Dec. 7. 1905 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



847 



same way and set above the first, or the extra brood is 

 used for increase. 



Mr. Laws practices the "shook swarming" plan on 

 such colonies. The colony is shaken into a new hive with 

 only starters in the frames. The brood and some of the 

 bees are set on a new stand for increase. He has had 

 trouble about getting the bees to remain after shaking. 

 If a comb of unsealed brood is given, queen-cells are 

 started on it and the bees abscond to the woods. This 

 they also do if sealed brood is given. A frame iif honey 

 keeps them. He favors the "shook swarming." both for 

 honey and increase. 



Mr. Aten advises that not more than 2 colonies be 

 made from 1. He does not like the idea of dividing it into 

 10. It is so easy for a beginner to figure these things out 

 on paper. For instance, a start is made with one 10-frame 

 colony. This is divided into 10. Each one of these pro- 

 duces 100 pounds of honey — and failure is almost certain. 



From the audience: "It would teach them a good 

 lesson." (Laughter.) 



Mr. White, in referring to the Alexander method, cau- 

 tioned bee-keepers against placing the queen below the 

 excluder on empty combs during cool or wet weather. 

 There is danger of the bees clustering around the brood 

 above, and leaving the queen below unprotected, where 

 she may be chilled and succumb, or be injured so that she 

 may become worthless. 



If Mr. Victor wants increase for the same season's 

 use, he makes it by removing the unsealed brood and the 

 old queen to a' new stand. This leaves the sealed brood 

 and the old bees on the old stand, leaving it in an ideal 

 condition for the honey-flow. For increase for future use 

 he practises the method as outlined by Mr. Atchley, 

 except that he gives more combs of brood and honey, 2 

 of each to a new hive. In 15 days he examines them to 

 see that all have laying queens. Dividing a colony into 10 

 or so is too risky, as the danger of bees deserting the new 

 hives is too great. 



(CoDtidued nt-xt w^ek.i 

 # 



Report of the Chicago-Northwestern Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Convention, held at Chicago, 111., 

 Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 1904 



(Continued from pa.ge 826 J 



THANKS TO MR. ROOT. 



Mr. Moore — I move that we present to ]\Ir. E. R. Root, 

 towards his expenses, the sum of $5. Now, inasmuch as he 

 has absolutely refused to accept anything, and says he will 

 donate this sum to our foul brood fund ; and inasumch as 

 our whole assembly was greatly entertained and interested 

 by his exhibition of last night, I move you a vote of thanks 

 be given to Mr. Root for his very fine exhibition of last 

 evening. 



Mr. Kannenburg — I second that motion. 



The President put the motion, which was carried unani- 

 mously. 



EXPERIENCE WITH .\LFALF.\ HONEY. 



"Has any one had any experience with alfalfa honey, 

 and with what success?" 



Pres. York — I don"t know whether it means producing 

 alfalfa honey, or handling it, or eating it, or what. I would 

 say it is very good to eat. 



Mr. Becker — I want to say I don't know anything about 

 its production. I know that alfalfa won't produce honey in 

 our locality. But alfalfa honey as a honey I have sold on 

 the market, and I think it is equal to white clover, or next 

 to it, none excepted. It sells readily ; everybody likes it. 

 And there is another thing about it, there are a great many 

 persons that cannot eat honey, but alfalfa they can eat in 

 great quantities. I would advise those that handle alfalfa 

 honey, or sweet clover honey, if the store-keepers will not 

 sell it, to mix it with some darker honey, for instance with 

 heartsease or even buckwheat. Buckwheat I have not had 

 for a good many years, but I use heartsease and Spanish- 

 needle. Invariably in my locality they say this alfalfa honey 

 looks too much like sugar; it hasn't the color of honey. I 

 sell a great deal of it every winter. When I get this honey 

 at this time, and I am out of other honey, I go around and 

 get some Spanish-needle and heartsease honey, and heat it 

 all and melt it in order to produce a different color of honey. 

 Alfalfa is too light a color to sell in the stores. But as to 

 alfalfa, it outsells almost anv other kind of honev. 



