1873.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



23 9 



glory. The late basswood blossoms, raspberries, 

 asters, golden-rods and buckwheat protract the 

 honey season into the fall. The bees are the best 

 farm laborers we can have, inasmuch as they work 

 for nothing and board themselves. 



Wintering is the great difficulty about bee-keeping 

 in this climate. Twenty or thirty degrees below 

 zero is hard on bees. But this difficulty can be and 

 is overcome by proper management. Negligence is 

 more fatal to the apiary than extreme cold. The 

 present winter has been very severe on bees, and 

 those left without care on their summer stands are 

 for the most part dead. But while doleful accounts 

 come from unskillful or careless bee-keepers, ex- 

 perienced and vigilant ones have brought their 

 stocks through even the present winter, either 

 wholly unharmed or with only a small percentage 

 of loss. 



The chief trouble with beginners in bee-keeping 

 is that they will not go to the slight expense and 

 small trouble necessary to get informed on the sub- 

 ject. They buy a hive of bees, about which they 

 know nothing, except that bees can sting, and that 

 their honey is nice, and then leave it to take care 

 of itself. It is needless to say that this is a very 

 foolish course to adopt. What wonder that only 

 failure and loss are the result ? It would be the 

 same in sheep-raising, dairying, or any other line 

 of farming. While, therefore, we advise the farmer 

 to make bee-keeping one of many lines of industrial 

 pursuit, we qualify the advice by urging that it be 

 by no means entered into without seeking informa- 

 tion in regard to it. This can easily be obtained 

 from books on apiculture, and from bee journals. — 

 From ' ' Farm, Garden and ffome' ' department of 

 Inter- Ocean. 



The Kansas Bee Hive. 



Mr. Editor : — In the December number, page 

 132, Mr. Noah Cameron made some very incorrect 

 statements in regard to the Kansas Bee Hive and 

 myself. He says : " But the patented feature is the 

 most curious. He first applied for a three side 

 opener, but was refused because it infringed on 

 other patents." This statement I pronounce en- 

 tirely false. It can easily be proved at the United 

 States Patent Office, that I never made application 

 for any such contrivance as he represents. Mr. 

 Cameron does not regard the patent as much of a 

 "grab." Of course he has a right to his own 

 opinion, and if he had given a fair and truthful 

 account of the hive, so that others could form their 

 opinions justly, I should not complain. He says : 

 "this inventor intends to push things," meaning 

 no doubt the hive business. It must be quite evi- 

 dent to all disinterested bee-keepers that Mr. 

 Cameron has been pushing misrepresentations be- 

 fore the public. Many testimonies of practical 



bee-keepers can be given as to the merits of my 

 hive, and where it is in use, as it is largely in Iowa 

 and Kansas, it gives good satisfaction. A fair and 

 candid investigation of its merits is all I ask. 



It has some undeniable advantages ; among them, 

 ease of access to the bees without injury to them, a 

 nice arrangement for box honey, provision for 

 cleanliness at all times, a sheltered and slightly- 

 inclined alighting board, controlled entrance, good 

 ventilation, and a contrivance to secure straight- 

 built combs. Mr. Cameron has failed to do it jus- 

 tice, and hence this letter. 



F. Grabbe. 



25 West Lake St., Chicago. 



Central Illinois Bee-Keepers' Association. 



The regular semi-annual meeting of the Bee" 

 Keepers' Association of Central Illinois met in the 

 City Council Hall of Bloomington, 111., February 

 27, 1873, at 11 A. M. 



The president and vice-presidents being absent, 

 A. C. Washburn, of Bloomington, was called to the 

 chair. 



The secretary, John Ansley, of Bloomington, then 

 read the minutes of the preceding meetings, which 

 were approved. 



The treasurer, J. L. Wolcott, presented his report, 

 showing a balance of $4.90 in the treasury. Ap- 

 proved. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The following questions were taken up : 



1st. Fatality of bees during the present winter — 

 its cause. This subject was responded to by J. L. 

 Wolcott and others, who arrived at the conclusion 

 that this fatality was owing partly to the bees hav- 

 ing secured insufficient supplies of honey last sum- 

 mer, much of it unsealed ; weak colonies ; the long 

 and severe winter, and improper ventilation. 



2d. Best plan of uniting two colonies of bees. 

 This was discussed by J. L. Peabody, of Normal, 

 and others, who agreed that the most successful 

 method is to catch both queens, destroy one, cage 

 and hang the other in one of the hives, then 

 sprinkle the bees in both hives well with sweetened 

 water scented with essence of peppermint, and then 

 unite them, letting the colony stand forty-eight 

 hours, and then release the queen. 



3d. Ventilation of hives. Responded to by J. 

 Poindexter, A. C. Washburn and others, without 

 coming to any conclusion. 



4th. How may weak colonies be built up ? This 

 question was discussed by J. L. Peabody and others, 

 resulting in the following decision : Supply the 

 weak colony with combs filled with brood taken 

 from strong colonies, all the old bees having been 

 removed from the comb. When this cannot be 

 done, contract the brood chamber of the weak colony 

 by using division boards, and stimulate by feeding 

 thin syrup made of coffee A sugar, one-third water 

 and two-thirds sugar, brought to a boil. 



And on motion of W. G. Thompson, of Normal, all 

 the old officers of the Association were re-elected 

 for the ensuing year, viz. : 



President — S. C. Ware, Towanda. Vice-Presi- 

 dents — J. V. Brooks, Lexington ; C. V. Vandervoort, 



