393 



4. There are light and dark artificial 

 queens ; what effect, if any, has the 

 color upon their progeny in regard to 

 honey-gathering, etc., and is the dark 

 hee pure ? 



5. Do bees require artificial ventila- 

 tion ; if so, how should it be intro- 

 duced ? 



6. What size do you prefer for brood 

 chambers, and what for storage V 



7. Do you extract, or work for comb 

 honey, and from which do you realize 

 the best results ? 



8. Do you use comb foundation ; if so, 

 what advantages are derived, and have 

 you a preference for a particular kind. 



9. Some bee-keepers use a honey 

 board on their hives, with small en- 

 trance to surplus box ; what are the ad- 

 vantages, if any V 



10. The cells in the brood comb by con- 

 stant use become small; does this re- 

 duce the size of the bee ; if so, what 

 effect has it upon the bee as a honey- 

 gatherer V 



11. Is Alsike or Alfalfa clover good 

 for bee pasturage ? 



11. Can fertilizing in confinement be 

 made a success ; if so, how V 



13. Swarming too late, would it not 

 be best to kill the queen left in the hive 

 and return the one swarmed out ; if not, 

 why not ? 



14. When is the proper time to trans- 

 fer bees V 



Owing to want of time at this meet- 

 ing and importance of some of the 

 questions, it was determined to assign 

 several of them to different members 

 present, who would prepare articles and 

 nave them published in the county pa- 

 pers. Mr. Fradenburg was assigned 

 the -Id and 3d ; Mr. Huff, 4th and 5th ; 

 Mr. Thompson, the 6th; Mr. Bucklew, 

 the Nth. and Mr. Wolfe, the 9th. 



The 14th question was discussed, and 

 the conclusion reached that the proper 

 time to transfer was during apple 

 l)l"i im, then the colonies were ready for 

 work when the gathering season came. 

 Though transfer can be made at any 

 time, and toavoid robbing in the active 

 season should be made just before 

 night. In early transfer there are fewer 

 bees, and less honey in the way of such 

 work. Bees should be fed strong that 

 they may he a large colony ready for 

 work, and they will not eat if they can 

 get honey. The bee food is made of 3 

 lbs. grape sugar. 1 lb. coffee A sugar, 

 and % lb. rye flour ; the grape sugar to 

 be melted without any water added, 

 cooled, then mix the coffee sugar and 

 Hour, making a kind of dough, which, 

 moulded in small strips and after 2 

 days hardening, can be laid in the boxes 

 on top of the frames, where the bees 



, will eat it ravenously until they can 

 gather honey. Food should be provided 

 for them in the interval between the 

 first bloom and the full harvest. It was 

 preferred to work for honey during the 

 season, and near its close devote more 

 attention to increase of colonies. 



The past year was very unfavorable 

 for bee culture, and those who saved 

 their colonies did well, without getting 

 any honey. Mr. Fradenburg had tried 

 growing mignonette, an annual plant 

 which makes excellent bee food from 

 June until fall or very cold weather. 

 and noticed the bees working early ami 

 late at it; also the same of 'Simpson's 

 honey plant, a hardy perennial, indig- 

 enous to this valley, he had discovered, 

 after sending away and getting some 

 plants. He showed specimens of the 

 roots, leaves and seeds, which any one 

 can obtain by addressing him. 



After considerable further discussion 

 of several topics of interest, the first 

 meeting adjourned to hold their next 

 session at New Comerstown, the first 

 Wednesday of October, at 1 o'clock p.m. 

 L. B. Wolfe, Pres. 



J. A. Bucklew, Sec. 



Marshall Co., Iowa, Convention. 



The Marshall County Bee-Keepers' 

 Association, met at Marshallton, Iowa, 

 July 10, 1880, at 1 p. m. The usual or- 

 der of business w-as gone through with, 

 and the following were the subjects for 

 discussion : 



' " Improvement of stock " was taken 

 up, and discussed we hope to the bene- 

 fit of all present. 



In our general talk the President, J. 

 Moore, stated he had a colony with a 

 wingless queen that lately swarmed. 

 He watched for her to come out, caught 

 and put her in confinement ; then went 

 to hive the swarm and found another 

 young queen with the same swarm 

 which showed that there were 2 queens 

 in the same hive — mother and daugh- 

 ter. 



After a good talk, the society ad- 

 journed to meet the first Saturday in 

 August, at 1 p. m. Subject for discus- 

 sion : "Fall Care of Honey," to be 

 opened by Mr. Cover. 



J. Moore, Preset. 



J. W. Sanders, Sec. 



P. S. — Bees are doing well here this 

 summer, the harvest is very good so far, 

 and fine prospects ahead. Several col- 

 onies were lost last winter because of 

 severe drouth of summer and fall. 



J. W. S. 



