152 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Jan. 



during the day, and thought they became accus- 

 tomed to it, and did not mind it. They were 

 not Italian bees, but the gray bees of the south. 

 Mr. McFe'ridge had bees in the Huber leaf 

 hive, which he set on his porch, which soon be- 

 came so tame that they bothered no one. 



President Clarice thought Mrs. Tupper correct 

 in the construction she put on Mr. Quinby's 

 question, It was an interesting subject; more 

 so to him, perhaps, than to others, from the fact 

 that he was bee hated. Why should we not im- 

 prove them, and even carry it to such an extent 

 that they would have no inclination to sting ex- 

 cept upon very rare occasions. It was probable 

 it could be done. There was evidently a differ- 

 ence in the temper of different colonies of bees 

 of the same variety ; there was no doubt that 

 they had their moods, the best of them are not 

 always alike amiable. They were in that respect 

 like men and women, but some you can ap- 

 proach, at all times, with confidence ; others you 

 have to find out their moods before approaching 

 them. A mother may have a gentle progeny, 

 while her daughter queens may produce a vicious 

 offspring through the influence of a remoter an- 

 cestry. We have to take all these things into 

 account, and use appiopriate means to correct 

 what is wrong and encourage what is desirable. 

 As a rule, it does not take as much to arouse the 

 black bees as the Italians. They are easier to 

 take offence. 



Dr. Bohrer. Have you had any experience in 

 taming the zebra? 



President Clarice. No, but in proof of a diversity 

 in the natural disposition of bees, he might'say 

 that he had in one instance a colony sent him 

 by express, that from rough handling was broken 

 open on the route, yet they came and were de- 

 livered without troubling any one on the cars, 

 while another that was expressed in the same 

 vra y'i g ot broken open and stung around gener- 

 ally. The locomotive had to put on extra speed 

 to run away from them. 



Mr. Hoagland, Pa., could not join Mr. Clarke 

 in the wish for a race of bees that had no stings. 

 President Clarke. Did not say a race of bees 

 that had no stings, but he wanted to breed out 

 of them the desire to use them on ordinary oc- 

 casions. 



Mr. Hoagland thought that their being armed 

 with a sting was a wise arrangement, as without 

 the means to defend their stores, they would be 

 continually robbed and become extinct. Their 

 existence depended on their stings, and he 

 thought they could not be entirely deprived of 

 the instinct to use them. 



Dr. Bohrer thought they could not be rid of 

 the disposition to resist assaults or robbery. 

 Liquid sweets and other means could be used to 

 control them, but even then, if roughly handled, 

 they would resist. 



Mr. Pillen. Never strike about them or blow 

 your breath on them or they will resent it. 



Dr. Hamlin had a colony that became noted 

 for extreme crossness whenever approached, but 

 by being very cautious and gentle, and taking 

 time, he was enabled to handle them even with- 

 out the use of smoke. He was at least twenty or 

 thirty minutes in opening the hive, for when he 



attempted to raise the honey board they were 

 ready to fly at him, but after patient and repeated 

 trials, he took it off, and took out the frames 

 without arousing the anger of any of them. 

 The society adjourned to 2 o'clock p. m, 



Afternoon Session, 

 The society met at 2 o'clock, Vice President 

 Clarke in the chair. 



The business committee, by their chairman, 

 Seth Hoagland, of Pa,, made a report in part, 

 which was received, and after some discussion 

 and slight amendments, was adoj)ted, as follows ; 

 The business committee report the order of 

 business as follows : 



1st. There shall be three sessions each day, 

 from 8 A. m. to 12 noon ; from 1^ to 5 p. m., and 

 from 7 to 9£ evening. 



2d. That D. L. Adair be employed as reporter 

 of the society, and that a full report be had of 

 the proceedings to be published in the different 

 Bee Journals and Agricultural papers. 



3d. The election of officers shall be held at 3 

 o'clock, p. M. 



4th. Discussion of unfinished topics of fore- 

 noon session. 



5th. Topic for discussion at night session. 

 " Is bee-keeping desirable on all farms and at all 

 suburban homes?" 



Hon. M. L. Duhlap of Champaign City, 111., 

 moved to amend the 5th article of the constitu- 

 tion, so as to read : 



"Any person may become a member by giving 

 his or her name to the secretary, and paying an 

 annual fee of $1, except ladies, who shall be ad- 

 mitted free of charge," which was seconded and 

 finally adopted after animated discussion. 



The hour of 3 o'clock having arrived, the spe- 

 cial order, which was the election of officers, 

 was called, the result of which was as follows: — 

 Rev. W. F. Clarke of Guelph, in the Province 

 of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, was elected 

 President. 



Rev. H. A. King, of the City of New York, 

 was elected Secretary ; D. L. Adair, of Hawes- 

 ville, Ky., was elected Corresponding Secretary, 

 Hon. M. L. Dunlap, of Champaign City, Illinois, 

 was elected Treasurer. 



The following Vice Presidents were elected : 

 For Ohio, S. P. Shipley, Olena. 

 " New York, Capt. J. E. Hetherington, Cherry 



Valley. 

 " Pennsylvania, Seth Hodgland, Mercer. 

 " Kentucky, W. R. King, Franklin. 

 " Tennessee, Dr. T. B. Hamlin, Edgefield 



Junction. 

 " Indiana, W. A. Schofield, Indianapolis. 

 " Michigan, Prnf. A. J. Cook, Lansing. 

 " Illinois, Dr. Jewell Davis, Charleston. 

 " Minnesota, J. W. Hosmer, Janesville. 

 " Iowa, Mrs. E. S. Tupper, Des Moines. 

 " Missouri, L. C. Waite, St. Louis. 

 " Kansas, Dr. L. J. Dallas, Baldwin City. 

 " Utah, W. D. Roberts, Provo City. 

 " New Jersey, E. J. Peck, Linden. 

 " Wisconsin, Rev. A. H. Hart, Appleton. 

 " District Columbia, Hugh Cameron, Wash- 

 ington. 

 11 Ontario, Dr. J. C. Thorn, Garafraxa. 



