1873.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



29 



[Translated from the Benenzeitung. 



Extracts From the Proceedings of the German 



Bee-Keepers' Convention, Held at Latz- 



bnrg^Sept. 10, llandl2, 1872. 



3i what manner can He Bees be prevented from 

 making useless Excursions in search of Honey 

 during the early spring months f 



BziEKZON. — It is known to every beginner in 

 ■bee-culture, that when bees have been confined 

 for two months, perhaps for nearly a quarter of 

 a year, through raw weather, it is absolutely 

 necessary that they have an opportunity for fly- 

 ing; since should they be too long confined, 

 imprisoned as it were, they will be in great 

 danger of suffering from dysentery. And it is 

 just as well known, that should the bees, after 

 Mving enjoyed their purification flight, be 

 drawn out by the warm sun, and tempted to fly, 

 they will be apt to receive great injury. The 

 bees consume a great deal more than they would 

 otherwise, since they are seduced into an earlier 

 rearing of large quantities of brood without 

 having the proper strength to care for it, besides, 

 by repeated flights many of the bees are lost, 

 ©wing to the raw cold winds. The queens in- 

 crease their fertility uselessly, and old ones may 

 perish without the hive being provided with 

 the power of rearing a successor. 



It is also certain that these useless spring- 

 flights are injurious to the stock, and it is high- 

 ly necessary that these dangers should be pre- 

 vented. The remedies are various. The best 

 as. placing the stocks in cool, and where possi- 

 ble, in dark rooms. 



We have learned from many years' experience 

 that is a most advantageous plan. But when 

 there are no opportunities for using the remedy 

 the hive must be left on its aC(!Ustomed stand. 

 Another very simple remedy is shading the hive, 

 especially the entrance. It is almost always the 

 tempting sun that draws the bees out. If the 

 entrance is protected the bees will remain quiet 

 until the temperature becomes even. Naturally 

 every occasion of disturbance must be avoided. 

 Especially must frequent feeding in early spring 

 be avoided, as through notlring more than this 

 are the bees rendered restless and seduced to a 

 useless and injurious excursion. 



If feeding be necessary, let it be done at one 

 time, in large quantities, which will last for a 

 long time. It is the best to give the food in 

 sealed combs, which can be placed near the 

 bees, so that they can reach their supplies even 

 •when the weather is cold. 



Criviug food in small portions and in liquid 

 form, even in later and warmer periods of the 

 year, I have found to be very injurious. It is 

 always followed with injury, should it tempt 

 the bees to fly out, when there is nothing for 

 them to gather, and nothing for them to do. 



Dr. Pollmann. — Although we have along the 

 Rhine, in spring, some fine sunshiny days, yet 

 we have not steady, warm weather, during 

 which the bees can fly without injury, hence 

 the entrance must be protected. The bees fly 

 out readily, but should the air become cooler, 

 they become so stiff as to be barely able to reach 

 the hive. My remedy is to place a small board 

 over the entrance, slanting it so that neither the 

 rays of the sun, nor the warm air can enter the 

 hive. The ends of the blocks are cut out so as 

 to allow a side passage for the bees, but not en- 

 trance of the deceiving rays of the sun. The 

 bees find no difficulty in leaving or entering the 

 hive. I have received the greatest advantage 

 from the adoption of this plan. 



Radlow. — I would but add that it is very 

 advantageous to have the hives facing the north. 

 If the ground before the hives be not naturally 

 dry it should be drained. 



Sartori. — In Italy, the entrance to the hives 

 is large, IJ^ centimeter high, and as wide as 

 the inside of the hive. Thus we lose few bees 

 except such as are sick and instinctively leave 

 the hive. In very high hives we have two fly- 

 holes. 



On the question whether any general rules 

 or laws can be made for controlling the conduct 

 and product of the Apiary, Herr vs. Rothschutz, 

 among other remarks made the following: 



I come now to not the least weighty factor of 

 governmental co-operation — statistics. The di- 

 gestion of all the data gathered by individuals, 

 bee-keepers, and associations, is plainly the du- 

 ties of the State. Statistics are our safest 

 teacher, and alone puts us into a position to cast 

 aside the non-essential and to place in a clear 

 light the essential or necessary, and at the right 

 time and manner to comprehend and spread 

 these deductions. 



To the merchants of Europe the unity of 

 weights and measures are of great value ; and 

 of like value to the bee-keeper will be the 

 adoption of a uniform size of hive, which the 

 change from immoveable to moveable comb- 

 hives renders imperative. 



Sartori, of Italy. — What advancement in bee- 

 culture we Italians have made during the last 

 few years we owe largely to the uniform width 

 of our combs. Without this unity we could 

 never have come so far. Every German who 

 visits Italy will be astonished at what has 

 been accomplished during the last few years. 

 And for this we have to thank the uniform 

 size of combs. We all learned this from our 

 old masters in Germany, and this uniform size, 

 adopted by the General Ajiiarian Association 

 of Italy, has been productive of the most won- 

 derful and priceless results. Formerly a stock 

 cost 30 francs, now it is sold for from 5 to 7 

 francs. Every carpenter makes his hives after 

 one model and of one size. 



At our last meeting we thought of the army, 

 and portioned out two hours in the evening, 



