34 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



—though tliat will aid us. New comb will 

 make our success more certain. Cut new 

 comb, containing eggs or larviH into strips 

 three cells wide by ten long. Cut tlie cells 

 off on one side near the septum of the comb, 

 ahd insert in an opening made in a brood 

 comb, with that side down in a vertical 

 ])Osition ; would use live or six such pieces 

 to the hive. Cells built in this way can be 

 cut out without destroying thehi. Old 

 combs may be used by cutting the cells 

 closer to the septum of the comb. 



II. A. Knap])— What place in the brood 

 comb would you insert these strips ? 



T. F. Biiigham— I prefer tiie centre, 

 though it's immaterial. 



Prof. Cook— When bees supersede poor, 

 sliort-lived (pieens our stock will grow 

 Avotse ; but one that has been prolific three 

 or four years and then fails will surely pro- 

 duce better stock. 



T. F. Bingham— Prof. Cook has struck the 

 key note to success in this matter. The 

 ([ueen that lays well for four years, has a 

 line oi'ganism and good constitution, and 

 will give us the finest queen progeny. 



James Ileddon— A queen that will live 

 four years, and is ]irolific, will give us the 

 best queen stock, if reared when she is in 

 lier prime— before she commences to de- 

 cline. The offspring of young parents are 

 weaklings, as well as those very old. 

 H. A. Knapp— Yes, and oftener. 

 C. I. Balch— I once reared (pieens from 

 one the bees were trying to supersede, for 

 50 stocks, and they were as good as any I 

 ever saw. 



J. Tomlinson — Was she a good layer at 

 the time you reared the queens ? 



C. I. Balch — .She had been very prolific — 

 was moderately so at the time. 



Mr. Bryan — There nnist be a natural cause 

 for poor queens. What is it ? 



H. E. Bidwell— The eggs consist of many 

 small ovals. When the eggs hatch, if to be 

 xised for queens, they should be fed as such 

 from the start as they are more fully devel- 

 oped. Eggs from old (lueens are not as good 

 as from thos(^ in the i)riine of life. 



Prof. Cook— Why do cows that have prov- 

 en to be extra good ones, command a higher 

 price when tiuite old ? Is it not because 

 they will then perpetuate their desirably 

 qualities, with more certainty, in their off- 

 spring ? 



T. F. Bingham — No, but simjily because 

 there is no uncertainty about their good 

 qualities. 



C. I. Balch-Would Mr. Bidwell breed 

 from a very young queen in preference to an 

 old one ? 

 H. E. Bidwell — I would most assuredly. 

 Papers on the best method of obtaining 

 l)Ox honey were read by the Secretary, from 

 tSeth lloagland, of Mercer, Pa., G. M. Doo- 

 little, of Borodino, N. Y., and J. P. IMoore, 

 of Binghampton, N. Y. Many valuable 

 ideas were advanced, eliciting considerable 

 discussion. 



T. F. Bingham— Prefer boxes on top in- 

 stead at the side of the hive, as l)ees will 

 store pollen in the latter, spoiling the qual- 

 ity of tlie honey. Have no brood in toj) 

 boxes if jjrojx^rly managed. If honey comes 

 in fast when building comb, there is no 

 trouble ; it not, they must be watched, as the 

 queen might go above. 



Mr. Ihyan— If you want to obtain the best 

 results, keep the bees crowded— they will 

 then store lionev in boxes. 



Henry King— I have used side boxes on 

 the Eureka with good results. Was not 

 troubled with pollen. 



James Ileddon — The fabulous tales we 

 hear of side boxes are a myth. By ele- 

 vating the back end of a hive we have all the 

 supposed advantages of side boxes. To get 

 honey stored above, keep the brood 

 nest well filled with brood and stores. A 

 low, flat hive gives more room on top — just 

 what we want. Honey stored in frames 

 don't sell equal to small glass boxes. 



II. E. Bidwell— Put frame honey up in 

 glass and it will sell at the highest market 

 figures. 



T. F. Bingham— Which plan gives the 

 greatest (piautity, boxes or frames ? 



H. E. I5i(lweli— I can get from thirty to 

 fifty per cent, more in frames. Think the 

 difference owing to increased facilities for 

 rapid storing which they afford the bees. It 

 sells just as well. 



Mr. Bennett— I can get more honey in 

 frames than in boxes, but must sell it to ex- 

 clusive honey dealei-s, and they are regular 

 cheats. 



President Balch said tlie time for the elec- 

 tion of officers had arrived. The conven- 

 tion ])roceeded to elect officers fur the en- 

 suing year with the following result : 



President— Henry E. Bidwell, South Ha- 

 ven. 



Vice-President— Arad C. Balch, Kalama- 

 zoo. 



Secretary— Herbert A. Burch, South Ha- 

 ven. 



Treasurer — .lames Ileddon, Dowagiac. 



As the time allotted tlie morning session 

 bad not exi)ired, an opportunity was pre- 

 sented for volunteer papers and addresses. 

 The Secretary read interesting letters from 

 II. M. Argo, Lowt'll, Ky., and James M. Mar- 

 vin, St. Charles, HI. T. F. Bingham read a 

 paper on 'Tmi)orting Bees" condemning in 

 emphatic terms the promiscuous importa- 

 tion of Italian bees, and pointing out the 

 danger of such a course. Julius Tomlinson 

 read ai)a]ier on ''Standard Frames," stating 

 th(Mnii)ractle:il)ility of adoj^iting a uniform 

 size, and exi)rcs.sing the opinion that it nev- 

 er could be accomplished. 



The convention then resolved itself into 

 an "experience meeting" (to usea Metliodist 

 phrase) and many valuable ideas were 

 brcmght out, the pitli of which we give : 



T. F. Binghaui— Foul brood may be de- 

 tected in various ways. Hives infected 

 with it have a sickening nauseous smell. 



Till! capping of the brood is concave in- 

 stead of convex as in healthy stocks, and of- 

 ten has a slight opt^ning as if punctured by 

 a pin. It usually connnences gradually, 

 finally destroying the colony, and is very 

 contagious. Procuring (pieens from infec- 

 ted apiaries will communicate the disease ; 

 hence the great danger of the importing 

 business. 



.1. Tomlinson— Will the Secretary give us 

 his exi>erience with the "New Idea" hive ? 



II. A. IJurch— It is vt^ry valuable — makes 

 tip-to]) kindling wood. For a bee-hive it is 

 worthless. 



T. F. Bingham — Artificial swarming is the 

 ditference hetween the instinct of the bee 

 and the will of man. Our suet-ess depends 

 much ujion our knowledge of tlu- instinct of 

 the bee and the honey resources of the lo- 

 cality. Perform the ojjeratiou when clover 

 begins to yield honey, so as to have thehive 

 full of coriil) i)y bass wood time, and you are 



