March 23, 1905. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



231 



COST OF SECTIONS — ADVERTISING THE CONVENTION. 



" Why do sections cost $5.00 per thousand when bass- 

 wood excelsior is sold at $3.50 per cord of 52-inch bolts ?" 



Mr. Wilcox answered, saying that the higher price of 

 labor, and also of lumber, made the price of sections higher. 

 He had bought sections years ago as low as $2.00 per thou- 

 sand, but did not think the manufacturer made anything 

 at that price. 



" Why is not our State convention advertised the same 

 as those of other States 7" 



This question was introduced not for the purpose of 

 criticising the officers for not advertising the meeting, but 

 because it was not advertised earlier. It was brought out 

 that the dates of the meeting could not be ascertained 

 sooner, as we are dependent upon the action of other socie- 

 ties that meet at the same time, and with whom we have to 

 co-operate in order to secure reduced railroad rates. 



CANS FOR EXTRACTED HONEY. 



The next question related to the jacket-can for ex- 

 tracted honey. Pres. France said that while the can in its 

 present form had given good satisfaction, some improve- 

 ments were to be made in its construction for the coming 

 season. Some difficulty had been experienced in securing 

 fourth-class rates for honey in this can, as they are not 

 clearly covered in the classification. It is expected that this 

 will be provided for before the next crop is ready to move. 



The question of a seal for the cans, to prevent their be- 

 ing pilfered, coming up, a member recommended a paste for 

 putting on labels, made by cooking two parts corn-starch, 

 then adding one part honey. Paste the labels over the cap 

 in such a way that it must be broken in order to remove the 

 cap. Pres. France recommended a paste made from >2 

 pound of gum-tragacanth in an ordinary pail of water. This 

 might be improved by adding }6 pound of furniture glue. 



SELLING EXTRACTED HONEY. 



" If I had a crop of 48 barrels of honey, where should I 

 sell it if not to the commission-house 7" 



This brought out a discussion on the subject of having 

 an association to sell the product for the members, the same 

 as is done in some parts of the West. Pres. France pointed 

 out the great difference between the conditions of Wiscon- 

 sin and the bee-keeping districts of Colorado. He thought 

 we were not so favorably situated as they were in the West 

 for the operation of a honey exchange. Some members said 

 they sold their honey mostly to private customers and 

 dealers with whom they had established relations. These 

 members did not need any aid in disposing of their crops. 



Although this question has been up in each of our an- 

 nual meetings for some years past, nothing of a practical 

 nature has been accomplished in the direction of selling 

 honey through a central organization. 



Mr. Putnam said that their local association handled 

 comb honey for the members and shipped it by the car-load. 



Mr. Jaeger asked why we could not have an association 

 to dispose of our honey, as well as other States, and said 

 that if the whole State is too large, and the members too 

 widely scattered, he would suggest that it be divided into 

 districts. 



WIRE FOR CUTTING GRANULATED HONEY. 



" What size of wire is used to cut granulated honey 7" 

 Mr. Wilcox replied that No. 20 annealed wire is the 



proper thing, and only well-ripened honey, when thoroughly 



granulated, could be cut in this way. 



It was asked if it were advisable to melt extracted honey 



before selling it. The answer was, " Yes, if the customers 



desire it done." 



EVENING SESSION. 



This consisted for the most part of a stereopticon lec- 

 ture on the subject of beekeeping by Pres. France. The 

 illustrations were very fine, and the lecture interesting and 

 instructive to a high degree. 



(Concluded next week.) 



A Queen-Bee Free as a Premium.— We are now 

 booking orders for untested Italian queens to be delivered 

 in May or June. This is the premium offer : To a sub- 

 scriber whose own subscription to the American Bee Jour- 

 nal is paid at least to the end of 1905, we will give an un- 

 tested Italian queen for sending us one new subscription \-i ith 

 $1.00 for the Bee Journal a year. Now is a good time to 

 get new subscribers. If you wish extra copies of the Bee 

 Journal for use as samples, let us know how many you t^ ant 

 and we will mail them to you. Address all orders to the 

 office of the American Bee Journal. 



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CDurt- Sister 

 Beekeepers 



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Conducied by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, III. 



Old vs. New Foundation— Getting Sections Filled 



1. The latest number of the American Bee Journal men- 

 tions something that alarms me — that some people think 

 that comb foundation may be too old to use to advantage. 

 I bought a quantity a year ago last summer, and have some 

 left — the heavy for frames, and the thin for sections. It 

 has been left packed just as it came. Will this do to use 

 this season, or ought I to gel some new 7 



A number of questions have been suggested by the most 

 interesting discussions reported from the National conven- 

 tion, which I am going to ask now, and shall be pleased to 

 have them answered at any time. 



2. Is there any special manipulation necessary to have 

 all the sections in a super filled 7 Mine are always stuck 

 together so tightly with propolis that I can not shift them 

 without first clearing them of bees. Only once have I taken 

 off a super that had 24 perfectly sealed sections. Do people 

 usually succeed in accomplishing this result 7 



3. The honey often is attached to the section only at 

 the top, hence I can not pack and send it away at all. Is 

 this the fault of the strain of bees, or would it probably be 

 corrected by putting a strip of foundation at the bottom, 

 too 7 Helisn Perry. 



Clark Co., Kans., Feb. 1. 



1. Packed as that foundation is, it will probably keep 

 good for a generation. Even when fastened in frames or 

 sections, it is good for several years. 



2. In a good season probably most of our supers would 

 contain 24 completed sections if left long enough. But we 

 do not generally wait for that, but take off the super when 

 all but a few of the outside ones are finished ; generally all 

 but the corner sections are finished when the super is taken 

 off. Then the unfinished sections from several supers are 

 put into a super and given back to a colony to be finished. 



3. There may possibly be a little difference in bees 

 about fastening the comb to the bottom of the section, but 

 certainly not much. The honey-flow may have more to do 

 with it, but with bottom starters you will probably find the 

 difficulty overcome. 



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Italians vs. Other Bees— Report for Last Season. 



Dear Miss Wilson :— In the early fall I attempted to 

 write something about my bees, and to ask one or two ques- 

 tions, which I have forgotten now. I started about three 

 years ago, taking care of my brother's 4 colonies of com- 

 mon black bees. As I started in the fall of the year there 

 wasn't much for me to do except prepare them for winter. 



During the winter I studied the "ABC of Bee Cul- 

 ture." What I wanted next was experience. The bees 

 wintered all right, and built up fast in the spring. After 

 the clover season, which was a poor one, I thought I would 

 Italianize 2 colonies, so I sent for 2 queens— one they ac- 

 cepted all right, and the other they killed. 



I took much pleasure watching for the new bees. I 

 had never seen Italian bees before, and there wasn't a day 

 I didn't look in that hive to see how they were getting along. 

 I decided I wouldn't have any other kind. But the next 

 year, when they began to swarm, I thought there would 

 never be an end to the bees in that hive, for I can truthfully 

 say they swarmed seven or eight times, probably more, for 

 aught I know. I then changed ray mind about Italian bees, 

 thinking they were all alike, but have learned different 

 since. I have now Italians, hybrids, and common blacks, 

 and find good and bad qualities in both. 



In 1903 I had 27 colonies of bees to winter, but 

 sadly neglected them, and the severe winter left me in the 

 spring with only 6 colonies. That is, I doubled up some to 

 make them strong enough to build up fast. 



Last fall I put 12 strong colonies into winter quarters 

 with the exception of one, which I must ^confess I could do 



