July 27. 1905 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



5l9 



Contention 

 Proceebings 



«/ 



Report of the Chicaeo-Northwestem Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Convention, held at Chicago, 111., 

 Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 1904 



(CoDtinued from pa^ e 490 J 

 ADVANTAGES OF THE "WISCONSIN HIVE." 



"What are the advantages of the so-called Wisconsin 

 hive?" 



Mr. Bacon^It seems to me that the Wisconsin hive has 

 the combination of the good points of the Improved Lang- 

 stroth-Simplicity and also the dove-tailed ; it seems to me 

 that is the main reason for its popularity. It has a' portico 

 front and it is novvf made so that the supers which are now 

 used with the dove-tailed hive can also be used on the Wis- 

 consin hive. Those I believe are the principal points. 



Mr. Abbott — I want to say that the main advantage of 

 the Wisconsin hive is that its makers took all they could 

 of the "St. Joe" hive and put into the Wisconsin, and made 

 a very good hive! [Laughter.] 



Mr. Fluegge — I would like to ask these gentlemen what 

 the slatting arrangement in their super is. If they got that 

 from Mr. Abbott he didn't lose much. [Laughter.] I have 

 several of them and I always took an axe to them to get 

 the honey out. They may have improved them now. I hope 

 they have. When I was a beginner I had six of them and 

 the slats had no end-blocks ; they fitted into a rabbet at the 

 bottom of the super, and in order to get them out — one rabbet 

 was a little deeper than the other — I had to lift them up a 

 little ways and shove them over probably a quarter of an 

 inch, and the other end would come out. 



Mr. Wilcox — I have tried the Wisconsin hive somewhat. 

 I bought one or two some years ago for trial and I found 

 some disadvantages. The question calls for advantages. 



Pres. York — We don't want to know the disadvantages — 

 just the advantages! 



Mr. Wilcox — One thing I disliked was that the end-bars 

 of the brood-frames st 'uck right out. 



Mr. Root — That is the Langstroth-Simplicity. 

 Mr. Wilcox — I think it was listed as the Wisconsin hive. 

 I might specify another peculiarity of it which was that the 

 frames were anywhere from one quarter to three-eighths of 

 an inch shorter than the regular Langstroth or what would 

 be the old frame Langstroth length and that was an odd 

 feature of it because it didn't correspond with any other 

 frames in the neighborhood. Another feature of it was that 

 described by the last gentleman about the supers. The slats 

 in the bottom of the super didn't trouble me very much but 

 I didn't exactly like them. I may be mistaken. I don't know. 

 But I have always called it the Wisconsin hive. I think it 

 was. 



Mr. Whitney — I want to back up what Mr. Wilcox 

 said about what he supposed to be the Wisconsin hive. You 

 know last winter didn't treat some of us very well, and we 

 lost a good many bees. I wanted some last spring to build 

 up my apiary, and I went out and bought four or five col- 

 onies. They happened to be in a queer sort of hive ; the 

 frames were a little shorter than the Langstroth; I couldn't 

 use them in the Langstroth hive when I came to make a 

 transfer ; and they had supers on that had that rabbet arrange- 

 ment that the gentleman here speaks about. I thought it 

 was a Chinese puzzle. I couldn't use it at all. Now. I 

 don't know whether that is the Wisconsin hive or not, but 

 as they describe it I should conclude it might be. It had a 

 portico. 



Mr. Abbott — I want these gentlemen to get a clear idoa 

 about these hives, and it is a matter of some interest. While 

 I represent the firm making the Wisconsin hive, I think an 

 explanation is due them at least. They have made what was 

 called the Langstroth-Simplicity hive which is, I admit, prac- 

 tically worthless. They have discussed taking it off the nuir- 

 ket for a long time. It has a shorter frame, and a gr;i(i\e 

 all around, and the frames extend over, A great iii.-n'y 

 people call that the Wisconsin hive. That is not th^ W!-;- 



consin hive at all. That is a Langstroth-Simplicity hive. 

