22 



Tmm ffiMERICMH BEE JQURNat-. 



MICHIG-AN. 



Report of the mieliigan State 

 Convention. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY ^V. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



ETEr¥in(G SESSIOr¥. 



This session was opened by the Sec- 

 retary, who read an essay from Mr. T. 

 F. Bingham, on 



Spring: Iflanaerement of Bees. 



When to begin spring management 

 of bees is a point which the subject 

 would seem to fix as at the close of 

 winter. But the best ^jeriod to begin 

 spring management, is when the bees 

 are gaining stores for their keeper and 

 themselves nine months before that 

 trying period when bees, from causes 

 not well settled, and upon which bee- 

 keepers do not agree, develop appar- 

 ent weakness, and in some seasons, 

 and not rare instances, fail entirely. 



It is not the province of this essay to 

 cover all the well-written field so often 

 trod by bee-keepers, relating to this 

 trying period ; but merely to direct 

 attention to the very great value of an 

 abundant sujiply of honey to last a 

 colony until in any spring, however 

 dreary and cold, the clover or other 

 sure supply of honey shall come. 



Some seasons, and in localities from 

 which earl}' and abundant pollen is 

 obtained from forest trees, it is possi- 

 ble for bees to stem this trying period 

 with but a meager previous season's 

 stock of hone}'. But it is not of com- 

 mon events that we feel the uncom- 

 mon needs. In springs like the one 

 last passed, no bee-keeper can fail to 

 fully understand that honey, even in 

 excess of usual needs, is of inestimable 

 value in the hives. 



Probably no bee-keeper present is 

 without experience in single instances, 

 when from some massive hive, gum 

 (old log) or similar abode, when 75 or 

 150 pounds of honey not accessible in 

 autumn, the colony has passed smoothly 

 through unpropitious springs, and far 

 out-stripped its scantily supplied neigh- 

 bors. We all know how oft we have 

 heai'd that a pint of bees was enough, 

 and 10 pounds of honey ample to win- 

 ter a colony of bees. We also have 

 many times, to our sorrow, paid the 

 penalty of our broken promises to feed, 

 should unpropitious and fickle April 

 present herself with unwonted winds 

 and storms. 



At present there appears to be no 

 absolute metliod by which spring man- 

 agement can be secured, except by 

 judicious and ample provision, and 

 preparation made the previous season. 

 T. F. Bingham. 



After reading the above essay, it 

 was discussed as follows : 



James Heddon — I have never lost 

 any bees by spring dwindling, that had 

 wintered perfectly. We may as well 

 take up the subjeet of wintering, as I 

 can see that that is where we will 

 get to. 



Xhe YViutering^ of Bees. 



The convention agreed with Mr. 

 Heddon, and he was invited to lead in 

 the discussion ; when he proceeded to 

 give a resume of the pollen theory, 

 very clearly showing that the consump- 

 tion of pollen in confinement was the 

 main cause of bee-diarrhea. 



H. D. Cutting — Have you not lost 

 bees in winter when they had only 

 sugar stores ? 



James Heddon — Yes, but not from 

 diarrhea. They simply perished from 

 cold too long continued ; but there was 

 not a sign of diaiThea, no over-load- 

 ing of the intestines, nor any dis- 

 charges. 



R. L. Taylor — I agi-ee with Mr. Hed- 

 don. Many have asserted that they 

 did not believe the pollen theory, 

 simplj' because bees having pollen in 

 the hive do not always have the diar- 

 rhea. It cannot cause disease unless 

 consumed in excess when the bees 

 cannot fly. If honey is of easy access, 

 I think there is less danger of pollen 

 being consumed. There is also a dif- 

 ference in pollen. Some is hard, and 

 seems covered with wax ;"• while some 

 is soft, and seems mixed with the 

 honey. 



Dr. Higbie — A compound food is 

 needed. Honey is a compound food, 

 and it is likely that the bees maj' be 

 wintered ujjon it. 



R. L. Taylor — Does the Doctor mean 

 that a compound food must always be 

 the same ? Are its constituents the 

 same ? 



Dr. Higbie — In winter more car- 

 bonaceous food is needed. 



R. L. Taylor — That is probably true. 

 In winter we do not move about so 

 much, hence the waste is less, and not 

 so much nitrogenous food is needed. 

 When the bees have relapsed into that 

 semi-torpid condition of successfid 

 wintering, but little nitrogenous food 

 is needed. If they need any, they 

 need no more than is contained in 

 sugar sj'rup. 



James Heddon — It does not contain 

 a particle. 



R. L. Taylor— I once wintered 200 

 colonies with no pollen in the combs — 

 nothing but sugar syrup. I never had 



bees winter better. It is held by many 

 that it is better not to have bees breed 

 late. My experience has been the re- 

 verse. I would like to ask whether • 

 this is the result of the bees using up 

 the pollen In the fall, or from having 

 young bees. 



James Heddon — I think that it is the 

 result of the consumption of tlie pollen 

 before the bees have ceased flying. 

 Young bees cannot hold their feces as 

 well as old bees can, as all know who 

 have taken ofi' honey. 



An expression was taken to see how 

 many believed that the consumption 

 of pollen in confinement was the prime 

 cause of bee-diarrhea. Nearly every 

 one held up his hand. 



R. L. Taylor — Well, if pollen causes 

 diarrhea, what are you going to do 

 about it ? 



James Heddon — If sugar were 

 cheaper, I should feed sugar. 



Dr. Higbie — Let me ask, who has 

 left pollen in the combs, and the bees 

 did not have the diarrhea ? 



James Heddon — I have, and so has 

 every one. 



President Hilton — I have for ten 

 years wintered bees successfully, pay- 

 ing no attention to pollen. 



James Heddon — You know how you 

 winter your bees, and could tell me, 

 and I could prepare mine for winter in 

 exactly the same way, yet I should suf- 

 fer losses. 



The convention then adjoitrned to 

 meet at 8 a.m. the next morning, and 

 go in a body to visit the City Fire De- 

 partment. 



SEOOI>TIZ> IDJiJ-^. 



After visiting the Fire Department, 

 the convention again assembled at the 

 Hall, and Mr. W. Z. Hutchinson gave 

 an address upon the advantages and 

 disadvantages of attending conven- 

 tions, in which he said : "I am free 

 to say that were it not for the social 

 features — meeting and enjoying the 

 company of fellow bee-keepers — bee- 

 conventions would be veiy slim ail'airs. 

 The majority of those who attend con- 

 ventions go for the sake of having a 

 ' good time,' and if it can be aflbrded, 

 it is all right. Between reading the 

 report of a convention and attending 

 one, there is as much difl'erence as 

 there is between reading a love letter 

 and visiting your lover." 



President Hilton said : I have al- 

 ways attended conventions, and went 

 home feeling well paid. The social 

 feature is one of the brightest. Tliis 

 life is not all dollars and cents. It is 

 true that our conventions have of late 

 been poorly attended, but that is at- 

 tributable to the poor seasons ; with 

 the return of better crops of honey, I 



