THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



29 



Michigan Bee Men in Council. 



Kalamazoo. Dec. Kith, 1874. 



The seventli annual session of the Mieli- 

 ie;an Bee-Keepers' Association convened in 

 Corporation llall, at two o'eioclx, p. ni., Pres- 

 ident Balc'li in the einur. Notwithstanding 

 the universal (H)nii>laint of inird times, the 

 attendance was nnusuiilly larnc evincint^ a 

 growinj; interest in this fascinating pursuit. 



After the transaction of some preliminary 

 business, the convention listened to an 

 Opening Address by President A. C. Balcli, 

 welcoming the members to the hosiiitalities 

 of the large-hearteil and whole-souled i)eo- 

 ple of this lovliest of villages — Kalamazoo. 



The regular programme of the convention 

 was then taken up. Secretary Burch read a 

 paper fnmi Charles Dadant, of Hamilton, 

 111., on the best size of frames, in which the 

 writer strongly favored a large frame as giv- 

 ing the greati'st advantages to the apiarian, 

 lie also urged that American apiarians adopt 

 a uniform-size standaril frame, as being a 

 long sought desideratum ; in proof of wliich 

 he cited tlie beneticial results that had fol- 

 lowed such adoption in Italy. The paper 

 elicited much iliscussion. the most impor- 

 tant of which we give, as follows : 



James Heddon— Large frames, the size 

 of Quinby's, are, in my o])inion, too large. I 

 prefer a small, shallow frame, as it offers 

 the most advantages, and gives the best re- 

 sults in amount of box honey. It has been 

 almost universally recommended tliat a hive 

 should not hold less than 2,000 cubic inches; 

 yet a smaller size will give better propor- 

 tionate results. It is better not to give the 

 queen all the room that she will use, than 

 go to the opposite extreme. Quality of bees, 

 and not quantity is what we shoufd aim to 

 get. 



Dr. A. L. Haskins— I use the American 

 frame, 12 inches square, and think it about 

 the right size. I like it better than Quin- 

 by's. 



Prof. A. .7. Cook— In this country of Yan- 

 kee ingenuity and invention, it will be quite 

 impossible to adopt a standard frame, as 

 scarcely any two apiarians will agree on 

 any one size, much less the whole fraterni- 

 ty. I have experienced much difficulty in 

 handling the Quinby frame, in having the 

 combs fall out, which is decidedly un])leas- 

 ant. The bees do not fasten large combs as 

 securely as smaller ones. They are incon- 

 venient for queen-rearing, which is objec- 

 tionable, as all bee-keepers wish to raise 

 queens for their own use. I prefer the Gal- 

 lup frame, as combs do not break out so 

 easily, and are more convenient for rearing 

 queens. They are also better for wintering, 

 as the bees are in a compact cluster, just as 

 they should be. Bees that cluster in an 

 oblong shape, astheydoinLangstroth's will 

 get away from the outside of the cluster and 

 die. 



C. I. Balch— Would not a shallow frame 

 obviate dampness better than a deeper one"? 



Prof. Cook — Such has not been my exper- 

 ience. 



T. F. Bingham— Thought the subject an 

 important one. Give a beginner a good hive, 

 and good advice in the shape of a good text 

 book, and if he has good judgment he is al- 

 most sure to succeed. If I used the Langs- 

 troth frame I should think a standard frame 

 desirable. Small, shallow combs give more 

 broorl earlv in the season. Large combs ob- 



struct the easy passage of the queen to var- 

 ious parts of the hiv( — shallow combs ob- 

 viate this dirtieidty. Heat ascends sooner 

 than it radiates ; lience, in tall hives, it is 

 lost. In wintering bees we should keej) 

 them near tht; bottom boards, and it will 

 not get clogged u]» with dead bees. Early in 

 the season the queen will lay in one or two 

 large frames ; ni a S(^ries of smaller ones 

 nuich more. Again, small, shallow frames 

 are much easier to handle. There are but 

 two methods of obtaining box honey suc- 

 cessfully. Either use a tall, narrow frame, 

 and side boxes, or a long, shallow one, and 

 top boxes. Small frames are more conveni- 

 ent to manipulate in extracting. I prefer a 

 cloth (luilt, hennned in beeswax, in place of 

 a wooden honey board. 



J. J I. Everard— Large frames are objec- 

 tionable ; too heavy to handle. In visiting 

 Mr. Bingham's apiary, had witnessed the 

 best results with a long shallow frame, only 

 six inches in depth. 



C. I. Balch— Have always used a frame 

 nine inches deep ; would use one not to ex- 

 ceed seven inches, were I to commence 

 again. Mr. Bingham once advocated a deep- 

 er frame. 



T. F. Bingham— And would to-day, if 

 obliged to winter out of doors. By the aid 

 of a good bee-house they can be safely win- 

 tered in shallow combs. 



Dr. Southard— Use only the regular Langs- 

 troth frame. Were I to change, would make 

 them smaller, and more shallow. 



Mr. Bryant— Have used ten Bingham 

 frames to the hive, with good results. Have 

 used sectional hives but do not like them. 

 Bingham's gave the most box honey. 



Prof. Cook — What is "box honey?" 



Pres. Balch— Honey stored by the bees in 

 small glass boxes. 



Geo. Stray— I get more brood early from a 

 shallow oblong frame than from a deeper, 

 square frame, and consequently more hon- 

 ey. In wintering, have no mouldy combs. 

 Leave hives on summer stands, pack well 

 with straw keeping it clry, and bees will 

 winter well. 



Prof. Cook — I would like to hear from 

 those who use deeper combs. I hope we 

 shall not fall into the error that honey can 

 be obtained only by the use of shallow 

 frames. 



jNIr. Bryant— My twenty-five stocks in 

 shallow, six-inch frames gave me over 3,600 

 pounds of box-honey. 



II. E. Bidwell— I have used all sizes and 

 shapes of frames ; now 1 prefer a frame one 

 inch deeper and one inch shorter than the 

 Langstroth. It will give more honey, but is 

 more troulde to winter successfully than 

 deeper combs. 



James Heddon— Years ago I took the tops 

 off from box-hives, putting on a honey- 

 board. In using all sizes and shapes I found 

 that a hive 22 iiiches deep often gave just as 

 much box honey as one only ten. I prefer 

 the latter depth in movable comb hives, as 

 we get a small hive in better shape, offering 

 greater advantages in manipulation. 



Mr. Helleney— Am using Langstroth 

 hives ; think them preferable ; can get 

 more honey from an extra set of combs on 

 top, than from boxes. 



James Heddon then favored the conven- 

 tion with an address on the subject of "The 

 Art of Getting Honey into Money," the pro- 

 minent points of which we give below : 



Apiarians who raise extracted honey, are 



