THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



207 



brother, a humble Christian, and a good 

 citizen. 



Resolved, That we tender our sympathies 

 to the family ef the deceased, and would en- 

 treat all to be ready for the messenger, 

 Death; for we know not how soon we may 

 be called to that bourne from whence no 

 traveler has ever yet returned. 



Resolved, That these resolutions be 

 spread upon the records of this society, and 

 a copy sent to the family of the deceased. 

 H. W. Sanders, 1 

 N. H. HoLMAN, VCom. 

 W. E. G. Allen, ) 



A communication from Chas. F. Muth, of 

 Cincinnati, O., was then read by the Presi- 

 dent. On motion, the thanks of this society 

 were tendered Mr. Muth for his valuable 

 communication. 



The Assistant Secretary received a com- 

 munication from Charles Dadant, of Hamil- 

 ton, Ills., on Artiticial Swarming; the 

 thanks of the society were tendered Mr. 

 Dadant, and the Secretary ordered to have 

 the article published. 



The Committee on the State of Bee Cul- 

 ture made the following report: 



Bee culture is in a prosperous condition 

 in a number of counties in Southern Ken- 

 tucky. Since the organization of this so- 

 ciety many of our best citizens have turned 

 their attention to bee-keeping, and have 

 transferred their bees from the old log and 

 box hive to the movable frame hive. Many 

 of them are reading the American Bee 

 Journal and text books, and standard 

 works on bee-keeping, and are thereby get- 

 ting knowledge that will enable them to 

 make bee-keeping a success. The Italian 

 bee is being introduced into a number of 

 apiaries, and, with the rich honey harvest 

 now on hand, we see no reason why our 

 land should not actually flow with honey. 

 R. A. Alexander, 

 I. N. Greer, 

 Dr. S. T. Boots. 



The Committee on Apiarian Supplies on 

 Exhibition made the following report: 



We would report that there are on exhi- 

 bition, from Thos. G. Newman, of Chicago, 

 111., bee veils, honey knives, glass honey 

 boxes, rubber gloves, artificial comb foun- 

 dation, and German bee sting cure ; from C. 

 F. Muth, Cincinnati, O., bee-hives, honey 

 knives, honey jars, bee veils, queen cages, 

 and straw mats; from R. R. Murphy, Ful- 

 ton, 111., honey machine; Mr. Hamilton, of 

 Glasgow, Ky., has on exhibition a patent 

 bee-hive. We take pleasure in recommend- 

 ing to bee-keepers the hives exhibited by 

 Mr. Muth — they are Langstroth hives; we 

 were pleased with his honey knives and 

 queen cages; the glass jars are very nice 

 tor marketing extracted honey; the straw 

 mats for winter covering, we are of the 

 opinion, would answer an excellent pur- 

 pose. The honey machine of R. R. Murphy 

 we can recommend as an excellent machine. 

 We cannot say as to the value of the other 

 articles on exhibition, but would recom- 

 mend a trial of them by our bee-keeping 

 fraternity. Respectfully submitted, 



C. N. Allen, 

 L. P. Smithe, 

 W. W. Wright. 



Mr. Shelton wished to know under what 

 circumstances bees would build the most 

 drone comb. 



Mr. Wright had noticed weak swarms 

 were not inclined to build drone comb. 



Mr. Alexander said queenless stocks built 

 the most drone comb. 



The President said queenless stocks built 

 drone comb almost exclusively, and that 

 stocks with old queens were inclined to 

 build more drone comb than where they had 

 a young queen. 



Mr. Shelton said he had noticed his bees 

 build more drone and crooked combs late in 

 the season. 



The President said, late in the season, 

 when the sun was hot, the combs in build- 

 ings became warped by the heat, and 

 recommended shade for hives. 



Mr. Shelton asked how empty comb could 

 be kept from the moth-worm. 



Mr. Wright would put in a tight box and 

 put in an upper room. 



Mr. Alexander said he had but little ex- 

 perience in keeping empty cembs. 



The President said the best place to keep 

 empty comb from the moth was in a box or 

 room so tight as to exclude the moth-fly; 

 that he never removed the surplus comb 

 until winter, and returned them as soon as 

 his bees were strong enough to protect 

 them in spring. 



Artificial swarming vs. natural swarming 

 was then taken up, and, after some discus- 

 sion, it was agreed that artificial swarming 

 was the surest and safest way of increasing 

 bees. 



Mr. Hamilton gave a little of his experi- 

 ence in trying to capture absconding 

 swarms, and said he was in favor of artifi- 

 cial swarming. 



Mr. Shelton— I would like to hear from 

 some one on buckwheat for bees. 



Mr. Alexander said he bad but little ex- 

 perience with buckwheat as a honey plant, 

 but he was traveling once, and he got ouck- 

 wheat cakes and honey, and he knew they 

 were very fine. 



President— on buckwheat— said if sown 

 on rich ground, and the weather was favor- 

 able, would produce honey, but on poor 

 ground it was of no account. 



Mr. Wright said, when he was a boy, they 

 raised buckwheat for bees, and they worked 

 on it. Did not know what they gathered 

 from it. 



Mr. Shelton said he will differ with the 

 President on buckwheat on poor land. He 

 said he bought a poor piece of land and put 

 it in buckwheat, and thought it paid well to 

 raise buckwheat for family use. 



The President said he hardly ever made 

 as much as he sowed. He thought, perhaps, 

 he sowed too early. He thought to make 

 two or three sowings one might have better 

 luck. 



On motion the President appointed I. N. 

 Greer, of Barren county, on committee ap- 

 pointed at the last meeting of this society, 

 to collect honey-producing plants of doubt- 

 ful name, and forward to a Dotanist for true 

 name. 



A long discussion on the best honey 

 plants was engaged in by various members, 

 and it was agreed that all bee raisers should 

 furnish pasture for their bees, as well as 

 other stock; that they ought to sow buck- 

 wheat, catnip, white clover, and plant 

 around their farms the various honey-pro- 

 ducing trees, such as sugar maple, poplar, 

 and sumach. 



On motion the Convention adjourned to 

 meet at this place on the 3d Wednesday in 

 October next, at 10 o'clock, a. m. 



H. W. Sanders, Sec. 



