62 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



ries of Illinois which have withstood long pe- 

 riods of very cold weather and fixed winds. 



A gentleman said : I think the more air the 

 bees get the better they will go tlirough the 

 winter. I had a swarm with a season crack 

 in tlic hive, standing in an old shed all winter, 

 and they were in excellent condition in the 

 spring. I think it is dampness rather than 

 cold which kills the bees. 1 never had any 

 trouble until within the last few years. 



Mr. Elwood. The theory was advanced at 

 the last Convention tliat carbonic acid gas 

 settles in the bottom of hives. I liave inves- 

 tigated the subject with care, and find the 

 theory to be erroneous. The constant tenden- 

 dency of gasses to diffuse and intermingle 

 renders it impossible for the hive to fill in 

 that manner. 



AFTKKNOOX SESSION. 



President Quinby called the meeting to or- 

 der at half-past two, and briefly reviewed the 

 points, made at the morning session concern- 

 ing winter care of bees. lie said : There is 

 need of ventilation, and need of quiet from 

 excitement. Dysentery is produced by the 

 cold. The continued chill prevents proper 

 digestion, and the disease soon follows. To 

 *l)rove that dysentery does not result from the 

 food, I will refer to a hive fed with sour hon- 

 ey which did just as well as the others. An- 

 other liive which I kept in a cold place and 

 fed with the best food, were taken with the 

 disease. I argue further, that in a warm, 

 healthy state, the liquid part of the food is 

 volatifized and passes into the air. In the 

 disease the assimilation is faulty, and the 

 fluid passes out as an excrement and causes 

 the dysentery. I think temperature will be 

 found to have more effect upon the health 

 than the lack of ventilation. Keep the bees 

 healthy, so that the excrement is dry when 

 discliarged. It is not well to let them out to 

 discharge a liquid excrement, which they 

 will do "when chilled, but keep them in and 

 keep them warm, so that the discharge may 

 all be dry. 



Mr. Ellsworth. The fact that dysentery 

 can be brought on almost instantly, is quite a 

 corroboration of the idea that it is caused by 

 sudden chilling. 



Mr. Bacon. Bees used to be handled far 

 more carelessly some time ago than now, and 

 were chilled more often; yet they did not 

 luive dysentery. 



The time ha\ing arrived for the discussion 

 to be closed, the next business in order, the 

 selection of the place for the next meeting, 

 was called up, and Utica was chosen. After 

 some desultory remarks, the Convention ad- 

 journed to meet in Utica the first Wednesday 

 in February, 1875. 



We, herewith, present a table showing 

 facts concerning the stocks and yields of 

 some of our bee-keei)ers, as rejiorted to the 



Secretary of the Convention. We believe this 

 is the first publication of the kind which has 

 been made in this region, and hope the begin- 

 ning may lead others to furnish us with re- 

 ports of their operations : 



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