THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



385 



After increasing our stocks In tiiis way 35 

 per cent., and having tliem all strong, the fall 

 harvest will probably have commenced, or 

 before this if we are in the vicinity of buck- 

 wheat fields. This harvest is to be gathered 

 the same as the preceding one, and stored in 

 boxes, if we can accomplish this before it is 

 too late. 



Now their labors are abont over, and it is 

 time to think of fixing them for winter. If 

 we wish further increase we will order more 

 queens, to the extent of the number we can 

 furnish with 8 frames in the following spring. 

 As soon as the queens come we may divide 

 and equalize our hives, and then some warm 

 day about the middle of Oct. we must take 

 out all the combs, put then into the extractor 

 and throw out all the uncapped honey gather- 

 ed from late flowers, and if any comb is filled 

 more than ':jof the distance from the top-bar, 

 uncap to that height and extract. Now close 

 them up again till some cool day in Nov. 

 Then the bees will be clustered on a few of 

 the middle combs with several combs on tlie 

 sides without bees. These combs should be 

 taken out, and tight division-boards moved 

 up closely to each side of the reinainder. A 

 muslin sheet should be put over them, and 

 over this two thicknesses of woolen blanket, 

 long enough to hang down by each side. 



I have practised this method of wintering 

 for 4 years past, putting up last year 50 stocks, 

 and have corresponded extensively with par- 

 ties in different localities who have practised 

 it, and have heard of but 1 colony that died— 

 lost from insufficent honey. The conditions 

 necessary to successful wintering seem to me 

 to be: 1.— Young bees from colonies kept at 

 work, and consequently breeding as late as 

 possible. 3.— No uncapped honey and at least 

 tj; of the bottom of each comb empty. 3.— A 

 liive contracted to the cluster, so that the bees 

 are not obliged to keep warm a large unoccu- 

 pied space. 4.— Woolen cloth above. 

 J Thus having wrapped up our bees, we will 

 have time to weigh our lioney and get it to 

 market, if not done before; to get our money 

 and prepare for the next campaign. 



After the answering of a few questions on 

 some of the details of this paper, a vote of 

 thanks was passed to Mr. ^asbrouck for 

 his essay. 



Silas M. Locke then delivered the follow- 

 ing address on 



Introducing Queens. 



Mr. President: —This subject has been thor- 

 oughly investigated and much said pro and con 

 upon "it, and yet many seem to call for a more 

 speedy, thorough and effective method than that 

 generally used. It is essential when introducing 

 many queens, that it be done quickly, and at the 

 .same time be effective. Time is money, and very 

 valuable generally, when we are introducing 

 queens. It is generally admitted that the bees 

 recognize their queen bj' scent. Now if we can 

 scent the bees and queens to be introduced alike. 

 and also compel the bees to become incensible to 

 the loss of their own queen, we have gained the 

 object desired. My method is as follows : First get 

 the old queen. In order to do this I compel tlie 

 bees to fill themselves with honey, that I may 

 handle them more safely and to make them better 

 natured, for the beneific of the queen to be intro- 

 duced. I do this by blowing a little rag or punk 

 smoke in at the entrance, rapping the hive for a 

 few moments to thoroughly frighten them, and 

 then I give them five or ten minutes to fill them- 

 selves with honey Now, if the frames remove 

 easily, I find the queen by taking them out and 

 examining them, after smoking the bees a little 

 with tobacco to quiet them. In the majority of 

 cases I find it more effectual to drum the bees and 

 queen out. The drumming process is as follows: 

 After the bees have filled themselves with honey, 

 remove the honey board and replace the cap, or 

 with a box hive, turn it up side down and place a 

 box to fit as a cap on it. Then blow rag or punk 

 smoke in at the entrance, drumming sharply on 



the hive at the same time for the purpose of driv- 

 ing the bees up into the cap. After the larger por- 

 tion of the bees are in the cap, take it oft' and 

 drive down the bees in the hive with rag or punk 

 smoke; smoke the bees in the cap with tobacco. 



