76 



TmW MMERICJCPf BEE) JQ-^RFfMI^. 



fc^^i^A^nifci 



of Stowe ; Orange, M. F. Cram, of 

 Braintree ; Orleans, A. J. Albee, of 

 Derbj' ; Rutland, H. L. Leonard, of 

 Brandon ; Washington, D. S. Hall, of 

 Lower Cabot. Secretary and Treas- 

 urer, J. H. Larrabee, of Larrabee's 

 Point. 



Then followed a very valuable essay 

 by Mr. V. N. Forbes, of West Haven, on 



llee-Pastiirage. 



Alsike clover was the plant that Blr. 

 Forbes most recommended, and had 

 obtained satisfastory results therefrom. 

 That his assertions were founded upon 

 experience, was proved by the fact 

 that during the past year he had 

 furnished 1,000 pounds of Alsike clover 

 to his neighbors. It had proved profit- 

 able both to them and to him. He 

 bought at wholesale, and sold at a 

 slight sacrifice. 



Xlie Spraying of Fruit Xrces. 



In the discussion which followed, 

 Prof. Seeley, of Middlebury College, 

 who was present, was asked his opin- 

 ion of the results upon bees produced 

 by the spi'aying of fruit trees with 

 poisons. He thought that no bad ef- 

 fects would ensue in any case, but 

 suggested that the bee-keeper should 

 hint to fruit-men, that the best time to 

 spray fruit was after the blossoms had 

 fallen, and supported the assertion by 

 facts. 



Mrs. E. S. Brainerd, of Orwell, next 

 read an essay on, 



Marlceting of Ilouey by Small 

 Producers. 



She dealt direct with consumers, and 

 furnished only a tirst-class article. She 

 is entirely independent of commission 

 men. 



The President remarked that we 

 should not condemn the commission 

 men too hastily. He had visited the 

 market last fall, and had his eyes 

 opened with regard to the shipping 

 and handling of honey in Boston. 



Xhe Itee-Keepcrs' Union. 



Extracts from reports showing the 

 object and uses of the " Bee-Keepers' 

 Union," were read by Miss Douglass, 

 of Shoreham. 



Mr. Manum stated that he had been 

 a member since its formation, and he 

 urged its claims very strongly. It is 

 hoped that Vermont bee-keepers will 

 avail themselves of its privileges, es- 

 pecially since an act was introduced in 

 the last Vermont Legislature, prohib- 

 iting the keeping of bees within 40 

 rods of the higliway. However, this 

 Bill was promptly killed: 



Xlie diapinan Iloney-Planl. 



Mr. Manum, wlio was one of the 

 committee appointed some two j'oars 

 ago by the National Bee-Keepers' So- 



ciety, to report with regai'd to the 

 "Chapman honey-plant," said with re- 

 gard to it, that although it furnished 

 honey bountifully, he did not believe 

 that it paid to raise it exclusively for 

 honey. The seed he knew to be good 

 for poultry, and if an oil could be 

 pressed from it, and the residue used 

 in the manufacture of quinine, so as to 

 pay for cultivation, he should esteem it 

 highly for the bees. 



A letter was then read by the Sec- 

 retary, from Mrs. L. Harrison, in be- 

 half of the Illinois bee-keepers, send- 

 ing words of encouragement and cheer 

 so sadly needed. The Secretary was 

 then instructed to send the thanks and 

 sympathj' of the Association to our 

 fellow bee-keepers of Illinois. 



EVErVIIVC} SESSIOtV. 



The evening session was very inter- 

 esting, and it is much to be regretted 

 that many of the members were obliged 

 to return home before evening. 



A discussion was opened by Presi- 

 dent Holmes, on 



Prevention of Undesirable In- 

 crease of Colonies. 



There are, said Mr. Holmes, three 

 classes of bee-keepers who may desire 

 to prevent increase, viz : • 1. The spe- 

 cialist, who has bees enough to occupy 

 his whole time. 2. The novice, who 

 keeps a few bees for the honey and 

 pleasure of it, and cannot allow them 

 to interfere with his business. 3. Box- 

 hive bee-keepers. 



