32 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



costs a dollar. I can take out a comb that 

 is movable, much easier and quicker than 

 I can turn the box-hive over. 



C. I. Balch — For tarmers who winter out 

 of doors, the box-liive is probably prefer- 

 able, but for others who make it a specialty, 

 the case is different. 



James Heddon— The Germans who lead 

 the world in many of the sciences, use bar 

 hives, and 1 can understand it now, though 

 I could not formerly. 



Frank Benton — A perusal of the German 

 bee journals convinces me, that the German 

 methods of manipulation are too clumsy. 

 The Germans are wood theorists, but it takes 

 a Yankee for practical work. 



A. C. Balch — In cutting combs honey will 

 run and set bees to robbing. Why not use 

 a movable frame ? Bees will not build 

 straight comb: in the box bar-hive. Broth- 

 er Heddon preaches one thing and practices 

 another, I fear. 



James Heddon— I worked 48 of these same 

 hives one season with excellent success. 

 Would do it again, could I sell my movable 

 combs. I never had such straight combs as 

 in these same bar-hives. 



T. F. Bingham— Its no trick to use a box- 

 hive. Friend Heddon can do it without a 

 doubt. I want to say a word about queens. 

 A mother of a family is of prime importance 

 to that family, whether the children live 90 

 days or 90 years. Mr. Heddon's loss of 

 twenty-five per cent was a heavy one. My 

 loss has been heavy also. Is such the gener- 

 al experience of those present ? 



Secretary — Last season my loss was some 

 20 per cent., all yellow bees, on summer 

 stands; hives placed promiscuously. This 

 season have lost 4 per cent, in the house 

 apiary. Think it greater in a poor season. 



C.I.Balch— Mr. Bingham's loss is probably 

 caused by taking his bees South and having 

 them "bull-dozed." 



T. F. Bingham— There are insects that 

 prey upon bees and there may be a worse 

 difiiculty confronting us than the "bee- 

 malady" or loss in wintering. A loss of 25 

 per cent, is unusual, and seriously interferes 

 with our surplus honey. We can buy 

 queens as friend Heddon did, but it comes 

 too late tor the season's work. 



James Heddon — In my home apiary my 

 loss was small. In establishing a new 

 apiary I found I covUd not do everythiRg, 

 and to procure skilled labor is impossible. 

 I do what pays best. 



Pres. Balch— I think the loss is caused by 

 their returning to the wrong hives, and be- 

 ing destroyed by the bees. 



H. A. Knapp— I think it is caused by in- 

 sects, which have been uncommonly numer- 

 ous the past season. 



T. F. Bingham— This has been a personal 

 year. We have had a personal political 

 campaign, and the insects may have " fol- 

 lowed suit." 



C. I. Balch — Birds destroy many bees for 

 the honey, and may kill some queens. 



Pres. A. C. Balch — The woist bird on bees 

 is a wartz-toad. A single one will keep a 

 colony depopulated. 



James Heddon— He flies low and lights 

 high. 



T. F. Bingham— I have been interested in 

 the bird discussion. Heretofore we have 

 rather oijposed farmer's keeping bees, as 

 they might tri)) up our market for honey, 

 but now would recommend all farmers to 

 keep bees for birds and let ws raise honey. 



Dr. Southard— Have seen old birds' catch 

 and carry. drones to their young. 



Dr. Southard— How far will bees go^for 

 honey? 



H. A. Knapp— Mine have been traced 43^ 

 miles, the past season. They,will hybridize 

 .5 miles apart. 



Pres. Balch— How long does it take them 

 to make the journey? 



H. A. Knapp— Some little time, as they fly 

 slowly when loaded. It takes a bee five 

 minutes to load up, unless the honey is re- 

 duced. 



Frank Benton— So much desultory discus- 

 sion impairs Uw. value of oru- proceedings, 

 and no i'it'dital)le report can be made from 

 it. Let us stick to one subject until it is ex- 

 hausted. 



Secretary— I think that any one who ever 

 attempted to report the proceedings of any 

 body, can appreciate the force of Mr. Ben- 

 ton's suggestion. Adjourned to 7)4 P. m. 



EVENING SESSION. 



The Convention was called to order at 8 

 o'clock. Pres. Balch in the chair. The 

 first topic of the evening — "Surplus Honey" 

 — was introduced by a paper from Bev. A. 

 Salisbury, Cainargo, 111., who laid much 

 stress on a shallow frame for box or comb 

 honey. The discussion was opened by 



T. F. Bingham— History repeats itself. 

 Some years ago a hive with a shallow 

 frame was exhibited, here and was the 

 laughing stock of those present. Now the 

 shallow' frame is heard of all over the coun- 

 try. Mr. Root says Bingham has a bad rec- 

 ord — has lost lots of bees in winter — and 

 advises people to go slow. Well, I don't 

 know much about the shallow frames, but 

 think they are preferable for all purposes. 



Julius Tomlinson— Does shading hives 

 prevent swarming? 



Dr. A. S. Haskins— Can see no difference. 



Dr. Southard— My bees that were shaded 

 did not swarm nearly as much as others. 



H. A. Knapp— The sun prevents rapid 

 work in surplus honey boxes. 



James Heddon— Have some colonies at 

 home well shaded with apple trees; they 

 swarm the same as those in the sun, but do 

 not store as nuich honey. In my house 

 apiary, where the bees are shaded and cool, 

 they swai'm as badly as those left in the 

 sun. Have had as much honey stored by 

 swarms in deep hives as in those that con- 

 tained shallow combs. Saw no difference 

 in wintering. 



Dr. Haskins— Did your bees in the house 

 apiary store more honey than those out? 



James Heddon— There has been no ap- 

 preciable difference during the past season. 



C. I. Balch— Related an instance of a very 

 large hive —6,000 cubic inches— yielding 

 large amounts of surplus honey, while small 

 hives gave but little. The large hives never 

 failed. 



James Heddon- When a man never fails, 

 I think him a humbug. 



Dr. Haskins— I had a "bee-palace" that 

 never failed to give honey. 



T. F. Bingham— We all read the papers— 

 they are a good thing. When a shower of 

 honey occurs in any section of country, 

 then we get a report from those people, who 

 can tell us how to get a big crop or honey. 

 This year Michigan is dumb as a coffin nail. 

 We can all tell just how to get honey when 

 it rains honey. 



Pres. Balch— Don't bees swarm more in a 

 I poor honey season? 



