160 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The Southern Kentucky Bee- 

 Keepers' Convention. 



The Convention met according to adjourn- 

 ment at tlie residence of K. A. Alexander, 

 near Swiitli's Grove, Warren county, Ky., on 

 Monday, the li>tli of jSIay. The Convention 

 ■was opened by prayer by R. W. Stithe, of 

 Harden county, Ky. Roll called, all the of- 

 ficers present and most of the members. 



Prof. Wheeler addressed the Convention 

 on the objects of the meetinj?, and urged all 

 bee-keepers prese^it to become members of 

 the Convention. On mf)tiou the Secretary 

 read the constitution and by-laws, and the 

 following persons gave their names as mem- 

 bers of tViis Convention : 



James Erwin, Claypool,Ky. ; B. F. Dodd- 

 son. Knob Lick, Ky. ; Dr. J S. Stephenson, 

 Glasgow Junction, K. ; I. W. Landrum, 

 Tracy, Ky. ; I. II. Greer, Glasgow Junction, 

 Ky. ; .1. W. Cook. Smith's Grove, Ky. ; J. 

 C.'Stithe, Smith's Grove Ky. ; J. W.Scriman, 

 Smith's Grove, Ky. ; T. E. McDancel, 

 Smith's Grove, Ky. ; Moses Potter, Rich 

 Pond, Ky. ; R. W. Stithe, Grand View,Ky.; 

 R. F. Bethel, Glasgow, Ky. ; J. H. Johnson, 

 Allensville, Ky. ; Ky. i Wm. Cheek, Burks- 

 ville, Ky. ; T. E. Shelton, Russelville, Ky. ; 

 Miss Molly Shelton, Russelville. Ky. 



The Secretary read a communication from 

 Charles Uadant, of Hamilton, Illinf)is, on the 

 importance of removing drone combs and 

 replaei ig it with worker combs. On motion, 

 the thanks of the Convention was tendered 

 Mr. Dadant for his valuable communication, 

 and the Secretary was ordered to have it 

 published in our local papers. The Presi- 

 dent appointed the following committees : 



On apiarian supplies on exhibition, L. P. 

 Smith, John II. Wallace, R. S. ^Nlunford, 

 Moses Poter, R. F. Bethel, J. II. Johnson. 



To prepare questions for debate at evening 

 sessions. Prof. C. M. Wheeler, II. W. San- 

 ders. R. A. Alexander, R. W. ^^tithe, J. II. 

 Johnson. 



On motion the Convention adjourned till 

 2 o'clock p. m. 



EVENING SES.SION. 



President Allen in the Chair. 



The committee on questions for debate, 

 reported the following questions, and on 

 motion the report was received and commit- 

 tee discharged. 



1st ([uestion. What is the best time of 

 year to transfer bees ? 



2d. Is artificial swarming better than nat- 

 ural swarming '? 



od. Wiiat is the best vegetfibleto cultivate 

 for bees to gather honey from ? 



4th. What season of the year sliould bees 

 be fed ? 



.5th. How can we manage bees to secure 

 the greatest yield of honey ? 



C. M. WlIEEEEK. 



R. W. Stitiii:. 

 J. S. Stei'iiknsox. 

 II. W. Saxdeiis. 

 Tlie Secretary presented an account for 

 .S2,()() i»aid (uit for stationery and i)ostage for 

 tliis .Society which, on montion, was ordered 

 paid. 



The first question was then taken up : 

 What is the best time of year to transtei- 

 bees ? 



Mr. ^Muiiford said if they were in bad con- 

 dition, they ought to be transferred without 

 respect to the season of the year ; was not 



much in favor of transferring if hives were 

 in good condition. 



Mr. Cheek said he had but little experience 

 in transferring, that he had :iO hives mostly 

 in box hives ; said he found robbers were 

 very troublesome while transferring when 

 honey was scarce. Said he had a number of 

 hives to transfer, and that he came for infor- 

 mation. 



Mr. Smith said he preferred early sprins; 

 to transfer, that he fed the surplus honey, 

 and if there was none, syrup made of A cof- 

 fee sugar. 



The President said bees could be trans- 

 ferred at any season successfully, if fed and 

 cared for after transferring. That he pre- 

 feiTcd early spring in fruit blossoming time 

 or about the time white clover begins to 

 bloom. 



Tlie second question was then taken up ; 

 Is artificial sw"arming better than natural 

 swarming ? 



Mr. Munford said bees are sure to prosper 

 the best when they were troubled the least, 

 did not like artificial swarming, thought it 

 best to allow them to swarm naturally. 



Mr. Alexander was in favor of artificial 

 swarming, said he could give the new 

 swarm a queen cell, or a laymg queen, and 

 with care we were sure of increase of colo- 

 nies, as no bees would run off and be lost, 

 as was often the case with natural swarms. 

 Mr. Munford. — There is no danger of 

 loosing bees by natural swarming, if you 

 liave a suitable place for them to cluster, 

 that he never lost any. A few years ago he 

 swarmed a great many artificially, and the 

 next spring they were all dead. 



Mr. Smith.— Two years ago I knew noth- \ 

 ing about bees ; saw Dr. Allen, the Presi- 

 dent of this Society, and he told the advan- 

 tages of the Langstroth hive. I got some 

 hives transferred, and tl.ey had but little 

 brood, and in oO days they were rich in 

 stores, and had filled the top story witli comb 

 and honey, I made three new swarms out 

 of the foiir. and they filled their hives and 

 wintered well. I transferred them at the 

 beginning of the white clover harvest, 



Mr. Cheek.— ily experience in artificial 

 swarming is not very great ; but I can say 

 I like it very much better than natural 

 swarming. I "save the trouble and vexation 

 of watcliiug our bees, and securing swarms 

 clustered in dinicult places to get to. Arti- 

 ficial swarming is preferable in many other 

 respects. 



]NIr. Munford.— If I was a professional 

 apiarian, I would use the Langstroth hive, 

 but would keep some in box hives to get nat- 

 ural swarms from. 



The President said he nnu'h prefeiTcd ar- 

 tificial swarming; said there was various 

 methods of making artificial swarms, he 

 liked to have a laying (pieen to give the 

 swarms. If when "they are swarmed, the 

 honey harvest was poor, they would put on 

 feeders, and keep them on until t!u>, hivo 

 is fidl. Tlie tinu! for debating the questions 

 having expired, on motion the discussions 

 closed, and tiie remaining questi(Uis held 

 over until the next meeting of this Society 

 for discussion. 



The counnitlee on apiarian supjilies re- 

 ported as follows : 



AVe would res])ectfully report that we have 

 examined the lu)uey extractcn's of R. R. 

 :Murphy and .1. W. Winder, and think both 

 are well ada]>led for extracting the fiuid 

 honey o\it of tue combs which can be re- 



