6Q 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Sept., 



for effect than anything else, he being a friend 

 and advocate of the Italian hee. 



Sixth topic— General remarks on bee-culture. 

 Rev. Mr. Luccock said it was not always the 

 largest cell that furnishes the best queen ; he 

 had small queens that produced his best workers. 



Mr. Brooks said the fair-sized cells, as a 

 general rule, give the best queens. 



Remarks by diffei-ent speakers. — Queen cells 

 taken from new combs give brighter queens 

 than those taken from old combs. 



Avoid, if possible, handling queens with the 

 hands, as the scent of the fingers endangers the 

 life of the queen when replaced among the bees. 



Keep the bees together in the hive. 



Change combs often, else the bees will degen- 

 erate in size. Italian bees in the West are 

 handsomer and larger than those bred from 

 eastern queens, the preference being given to 

 the chestnut colored queens, as they are nearer 

 the color of early importations, and are better 

 in every particular. 



FORAGE FOR BEES. 



Mr. Sleath exhibited two specimens of honey 

 producing plants, Rocky Mountain bee plant, 

 and sweet clover, said to continue in bloom a 

 long time, and to be continually visited by the 

 bees ; their use was strongly recommended. 

 Alsike clover and buckwheat were also recom- 

 mended. 



Mr. Sawyei', of Normal, exhibited the "Pea- 

 body" honey extractor, and demonstrated its 

 merits by extracting honey before the associa- 

 tion. 



Mr. J. V. Books, of Lexington, exhibited an 

 observatory hive of bees, in which the queen, as 

 well as the other bees coidd be seen performing 

 their several duties. 



A subscription, amounting to $3.50, was taken 

 up to defray current expenses. 



A number of persons signed their names and 

 became members of the association. 



On motion, the following committee was ap- 

 pointed to select topics for discussion at the 

 next regular meeting of the association : W. G. 

 Anderson, J. V. Brooks and J. L. Wolcott. 



Report of a number of beekeepers of this and 

 adjoining counties from spring up to July 18th, 

 1872, being a fair average report of the condi- 

 tion of bees in central Illinois. 



E. Sager Hudson, transferred eight swarms in 

 spring, increased to nineteen ; no surplus. 



Wm. P. ST. Cool, Meadows, twenty-one old 

 colonies ; had five swarms ; no surplus reported. 



J. Hamer, ten colonics in the spring ; had two 

 swarms ; but little honey. 



J. EL Cox, Hudson, seven stands in spring; 

 thirteen stands now, by artificial means ; surplus, 

 thirty pounds. 



M. S. Sill, Blue Mound, three colonies ; no 

 swarms ; hives all full : ten pounds surplus. 



W. H. Anderson, Lexington, fifteen colonies 

 in spring; have now thirty; no box honey; 

 might have some extracted, if attended to. 



S. C. Ware, Towanda, seventeen stocks ; no 

 swarms or surplus. 



W. G. Anderson, McLean, eighty colonies ; 

 seventeen natural swarms ; surplus 200 pounds. 



J. L. Westervelt, Livingston county, eight 

 colonies; seven swarms 



S. B. Ledgerwood, Forrest, fifteen in spring ; 

 fifteen swarms. 



W. E. Price, Iroquois county, nine colonies ; 

 no swarms ; no honey ; hive covered with bees. 



H. Peek, Normal, four colonies ; four swarms ; 

 fifteen pounds surplus. 



J. R. Nutt, three colonies ; six swarms, sur- 

 plus, two boxes. 



Wm. Reynolds, Lexington, seventy-two colo- 

 nies in fall, 1871 ; wintered them all in good con- 

 dition ; sold in spring, 1872, fifteen colonies; 

 surplus honey in boxes, about 150 pounds. 



On motion, the thanks of the association were 

 given to the citizens of Lexington, for their hos- 

 pitality ; also to Messrs. Mahan & Co., for the 

 use of their hall. 



Adjourned, to meet in regular session in Sep- 

 tember, of which due notice will be given in the 

 papers. 



J. Ansley, Secretary. 



J. W. Gladding, Cor. Sec, Normal, 111. 



[For the Amertcan Bee Journal.] 



The Yield in Bethlehem, Iowa. 



Mr. Editor : — It is generally conceded that 

 extremes succeed each other. Last season's 

 abundant yield followed by the present one of 

 scarcity, goes to prove the correctness of the old 

 saying. 



The spring was remarkably cold and wet, con- 

 fining the bees to their hives ; even when a fine 

 day did come the flowers did not yield honey 

 enough for their brood. We had three days 

 that bees worked upon wild cherry, gathering to 

 each strong stock about ten pounds from that 

 time until the 1st of July. There is no honey 

 producing flowers of any considerable amount, 

 as we have no white clover, and but a few acres 

 of Alsike, that did not appear to yield honey. 

 Last year the bees literally swarmed upon it. 

 About the first of July, Linden began to come 

 out, lasting about five days, yielding about the 

 same amount that wild cherry did. After that 

 we have had about a month in which there are no 

 honey producing flowers in bloom, unless early 

 buckwheat should yield the necessary supply, 

 which I doubt ; nevertheless my bees are in good 

 condition, and ready to gather their stores, should 

 an opportunity be given them to do so. Don't 

 you think, Mr. Editor, that such a season as the 

 present my bees suffered some from dysentery. 

 I lost one stock in toto ; had two queenless, one 

 drone laying queen, and about twenty with not 

 over three pints each to the swarm. Whole 

 number reported 52— should have been 53. If 

 defunct bees had been in demand, I think I 

 could have supplied them by the bushel. I will 

 give my winter's experience in a future number, 

 in time for putting bees in their winter quarters. 

 Novice thinks Linden never fails, with me 1870 

 and 1872, looks something like it. 



Fred. Crathorn. 



Bethlehem, Iowa, July 15, 1872. 



