88 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



ington and Mr. L. C. Root. These ques- 

 tious and replies are of such practical 

 value to the bee-keeper that we print this 

 part of the proceedings verbatim. Much 

 discussion was iuterniiugled, but nothing 

 of importance was dieted aside from the 

 answers as given here. 



Question. Is there any profit in buck- 

 wheat honey ? Answer. Yes. 



Q. Can brood be reared successfully in 

 March and April V A. It is best to have 

 DO brood started until the weather is suf- 

 ficiently warm and settled to enable them 

 to start a full brood. The presence of a 

 sufficient amount of pollen must be as- 

 sured. 



Q. What eflfect has the shape and size 

 of the hive on freezing or on the amount 

 of honey stored ? A. Very little provid- 

 ed they have plenty of accessible room 

 and the proper temperature is maintained 

 in the hive. 



Q. The best mode of caring for bees 

 after they are set out in spring and before 

 the honey harvest ? A. Feed and keep 

 warm. 



Q. Will bees store enough more honey 

 in boxes with communications from box 

 to box to pay the extra trouble, than to 

 have the boxes separate ? A. Yes, in 

 small boxes, but not in large. 



Q. How many swarms should be kept 

 in one yard ? A. This depends upon the 

 quantity of honey-producing plants ; 

 from 50 to 100 swarms. 



Q. What is the best size of the brood 

 department? A. Let it vary according 

 to the quantity of bees. 



Q. About what amount of honey is 

 sold in New York city, yearly V A. — 

 About 400,000 lbs. 



Q. What is the most suitable package 

 to put extracted honey in for market ? 

 A. This depends upon the market in 

 which it is to be sold. In some cases it 

 sells best in bulk or by the pound net 

 weight ; in other cases in glass jars. 



Q. What is the proper thickness for a 

 single comb in a box ? A. 2 to 2-Jr inches. 



Q. How near to the ground ought 

 hives to be placed during the summer. 

 A. 4 or 5 inches. 



Q. Will using the extractor on comb 

 containing eggs or larvic produce any in- 

 jury ; if so, at wliat time most? A. — 

 There is no injury unless larva^ are 

 thrown from the cells by too rapid mo- 

 tion. 



" Q. Is it advisable to undertake to 

 Italianize your apiary when you are sur- 

 rounded by bhick bees? A. It certainly 

 is, if in a locality lliat produces mucli 

 white lioney. 



Q. How long from the time the 



are deposited in worker's cells before it 

 cannot be changed to a queen cell ? A. — 

 Would not use it o.lder than the third 

 day after hatching. 



Q. If a queen's wing is clipped about 

 half off by a trusty, experienced hand, is 

 there any injury ; if any, what, and in 

 what way? A. There is no injury. 



Q. Making an examination of my 

 stocks in January, I found some stocks 

 from which the honey was leaking. 

 What is the reason? A. This condition 

 is found only in hives that have been so- 

 exposed to the cold as to crack the combs 

 with frost — or in hives^ that are so poorly 

 ventilated as to retain the moisture and 

 sour the honey. 



A long paper was read by Rev. S. P. 

 Lander, of Clinton, to refute the popular 

 belief that bees do iaijury to fruit. Mr. 

 Lander has raised grapes and kept bees, 

 and after years of observation, he is sure 

 a bee never attacks a sound fruit. Bees 

 do not bite into fruits or blossoms to get 

 the juices. If they did the hive would be 

 enriched with honey of the honeysuckle, 

 and some other similar plants from which 

 full drops of honey might be gained if 

 the bee could bite into it. Mr. Lander 

 took issue with several newspapers in 

 wMch were statements that bees destroy 

 grapes, pointing out many inaccuracies 

 in the statement, and throwing a strong 

 suspicion of falsity upon them. The 

 speaker alluded to Prof. Riley's recomen- 

 dation that milk-weed be planted to rid 

 buckwheat fields of bees. Mr. Lander 

 thought if any man was fool enough to 

 cumber up his land with milk-weeds, for 

 the sake of killing his neighbor's bees, 

 the bees could stixud it if he could. The 

 idea that bees destroy the buckwheat . 

 crop, Mr. Lxinder has considered and 

 watched the growth of the grain and the 

 behavior of the bee, and is convinced 

 there is no truth in It. 



After some general discussion, the con- 

 vention adjourned to meet in Rome, N. 

 Y., next winter, at the call of the execu-^ 

 tive committee. This year's meetings 

 have been a great success, and have been 

 enjoyed by all present. 



All of the dLsGussion of the evening 

 meeting and much that occured during 

 the regular sessions, has not been report- 

 ed. 



The following table will be of interest 

 to all bee keepers. The information was 

 collected by Secretary JMellis. The whole 

 seasons' operations, and a summary of 

 the methods employed by each bee-keep- 

 er, are thus conclensed into a line of type, 

 and the records will reward, a careful 

 study and comparison. 



