626 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



derly and careful. The ^rst includes 

 all those who keep their bees in old rot- 

 ten boxes, or cuts of hollow trees, with 

 cross-sticks in them. Sometimes all 

 shapes and sizes of boxes are used, and 

 put in the weeds, and sheltered by noth- 

 ing better than a wire fence. 



Beginning with a well-regulated fam- 

 ily or colony, about the first of June 

 where there are uniform boxes in size 

 and shape, with movable frames, when 

 a swarm leaves the parent colony, we 

 get them to settle on a tree or bush as 

 soon as possible by throwing water 

 among them, and the ringing of bells, 

 and the usual uproar that women and 

 children can make. When they are well 

 settled with water, we prepare a hive for 

 them, putting in two or three frames of 

 empty combs,1>and some with starters so 

 that they will deposit the honey they 

 have carried with them, or if you want 

 them to store honey in the sections, I 

 would put in fewer frames in the brood- 

 chamber, and put on sections at first 

 that are partly filled with honey, taking 

 them from the parent colony if I had 

 them. A good early swarm in a good 

 honey season will store surplus honey. 



When the brood-chamber is contracted 

 too much in June and July, and the 

 honey taken away too closely, you will 

 have to give more room in the brood- 

 chamber in August for honey and brood. 

 If the fall is favorable to honey-gather- 

 ing, the colony will store enough to win- 

 ter on, but if the fall is not favorable 

 the colony must be fed. See that there 

 is a good queen and plenty of bees and 

 stores, and there will then be a good 

 prospect for profit the next season. 



Mrs. Rebecca H. Herb. 



The above essay was read by the Sec- 

 retary, in the absence of Mrs. Herr. 



Mr. Muth — We shall need some one at 

 the World's Fair to take charge of the 

 bee-department there, and I recommend 

 Dr. A. B. Mason, of Auburndale, O., in 

 this capacity. We could not find a bet- 

 ter man. I make a motion tnat this 

 gentleman be appointed as General Su- 

 perintendent of the bee-department at 

 the World's Columbian Exposition this 

 year. Carried. 



A motion was made by Mr. Pouder 

 that the report of the bee-keepers' con- 

 vention be sent to the American Bee 

 Journal for publication, and then re- 

 turned to the Secretary of the State 

 Board of Agriculture. Carried. 



The convention then adjourned until 

 the afternoon, for the election of oflBcers. 



SECOND DAY— Afternoon Session. 



The Association was called to order at 

 1:30 p.m., by President Russell, for the 

 election of officers, which resulted as 

 follows : 



President — R. S. Russell 



Vice-Presidents — John Manford, Mr. 

 Pope, and A. J. Simmons. 



Treasurer — Walter S. Pouder. 



Secretary — Geo. P. Wilson. 



After kindly wishing all success the 

 coming year, the Association adjourned 

 sine die. 



A complete exhibit of bee-keepers' 

 supplies was made by Mr. Walter S. 

 Pouder and others, which attracted 

 much favorable comment. 



g»XXZZXXSXZZZ»XXXXXZZZZXTT»««TX»Ti 



Hard Winter, Bee-Paraly§i§, 

 Poisonous Honey, Ete. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY G. W. DEMAREE. 



I have long been aware of the fact 

 that in this climate bees can survive a 

 severe shock of cold with no other pro- 

 tection than the ordinary hive gives 

 them, provided the cold does not con- 

 tinue more than two or three days at a 

 time. I had a hive robbed of its honey- 

 boxes several winters ago, leaving the 

 top-bars of the frames uncovered, except 

 the hive cover which rested on the 

 upper story, 10 inches above the top of 

 the brood-frames. While in the unpro- 

 tected condition the bees survived a 

 shock of 20° below zero — the coldest 

 morning I ever experienced. The cold 

 lasted but a, few days, and when their 

 unprotected condition was discovered 

 they were dry, lively, and in good health. 



The cold spell of this winter, which 

 broke up about Jan. 25th, was the 

 longest continuous cold-snap of which I 

 have any memory since I have been 

 keeping bees. As ray apiary was caught 

 just as I left it when the last surplus 

 was removed — which was precious little 



