174 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[Feb. 



Question 7th. — How can we get rid of fertile 

 workers ? 



President said lie caught them and took their 

 beads off, and furnished the colony with a fertile 

 queen, and in this way he generally succeeded, but 

 not always. Mr. Ingles said he took the hive about 

 fifty yards from the old stand, and taking out each 

 sash brushed off the bees, he then returned them 

 placing the hive on the old stand, the bees by this 

 lime having nearly all returned, leaving the fertile 

 worker to perish, as she knows nothing of her 

 original locality. He then supplied the colonj' 

 with a fertile queen in the usual way. 



Question 8th. — What is the best test of pure 

 Italian bees ? 



Answer. — Shape, color and general appearance. 



Question 9th. — How can we secure pure fertiliza- 

 tion of Italian queens ? 



Ingels said, purify the black drones. Mr, 

 Humphrey and the President stated that they had 

 secured the fertilization of queens in confinement, 

 by the use of Mrs. Farnam's non-swarming attach- 

 ment. 



Question 10th. — What is the true theory on the 

 origin of honey dew? 



No one feeling willing to answer the question, 

 Mr. Ingels read the following : 



The true origin of honey dew has long been a 

 query in my mind, and not until two years ago, 

 could 1 arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. Never, 

 for a moment, could I entertain the opinion of some 

 that it was the production of aphides. The pre- 

 sence of the aphis was, in my mind, attracted there 

 for the purpose of luxuriating on the liquid sweets 

 of the honey dew. The theory most reasonable 

 with me was that it was an atmospheric produc- 

 tion. But why it did not fall alike on all vegeta- 

 tion in the same vicinity, was what I could not 

 comprehend, hence my theory was at an end. I 

 determined two years ago last spring, that if we had 

 any honey dew, that I would investigate the cause, 

 in order that I might arrive at some satisfactory 

 conclusion as to its true cause. When the time 

 came for the dews, the season was very favorable 

 with us, I discovered the activity of my bees so 

 very early, yet before it was light, that I suspected 

 the presence of honey dews, for it was at a time 

 that I knew there was a scarcity of pasturage. I 

 mounted my horse, and followed them to the woods, 

 and found them luxriating on the honey dew, and 

 that it was abundant, the bees humming in every 

 direction, for I had near two hundred colonies 

 spread out in the woods. After my researches in 

 the matter, I took home branches of crystalized 

 honey dew, and placed them in the cellar until 

 evening, then placed a part of them in the open 

 air, and next morning found the dew in a liquid 

 state, while others I left under cover remained 

 ci-ystalized. During this time the bees collected 

 honey abundantly, and of course thought I should 

 have some very fine honey, and of course would be 

 as colorless as the atmosphere from which it was 

 condensed ; but how I was disappointed, you may 

 imagine, when I examined my surplus. It was 

 dark, thin and watery, and was almost as worth- 

 less as sorghum molasses. It may possibly do to 

 raise broods on and for wintering bees, but I 

 scarcely thanked my bees for the surplus. The 



dew continued for two weeks. 1 am now satisfied 

 that I can tell honey dew honey from its color, and 

 by tasting can tell every time. I am fully convinc- 

 ed, after my observations, that the honey dew is 

 nothing more nor less than a secretion of sacha- 

 rine juices that flow from the leaves of certain 

 trees, brought about by the action of certain kinds 

 of weather, in midsummer during a dry time, ex- 

 cessive hot days, with cool nights, and without the 

 presence of our common dew. The varieties that 

 produce the dews are hickory, linn, some kinds of 

 oaks, willows, sumach, hazel ; but hickory is the 

 most productive. The honey has a flavor peculiar 

 to the sap that exudes from the end of a hickory 

 log cut in March and exposed to the sun. I pre- 

 sume that all of you at some period of your life 

 have seen it. Samuel Ingels. 



Oskaloosa, Nov. 14, 1872 



Wintering of bees occupied considerable time. 

 Mr. Woodward wintered successfully in a bee 

 house made similar to an ice house, with double 

 walls and space filled between. Mr. Bachelder 

 wintered in out-door cellar, made for the purpose, 

 and succeeded well. 



Mr. Ingels wintered about two hundred colonies 

 in cellar, under dwelling house, every winter. 

 Would not be without cellar, and that perfectly dry 

 and well ventilated. Would set them out the first 

 warm spell ; think it very beneficial that they be 

 allowed to fly out eaidy, that they may clean up 

 the house, even if they have to be returned to win- 

 ter quarters for a short time. 



The following resolution was adopted : 



Resolved, That this, association adjourn to meet 

 in Ottumwa, on the first Monday in March, 1873. 



After some general discussion upon the merits 

 and demerits of various methods of procuring sur- 

 plus honey, increasing stocks, &c. 



On motion, adjourned. 



C. H. Batchelder, Pres't, 

 D. N. Hamilton. Sec'y. 



[For the American Bee Journal. ] 



Small Surplus Boxes. 



During the past two seasons 1 have aided a man 

 from the State of New York to sell 11,000 lbs. of 

 honey in three and six pound boxes. The price 

 received was about thirty cents per pound. Had 

 that honey been in still smaller boxes the price 

 would have been much above that received. In all 

 places where I have sold honey the demand has 

 been for smaller boxes. 



If bee-keepers will use boxes, say those that will 

 weigh, when full, from one and a half to two pounds 

 each, they will find a ready market at all times for 

 it, and at prices nearly double that received for six 

 and ten pound caps. 



To make bee-keeping profitable, bee-keepers must 

 use smaller boxes. Of course we cannot do with- 

 out the extractor, any better than we can the 

 moveable frame, but a bee-keeper who has only 

 from twenty-five to fifty hives of bees, will find 

 small boxes more profitable and much less trouble 

 and labor. 1 don't know how it is in other cities 

 out of New England, but, I do know that extracted 

 honey wont sell here for what it is worth. I have 

 talked with dealers about it, and they say that they 



