said he hoped to see the bee-keepers 

 fully and completely represented at the 

 fair next fall, for they are the men to 

 show the people what bee culture and 

 bee-keepers can do. 



Mr. J. W. Bagby read the following 

 essay on 



The Value of Comb in the Apiary. 



The value of comb in the apiary is 

 generally known among bee-keepers, 

 consequently the value of the extractor 

 is apparent. 



It is not necessary that bees should 

 starve to death because we use the ex- 

 tractor. One bee-keeper says I got a 

 large amount of honey, but my bees all 

 died. Another reports getting his ex- 

 tractor too late for the honey season, 

 but in time to extract his bees to death. 

 This all comes from not knowing how 

 to use the extractor. Now I will attempt 

 to give a plain method of extracting the 

 honey, and getting good results from 

 bees almost any season when there is a 

 good flow. We will first take a colony 

 of bees with a good supply of comb ; 

 as soon as we have all the frames 

 in the lower chamber full of brood, or 

 nearly so, we will raise about 2 frames 

 of the worst brood combs to the upper 

 chamber, filling their place with empty 

 comb, or start the bees above and fill 

 the upper chamber with comb. If you 

 have drone comb it can be used at this 

 time. Now we may extract almost as 

 fast as the honey is stored, otherwise 

 just keep it out of the way of the bees. 

 Set your honey in open cans in a warm 

 dry room to evaporate or throw off im- 

 purities. This course maybe continued 

 until the best flow of honey is at hand. 

 At the time we are -satisfied our bees are 

 gathering the greatest amount of honey 

 of the season, then we make a half ex- 

 traction, leaving 5 or 6 frames full, and 

 let them seal or cap over these frames 

 for wintering, and the remaining frames 

 may be extracted as often as the occa- 

 sion may require, but not extract from 

 the 5 or 6 any more. The best part of 

 the honey season in this climate is from 

 the 15th of June to the 1st of July. The 

 full crop of honey in this climate is un- 

 certain. Now the main thing is not to 

 extraet too late or too close late in the 

 season; but at the beginning of the 

 honey season we may take almost all of 

 the honey from a hive. 



The best way to start a colony in the 

 upper story, when scarce of comb, is to 

 raise several frames from the lower 

 chamber and supply their place with 

 empty frames, and alternate above with 

 the same. 



The Secretary said he took great pleas- 

 ixre in presenting to this Association, 



from Thos. A. Hutchcraft, a beautiful 

 and well preserved specimen of petri- 

 fied honey comb, which was discovered 

 in a small cave on Glenn's Creek, near 

 Frankfort. In doing so Mr. Hutchcraft 

 desires that it shall be left in the custody 

 of the Secretary, and go towards form- 

 ing a museum for this Association, and, 

 should this Association fail to form a 

 museum, then the Secretary is to for- 

 ward it to the State geologist, Prof. Sha- 

 ler, to be the property of the State, for 

 the museum at Frankfort. 



On motion, the following committee 

 was appointed to confer with and indi- 

 cate to the Kentucky Agricultural and 

 Mechanical Association the wishes of 

 this Association in regard to exhibits at 

 the next fair : W. Williamson, Ollie 

 Eeed and F. P. Scearce. 



Nominations for next meeting were 

 declared in order. The Secretary put 

 in nomination Winchester, and J. W. 

 Egbert, Harrodsburg. Winchester car- 

 ried, and it was unanimously resolved 

 that this Association adjourn to meet in 

 Winchester, Ky., on the second Tuesday 

 in April, 1881. W. Williamson, Sec. 



Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa. 



The seventh semi-annual meeting was 

 held at- Monmouth, 111., April 29 and 30, 1880, 

 and was the best meeting our society ever 

 had, with the exception of the one at Ham- 

 ilton, 111., on May 6, 7, 1879. The Court 

 House was well filled with as jolly, socia- 

 ble and wide-awake an assemblage as one 

 could wish to see. The ladies turned out in 

 goodly numbers, and added very much to 

 the pleasure of the occasion. The meeting 

 was called to order at 10 a.m. by the Presi- 

 dent, L. H. Scudder, of New Boston, 111. 



Messrs. C. P. Dadant, Dr. H. J. Scoles, 

 Kev. O. Clute, E. D. Godfrey and T. G. Mc- 

 Gaw were appointed a committee to arrange 

 the questions handed in for discussion. 

 Each question was fully and freely dis- 

 cussed, but we can only give the main points 

 in the space alloted to us. 



Topics. 



Which Is the Best Way to Unite Colonies 

 in the Fall ? 



D. Rider— I take out all the empty combs 

 and brush the bees into the hive 1 wish to 

 keep, and put in from both colonies the 

 combs containing the best honey and brood. 

 I intend to equalize the pollen and honey 

 among all my colonies early in the fall. I 

 have no particular way of uniting; just 

 dump the bees in any way, and do not kill 

 any of the queens, let the bees do that them- 

 selves ; have practiced this mode for 20 

 years. 



O. Clute— If there were any choice be- 

 tween the queens, the best one is as liable 

 to be killed as the poorer one. I think the 

 better way is to select and save the best 

 ones. In cool weather bees are less liable 

 tb fight when united, and by the time the 