The best way for the box-hive bee- 

 man to prevent increase, does not con- 

 cern us. The novice, who keeps a few 

 bees may prevent increase by doubling 

 up swarms, as they issue, thus strength- 

 ening the weak, and increasing the 

 honey crop. 



The best waj* for the specialist to 

 prevent increase, is a mooted point. 

 However, the speaker had been very 

 successful by removing the queens, 

 keeping all queens young, and by 

 keeping the bees at work. In remov- 

 ing queens he saved the best ones. 



Eight or nine days after the first 

 swarm i.ssues, he removes the queen- 

 cells from the parent colony, and in- 

 troduces a young laying queen, on or 

 after, 18 days from the time the first 

 swarm issued. 



From the discussion which ensued, 

 it was plainly evident that upon this 

 subject our bee-keepers were fullj' 

 abreast of the times. 



Ancient and Modern Apiculture. 



Then followed an essay by Miss G. 

 M. Wolcott, on "An Amateur's Obser- 

 vations upon Ancient and Modern Api- 

 culture," in which she recounted some 

 of the amusing incidents which at- 

 tended her first experiences with the 



bees. By the way, we learn that Miss 

 Wolcott intends soon to take charge of 

 her own apiary of 150 colonics. 



J. H. Larrabee read an essay on 

 " English Bee-Keeping." 



The session was well ended by an 

 eloquent and interesting address by 

 Mr. Crane, on "The Production of 

 Comb Honey." 



The convention then adjourned to 

 meet next year, at the time and place 

 appointed by the Executive Committee. 

 J. H. Larrabee, Sec. 



CONVENTION DIRECTORY. 



1889. Time and Place of Meeting. 



Feb. 6.— NortheastPrn Michigan, at Flint, Mich. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, Sec, Flint, Mich. 



Feb. 7.— Wisconsin State, at Madison, Wis. 



C. A. Hatch, Pres,, Ithaca, Wis. 



May 1, 2.— Texas State, at Greenville, Tex. 



a. A. Wilson, Sec, McKinney, Tex. 



May 4.— Susquehanna County, at Montrose, Pa. 



H. M. Seeley, Sec, Harford, Pa. 



tW In order to have this table complete. Secre- 

 taries are requested to forward full particulars of 

 ttme and place of future meetiDKs. — Bd. * 



sth^i&Mm^ 



ItVintering all Risrbt.— S. A. & M. 



A. Goodale, Clear Creek, Ind., on Jan. 17, 

 18S9, write as follows : 



In the spring of 1888 we had 21 colonies of 

 bees in good condition. All increase was 

 made by natural swarming. We sold 5 col- 

 onies, and put 28 colonies into winter quar- 

 ters in the fall. We secured 900 pounds of 

 extracted honey, mostly from poplar bloom. 

 The golden-rod and asters supplied abun- 

 dance of stores for wintering, besides a 

 small surplus. The bees " kept themselves" 

 throughout the summer, and gathered their 

 winter supply of food. This is more than 

 most stock can do. Bees had a good flight 

 Jan. 3, and seem to be wintering " all right." 



€iood Prospects.— A. M. Rhodes, 

 Bethany, Ills., on Jan. 19, 1889, says : 



To say that J. appreciate the American 

 Bee Journal, does not express my feel- 

 ings. Bees, as a rule, are in good condition. 

 The prospects for bee-keepers are good. 



Importance of Reading: llcc- 



Papers.— Henry A. Hyle, Kedwood, N. 

 Y., writes as follows : 



My neighbor has kept bees for eight years, 

 and takes no beepaper. He is a well-to do, 

 retired farmer. He had 10 colonies of bees, 

 andlost nearly all through carelessness. He 

 liad a strong colony of Italians In a ehatf 

 hive, but neglected to put them In condition 

 for winter, until too late— Nov. 29. He came 

 to me, saying that his Italians were dead, 

 and requested me to examine them and as- 

 certain the cause of their death. I found 

 that he had left the poor bees on ten frames, 

 without any cover whatever, only the top or 

 cover of the Jiive. They had plenty of 

 lioaey, but had huddled In one corner, and 



