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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Nov., 



Chautauqua County,' New York. 

 THE BEEKEEPERS IN COUNCIL. 



Second Annual Convention. 



ALL BEES AND KO AVASPS. 



The 2d Annual Convention of the Chautauqua 

 County Beekeepers' Association, J. C. Crans- 

 ton, President, was held at the Chautauqua 

 House, Mayville, Tuesday, Sept. 12th, — the same 

 jjlace of meetino- occupied by the "Wasp" Con- 

 vention last year. By reason of the large num- 

 ber held as witnesses or jurors at tlie Court 

 House a goodly number v.'ho had intended to bo 

 present were deprived of the privilege. Con- 

 sequently Geo. W. Norton's expected essay on 

 " Wasjis, " and Dr. Horton's lively description 

 of the manner in which bees inevitably "go" 

 for himself and horses, and liow he has been the 

 victim of two or three runaways, and nearly lost 

 a span of valuable horses because of bee stings, 

 and how he hated bees and their honey, and how 

 the bees returned the compliment — were lost to 

 the Convention. Still the session was one of 

 profit and interest. Some ten towns were repre- 

 sented, and the time mainly occujiied by an 

 informal debate in which each related their ex- 

 periences, and during which much valuable in- 

 formation was elicited. 



O. E. Thayer, of Carroll, reported IG stocks of 

 blacks bees. By reason of the drouth the honey 

 was harvested early and he realized less than 

 last year. He also lost by a neglect in the spring 

 to put on the surplus boxes in the proper season. 

 His honey readily brought him 30 cts. a pound. 

 He was now Italianizing his entire stock. 



J. B. Knowlton, of Clymer, had 16 stocks in 

 the spring, which had increased to 40. A part 

 were Italians. He should continue Italianizing. 

 Owing to the weak condition of his stock he had 

 but little surplus honey. The Italian bee stored 

 more than the blacks. He used the Quinby 

 movable comb hive. 



M. Cook, of Ellicott, had 10 swarms black 

 bees in the spring in the old-fashioned box hive. 

 Eight of them had yielded 10 new swarms : two 

 had flown away. He got two swarms by alterna- 

 tion in 18 days. His object had been to in- 

 crease his stock more than to gain surplus honey. 

 He had 25 new swarms in another place with an 

 average weight, Aug. 1st (honey and bees), of 

 4:]^- lbs., the smallest weighing 22^ lbs. He re- 

 quired 20 lbs. on the average to carry a swarm 

 through the winter. Steady cold weather was 

 better than variable, and out-doors better for 

 wintering than the cellar. He had tried it in a 

 di-y cellar, but the comb dampened and mildewed. 

 He lost half his bees in trying it. In steady cold 

 weather bees become torpid and will not eat. 

 He ventilates at the top of the hive, and feeds 

 his bees at tlie top. He transfers after swarm- 

 ing as early as possible — 3 days to 10. He would 

 not wait 21 days. If transferred in April old 

 comb would generally have to be put in and the 

 more of that the worse you are off. New comb 

 would do. You also destroy more or less brood 

 by transferring in the spring. 



N. M. Carpenter, of EUery, has been in the 

 bee business 12 or 14 years. For several years 

 he pursued it indifferentlj^, but finding it pleas- 

 ant and prolitable he gave it more attention. He 

 considered it more piofitable — two to one — than 

 any other branch of farming. He commenced 

 with the Quinby hive and rarely lost a swarm, 

 and his bees had uniformly paid him 100 per 

 cent. This year he had put in 28 swarms in a 

 hive of his own con.struction and was still better 

 paid. The more care he gave his bees the more 

 profit. Last year his bees turned him an aver- 

 age income of $20 a hive. This year he started 

 with 32 swarms — six Italians — used movable 

 frames, and had realized over 1000 lbs. surplus 

 honey, and 81 new swarms, which he had put 

 in 40 hives, and which would bring him -f 15 a 

 swarm. His bees swarmed too much and rob- 

 bed badly. He got a first swarm from every 

 hive. If a non-swarming hive could be invented, 

 which would enable them to control the inove- 

 ments of the bees, the profits would be much 

 greater. He could not yet decide upon the com- 

 parative merits of the Italians and blacks. The 

 former would not work on red clover or on the 

 same flower with the black, but they would work 

 when the black would not, and were more active 

 and vigorous. He would differ with Mr. Cook 

 ujjon the amount of honey necessary to winter 

 stocks. — tie had got through on 5 lbs., and then 

 again it had taken more than 20. He handled 

 his bees a great deal and was familiar with their 

 condition. He had noticed 8 or 10 stocks placed 

 in a row, ventilated alike, which appeared alike 

 in all respects in the fall but in the spring some 

 had their honey entirely consumed and others 

 but a little — some weak and others strong. He 

 wished to ask tlie occasion of this difference. 



J. M. Beebe suggested that the stocks might 

 have been robbed. Robber bees act very often 

 like young bees just commencing to fly, and will 

 rob when supposed to be flying. Air. Carpenter 

 had tested the matter and did not believe that 

 to be tlie reason. 



W. R. Coot, of Harmony, said bees had not 

 done as well in his section as last year, because 

 of the drouth — better the fore part of the season 

 than later. He wintered 43 swarms black bees 

 in good condition — lost none — had increased to 

 75 swarms. His object had been the obtaining 

 of surplus honey. Not all of his stocks had 

 swarmed. He should have in all about 1,700 

 pounds of surplus. He used the Kidder hive. 

 Mr. Ford, P. M. at Steadmanville, started in 

 new in the spring with five swarms which had 

 yielded nine new swarms, and sufficient honey 

 to winter. No surplus honey except in the Kid- 

 der hives. Mr. Newhouse also started with five 

 swarms and had gained seven and 200 pounds 

 of surplus. He had studied bee-keeping since 

 he was 18 years old. He could tell whether a 

 swarm had lost its queen by observation, with- 

 out examining. He could generally prevent an 

 increase of stocks by giving iilenty of box room. 



Mr. Carpenter could not prevent at all in 

 that w%ay. 



Leroy Whitford, of Harmony, used artificial 

 swarming and liked the system. He was troubled 

 with too much swarming. One swarm a season 



