©miumtions* 



Cortland Union, N. Y., Convention. 



The Cortland Union Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation held its regular fall meeting in 

 Cortland, N. Y., on Monday, Oct. 5, 

 1880. The morning session, after the 

 reading of the minutes of the last meet- 

 ing and the Treasurer's report, was de- 

 voted to miscellaneous discussion. 



M. C. Bean inquired whether black or 

 Italian queens were more prolific layers 

 during life-time ? 



He was replied to by H. D. Mason, 

 who claimed that the Italians were far 

 superior, that they were more able to 

 build themselves up when weak, would 

 cover more comb with a given number, 

 were greater honey gatherers, and re- 

 quired attention that they did not crowd 

 the brood chamber. Some discussion of 

 the relative merits of queens reared in 

 nucleus and full colonies, and dollar 

 queens in general, was participated in 

 by Messrs. R. H. Mellen, E. B. Glazier 

 and Pres. Pierce. 



At the opening of the afternoon ses- 

 sion, in the absence of M. H. Fairbanks, 

 who was to open the principal question 

 of the day, " The best method of pre- 



Earing bees for winter," and E. H. 

 Inapp,alternate, desiring to be excused, 

 M. C. Bean was called upon to lead off 

 the discussion. He stated that from 

 lack of preparation he would simply 

 give the plan he had pursued up to the 



E resent time. Since basswood time he 

 ad fed back considerable honey extrac- 

 ted for the purpose, and the hives were 

 now full of bees and seemed strong for 

 winter. The majority of his bees were 

 in double-walled hives, packed in chaff 

 and hay. The bees are on 8 and 9 

 frames. He always fed good honey, 

 without diluting. 



A. L. Lansing had fed natural honey 

 and his success in fall feeding had been 

 poor. The larger portion of the bees 

 so fed had died before spring. 



Mr. Mellen— It should he diluted. 



Mr. Corey had fed diluted honey, and 

 his bees had died with dysentery before 

 spring. 



Pres. Pierce— Bees not fed so late but 

 that they could have one or two cleans- 

 ing flights before winter, would be all 

 right. 



Mr. Chapman was feeding 5 colonies 

 now as an experiment. 



Mr. Mason's experience was that the 

 honey fed late in the season would not 

 be sealed, but soured, and the bees died 

 of dysentery. Except for daily use, he 

 would not feed later than the early part 



of September. In wintering bees Mr. 

 Mason had tried many plans. He had 

 once packed in chaff and sawdust. The 

 plan he liked best and now practiced 

 was to remove one end of the hive — the 

 Langstroth, with one end secured by 

 buttons — and placing it on that end on 

 scantling arranged in a trench in dry 

 soil. The hives were placed closely to- 

 gether, covered with an abundance of 

 straw and a few inches of earth. He 

 gave no ventilation except such as came 

 through the soil; the bees consumed 

 little honey, and came out strong in the 

 spring. Last spring his bees dwindled 

 away badly ; attributed it largely to the 

 cider they had stored in their hives in 

 the fall. Some colonies wintered out- 

 doors fared worse than those which he 

 buried. 



W. L. Cogshall wintered his bees 

 packed in chaff ; had tried a bee-house, 

 but failed. 



A discussion ensued upon the venti- 

 lation of hives, which was participated 

 in by Messrs. Chapman, Mason, Cog- 

 shall, E. H. Knapp and F. Schermer- 

 horn, The latter gentleman wintered 

 in the cellar, and followed the directions 

 laid down in the "New Quinby" as 

 closely as possible. His success had 

 been good. 



Mr. Mellen had formerly tried the cel- 

 lar, but failed ; had used chaff hives for 

 two years. 



Slips of paper were given to the mem- 

 bers, with the request that each give 

 the amount of honey produced the last 

 season, both comb and extracted, with 

 the number of colonies in the spring 

 and the increase. From these it appears 

 that the total production by the Asso- 

 ciation is 10,215 lbs. extracted, and 9,160 

 lbs. of comb honey ; number of colonies 

 in the spring was 688, and now is 1,051. 



It was decided that there be several 

 subjects for discussion at the next meet- 

 ing, instead of one. 



The questions selected, together with 

 the gentlemen to open them and their 

 respective order, are as follows : "Foun- 

 dation in hives and surplus boxes," W. 

 L. Cogshall ; " Wintering Bees," A. G. 

 Chapman; "Rearing Italian Queens," 

 E. H. Knapp and J. W. Cudworth ; 

 "Safest manner of Introducing Italian 



Queens at any time of season,"" H. D. 



MaSOn ; ' RTwinorincr T?pps ' : 



Mellen. 



Mason ; " Springing Bees," R. H. 



The Association adjourned to meet at 

 the same place on Tuesday. Jan. 4, 1881, 

 at which meeting the election of officers 

 for the year will occur. 



The attendance was excellent, and in- 

 cluded several ladies. 



C. A. Pierce, Pre*. 



C. M. Bean, Sec. 



