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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Feb. 2, 190S. 



Why not feed sugar syrup if we do not have honey? What do you 

 think of sending samples of honey by mail to advertise honey for 

 sale?— W. D. N. 



I ADVISE the feeding of sugar candy in the cellar, for 

 two reasons : The first reason is that it is much the 

 easiest way of feeding. If you have the hives piled in 

 the cellar you can still feed candy without disturbing the 

 bees, if the hives are separated from one another only by a 

 2-inch block. Raise the oil-cloth and lay the cake of sugar 

 candy over the cluster. This may be done without any 

 stir. The bees will reach the candy from the underside, 

 and will perhaps ultimately cover it entirely. It is the 

 nicest way to feed in confinement. 



The second reason is that candy excites the bees less 

 than any other food. Candy has so little moisture — they 

 are so slow in absorbing it — that it does not create any ex- 

 citement. When you give them combs or liquid honey, or 

 even granulated honey — which is really the next best feed 

 to candy^you are likely to excite them more or less. If 

 you want to give them combs, you must either put them in 

 the hive or lay them over the top, and this is more difficult 

 than giving a small cake of candy, which, if rightly made, 

 will last them longer than honey, and will keep them in 

 better shape. Besides, the cake of candy is in more com- 

 pact shape than combs more or less filled with honey. 



And as to syrup or liquid honey, besides the difficulty 

 of giving these to colonies that are piled up on top of each 

 other, there will be more excitement in the hive when the 

 food is reached by the bees. It is very important to avoid 

 causing any unnecessary stir, in the cellar especially, dur- 

 ing the winter cold weather, and from past experience it is 

 not to be doubted that sugar candy of good quality is by 

 far the best food. 



Yet, if sealed combs of good clover honey are in reach, 

 and can be laid on the top of the combs above the brood 

 without disturbing the bees, this would be a very good 

 method of feeding ; but if there is any probability that 

 these combs will be needed during spring to help the bees 

 in brood-rearing, I would by all means retain them and put 

 them away, using the candy until the bees are out of the 

 cellar. 



In addition to the gain of leaving the bees undisturbed, 

 it is also more convenient to make sure of the amount of 

 food consumed when sugar candy is used, for the size of 

 the lump can be noticed at any time at the top of the 

 combs, while, if the comb of honey has been emptied by 

 the bees, it will be difficult to make sure of it ; and remov- 

 ing it to give another will be sure to disturb the bees 

 greatly. 



SENDING OUT SAMPLES OF HONBY. 



Now about sending out samples of honey. I believe 

 this would prove more of an expense than the returns 

 would justify. It is well enough to send samples of honey 

 to prospective buyers, but to send the samples broadcast 

 would, I believe, cost more than the circumstances would 

 permit. Yet there may be a way to send samples that 

 would prove inexpensive. Our method has always been to 

 melt the honey and put it up in a small vial about ^'4 of an 

 inch in diameter, and with an opening the full size of the 

 vial, for more easy filling. We then put the vial in a block 

 of pine in which an auger-hole has been bored of about the 

 size of the bottle. This is also corked, and then wrapped 

 in paper before mailing. In this way we have never had 

 any trouble. 



Granulated honey may perhaps be put up in a cheaper 

 way, but unless it is put up in a water or honey tight pack- 

 age, it is likely to soil the mail-matter should it be exposed 

 to heat. Sometimes the mail-sacks are laid in close prox- 

 imity to a stove, and very thick granulated honey might in 

 an occurrence of this kind change to the liquid form and 

 leak out, unless put up properly. On the other hand, so 

 many people have no knowledge of granulated honey that 

 it would hardly be the right thing to send samples of gran- 

 ulated honey without a lengthy explanation, which would 

 perhaps not be sufficient. We have always found it neces- 

 sary to explain the condition of granulated honey in person 

 until the customer is familiar with it. 



Hancock Co., 111. 



