32 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



J. Tomlinson— 1 have had combs stored full 

 of pollen, but cot little brood. 



Prof. Cook— Would Mr. Bingham ever feed 

 stimulatinglv ? 



T. F. Binghaui— Never. Its requires lots 

 of discretion, which our family don't pos- 

 sess. It may do for amusement, the same as 

 boys play marbh^s. 



.J. li.Everard— Don't localities differ ? 



T. F. Binsham— I tiiink bees will gather 

 enough in anv locality— usually too much for 

 the benetit of the bees. Bees do not collect 

 honey or pollen because they neetl it, but 

 because it's their instinct— bees Imve no 

 reason. 



President Balcli — Hives that have an 

 abundance of pollen, do not work as well 

 on flour in the spring as those that do not. 



Mr. Walker— I tried every method last 

 spring to get brood early, but failed until 

 natural pollen came in, though they had eggs 

 all the time. 



Prof. Cook— I had some stocks with no 

 pollen ; stimulated, and got lots of brood. 

 Commence the 1st of April, feed regularly, 

 and you'll be surprised at the amount of 

 brood. Though others claim that Ijrood can 

 be raised without pollen, I don't believe it. 



C. I. Balch— Did you ever mix honey and 

 pollen together and'feed it ? 



Prof. Cook— I have never tried it. 



n. E. Bidwell— Bees cannot brood with- 

 out pollen ; uncapping honey in the hive is 

 a good method to ]n'omote breeding. 



T. F. Bingham— If one has lots of leisure, 

 it would be good exercise to take a carving 

 knife and go around through the apiary 

 and "carve" 300 stocks. 



James Heddon — If your combs contain an 

 abundanceof pollen, feeding will pay well. 

 Have tried every plan of feeding, and pre- 

 fer to lill a Mason fruit jar, puncture the cov- 

 er full of fine holes and invert it over the 

 hole in the honey-board. It will not leak, 

 and you can see at a glance just how fast the 

 bees are taking the feed. Fed sugar syrup 

 in this manner last fall, for winter stores ; 

 it is equally good for stimlative feeding. 

 Bees in small hives will have lots of brood, 

 when those in large hives will have less, as 

 they fill up the brood combs with honey. 

 Do not like Eoot's extractor— it's not strong 

 enough. 



Prof. Cook— What one would you use ? 



James Heddon— I make my own, after 

 having tried several others. 



T. F. Bingham— Extractors, to be durable, 

 must DC strong. In extracting, we are often 

 compelled to do it in a hurry, as honey 

 sometimes comes with a rush. Would use 

 np a Novice machine in a half day's run. 

 Use a revolving can machine— a Peabody 

 machine, Bin^ham-ized. Can extract more 

 in a day from Dlack than from Italian bees. 



C. I. Balch— Black bees run off the combs, 

 making it easier to do a big day's work. 



James Heddon— I can extract lioney so 

 solid, that a revolving can nuichine would 

 not touch it. As Mr. Burtdi helped me ex- 

 tract some honey a short time since, I wish 

 to ask him if bethinks any other machine 

 woi\l(l have done the work. 



H. A. Burcli— 1 have seen no other that 

 does as good work. 



A paper was then read by the secretary 

 from James Bolin, West Lodi, Ohio, on tlie 

 l)est manner of "Wintering Bees." H. K. 

 Tiidwell, of South Haven, Mich., read a 

 [)aper ('ii ''Wintering in Cold-Frames." 



J. Tomlinson— How many swarms do you 

 put in each cold-frame ? 



II. E. Bidwell— Sixteen, two deep. Size 

 of frame (3x12 feet, and three feet deep. 



J. Tomlinson— Would not a conservatory 

 do ? 



H. E. Bidwell — It might, but is not nec- 

 essary. Besides it's too expensive. 



J. Tomlinson — How far is the glass above 

 the hives ? 



H. E. Bidwell— About six inches. 



C. I. Balch— Do tlie bees cluster on the 

 glass '? 



H. E. Bidwell— Not if the temperature is 

 right. It should not be too cold, nor too 

 warm — about 70 degrees is the best. 



II. A. Burch— Wiiat is the slope of the 

 glass. 



H. E. Bidwell— Eight inches in six feet. 



Prof. Cook— Would you confine the bees 

 to the frames in spring and let them 

 work on flour '? 



II. E. Bidwell — I would. They worked 

 freely on it last spring. Would let them fly 

 occasionally — once in four weeks is often 

 enough— kei^ping the frames well covered in 

 the intervals. 



Dr. Southard- Am trying the experiment 

 of packing hives in a box with straw, so 

 as to guard against sudden changes of tem- 

 ]>erature. Each box holds 16 hives. Think 

 this better than a cellar, as mine were un- 

 easy wlien thus housed. Had them covered 

 with quilts which I think injurious. The 

 cellar was well ventilated— mercury 45 de- 

 grees. 



A Member— Do not bees when flying in 

 winter go back to the summer location when 

 removed in the fall ? . 



Dr. Southard— Mine do not. 



C. I. Balch— As much stress is laid on 

 keeping bees quiet in wintering, I would 

 like to near from Mr. Miliner on this sub- 

 ject. 



Mr. Milner— I have wintered stocks that 

 had no honey in the fall, by feeding during 

 the winter. 'The bees were kept in a house 

 cellar, under the living room. When my 

 bees are quiet in the cellar, 1 stir them up\ 

 There are many fine theories that are eron- 

 eons. 



• James Heddon— I think there is an emi- 

 demic around the country. If the bees are 

 right you may pound them — they will stand 

 some abuse ; but if diseased you must exer- 

 cise judgment and work hard to save them. 

 I think Mr. Bid well's rjlan a good one, yet 

 would prefer a house if that will insirre 

 success. Put the bees in carefully ; do not 

 let them know it. Carry bees out and in of- 

 ten in siiring, if necessary. 



C. I. Balch— There may be a bee disease. 



Mr. Milner— I have handled my bees only 

 moderately careful for the past four years, 

 yet have succeeded well. They are certain- 

 ly well stirred up in putting them in the 

 cellar. 



J. H. Everard— I have drawn bees over a 

 rough road in cold weather, and they win- 

 tered well. 



James Heddon— When I took my bees 

 out last spring they were so dormant that I 

 had to stir them up to induce them to fly at 

 once. AVintered without loss, though I had 

 lost nearly all in the previous winters. 



A. C. Balch — Bees do not need upward 

 ventilation at any season of the year, much 

 less in winter. 



Mr. Walker — My bees that liad no upward 

 ventilation died, others did not. Tlu^y were 



