AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Topics ol Interest. 



Eastern Iota Conyenlion. 



FKANK COVERDALE. 



The bee-keepers of Eastern Iowa con- 

 vened at DeWitt, on Dec. 2, with Vice- 

 President H. S. Bowman in the chair. 

 After roll call and routine business the 

 convention adjourned until 1 p.m., when 

 the regular programme was begun, the 

 first subject for discussion being " Bees 

 and the Farm." 



H. S. Bowman said — I consider it 

 profitable to keep bees in connection with 

 farming. 



W. S. Rice — I think that bee-keeping 

 alone is the most profitable, for the busy 

 time for the farm and the bees come at 

 the same time. 



Frank Coverdale — For the past two 

 years it would be rather a light income, 

 if one bee-yard should be depended upon 

 to meet all expenses. 



H. S. Bowman — I would not tolerate a 

 pursuit that was not able to stand alone. 



F. Coverdale — While I consider bee- 

 keeping as an important branch of agri- 

 culture, it has, when in the hands of 

 the specialist, been abundantly able to 

 stand alone. 



Spring Dwindling. 



L. J. Pierce — Keeping them in the 

 cellar until late in the Spring will help 

 very much. 



D. Benton — My bees that are wintered 

 out-doors, in chaif hives, do not dwindle. 

 I prefer cellar wintering, and would 

 leave them in until late in the Spring. 



H. S. Bowman— The life of the worker 

 bee, when kept confined, is about six 

 months, and much of the Spring dwind- 

 ling is caused by the natural decadence 

 of the colony. 



H. Stewart — Bees should not be 

 allowed a flight, when wintered in the 

 cellar, until settled warm weather comes. 



Brood-Frames. 



H. Stewart was of the opinion that 

 quite shallow frames were as good as 

 any for brood-rearing — even Mr. Hed- 

 don's divisible hive. 



H. S. Bowman — When Father Lang- 

 stroth invented the movable-frame hive, 

 he hit the happy medium, for with all 

 attempts to improve it, no one has been 

 successful. 



Wm. Kimble — I want a frame 2 inches 

 deeper. 



H. Stewart — During the past Summer 

 I have visited over 100 bee-keepers, and 

 where these deeper frames were used, 

 the apiarist was not as successful in the 

 production of comb-honey. 



Prevention of Swarming. 



Mr. Hines, of Anamosa, had on ex- 

 hibit a hive which he invented for the 

 purpose. A twin bee hive. He manip- 

 ulated the hive and frames, so as to 

 keep down the "swarming fever. 



F. Coverdale— I let the bees swarm 

 during the past Summer, and moved the 

 old hive to one side, and about 14 inches 

 forward. I bored a one-inch hole in the 

 center of the old hive, and about M inch 

 from the bottom-board. I placed a cone 

 in the auger hole, then fastened up the 

 entrance, and put the swarm on the old 

 stand. All were elevated nearly as fast 

 as the young bees became old enough to 

 fly. When nearly all were hatched, part 

 of the entrance was removed, the cone 

 taken out, and the hole fastened up. 



EVENING SESSION. 



The evening session was very enjoy- 

 able. As those who were on the pro- 

 gramme for the evening were not there, 

 the time was occupied by discussions. 



MORNING SESSION— DEC. 3. 



There was a heavy rain during the 

 whole day, but the attendance was 

 good. 



Question Box. 



Will it pay to melt up combs, or should 

 they be saved for hiving swarms? 



T. Hines — When such combs were used 

 for swarms, they did not do as well as 

 where nothing but starters were given 

 them. 



Mr. Bowman— =1 would use the surplus 

 combs in new hives, and in building up 

 worker-comb in old hives. 



Mr. Kuebler— I agree with Mr. Bow- 

 man in a general way. 



Mr. Bowman— I like 2 or 3 empty 

 combs to hive swarms on. 



A Member — Whenever the bees get 

 their work ahead of the queen, look out 

 fore drone-comb. These 2 or 3 empty 

 combs will do it. 



D. Benton — Whenever my bees are 

 hived on a full set of combs, or full 

 sheets of foundation, much of the honey 

 will be stored in the brood-chamber, 

 crowding out the brood, making the 

 colonies weaker to gather the Fall crop. 



Mr. Hines offered several strong argu- 

 ments to prove that bees cannot control 

 the secretion of wax, though it was 

 opposed by many. 



