seems to be more 

 properly the work of the young bees. 

 — Dadant & Son. 



1. I think they can. 2. Old bees 

 sometimes secrete wax, but as a rule 

 bees from 6 to 16 days old produce 

 the wax and build the comb.— G. M. 



DOOLITTLE. 



Yes. I have wintered queenless 

 colonies that built new comb in the 

 late fall when feeding them, and 

 again in the spring they would build 

 new comb before a queen could be 

 reared by them, and before any young 

 bees were hatched.— G. W. Demakee. 



Bees can secrete wax at any time 

 they choose, and as often as there is 

 a necessity for it. Tlie usual course, 

 however, in a normal colony, is for 

 the older bees to attend to foraging, 

 while the younger ones attend to the 

 house-keeping, building comb, etc. — 

 J. E. Pond, .J K. 



Bees in Chaff Hives in Winter. 



diiery. So. ISS.— Would It do to put chaff 

 hives into a cellar whose temperature is about the 

 freezing point, leavintr the cushions on. taking the 

 covers "IT, and haviDK the entran*©-^ wide open?— 

 J. 1^., Ont. 



It might.— C. 0. Miller. 



I should prefer to leave them out- 

 doors.— G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



I tliink that I would prefer to leave 

 them out-doors, but I would rather 

 than that, put them in that cellar and 

 keep the lemperaluie up to -lo'^. The 

 packing would tend to average the 

 temperature as regards the effects 

 inside the hive, where the object is. — 

 James Heddon. 



If the chaff hives were not so made 

 and prepared as to be safe out-of- 

 doors, it would be best to place them 

 in such a cellar during the coldest 

 weather. But in this case I should 

 give no top ventilation. Top ventila- 

 tion in cellars should be given only 



when the temperature ranges high, 

 as from 4.5= to .50°. I think that be- 

 low ttPonly bottom-ventilation should 

 be allowed. — G. L. Tinker. 



Yes, it would do, but I should prefer 

 greatly to have the temperature of the 

 cellar never below 45° Fahr. ; then I 

 should expect bees to surely winter, 

 otherwise I should not be so sure. — 

 A. J. Cook. 



I would not advise putting bees in 

 any hives into a cellar where the tem- 

 perature is about the freezing point, 

 but I think that tlie probabilities of 

 success would be greater in chaff 

 hives then in single-walled hives. 

 There may be quite a point here. The 

 important question may be, what is 

 the temperature inside the hiveV and 

 not, what is the temperature of the 

 cellar V- W. Z. Hutchinson. 



I think it would do very well so to 

 do, but I do not conceive that there 

 is any necessity for so doing, as the 

 bees will be fully as safe in common 

 hives. Chaff hives were originated 

 for the purpose of protection while 

 wintering bees on the summer stands. 

 —J. E. Pond, Jr. 



We would not put bees into a cellar 

 at all where it will freeze. Keep them 

 at 40'-' at least. We would take the 

 cavers oft and have the entrances as 

 wide as possible.— Dadant & Son. 



Section to'Hold One Pound. 



Qnery. No. 160.— I want to make a section- 

 box l 7- Ifi Inches wide, and of such a size as to 

 hold one pound. What is the right size ?— W. S. V. 



" Very much depends." Do you 

 use separators V Do you reverse your 

 sections V Much also depends upon 

 the strain of bees, and more upon the 

 season. With or without separators 

 all sections of honey will not weigh 

 alike. In this locality your 1 7-16- 

 inch sections would average one 

 pound, if the honey flow was good, 

 and no separators were used. — jAaiES 

 Heddon. 



Elements of Royal Jelly. 



Qaery, No. 167.— What are the food ele- 

 ments of the royal jelly which is fed to larval 

 queens? What are the chemical elements or 

 analysis of the same?— W. M. C. 



Royal jelly contains both carbo- 

 hydrates and nitrogenous food ele- 

 ments. I have not the analysis at my 

 command at this minute. — A. Jf. 

 Cook. 



System and Success. 



tS~ All who intend to be systematic in 

 their worlt in the apiary, should get a copy of 

 the Ajjiary Register and commence to use it. 

 The prices are as follows : 



For .">0 colonies (120 pages) $1 00 



" ino colonies (220 pages) 12.5 



" 200 colonies (420 pages) 150 



The larger ones can be used for a few col- 

 onies, give room for an increase of numbers 

 and still keep the record all together in one 

 book, and arc therefore the most desirable. 



