THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



31 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Michigan Bee-Keepers' Association. 



The ninth annual session of the Michigan 

 Bee-Keepers' Association convened in Kala- 

 mazoo, Dec. 20, at 3 p. ni.: Pres. Balch in 

 the chair. There was a goodly number of 

 the most noted bee-keepers of tlie state in 

 attendance, notwithstanding the general 

 complaint of hard times. After the comple- 

 tion of a programme for the afternoon ses- 

 sion the regular annual business was taken 

 up. Tlie minutes of the last semi-annual 

 session was approved. The Treasurer being 

 absent his re]H)rt was deferred until evening. 

 The Secretary's rciiort showed the expenses 

 incurred in procuring papers and circula- 

 tion notices of the meeting to be $5.30. 



THE FIRST TOPIC 



was introduced by a short paper read by 

 the Secretary from Mr. Will. M. Kellogg, 

 on "Neatness in Bee-Keeping" recommend- 

 ing order and system in the apiary, which 

 was discussed as follows : 



James Heddon— I like the paper because 

 it is practical ; but one needs much room to 

 carry out the directions given. 



Pres. Balch — Where hives are set in 

 sti'aight rows the queens are liable to be 

 lost. 



T. F. Bingham— Has any one present ex- 

 perienced an unusual loss in queens this 

 season ? 



James Heddnn — My house apiary has 

 given me some experience in this direction. 

 Entrances were painted of different colors, 

 but I lost one-fourth of all my queens in fer- 

 tilization. 



Dr. W. B. Southard — Have lost a good 

 many queens, more than usual. 



T. D. Ward— My hives stand in a row and 

 are painted of one color. Have lost an un- 

 usual amount of queens. 



W. B. Southard— My hives were placed 

 in straight, parallel rows also; eight feet 

 apart in the row, and I like the arrangement 

 very much. 



Frank Benton— Once kept black bees in 

 hives painted white, set in straight rows. 

 and lost some (lueens. Related and instance 

 where an old box-liive farmer's " luck" was 

 in proiiositiou to the diversity of the posi- 

 tion of the hives. Thought it due to queen ; 

 being lost when set compactly in straight 

 rows. 



THE SECOND SUBJECT 



was then brought up by tlie reading of a 

 paper by H. A. Burcli on "Various Matters" 

 containing some observations on the house 

 apiary and artificial comb-foundation. The 

 Secretary also read a paper from Mr. J.. P. 

 Moore of Binghamton, N. Y., on " Progress 

 in Bee-keeping," which had a direct bearing 

 on the second topic—" The house a])iary and 

 comb-foundation." Mr. Moore criticised 

 some of our modern inventions rather se- 

 verely, though justly, taking the ground 

 that their adoption was not an indication of 

 true apistical progress. He agreed with the 

 position formerly taken by some of the 

 members of our own Association. W^e give 

 the discussion of the subject as follows : 



James Heddon— I only disagree with Mr. 

 Moore on mixing apiculture with other busi- 

 ness. In all my " craziness" I never pro- 

 posed to use box-hives unless I could sell 

 my present fixtures. Opening hives and 

 handling bees is not essential to success. 

 In some cases I have had to manipulate 



movable frames, but could have performetl 

 the same operations with box-hives in less 

 time. 



Pres. Balch— How could you do it quick- 

 er ? 



James Hedden — By turning the hive over. 



Frank Benton — I can find a dozen qiieens 

 quicker in movable frames than I can 

 " drum" out one stock. 



James Heddon — My sin has been in going 

 too fast. Now I go faster than ever. I 

 haven't much use for honey-slingers, mova- 

 ble-frames, (lueen-nurseries, nor the thou- 

 sand-and-oiu' otiier useless fixtures, so com- 

 monly considered re(iuisite. 



T. F. Bingham— Would it not be better to 

 say— "d— n it"? 



James Heddon— Perhaps it would; though 

 some fixtures are of value. 



Pres. Balch — How much extracted honey 

 have you jjroduced this season ? 



James Heddon— More than of comb. Is 

 that satisfactory ? 



Pres. Balch— Yes ; but why not produce 

 comb-honey ? 



James Heddon— Because I am not fixed for 

 it— not from choice. Could I have sold out 

 my entire establishment, I would have 

 started a black-bee apiary in box-hives, and 

 raise comb-honey exclusively. Last spring 

 I started a new apiary six miles from home, 

 and there I have raised comb-honey ; and 

 I had no use whatever for an extractor. In 

 my home apiary, everything is adapted to 

 the production of extracted honey, and I 

 can't change in a day. 



T.F.Bingham— A good machanic with poor 

 tools, will do a good job; but a poor mechan- 

 ic with the best of tools cannot do it. The ra- 

 pidity with which the si)ecialist manipu- 

 lates hives is surprising to many. In Hed- 

 don's "bee-garden," or in Bingham's 

 " ranch" fifty or a hundred hives are 

 manipulated in a single day. This conven- 

 tion has, like some of the bee-journals, done 

 somethings which it ought to be ashamed of. 

 By crying down patents, we discourage in- 

 vention and progress. What we need is to 

 invite competition. Bring in your inven- 

 tions and implements and compare notes. 

 Mr. Heddon can manage his box-hive, but 

 it isn't the common box-hive seen sitting 

 around the country. 



James Heddon — My box-hive contains 

 bars at the top, but yet it is more of a box- 

 hive than Mr. Bingham's, which Novice 

 styles a box-hive. With the bars, I get 

 straight combs, and by cutting combs at 

 each end can remove any comb, if neces- 

 sary, which will be very rare. 



Dr. W. B. Southard— Would like to in- 

 quire about handling bees in the house 

 apiary. 



James Heddon — Where it becomes neces- 

 sary to open a hive and string it around, 

 there is some difficulty. Bees handle nicely, 

 so far as stings are concerned. 



Secretary— Have your bees been unusual- 

 ly cross the past season ? 



James Heddon— I think they have been. 



Pres. Balch— How do you remove combs 

 from the box-hive ? 



James Heddon— Turn it over, cut the at- 

 tachment to the hive, and take it out. 



Dr. W. B. Southard— What advantage has 

 the box-hive '? 



James Heddon— It is cheaper, can hive a 

 swarm quicker, and perform any operation 

 necessary in less time. 



Dr. W. 13. Southard — My hive complete 