Some Facts About Honey and Bees.— This is the 

 subject of an article written by Mr. J. E. Johnson, and pub- 

 lished on pages S81-82 of the American Bee Journal for 

 Aug. 25, 1904. We have republished it in 4-page leaflet 

 form for general distribution, and furnish it, postpaid, at 

 35 cents per 100 copies. Send all orders to the ofiBce of the 

 American Bee Journal. 



=\ 



Contention 

 Proceebings 



Report of the Washington State Convention. 



On Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock Pres. Jesse W. 

 Thornton called the Washington State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation to order at the City Hall in North Yakima, Wash. 



Mrs. Legh R. Freeman was made secretary /iro tetn., 

 and read the minutes of the previous meeting. 



Mrs. Susan Thornton, the treasurer, was at her desk 

 and received the annual dues from a number of old and new 

 members. 



Article II of the Constitution was so amended as to 

 read : " The object of this Association shall be the promo- 

 tion of scientific bee-culture by forming a strong union 

 among bee-keepers, the purchase of supplies, the marketing 

 of honey, the necessary legislation, and the protection of 

 the industry ". 



J. P. Berg, chairman of the committee on the purchase 

 of supplies in carloads, reported that they were still investi- 

 gating and getting bids from the different manufacturers. 

 He requested that all persons that are members, or who 

 desire to become members, report to him at once at North 

 Yakima, the quantities of supplies that they need. 



Interesting discussions were participated in by Bert 

 Stewart, Robert Cissna, H. H. Cole, Isaac Hayes, J. P. Berg, 

 W. P. Clark, P. A. Gildea, Legh R. Freeman, the president, 

 secretary and treasurer, at the end of which the president 

 appointed Legh R. Freeman, Isaac Hayes and Bert Stewart 

 to secure space at the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and to 

 interest the bee-keepers' associations of the States of 

 Oregon, Idaho, and California to co-operate with the Wash- 

 ington Association in making a grand display of honey, 

 bees and the by-products, and preparing literature and cir- 

 culating it ; and seeing to it that a booth is arranged at 

 which the public shall be feasted on honey, hot waffles, etc. 



The president also appointed Mrs. Susan Thornton, P. 

 A. Gildea, H. H. Cole, Anson White, Robert Cissna and W. 

 P. Clark a recruiting committee for the purpose of securing 

 as many new members as possible throughout the State. 

 The committee will solicit membership among business 

 men who may be disposed to contribute one dollar for the 

 purpose of aiding in making a display at Portland. 



After a recess for lunch the secretary read letters from 

 the various firms quoting prices for supplies, and the com- 

 mittee was instructed to proceed with its work. 



Isaac Hayes and Legh R. Freeman were directed to pre- 

 pare a paper to be read at the annual meeting of the Yakima 

 County Horticultural-Association in February, showing the 

 advantages of bees in the orchard, and the proper time to 

 cut alfalfa with reference to securing the nectar in the 

 blossoms, and also the feed-value of alfalfa if allowed to 

 bloom. 



The president was instructed to assign to various mem- 

 bers subjects which they are to reduce to manuscript and 

 read at the February meeting ; and he is to arrange for 

 toasts and responses at the banquet which will follow the 

 three days' session. At this banquet honey is to be served 

 in many ways that will tempt the appetite. 



Mrs. Lkgh R. Freeman, Acting Sec. 



Co-operation at the Minnesota Convention. 



The Minnesota Bee-Keepers' Association held its an- 

 nual convention at the First Unitarian Church in Minne- 

 apolis, Dec. 7 and 8, 1904. 



After an invocation by Rev. J. H. Kimball, George W. 

 York, Ernest R. Root, Fred and Bessie Dittmer, and a rep- 

 resentative from the G. B. Lewis Co., were introduced. 



The minutes of the 1903 meeting were read and ap- 

 proved. 



As considerable interest of the meeting centered in a 

 Committee on Cooperation, appointed in 1903, and an 

 amendment to the Constitution proposed by this committee, 

 a brief report of the proceedings is here given, so far as 

 they related to the subject of co-operation. 



That part of the minutes of the 1903 meeting, referring 

 to the appointment of the committee, read as follows : 