Tlie Nortii American Bee-Keepers' Society. 



This Society will hold its 16th annual 

 convention on Dec. S, 9 and 10, 1S85, at 

 Detroit, Midi. The Hall in which the 

 meeting will be held is known as the "Red 

 Men's Wigwam," and i.s located at 63 

 Michigan Avenue, one block west of the 

 City Hall. Just across the street from the 

 "Red Men's Wigwam" is the Antisdel 

 House, which will be the hotel at which 

 the Society will make its head-quarters. 

 The regular rates at this hotel are $3 per 

 per day, hut they have been reduced to 

 »1.3.5 per day to those attending the con- 

 vention. Tliere will be reduced rates on 

 all Michigan railroads, also as tar east as 

 Buffalo, as far west as Chicago, and as far 

 south as Toledo. Efforts are being made 

 to secure reduced rates to still further 

 points, but at present the prospects of 

 success are not very promising. No certifi- 

 cates will be sent out until about Dec. 1 ; 

 but all who expect to attend sliould write 

 to the Secretary at once, and certificates 

 will be sent out as soon as they are ready. 

 W. Z. HuTCinNSoN, Sec, 

 Rogersville, Mich. 



:pi^oc3-i^.a.:m::m:e]. 



FIRST DAY. 



TiESDAY Forenoon Session.— 10 a.m. 

 —Convention called to ortler.— Address of 

 Welcome, by Edwin Willetts, President of 

 the Michigan Agricultural Collpge.— Re- 

 sponse, by the President, L. 0. Root.— 

 Calling the roll of members of last year, 

 payment of annual dues, reception of new 

 members, and distribution of badges. — 

 Reading the minutes of the last meeting.— 

 Reports of the Treasurer and Secretary. — 

 Announcements.— Miscellaneous business. 



Afternoon Session. — 2 p. m. — An- 

 nouncements. — Annual address of the 

 President. — Miscellaneous business. — 

 " Production of Comb Honey," G. M. Doo- 

 little, Borodino, N. Y.— " Production of 

 Extracted Honey," Chas. Dadant, Hamil- 

 ton, Ills.— "The Care of Honey for Mar- 

 ket." R. T. Holterman. Brantford, Ont.— 

 " Marketing Honey," C. F. Muth, Cin- 

 ciimati, O. 



Evening Session. — 7:.30 p. m.— An- 

 nouncements.- Miscellaneous business. — 

 Discussion of que<tious that have accumu- 

 lated in the question-box during the day. 



SECOND DAY. 



Wednesday Morning Ses.sion. — 9 

 a. m. — Ainiouncenients. — Miscellaneous 

 business. —"Bee- Pa.sturage," Tlios. G. 

 Newman, Chicago. Ills. — "Selling and 

 Shipping Bees by the Pound," E. M. Hay- 

 hurst, Kansas City, Mo. — Selection of 

 place for holding next convention, and 

 election of officers. 



Afternoon Session.— 3 p. m. — Au- 

 noiiuceijii'nts. — Miscellaneous business. — 

 "Excellence or Chea|iuess— Which ?" A. 

 I. Root, Medina, O. — "Comb Foundation," 

 John Vandervort, Laceyville, Pa.—" Bee- 

 Keeping as a Business," Dr. C. C. Miller, 

 Marengo, His. 



Evening Session. — 7:30 p.m. — An- 

 nouncements.— Miscellaneous business. — 

 Discussion of questions in the question- 

 box. 



THIRD DAY. 



Thursday Morning Session.— 9 a.m. ' 

 — Annoiinceiiieiits. — Miscellaneous busi- 

 ness.— " Rcvcisiug Combs," James Hed- 

 don, Dowagiac, Mich. — "The Pollen 

 Theory," Plot. A. J. Cook, Agricultiual 

 College, Mich. 



Afternoon Session.— 3 p. m. — An- 

 nouncements. — Miscellaneous business. — 

 " Wintering Bees," Ira Barber, DeKalb 

 Junction, N. Y. — " Different Races of 

 Bees," D. A. Jones, Beeton, Out.— Ad- 

 journment. W. Z. Hutchinson, Sec. 



