THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



237 



in fact, they could be handled without 

 smoke. At the same time they were 

 good breeders and honey-producers. 

 Many favored the Italian. 



Is Ontario a good field for beekeep- 

 ing? 



Mr. Jones has travelled over a good 

 part of the United States and the Euro- 

 pean continent, he thinks Ontario ahead 

 of both. He thought the southern states 

 better, but had changed his opinion for 

 the following reason ; they have no 

 yield during hot weather, we have no 

 yield during cold. The bees when 

 cold consume less honey and do not 

 try to rob. The honey here is better 

 in" quality. The son of a leading Amer- 

 ican beekeeper and a graduate of the 

 Michigan agricultural college had, dur- 

 ing their visit in Canada, stated that 

 their honey crop had largely been 

 destroyed by the bees gathering honey 

 dew. 



Which is the best mode of producing 

 comb honey, side or top storing? 



Mr. Cornell found top storing. 



A motion was tlien carried to organ- 

 ize a committee to confer as to the 

 desirability of organizing and affiliat- 

 ing the local association with the On- 

 tario. The following were appointed : 

 Messrs. Wells, Spence, Worcester, 

 Dempsey, Holtermann and Jones. 



The following officers were elected 

 for the ensuing year: — President, Dr. 

 Thorn of Streetsville; 1st Vice Presi- 

 dent, Mr. Pettitt of Belmont ; 2nd Vice 

 President, R. McKnight of Owen 

 Sound; Secretary and Treasurer, 

 Jacob Spence of Toronto. Executive 

 Committee: D. A. Jones of Beeton ; 

 E. J. Campbell of Cayuga; F. McPher- 

 son of Beeton; Mr. Dempsey of Tren- 

 ton and S. Webster of Doucaster. 



The meeting then adjourned. 

 ( To he continued.) 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



QUESTIONS BY THK EDITOR. 



1. Please state what preparations, 

 if any, you mal^e during this month, 

 towards preparing your bees for the 

 coming winter? 



2. Have you any Holy Land or any 

 Syrian bees in your apiaries? If so, 

 what has been their record? 



3. Do you consider it possible to 

 select any standard by which we may 

 iudge the different races of bees, re- 



garding markings, qualities, etc.? If 

 so, please state what course you 

 would suggest which may establish 

 such standards. 



4. What is your, opinion regarding 

 the suggestions of Messrs. Blake aud 

 Ripley, as given under "Notes and Que- 

 ries"? 



5. Have you, in your experience in 

 the apiary this season, solved any prob- 

 lems or learned anything that would 

 aid your brother beekeeper in master- 

 ing his business ? If so, will you kindly 

 give our readers the benefit of them so 

 far as you feel at liberty to do so, re- 

 membering that a well educated class 

 of beekeepers will work more for the 

 interests of the majority than those 

 who are ignorant. 



ANSWERS BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 



1. We only see that each colony has 

 eight frames (Gallup) with enough 

 honey to winter (30 lbs.). If not that 

 amount we feed in September. 



2. We have had Syrian bees for 

 three years. I incline to the opinion 

 that they are the best bees in the 

 world. Though not quite as amiable 

 as Italians, they are not so cross as to 

 vex any good experienced beekeeper. 



3. I have only had experience with 

 German, Syrian and Italian races. 

 They are all well marked. It is no 

 trouble to tell when pui-e, though it 

 often is to keep them so. The Syrians 

 are much like Italians but any impurity 

 even of Italian blood is quickly discern- 

 ible. 



4. In theory splendid, but wholly 

 impracticable. Until we have more 

 conventions, and all attend, we cannot 

 accomplish such ends. 



5. I find cold alone does not stop 

 nectar flow; but cold and drought do. 

 We have had very little honey. Within 

 thirty miles, they have had abundant 

 rains. We have had a very severe 

 drought, and have got much honey. 

 It has been very cold in both places. 



I have some important suggestions 

 on sources of nectar that are new, 

 which I will give at National Conven- 

 tion. 



Our state fair this week has a good 

 honey exhibit. It will do us much 

 good. These exhibits will do very 

 much for apiculture. All states sliouUl 

 wheel into line. 



