554 



over 400 colonies of bees, and in regard to 

 the fatality among bees last winter, it was a 

 very severe winter. His hives that were 

 covered with snow came through the win- 

 ter in the best condition. Holes or winter 

 passages ought to be cut in the combs, so 

 that the bees could pass from one comb to 

 another for feed, without having to pass 

 either over top or bottom, when they are 

 liable to be chilled, and never return to the 

 ■cluster. He believes that ten colonies 

 starve to death to one dying from any other 

 cause ; and no matter what other protection 

 is given them, never fail to have winter 

 passages. 



J. F. Bean said that if quilts were put on 

 top of frames, and leave room for bees to 

 pass underneath, would answer instead of 

 winter passages. 



Mr. Dean said he used chaff cushions on 

 each side, on inside of hive, and one on top, 

 which kept them warm all winter. He had 

 lost half the colonies he had, but it was 

 done through carelessness in fixing them in 

 winter time ; he used frames of candy for 

 food. 



W. B. Herring said he had left all his on 

 summer stands and simply took old coffee 

 sacks, put chaff in them, placed them on 

 top of honey-boards, and he lost not one 

 colony ; all came through the winter safe, 

 though some were rather weak. 



Mr. Bagby said that it is very important to 

 have winter passages, as he has known 

 plenty of colonies to die of starvation and 

 still have plenty of honey in the hive. 



Mr. Egbert said he approved of both plans 

 spoken of, but he thought the most impor- 

 tant matter was to have young and vigorous 

 queens, keep them laying as late in the fall 

 as possible, and go into winter quarters 

 with plenty of young bees. 



Mr. Williamson said he simply encased 

 the Langstroth hive in a rough box, with an 

 air space all around, which proved very 

 satisfactory. 



Italianizing an Apiary. 



Mr. L. M. Green asked the best way to 

 Italianize an apiary when surrounded by 

 the black bees of his neighbors. 



The Secretary said the safest way was to 

 Italianize all his neighbor's bees, or rear 

 Italian drones earlier than blacks appear. 



Mr. Bagby approved of the plan, or keep 

 enough queens over winter to supply all 

 colonies in the spring. 



Mr. Egbert asked which is the best kind 

 of Italian bees ? Said he loved Italian bees, 

 and half the good has not been told of them. 



The Secretary said leather-colored queens 

 were general favorites here and in Italy 

 both, at least among the most advanced 

 apiarists ; they are good workers, vigorous 

 and profitable, although a great many pur- 

 chasers want the bright golden queens. 



J. R. Williamson said in rearing queens 

 he had always noticed that in very warm 

 weather the young queens will be brighter 

 than in cool weather ; that the first queens 

 hatched among a lot of cells, are generally 

 the best and most vigorous queens. 



The Secretary said he had visited a large 

 apiary this spring, and found all the best 

 marked bees very small, and the hybrids 

 large ; asked how long the queens had been 



used for breeding from without crossing ; 

 they had not been crossed for years. The 

 small bees were undoubtedly the result of 

 in-and-in breeding. 



Mr. Bagby said to prevent in-and-in breed- 

 ing, it is best to raise drones from one queen 

 and queens from another, both of different 

 stock. 



The following resolutions were adopted : 



Resolved, That this Association appoint a com- 

 mittee of three to enquire into the present State 

 law (if any) as to its force in regard to bee traps or 

 the unnecessary destruction of honey bees, and if 

 said law is deficient in any respect, to draft or cause 

 to be drafted, such a law as will protect the interest 

 of the bee-keepers of Kentucky, and present the 

 same to our next Legislature to become a law. Be it 

 further 



Resolved, That the members of this Association 

 denounce, and request the bee-keepers of Kentucky 

 to denounce the unnecessary killing of honey bees, 

 and report any person or persons detected in the 

 willful destruction of said bees. 



The President appointed the following 

 committee : W. Williamson, F. P. Scarce, 

 W. K. Moore. 



Many other questions were asked and 

 discussed. Thei-e was on exhibition a good 

 display of bee-keepers' supplies and sev- 

 eral patent bee hives. 



As it is the intention hereafter for the 

 Association only to meet once a year, and 

 then for two days instead of one, it was, on 

 motion, unanimously resolved that the Con- 

 vention adjourn, to meet in Lexington, on 

 the first Tuesday and Wednesday in May 

 next. W. Williamson, Sec. 



West Virginia Convention. 



The Bee-Keepers' Union Association met 

 at Fairview, West Va., on Sept. 23, 1879, and 

 temporarily organized by calling Mr. J. A. 

 Buchanan, of Holliday's Cove, to the Chair, 

 and Thos. Lloyd, acting as Secretary. 



On motion of Mr. D. H. Taut, the Asso- 

 ciaton proceeded to organize permanently. 

 The Chair appointed a committee, to nomi- 

 nate permanent officers, consisting of H. S. 

 Shull, A. J. Fisher and D. H. Yant. 



The following were appointed a com- 

 mittee on constitution and by-laws : D. H. 

 Yant, Thos. Lloyd and II. Fisher. 



The committee on nomination reported 

 the following, who were duly elected : 

 President, John A. Buchanan, of Holliday's 

 Cove ; Vice Presidents, Henry Fisher, of 

 East Liverpool ; Philip Freshwater, of 

 Paris, Pa ; Secretary, Thos. Lloyd, of Fair- 

 view, W. Va.; Treasurer, R. H. Brown, 

 of Fairview, W. Va. 



After adopting the constitution and by- 

 laws the Association, adjourned to meet at 

 \)4 o'clock, p.m. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



Called to order, President J. A. Buchanan 

 in the chair. On motion, an enrollment of 

 members was made. 



Italians vs. Black Bees. 



The Association being now fully organ- 

 ized, the question, " Are Italian bees super- 

 ior in every respect to black or native bees?" 

 was taken up and discussed in the affirma- 

 by D. H. Yant and A. J. Fisher, whose 



