88 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The Eastern Iowa Conyeiitlon. 



Written for the Americmi Bee Journal 



BY FRANK COVERDALE. 



The Eastern Iowa Bee-Keepers' Con- 

 vention was called to order at 2 p.m. on 

 Dec. 13, 1893, with Vice-President 

 F. M. Merritt in the chair. The meet- 

 ing was of unusual interest, and from 

 beginning to end, rapid discussions were 

 the order of the day. 



THE WIDTH OF SECTIONS. 



" What width of sections shall we use 

 for dollars-and-cents results ?" 



Mr. Hines — I prefer 1%-inch sections, 

 because they are nearer Nature's way. 



Mr. Bryan — I would have 1^, rather 

 than wider. 



Mr. Merritt — We only get money for 

 'each pound, when we ship to the com- 

 mission men ; this being the case, where 

 would we gain by using narrower sec- 

 tions ? 



Frank Coverdale— I think that nar- 

 rower sections will be finished up nicer 

 by the bees, and while being built they 

 are capped sooner because the honey 

 ripens quicker. Then, again, many 

 grocery - men will give 16 cents per 

 pound, and sell them over the counter 

 at 16 cents a piece, and make a good 

 profit. 



Mr. Merritt — There is certainly one 

 good point, that thin combs in these 

 narrow sections will be. ripened much 

 quicker. 



EIGHT OR TEN FRAME HIVES — WHICH ? 



The convention was divided on this 

 subject. However, rather more pre- 

 ferred only 8 frames. 



SELF-HIVING ARRANGEMENTS. 



" Can a self-hiver be invented that 

 would be a success ?" 



Mr. Head — Mr. Dibbern, of Illinois, 

 claims to have a hiver that is a success. 



Mr. Hines — It seems that the experi- 

 ment stations have condemned them. 



and that none have been invented that 

 are a success. 



Mr. Merritt — I don't think that I want 

 any of the present self-hivers. 



Mr. Hines — I would not discourage in- 

 vention, for who knows what may yet 

 be accomplished? 



Frank Coverdale — If 4 swarms are on 

 the wing at once, and one queen gets 

 through the perforations, and the api- 

 arist away, all 4 swarms will perhaps fly 

 away. 



Mr. Merritt — I would advise clipping 

 the queens' wings, and this is ray prac- 

 tice. 



Mr. Bryan — Do you lose many queens 

 by clipping ? 



Mr. Merritt — I have lost none that I 

 could trace to that practice. 



THE USE OF QUEEN-EXCLUDERS. 



" Shall we use queen-excluders over 

 the brood-nest?" 



Mr. Kimble — Brood-frames should not 

 be used for extracting when a fancy 

 article is wanted. 



Mr. Bryan — We have not excluded the 

 queen from the upper chamber, and I 

 can't see any difference in the color of 

 the honey. 



Frank Coverdale — Zinc honey-boards 

 seem to suffer since the onward march 

 of wide and deep top-bars, although I 

 think it very agreeable to find no brood 

 in the extracting chamber. 



Mr. Kimble — I think the zinc excluder 

 a hindrance to the bees. 



Mr. Merritt — I find no use for them. 



Frank Coverdale — When ray new 

 swarms are hived, they are hived on 

 starters below, and the wood-zinc honey- 

 board placed on top of the new hive, and 

 full sheets of comb foundation are used 

 in the sections with all the unfinished 

 sections from the old hive on top of the 

 queen-excluder. All is done at the time 

 of hiving, and great forces of workers 

 rush for the unfinished sections, and the 

 combs that are built below are occupied 

 by the queen as fast as built. Is not 

 this a desirable state of affairs ? 



Mr. Head — I put my sections on at the 

 time of hiving, and use no excluder. I 

 have very little bother with queens 

 going above. 



FLOWERS AND NECTAR. 



" Would there be more profit for bee- 

 keepers at large, if the flowers would 

 yield more nectar?" 



Mr. Hines — In 1886, when we had 

 such a flow of nectar, nice section honey- 

 went begging at 8 cents a pound at 

 Anamosa. 



