42 



Till-: AMi:i,'ICA\ BEK-EEKI'Kh' 



Marcli 



an inch apart, la}' the candy on and the appointment of state in^pectOl•s, 



the frames immediatel}'^ over the has already been organized, with B. F. 



cluster. Tuck a chafif cushion over Onderdonk. Mt. Vernon, president: W. 



them snugly and if the weather W. Case. Baptisttown, vice-president, 



is not too severe, and the colony strong and secretary-treasurer, G. W. Wan- 



enough, they may pull through. 

 New Columbia, 111., Jan. 31, 1902. 



PHILADELPHIA. 



DOINGS OF BKE-KEEPEKS IX AND AUG IT 

 THE CITY OF BROTHEKI.Y LOVE. 



(By M. F. Reeve.) 



THE PHILADELPHIA Bee- 

 Keepers" Association. which 

 claims to be the oldest organiza- 

 tion of apiarists in the United States, 

 celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 

 January, by re-electing president and 

 librarian. Dr. Harry Townsend: vice- 

 president, W. E. Flower, and treasurer- 

 secretar3^ Fred Hahman. President 

 Townsend in his address said the only 

 meeting the association had ever missed 

 was during the blizzard in March, 188S. 

 The Association has 25 active members, 

 and a small balance in the treasury. It 

 was announced that in view of the size 

 of the quarters, a much larger member- 

 ship was not desired. Among the con- 

 tributors are bee-keepers of several 

 counties around Philadelphia, and 

 points in New Jersey. During the 

 spring, summer and autumn months, 

 the society has regular "outings." or 

 field meetings at out of town apiaries, 

 which are delightfully al fresco affairs. 

 The topic for the February meeting 

 was an "Improved Method of Queen 

 Rearing.'' b^' Dr. C. J. Massinger. Coj- 

 lingswood, N. J., whose invention of a 

 spiral queen cage. I referred to several 

 months ago in connection with an ac- 

 count of the outing at the Hanor .Api- 

 ary at Mt. Holly, N. J. 



The Pennsylvania bee-keepers outside 

 of Philadeli)hia. are talking about or- 

 ganizing a State Association for the 

 principal purpose of securing foul 

 brood legislation. They are scared by 

 the reports of the appearance of the 

 disease among the colonies in localities 

 adjacent to the boundary line. The or- 

 ganization will be effected before the 

 next legislature assembles. 



The New Jersey State Bee-Keepers' 

 Association having the same object in 

 view, to-wit: the fighting of foul brood. 



sor,, Crawford. The New Jersey State 

 Board of Agriculture has given its en- 

 dorsement and backing to the objects of 

 the Association and the bill will be in- 

 troduced into the legislature. 

 Rutledge, Pa., Feb. 10. 1902. 



Box Hives and Transferring 



(By \V. W. McNeal.i 



TO THE beginner in apiculture, 

 the old-time box-hive is without 

 a doubt the best hive extant. To 

 the veteran bee-keeper the box-hive is, 

 in many places more deserving of 

 recognition than some styles of frame 

 hives when same are used with a view 

 to establishing a colony. Consequently 

 one of the greatest mistakes the inex- 

 perienced man or woman can make is 

 to transfer the bees and combs of a 

 big box-hive to a frame hive. Can vou 

 name any other hive in which a colony 

 of bees will winter so successfully 

 when correspondingly neglected by its 

 owner? I think not. So again I saA' 

 to the beginner: Let your first pur- 

 chase of hives of bees be box-hives. I 

 see no reason wh}' a colony should ever 

 be transferred from one of these hives 

 i: the hive is made of good, sound 

 boards, and the combs are straight and 

 do not consist too largely of drone 

 comb. The only time I should consider 

 such a course would be when wishing 

 to quit the business and I could not 

 dispose of the colony at its real value. 

 You ma}- say that I am away behind 

 the times for advocating the use of a 

 hi\e in which the combs are not mo\- 

 able. However. I believe I am right 

 in this matter as stated. I do not con- 

 demn the use of frame hives. On the 

 contrary. I much prefer certain styles 

 of movable comb hives to box-hives 

 for a general purpose hive. But of what 

 avail is the improved hive when the 

 box-hive system of management is 

 tacked to it'? None whatever. In fact, 

 it then becomes the worst hive in which 

 bees can be put. When intelligently 

 manipulated it possesses certain marked 

 advantages over box-hives. As a rule 

 the novice will not make a right use of 

 the hive. It is ;ill ri.yht anrl proper for 



