463 



did not think there was any better now 

 in use. 



G. M. Doolittle's experience with 

 foundation was unsatisfactory. He had 

 tried several kinds, and the Dunham 

 Wets perhaps the best; in the earlier 



Eortion of the season it sagged badly, 

 ut later in the summer it did not sag at 

 all ; has had colonies fill hives full of 

 comb when they were gathering no 

 honey. As to wired foundation, he did 

 not think there was any manufactured 

 he would be willing to use ; has seen it 

 built out, and the cells over the wires 

 would have the bottoms covered with 

 the remains of larva? which had hatched 

 and died, and again the queen would 

 deposit eggs only to hatch and die. In 

 fact, he was not "convinced it was econ- 

 omy to use foundation to any great ex- 

 tent, as it was paying out money for 

 that which the bees would themselves 

 supply when it was needed. 



Dr. C. C. Miller had used considerable 

 foundation ; had tried thin foundation 

 in surplus boxes, and been pleased with 

 it; he did not observe any "fish-bone," 

 and had never heard any complaints. 



A. Rice said that he would never use 

 foundation in the sections ; he had seen 

 old, filthy combs melted into wax, and 

 that wax was manufactured into foun- 

 dation ; he would not eat it, and would 

 not put upon the market, for others to 

 consume, that which he could not him- 

 self eat. 



T. G. Newman vigorously protested 

 against the use of comb foundation in 

 the surplus boxes ; for use in its proper 

 place (the brood chamber) he thought it 

 a great invention. 



Mr. Doolittle said he had used foun- 

 dation in the sections, but prefers start- 

 ers of natural comb. The bees will 

 build natural comb during a good honey 

 flow, and fill and cap it, as soon as they 

 will build out and fill foundation. 



An inquiry was made, whether any- 

 thing could be gained by feeding ex- 

 tracted honey back to the bees, to be 

 stored in the boxes? 



Dr. C. C. Miller has tried it, but can- 

 not express an opinion. 



II. D. Burrell, Bangor, Mich., thought 

 it had paid him. 



George Thompson, Geneva, 111., has 

 accomplished it, but thought it did not 

 pay. He poured the honey in the bot- 

 tom of the hive. 



T. S. Bull had fed back till he became 

 tired; he thought there was nothing 

 gained by it. 



It was suggested that in feeding back 

 for the purpose of storing in the sections, 

 the brood frames should be filled with 

 sealed brood or be free from larvse. 



A. Rice said the feeding should be 



done while they were storing above, and 

 not when they were carrying down for 

 winter. 



G. M. Doolittle said it could not be 

 done profitably. He had fed 400 lbs. to 

 get less than" 75 in the sections; his 

 neighbor. Mr. Betsinger, had fed 80 lbs. 

 and received back 15 lbs. 



H. W. Funk inquired what became of 

 the honey fed back, if not stored ? 



G. M. Dooiittle said his bees would 

 hang around the feed pans and live out 

 of them, but done no work. 



Dr. C. C. Miller asked what could be 

 done with partly filled sections, at the 

 close of the season V 



G. M. Doolittle said the most profita- 

 ble use he could put them to, was to give 

 them to colonies that were short of win- 

 ter stores. 



An inquiry was made whether tin 

 separators were necessary to insure 

 straight combs in sections, and if they 

 were not a detriment to the bees V 



Mrs. F. Dunham suggested 3 narrow 

 tin strips instead of a single broad one. 



Dr. C. C. Miller thought broad tin 

 separators a detriment; he had used 

 wires stretched back and forth, but they 

 were troublesome, and were unsatisfac- 

 tory in their results; perforated tin 

 might answer better, provided the holes 

 were not too large— say, }i of an inch. 



The Committee on Permanent Organ- 

 ization reported the following Constitu- 

 tion, which was unanimously adopted : 



Constitution. 



Art. I. — This Association shall be 

 known as the Northwestern Bee-Keep- 

 ers 1 Society. 



Art. II.— The object of this Associa- 

 tion is the promotion of scientific bee- 

 culture, by forming a strong bond of 

 union among bee-keepers. 



Art. III.— The officers shall consist of 

 a President, Vice President, Secretary 

 and Treasurer, whose duties shall be 

 those usually assigned to such officers, 

 and their term of office shall be one year, 

 or until their successors shall be elected. 



Art. IV.— By signing the Constitu- 

 tion and paying to the Secretary the sum 

 of 75 cents, annually, any person may 

 become a member of this Society. 



Art. V. — The regular meetings of this 

 Society shall be held at Chicago, annu- 

 ally, while the Exposition is open. 



Art. VI.— Special meetings may be 

 called bv the President and Secretary, 

 who shall constitute an Executive Com- 

 mittee. 



Art. VII.— The officers of the Society 

 shall be elected by ballot, and shall con- 

 stitute a committee to select subjects 

 for discussion and appoint members to 

 deliver addresses and read essays, and 



