the old style, but follows his own way, and 

 to prevent swarming, clips the wings of the 

 queen ; then, if the swarm issues, catch the 

 queen, put a new hive in the place of the 

 old one, and when the swarm returns they 

 will enter the hive. Then put the queen in 

 and they are all right. 



President Cheney was of the opinion that 

 to increase stocks, the cheapest way would 

 be to purchase colonies in counnon box 

 hives and transfer them into the movable 

 comb hives. This would be cheaper tiian 

 to raise queens. 



Mr. Bingham has a novel way of increas- 

 ing. When the bees have filled the hive, 

 place an empty set of combs above. Being 

 all prepared for eggs, the queen then enters 

 the above, and will be laying her eggs in a 

 short time, and swarms his bees about 3 

 days before a heavy run of honey occurs. — 

 After this, when all the combs are full of 

 brood and honey, take off the top and move 

 to some new place, and thus make two 

 swarms ; keeping on increasing, following 

 the same rule with all others. 



ADVANTAGES OF COMB FOUNDATION. 



Mr. Bingham read an article from the Bee 

 Journal of May, 1876, wherein lie opposed 

 strongly the comb foundation, claiming that 

 the natural comb gives the honey a good 

 flavor, which comb foundation will not. 



Dr. Whiting favored the use of comb 

 foundation for brood combs, but not for 

 surplus honey. 



President Cheney favored the use of 

 comb foundation for brood combs. 



Mr. Hetherington favored comb founda- 

 tion, claiming that bees would get a better 

 start, and the queen would lay eggs sooner, 

 but does not favor its use for surplus honey. 



Prof. Cook offers the following, which was 

 adopted : 



Jtesolved, That while we recognize the great value 

 of comb foundation for the use In the brood chamber 

 and strongly recommend such use, we as stoutly 

 disclaim against its use in boxes or sections. 



The committee appointed on statistics for 

 honey production for the year 1878 reported 

 as follows : 



Your committee appointed to recommend some 

 plan for obtaining statistics relating to the produc- 

 tion of honey in the State of Michigan during the 

 present year, would respectfully recommend that 

 there be a committee appointed, who shall, during 

 the present session, prepare a circular letter, con- 

 taining a succinct statement of the object desired, 

 and also such questions as will elicit the desired in- 

 formation ; that the secretary be requested to trans- 

 mit a copy of this circular letter to every bee-keeper 

 in the State, whose address he can secure, and 

 request that the answers be filled and returned to 

 him ; (this should be done soon after the honey 

 harvest), the returns to be properly abstracted by 

 the Secretary and submitted to the Association at 

 the next annual meeting. The committee on cir- 

 cular were the President and Secretary. 



The above was received and adopted. 



THE EXTRACTOR, 



Mr. Bingham said the extractor was for 

 separating the honey from the comb, that 

 the latter might be used again, saving the 

 bees much hard labor, also leaving the 

 honey much nicer for market than tlie old 

 way of straining honey. 



Mr. Whiting only used the extractor to 

 make room for brood. 



Prof. Cook preferred the extractor to be 

 all metal, and as light as possible, on ac- 



count of cleanliness ; would extract all the 

 season if he could get 12)4 cts. per lb., 

 rather than produce comb honey. He 

 would not leave too much honey in the fall 

 for the use of the bees during the winter, 

 but would rather sell it ; would extract 

 before the bees evaporate it ; it is just as 

 healthy as when thick, as he had had ample 

 chance to test it at the College with the 

 students. 



O. J. Hetherington agreed with Prof. 

 Cook ; would rather use wire, halt an inch 

 apart than wire cloth ; had no trouble with 

 regard to injuring the young brood. 



Dr. Whiting used an extractor with space 

 for i combs ; could extract 4 combs as fast 

 as 3 ; liked large cans with large space 

 under the cylinder. 



Prof. Cook had observed the effect on the 

 young larvje, and had seen no injurious 

 effects with the extractor, if properly used. 



Prof. Chapin said he had used several 

 kinds of extractors ; liked large space under 

 the cylinder ; liked Mr. Everett's on this 

 account ; took some exception to Prof. 

 Cook's remarks about thin or ripened honey. 

 Would rather have bees finish their work, 

 and then would extract and sell all, if 12J^ 

 cts. per pound could be obtained. We 

 should try and create a demand for this 

 product, especially for health, if nothing 

 else. 



Mr. Bingham said the extractor is the 

 most useful thing in the apiary ; without 

 regard to price, thought it indispensable. 



Prof. Cook would not sell thin honey, but 

 would extract it while thin and put in a 

 dry, warm room to evaporate and properly 

 ripen. 



Mr. Walker agreed with the President in 

 regard to thin honey ; thought there was 

 danger in putting poor honey on the market, 

 and there was very little difference in the 

 cost. 



Mr. Bingham gave Mr. Langstroth's ex- 

 perience, which agreed with Prof. Cook. 



SHALL WE PROCURE ITALIANS ? 



Dr. Whiting said he used this breed on 

 account of ease in handling ; thought the 

 blacks would give more honey, but were 

 not so easy to handle. 



Mr. Hetherington thought more honey 

 could be obtained from other breeds. 



Mr. Walker said they would not go into 

 boxes readily, unless some means were used 

 to compel them to do so. 



Prof. Cook favored the breed very much ; 

 thought with good care, favorable results 

 could be obtained, and if much pains were 

 taken in this way, better results would be 

 obtained. 



SHALL WE USE BOXES OR SECTIONS ? 



Prof. Cook would use sections as giving 

 better results, both as to honey and market. 



J. P. Allison would use small boxes or 

 packages, either boxes or sections, as they 

 would sell better than large packages. 



Mr. Wellington agreed with the above ; 

 we should be governed by the market. 



Mr. Whiting liked sections best, on ac- 

 count of sale ; merchants would buy them 

 because they were not worth so much, and 

 would sell readily. 



Mr. Walker liked boxes best, as he 