Now it you have not got the queen, put the 

 bees in a box prepared for the purpose, being well 

 ventilated with holes covered with wire cloth, 

 ana repeat the operation of drumming until you 

 have secured the queen. After you have Her 

 Majesty, smoke the queenless bees thoroughly 

 with tobacco. You will know how much tobacco 

 smoke to use : be careful not to produce nausea or 

 the bees will besmear themselves. Let the queen 

 to be Introduced loose with the queenle.ss bees 

 after smoking her a little with tobacco. Then 

 shake them up until the queen is in the center of 

 the mass. Leave her long enough to become tho- 

 roughly scented, and then smoke the bees re- 

 maining in the hive with tobacco; the object be- 

 ing to equalize the scent. Then replace the queen 

 and bees, and the operation is complete. 



This is a .short method, taking only abont 20 

 minutes, and I am confident ot its success. With 

 it there is no waiting and loss of 24 to 48 hours in 

 the busy season. This is the H. Alley's method. 

 1 have so introduced several safely, without loss. 



Patents. 



C. R. Isham.— Are patents upon hives and im- 

 plements for the apiary detrimental to progre.ss 

 and improvements in bee culture? 



A. J. King.— Many no doubt have been htim- 

 bugged by worthless patent bee-hives as well as in 

 other patented articles, as churns, washing ma- 

 chines, etc.. yet, on the whole, they have been a 

 blessing, and I believe that the present high stand- 

 ard of bee culture in this coimtry is largely due to 

 the fact that the pioneers in the business were pro- 

 tected in the use and sale of their improvements 

 by law. I fail to see why a bee-keeper should not 

 be thus protected as well as inventors ot any other 

 appliances ; yet nearly all the essential features of 

 the 600 patents on bee-hives may be embraced in 

 a half-dozen hives, and these are now mostly pub- 

 lic property. All that a purchaser need tOascer- 

 tain, in order to avoid being humbugged, is first, 

 the genuineness of the patent; second, the specific 

 points covered; and in nine times out of ten he 

 will have no desire to use the patented points. 



C. R. Isham.— Was Mr. Langstroth the inventor 

 of the movable frame hive? 



A. J. King. — In regard to this patent I am very 

 sorry to be called on to say anything, because it 

 awakens unpleasant feelings in regard to past 

 transactions, and it is only in the cause of truth 

 that I make the following statements: 



Although Mr. Langstroth may be an inventor 

 of a modification of the movable frame principle 

 in bee-hives, yet he is not the original and first 

 inventor of any essential feature in what is known 

 as the standard Langstroth hive. My brother, H. 

 A. King, having been prosectited by the principal 

 owner of said patent for an alleged infringement, 

 spent about two years time, and S5,000 in accumu- 

 lating evidence, the result of which proved that 

 this patent was ante-dated in all its essential 

 claims by several both in Europe and America. 



The evidence of this in the shape of old bee- 

 hives, old books, European patents, the affidavits 

 of prominent and respectable parties, all verified 

 in the manner provided by law, are now on file in 

 the office of A. F. Perry, Cincinnati, O. 



As an extensive introducer of movable frames 

 in bee-hives and a disseminator of useful knowl- 

 edge in bee-culture, and as (I believe) a consci- 

 entious man, I admire and love Mr. Langstroth, 

 and I think we shall all of us feel a profound 

 gratitude to him, Mr. Quinby. and other pioneers 

 in our chosen pursuit; and if anything I have 

 said has wounded the feelings of any one present 

 I hope the impression may be as writing on the 

 sandy beach, where the first inflowing wave will 

 wash it away. 



It being time to adjourn, the following 

 resolution was passed unanimously : 



Resolved, that we tender our earnest 

 thanks to Messrs. Thurber & Co. for their 

 kindness in so thoroughly promoting the 



