Southern Kentucky Convention. 



The Southern Kentucky Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association met at Edmonton, 

 Thursday, October 2, 1879. The presi- 

 dent being absent, Hon. J. F. Ray was 

 called to the chair. Twenty members 

 were added to the Association. 



The chairman appointed the follow- 

 ing committees : 



On the State of Bee-Culture— J. D. 

 Davis, Jo. Allen and F. Reed. 



On Questions for Discussion — Dr. N. 

 P. Allen and A. J. Courtney. 



The following officers were elected for 

 the next year : J. D. Davis, Cumber- 

 land county, president ; C. W. Thomp- 

 son, Metcalfe county, vice-president ; 

 Dr. N. P. Allen, Warren county, sec- 

 retary and treasurer. 



The committee on the state of bee- 

 culture reported the following, which 

 was approved : We, the committee ap- 

 pointed to report on the state of bee- 

 culture in southern Kentucky, would 

 say that the past season has been in an 

 unusual degree unprofitable to the bee- 

 keeping interest, in consequence of the 

 excessive drought that has extended 

 throughout the entire region ; but, not- 

 withstanding the poor season., we do 

 not see that the interest in this direc- 

 tion has in the least degree relaxed, and 

 since the drought has abated, the colo- 

 nies, so far as our observation has ex- 

 tended, have been rapidly tilling up, 

 and we believe that the bees in this 

 region will go into winter quarters in as 

 good condition as usual. 



What Hive is the Best 1 

 Messrs. Courtney and Yates advo- 

 cated the use of the Golden bee hive. 



Dr. Allen and J. D. Davis were in 

 favor of using the Langstroth hive, in 

 preference to all others. 



The Best Time for Transferring 1 



Mr. J. Allen said about the time the 

 peach and apple bloom opened, but that 

 he transferred at any time during the 

 year it suited him. 



Dr. Allen said that early spring was 

 the best time, as there were less honey 

 and brood in the comb then. He pre- 

 ferred the beginning of the honey har- 

 vest, and said bees were often destroyed 

 by being transferred too early in the 

 spring or too late in summer. 



What is the Best Feed for Bees T 

 A. J. Courtney said that syrup, made 

 of New Orleans sugar and honey, was 

 the best feed. 



J. D. Davis said he fed his bees on 

 sealed honey from rich colonies, and 

 that they required but little food, as he 

 never took the honey too close. 



Dr. Allen said that he had not been 

 so fortunate as Mr. Davis, but there 

 was a great deal in management. He 

 said that his preference for artificial 

 feed was New Orleans sugar syrup, 

 with a little cream tartar or apple vine- 

 gar in it to keep it from granulating ; 

 that capped honey was the best, as it 

 contained more or less pollen, espe- 

 cially if taken from near the brood- 

 nest. For pollen he fed rye-meal, but 

 his idea was always to keep his bees 

 rich in honey, for thousands of bees are 

 ruined by being robbed too close and 

 too late in the season. 



Moving Bees. 



Dr. Allen gave bis plan of moving' 

 bees short distances. He said they 

 could be moved a few feet or a few rods 

 any time during the warm weather in 

 the following manner, and the bees 

 would not return to the old spot where 

 the hive was moved from : Place an 

 empty box on top of the hive, and drive 

 the bees into it by knocking or drum- 

 ming on the hive for 10 or 20 minutes. 

 Set the box off, near or on the spot 

 where the hive stood ; raise it a little in 

 front, to make an entrance for any bees 

 that are on the wing to enter the box. 

 Then remove the hive to where you 

 want it, and place a board or cloth in 

 front. Carry the box with the bees in 

 it, shake them in front of the hive, and 

 run them in as you would a new swarm. 



What are the Profits of Bee-keeping 1 *H 



Quite a discussion by several mem- 

 bers was engaged in, and 100 per cent, 

 was agreed on as the average of a 

 colony of bees, properly managed, in a 

 good locality for honey. 



Resolutions. 



On motion, the thanks of this Asso- 

 ciation were tendered the citizens of 

 of Edmonton and vicinity for the use of 

 the church in which to hold the meetings 

 of this Convention, and for their kind 

 hospitality in furnishing a sumptuous 

 dinner on the ground. 



On motion, the secretary was re- 

 quested to have the minutes of this 

 meeting published in the Farmers' 1 

 Home Journal and the Bee Journal. 



Dr. Allen was elected a delegate to 

 the National Association, at Chicago, 

 111., on Oct. 21st, 22d and 23d, 1879. 



On motion, the Convention adjourned 

 to meet at the Exposition building, in 

 Louisville, Ky., on the second Thurs- 

 day in October next, at 10 a.m., for the 

 purpose of dissolving this Association 

 and organizing a State Bee-keepers' 

 Association ; and that the secretary give 

 notice of it in the State papers. 



N. P. Allen, Sec. 



