204 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[March, 



Cleveland, in December 1871, at which I was a 

 member of the Committee appointed to frame a 

 Constitution for the treneral government of the 

 society. It was, I tliink, af^reed by all the 

 members of the committee, that the treasury of 

 the society should be kept sufficiently flush with 

 means to enable its members to publish an im«- 

 partial and complete report of all the proceedinfjs 

 and discussions. In the absence of such a 

 i-eport, it was thought that a national society 

 could not do much towards promoting the 

 general beekeeping interests of the country, 

 and would also fall short even in benefiting its 

 own members to the extent it could if the pro- 

 ceedings weie printed in pamphlet form for 

 future reference. 



Witli this object in view, special provision for 

 the accumulation of a treasury fund was made 

 in article Cth, wherein it was stated that each 

 member of the society should pay one dollar at 

 the time of becoming a member, and one dollar 

 annually thereafter, into the treasury. But on 

 presenting the constitution to the society for 

 final adoption, objections were urged against 

 the annual payment of one dollar, and this 

 special provision was stricken out. 



Through this amendment I fear that one of 

 the principal supports of the society has been 

 withiield, as it seems quite clear to my mind 

 that in the absence of funds for the special pur- 

 pose of publishing our proceedings, they will 

 remain unpublished, or be liable to be garbled 

 just to suit designing parties, who may be con- 

 nected with the organization. Thus the object 

 contemplated, of publishing a valuable pamphlet 

 each year, has been completely th waited. For 

 there can be but little benefit accruing to the 

 beekeeping fraternity at large, out of the annual 

 meetings of such a society, excejtt through the 

 medium of placing before the masses a true 

 report of their discussions, and of the experience 

 of many beekeepers who may, at such meet- 

 ings, give a full statement of their diffei'ent 

 methods of managing bees. If its beneficial 

 resixlts are not to be found in this, then such an 

 organization is not calculated to benefit any but 

 that class of persons who have something to sell 

 to beekeepers ; and they, or a portion of them, 

 will not fail to have everything I'eported in full 

 that is calculated to put an additional feather in 

 their caps. 



These matters, as I have stated, were thought 

 of by the committee on permanent organi- 

 zation ; and after the means for printing our 

 proceedings in full, were discarded, I took it 

 upon myself to offer a resolution (which was 

 adopted) to the eft'ect that the proceedings of 

 the Indianapolis, of the Cincinnati, and of the 

 Cleveland conventions, be published in pamphlet 

 foim. It, of course, remains yet to be seen how 

 full and impartial the reijort will be. Should it 

 be of such a character as to point out selfishness 

 on every page — such as placing certain persons 

 and their merchandise prominently before the 

 beekeeping public, to the exclusion of others of 

 equal or perhaps much moi'e merit ; or placing 

 remarks of some persons prominent before the 

 public, not because they have done or said as 

 much for the benefit of bee-culture as others, 



but because they are instruments of pi'ofit and 

 gain to certain parties ; then I shall insist upon 

 either a disbanding of the society, or making 

 provision in our constitution for the publication 

 of full and impartial reports. Should this mat- 

 ter be neglected, the grand object for which 

 such a society should exist will be completely 

 submerged. 



Let me say to the Editor, that the JotjrnaLi 

 is improving with each issue. Long may it 

 live and its subscribers be increased tens of 

 thousands annually. 



G. BOHRER. 



Alexandria, Ind. 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Super and Nucleus Hives. 



Dear Journal : — On page 154, of the Journal 

 for January, Mr. A. Grinmi, gives his methods 

 of managing the "super hive" from which to 

 extract honey. As I have met with the same 

 unsatisfactory results as those which Mr. G. 

 speaks of, in the usual mode of management, I 

 adopted a plan entirely different from those 

 given by him ; and where an increase of stock is 

 desired, or new combs are needed (which is 

 often the case>, I believe my plan is pn-ferable. 

 It is this : If available, procure a frame of 

 straight comb, or failing in this, lift out an out- 

 side frame from the brood chamber, placing it 

 with an empty frame on each side, on one side 

 of the super, adjust the division board, and cover 

 the balance of the brood chamber with a honey- 

 board. The honey-board should be composed 

 of two separate pieces (two widths of weather- 

 boarding answers well), so that when it is 

 necessary to furnish additional frames, the edge 

 of the first may be raised over the second, and 

 slid any required distance. 



This plan for many reasons, is much better 

 than the one usually fodowed, namely, that of 

 opening up the whole super at once ; as the 

 small amount of surplus room thus given to 

 begin with, does not tend to produce a discour- 

 agiufi effect on the bees, yet there is room 

 sufficient for the eft'ective force of wax workers 

 to be brought into requisition. Besides, as is 

 well known, by alternating empty with full 

 ones, each comb is built in the frame, without 

 being run over and attached to another, as so 

 often happens when two empty frames are 

 placed in the hive, side by side. 



We have put up a nucleus hive a la mode 

 Gallup, with not only an entrance at each side, 

 but with a nice little portico at each entrance — 

 painting each a difl'erent color. Would it not 

 be an additional feature to make the division of 

 wire cloth, as it would certainly add much to the 

 mutual warmth ? We have used such partitions 

 wlien wintering two small colonies in one hive, 

 with success. Let us have your opinion Mr. 

 Gallup, as we "take .stock" on your suggestions, 

 having found but few of them that would not 

 bear a practical test. 



RUBTICUS. 



Jan., 1872. 