The regular stenographer, Mr. Angus, having to leave 

 for his train at this time, Mr. Hutchi»is;n kindly reported 

 the balance of tne session as follows : 



PAPER PAILS AS RETAIL P.'VCkWGES FOR HONEV. 



Mr. Abbott — A man in Colorado expressed to me a paper 

 pail full of alfalfa honey. It reached me in good condition, 

 and was of fine quality. It stood around in the office two 

 days, when, by that time, it had all been eaten. If we could 

 get hold of somethinc like this to put up honey in for retail, 

 it would be a fine thing. 



ALFALF.\ HONEY CANDIES READILY. 



Mr. 'Wheeler — When we mention alfalfa honey we are 

 advertising a Colorado product; we ought to advertise our 

 own honey. I have found that alfalfa honey candies verv 

 readily. 



Pres. York— I have found that alfalfa candies verv 

 readily, and comb honey of this variety ought to be sold 

 before cold weather comes on. 



IS PURE ALFALFA HONEV HARD TO GET? 



Some members expressed their doubts of the possibility 

 of getting pure alfalfa honey. They thought it was largely 

 mixed with sweet clover. 



Mr. Abbott — I have been eating sweet clover honey for 

 20 years, and I don't think you can fool me with it. We get 

 some honey from the West that is not all alfalfa, but I have 

 no trouble in getting water-white alfalfa honey. 



A bottle of honey, supposed to be sweet clover, was then 

 passed around. 



Pres. York — I have handled tons of sweet clover honey, 

 and I should say that this is a sample of pure, sweet clover 

 honey. 



Mr. Snell — I get no surplus from alfalfa, but we have 

 sent for some of the bacteria with which to inoculate the 

 soil, and are hopeful of better results. 



HAS ALFALFA HONEV SPECIAL MEDICINAL QUALITIES? 



Pres. York-;-I have never heard that alfalfa honey pos- 

 sessed any special medicinal properties. I believe that bass- 

 wood has been given that distinction. 



Mr. France— I have sold my dandelion honey at an ad- 

 vanced price because of its supposed medicinal qualities. 



Mr. Abbott — I suppose that all honey has medicinal quali- 

 ties if it is used rightly. It is peculiarly effective in bronchial 

 diseases. 



WHAT IS AN UP-TO-DATE APIARY? 



Mr. Hnrstniann — Where all of the hives are of approved 

 pattern, the weeds and grass kept mowed, where there is an 

 extractor used, and everything kept neat and clean. 



Mr. Wilcox — I suppose that no old straw hives are used, 

 and everything is kept neat. 



SHEEP FOR KEEPING DOWN GRASS IN THE APIARY. 



Mr. Reynolds — Sheep sometimes knock over the hives. 



Mr. Wilcox — I don't know as I would at all times turn 

 in the sheep, but. in the honey season, it seems to me it would 

 be all right. 



Mr. France — In procuring a site for an out-apiary, I 

 select a pasture. The stock soon leams to wrrk in the apiarv 

 at night. If hogs go into the yard, I want the hogs to have 

 rings in their noses. 



CAN HONEY-VINEGAR BE MADE AT A PROFIT? 



Mr. Meredith — Waste honey can be used profitably for 

 that purpose. 



Mr. France — We can get a good price for honey-vinegar 

 in our home market where we and the vinegar are known. 

 I would advise the use of w-aste honey from washing cap- 

 pings, the washing of dishes that have contained honey, etc. 



Mr. Wilcox — If we have honey that will sell at 4 or 5 

 cents per pound, can it be made into vinegar with profit? 



Mr. France — I think not. 



Mr. Hoffman — Give the process for manufacturing vine- 

 gar. 



Mr. France — Make a solution of honey and water that 

 will float an egg, then let it stand until it has turned to 

 vinegar. That is all there is to it. There are quicker proces- 

 ses than this — those that expose it to the air more thoroughly 

 than this — but it will not pay the ordinary bee-keeper to 

 bother with them. 



(Continued next week.) 



