226 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Rev. Mr. Portman said he raised queens in 

 nuclei, and placing them in a hive, took frames 

 containing young brood and workers, which he 

 placed with them. Thought this was the best 

 method of artificial swarming. 



Mr. Otis gave what he thought the best modes, 

 as follows : 1st. Take one frame of brood 

 comb filled with eggs from the large stands ; 

 put these with a queen in a new hive. The 

 adult bees are left in the old stand. 2d. Put 

 empty brood and honey combs into a new hive; 

 drive all the bees into this; then introduce bees 

 from two other large hives into the old hive. If 

 near swarming time, the old hive will surely 

 have queen cells. From ten good stands he 

 could safely make eighty in a good season ; 

 though it required much experience to produce 

 such a large increase with safety. He did not 

 raise his queens in nuclei, but in a full hive. 

 Queens would always lay, or preferred to lay, 

 eggs in small cells. Thus he could control the 

 kind of eggs, by controlling the kind of cells. 



Mr. Moon caused large well -filled stands to 

 swarm by introducing queens; and, by exam- 

 ining, he found there were no queen cells in the 

 old hive. 



Mr. Thomas, of Canada, thought that a great 

 deal was gained by artificial swarming. He 

 left the bees till near the swarming time. He 

 then took the card on which was the queen, put 

 it into a similar hive, and placed it where the 

 old stand had stood, removing the old stand to 

 some distance. If the queen is on a worker brood 

 comb, he placed it in the centre; if on a drone 

 comb, he placed it to one side of the new hive. 



Mr. Baldridge wished all to examine this 

 point of position, as he thought it was always 

 better to place it on one side. He thought the 

 method given by Mr. Otis the best, as all trouble 

 in finding the queen was obviated. 



Mr. Rood had practised Mr. Thomas' mode 

 ■with excellent success. 



Mr. Otis thought that to succeed with bees 

 you must become conversant with their natural 

 history and workings. Following others will 

 never do. 



Will Bees Work in Boxes Partially Filled 

 the Previous Season. 



The President, Dr. Conklin, Messrs. Moon 

 and Otis, all said that they would. 



What is the Best Method op Procuring 

 Surplus Honey? 



Messrs. Portman and Conklin used boxes, 

 placing one above the other, so that both would 

 be filled without disturbing. Thus time would 

 be saved. 



Mr. Baldridge said that by uncapping two or 

 three frames the bees would carry all the honey 

 from below upward. Thus a large amount of 

 honey can be obtained in a short time. Mr. 

 Otis confirmed that statement. These gentle- 

 men favored extracting honey from the comb, 

 preserving the comb to be again filled, as comb 

 is an animal secretion, and it takes twenty 

 pounds of honey to form one pound of comb. 

 And if one pound of comb would hold twenty 

 pounds of honey, still they thought the differ- 



ence in price would not make up for the loss of 

 comb. 



Mr. Baldridge thought much more honey 

 could be obtained by using frames, aud advised 

 all to try storing in the body of the hive, which 

 he thought the best. 



Mr. Otis said he thought so too ; the only 

 trouble is eggs will be laid in the boxes. Ho 

 preferred small boxes. It saved waste from 

 cutting the comb. 



Mr. Moon liked rack boxes best. Sometimes 

 he obtained three tiers in a season. Preferred 

 to place the boxes on top, but very near the 

 main hive. He thought, as a matter of taste 

 and price, it was better to leave thu honey in the 

 comb. 



Mr. Balch preferred rack boxes. 



Quite a spirited debate took place as to the 

 policy of pumping. Most of those present 

 seemed to think it a doubtful practice. 



How to Remedy Foulerood. 



The President said he had tried all the ways 

 he had heard of, and recommended, as the best 

 riddance, burying bees, hive and all, so deep 

 that there could be no hope of resurrection. In 

 foulbrood the comb is dark, cells very concave, 

 and there is a small opening in ttie cells. 



Mr. Baldridge would adopt total destruction. 



Mr. Otis would bury in the fall. In the spring 

 would put them in a clean hive, and shut them 

 up till all the honey in them was digested. He 

 thought they would recover. 



Mr. Moon thought that transferring to new 

 hives is a sure cure. 



Best Plants for Bee-pasturage. 



Mr. Thomas said Alsike clover was excellent 

 for bees, as it was in bloom twice as long as 

 white clover, and par-excellent for stock, as it 

 yielded twice as much fodder in bulk as red 

 clover, and was better feed. He has had 

 eight bushels of seed to the acre. It is better 

 on strong soil, but exceeds red clover anywhere. 

 Lodges, as he has seen it five feet seven inches 

 in length. Sows early, five pounds to the ncra 

 in Canada. Does not fruit much the first year, 

 and only the first blossoms produce seed at any- 

 time. 



Mr. Baldridge thinks it much belter formed to 

 resist frost than red clover, as the multiple of 

 primary roots was carried much further. It is 

 never thrown out by frost, or killed by water 

 standing on the ground for three or four 

 weeks in the spring. Melilot, a biennial, was 

 better for bees, but otherwise worthless. Ho 

 thought there was but one variety of Alsike. 



Can Spare Queens be Wintered Over. 



Rev. Dr. Portman said they can, by taking 

 them with a few bees into a cellar and inverting 

 the receptacle. 



Best Method op Introducing a Qceen. 



Rev. Mr. Portman used to cage his queen; 

 but now he covers her with honey, and thus 

 succeeds admirably. 



Mr. Conklin said when honey is scarce he 

 would drive the bees into a cap, then daub the 



