THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



71 



points, there is as wide difference of 

 opinion as tliat which separates tlie advo- 

 cates of deep and shallow setting, or high 

 and low temperature among aairymen. 

 The student who shall discover an unfail- 

 ing method of keeping bees during their 

 dormant period will be a public bene- 

 factor. Practical men are studying the 

 habits of the insect, and not a few have 

 arrived at conclusions respecting tempera- 

 ture during winter, satisfactory to them- 

 selves. 



This morning the roll was called, after 

 which several new members were enrolled. 



The Treasurer presented his report, by 

 which it appeared that the balance in his 

 hands is $79.39. A number of ladies 

 were present. 



As the " Question Drawer " was not 

 ready to report, Mr. Nell is asked for a 

 general discussion of the tollowing ques- 

 tions: 



Shall we encourage the use of the Honey 

 Extractor, or shall we discard it? If we 

 use it, to how great an extent? 



He wanted to draw out the expression 

 of this society, as many prominent writers 

 and associations favored discarding its 

 use. 



C. L. Root, of Mohawk, presented his 

 views. The extractor, he said, used in 

 connection with boxing is indispensable. 

 It is one of the greatest inventions in bee- 

 culture. There are stocks which can 

 hardly be controlled. The extractor com- 

 pels lazy bees to go to work by withdraw- 

 ing the honey. The best results with the 

 extractor have not been attained. He had 

 extracted largely for five years, and had 

 had no difficulty in disposing of it. In 

 practical shape, a market could be made 

 for it at home. The distant markets are 

 glutted. Canned honey, if genuine, will 

 keep. We should develop our home mar- 

 kets. Some members had found it diffi- 

 cult to sell extracted honey at home; but 

 it seemed to be the general opinion of the 

 convention that good honey could be sold 

 among the farmers. Mr. Root believed 

 that stocks whose honey had been extract- 

 ed went into winter quarters in much bet- 

 ter order than when boxed. Brooding is 

 largely increased by extracting. 



Mr. Nellis leaves his liquid honey for 

 sale "On commission. If it candies, he 

 takes it home and liquifies it by heating. 

 Much will depend vipon the market and 

 the method of selling. Many find it diffi- 

 cult to peddle honey. It would be diffi- 

 cult to dispose of large quantities, without 

 much exertion. He believed his liquid 

 honey did not cost more than two cents 

 per pound, as he could only count the ex- 

 i pense ot extracting and marketing. 



This honey could not be obtained by 

 any other method. 



Some strong stocks are intent on swarm- 

 ing. By extracting, he procured honey 

 from bees which would not work in boxes. 



Other stocks are too weak to work in 

 boxes. 



Captain Hetherington believed the ex- 

 tractor a useful instrument, which will 

 never be abandoned. But stocks from 

 which box honey is wanted, should not be 

 extracted. In the fall, unfinished boxes 

 can be extracted and the combs put in a 

 cool situation for the bees to clean out. 

 In this way the combs can be used to the 

 best advantage in boxes the following sea- 

 son. 



Bees do not work well in unfinished 

 boxes kept over to be filled the next 

 season. 



N. N. Betsinger. — Will not the bees eat 

 up the combs so exposed, and will not 

 foul brood be disseminated ? 



Capt. Hetherington. — If the combs are 

 put where the sun does not strike them, 

 and the day is not too warm, the bees will 

 not injure them. No foul brood will be 

 disseminated by this process. 



Mr. Nellis. — Ft)ul brood is a terrible 

 scourge. None but experienced bee- 

 keepers should attempt this method, 

 when they have reason to suppose that 

 foul brood exists in their apiary. 



N. N. Betsinger, on the other hand, 

 believed the extractor to be ruinous to the 

 industry. He could find no use for it in 

 his apiary. It is instrumental in the 

 spread of foul brood. But it had been 

 the experience of Mr. Hetherington that 

 the use of the extractor eliminated foul 

 brood. 



Mr. Root had found that freezing 

 combs destroyed foul brood. The ex- 

 tractor may be safely used upon brood in 

 all stages of development. 



Mr. Nellis advised the convention to 

 use the extractor principally upon weak 

 and lazy stocks, and those troubled with 

 the swarming fever. 



Mr. Doolittle agreed with Mr. Bet- 

 singer. 



The general conclusion seemed to be 

 that the extractor is indispensable if 

 properly used, and will not be discarded. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWEKS. 



The contents of the question drawer 

 were then read by P. H. Elwood, of 

 Starkville, chairman of the committee to 

 which they had been referred. The 

 answers to the queries presented were 

 prepared by a committee of three practi- 

 cal bee-keepers, and we present them en- 

 tire : 



1. What is the best method of controll- 

 ing the swarming fever? Answer — The 

 free use of the extractor, or by making an 

 artificial colony. 



2. Is it an injury to bees to have more 

 forage in the spring than they need for 

 brood rearing ? Yes. 



3. Is it necessary to give bees a flight 

 that are wintered in cellar or house ? No. 



4. Should bees have ventilation in 