 They make at the same time what they call a Wisconsin 

 hive, that is the trade name ; that has Hoffman frames in 

 it which fit inside the hive on a tin rabbet. The sliding 

 arrangement of the hive is the same as the St. Joe hive, and 

 if the gentlemen do not know how to handle that, why, we 

 are ready to show them how to handle it so that they won't 

 have any trouble about it. But don't get the two hives con- 

 fused. The old Langstroth-Simplicity hive, in my opinion, is 

 worthless because it hadn't a correct bee-space above it and 

 the frames were not the same. So when you order hives 

 don't say you want a Langstroth-Simplicity hive unless you 

 want an odd frame, for you will get it. The other is the 

 same as the dove-tailed hive; and in all of the hives that 

 concern makes, the frames are the same except that old 

 Langstroth-Simplicity, and that is not of any account. 



Mr. Whitney — When you order hives don't order the 

 Whitney hive. He has a hive of his own, and he doesn't 

 want any better, and he has none to sell ! 



Mr. Stuebing — It depends mostly on the man, how he 

 handles the bees and how he places and handles the frames. 

 (Conclnded next week.) 



Report of the North Texas Convention 



The North Te.\as Hee-Keepers' Association met at Blos- 

 som, Tex., and was called to order by the President, J. M. 

 Hagood, at 1 p.m., April 5, 1905, the morning having been 

 taken up in a general social time. In the absence of the 

 chaplain, prayer was offered by W. H. White. The secretary 

 being absent, Mr. White was elected temporary secretary. 



The first business was the appointment of a committee on 

 program, as follows : E. A. Ribble, Dr. R. P. Davies, J. R. 

 Scott, and E. W. Cothran. While the committee was out the 

 members were enrolled and membership fees taken up. 



The Program Committee then reported the following, and 

 was discharged : 



1. Spring Management of Bees in North Texas. 



2. Best Method of Increase. 



3. Best Method of Suppressing Increase. 



4. The Best Bee for North Te.xas. 



5. Honey-Producing Plants of North Texas. 



6. The Best Frame for North Texas Bee- Keepers. 



7. Which is the More Profitable, Bulk Comb Honey or 

 Section Honey 7 



The Program Committee suggested that a committee be 

 appointed to select special subjects for discussion at the next 

 annual convention, and certain members be assigned the 

 special subjects. 



The program was then taken up as follows : 



SPRING MANAGEMENT. 



Spring management of bees, as given by E. A. Ribble, is 

 to see to it that all colonies are supplied with plenty of stores 

 to carry them through to the first honey-flow, either by feed- 

 ing them syrup or giving them honey kept over for that pur- 

 pose. He keeps honey that is not in good marketable shape 

 for spring feeding. His unfinished sections are used for this 

 purpose by filling a super and setting.lt over the colony need- 

 ing feeding. Thus he tides them over the dearth which 

 usually comes in North Texas from May IS to July 1. 



Dr. Davies advocates feeding enough to keep colonies 

 strong in bees and in good working condition for the honey- 

 flow. 



Mr. Hagood gave his plan of taking the combs out very 

 early and then giving them back as they need the stores. 



Mr. Scott prefers using the Uoolittle feeder, and feeding 

 as much as they need. 



GETTING AND SDri'RKSSING INCREASE. 



Dr. Davies prefers natural swarming. 



Mr. Cothran increases by diviiling. 



The best method of suppresMue: increase, as given by Mr. 

 Ribble, is to run for extracted lioney. Mr. Hagood prefers 

 large hives for the purpose. 



BEST BEE AND HONEY-PLANT.S FOR NORTH TEXAS. 



Mr. Ribble thinks the leather-colored Italia.T bees are the 

 best. 



R. C. Abernathy prefers dark Italian bees. 



As to the liest honey-plaiiu for North Texas, Mr. Hagood 



thinks alfalfa is good ; also couou always produces more or 



less honey every season. If inkleberry and sumac were 



I spoken of as being good by those who live in the timber part 



I of the country. 



