Jan. 23, 1902 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



53 



nvention Proceedings, l 



Report of the Ontario Bee-Keepers' Convention, 

 Held at Woodstock, Dec. 3, 4 and 5, 1901. 



KloroUlKl) IIY li. F. HOI.TEKMANN. 



iContiuued troni pape 41.) 

 Mr. H. Sibbald gave the following paper : 

 Out-Aplaries and the Prevention of Swarming. 



Your coniiiiittee could not have struck a subject more 

 dirticult to write upon, and yet of such live interest to the 

 progressive bee-keeper of the new century. Mr. Hutchinson 

 calls it the most hopeful field to which bee-keepers can turn 

 their attention, and says "Keep more bees," which means 

 " out-apiaries." 



There was a time when extracted honey brought from 

 IS to 20 cents per pound and comb honey was proportionately 

 high ; when the forests were plentiful and filled with bass- 

 wood — that grand honey-tree, now almost extinct. The 

 forests in addition contained, and retained, moisture; 

 drouths were less frequent in consequence, and these forests 

 also sheltered and protected our most valuable honey-plant, 

 the clover. 



Now new and undesirable conditions prevail ; prices of 

 honey have declined, the forests have been cleared away, 

 drouths are all too common, and our production of honey is 

 a more uncertain and less desirable occupation. Honey- 

 crop failures occur with uncertain but too frequent regular- 

 ity until the apiarist with .SO to 100 colonies, depending on 

 them alone for a living, finds himself poor indeed, and must 

 of necessity turn his hand to something else that will com- 

 bine with bee-keeping and aid him in making a fortune, or 

 at least in keeping the wolf from the door. Farming, 

 fruit-growing, poultry and other things have been tried 

 with varied success, but almost invariably to the detriment 

 of the honey-bee, and the loss or sacrifice of the honey crop. 



This seems to be an age of specialists, and our thought, 

 time and attention must be concentrated upon one thing to 

 make the greatest success of it. This can only be done, and 

 the above noted changed conditions met, by increasing the 

 number of colonies kept, so as to make provision in the fat 

 years against possible lean ones. 



But the difficult part is to tell you how to do it, and a 

 saying I have heard comes to me, and seems quite appro- 

 priate. It is, " The more I know, I know I know the less," 

 and so venture to give help on this new, hopeful field with 

 fear and trembling. 



To commence with, then, out-apiaries ought to be so 

 situated as to be within driving distance, and yet three or 

 four miles apart. Any suitable yard with buildings adjoin- 

 ing, and cellar if possible, must be found ; if with friends, 

 who will take a kindly interest and prevent molestation, the 

 better. 



The uncertainty of the honey crops, and the difficulty 

 of securing competent help at the right time, make it desir- 

 able that some system of management be adopted that will 

 not require the constant attendance of any one in any par- 

 ticular apiary. So we must, therefore, clip all queens to 

 prevent absconding swarms, while we bring all means in 

 our knowledge and power to bear on the prevention of 

 swarming, which is advantageous in any event, whether one 

 yard or more are kept. 



The first step toward this end might be to have young 

 queens of a non-swarming strain (if such exists), or at least 

 chosen for their virtue in that direction. 



The second step might be to equalize all colonies in 

 fruit-bloom, checking the strong and helping the weak, so 

 as to have all as nearly as possible in the same condition, 

 so that a yard can be manipulated together — all supered the 

 same time, and extracted the same time. 



The cause of swarming, as far as I understand, is the 

 natural instinct of the bee when crowded and a honey-tlow 

 is on, so that it will be seen that the third step would be to 

 anticipate their condition and wants, and provide room be- 

 fore they notice they are crowded. This necessitates hav- 

 ing plenty of comb ready — two sets for each hive will be 

 found convenient and almost necessary. 



The first super might be put on at the close of fruit- 



bloom, if colonics arc reasonably strong; and the ttccond 

 one shortly after the clover-tlow starts, and before the first 

 is nearly full. All hives ought to be blocked up from the 

 bottom-board to allow ventilation, using a wedge and 

 blocks bohiiul. Shade-trees will be found helpful ; sun-caps, 

 also, to keep the hive shaded. Then our real work com- 

 mences and we must " get a move on " to keep pace with 

 our industrious pets. First, we must study their conditions 

 by a glance at the entrance and a peep in the supers. If 

 they are working well at the entrance and storing honey 

 rapidly all is well. More room may be provided, but if they 

 are hanging out, sulking, acting f|ueenless and not working, 

 when other colonies in normal condition are doing well, 

 examine the brood-chambers; this is necessary, and may 

 reveal queen-cells started, no eggs, probably (jueenless, etc. 

 It is useless to try to tell you here what to do in such cases ; 

 time will not permit, and, besides, these little details are 

 known to all. 



By visiting an out-apiary once a week, and running 

 over it in this way, you will catch nearly every swarm, and 

 spend very little time on it. 



Inexperienced help can be procured to aid in extract- 

 ing, and a splendid crop can soon be harvested and secured 

 by the bees. 



All work must be quickly done, and any tinkering or 

 slow method dropped. Wholesale manipulation must take 

 their place. H. Sibbai.d. 



R. H. Smith — As to out-apiaries, I am only a beginner 

 and have much to learn. I want to put on the first super 

 during fruit-bloom. I require more than two supers, even 

 four to each colony. If the queens are young I can work 

 the colony to good advantage in an out-apiary. During the 

 height of the honey- flow they can be kept back, and if later 

 they swarm no great harm is done. Honey should not be 

 taken off early ; it should be ripened well. Every prepara- 

 tion in the way of supplies — getting hives and supers ready 

 — should be done before the season opens. 



Mr. Miller — My system is to visit the out-apiary once in 

 four days. I use a divisible brood-chamber, and can see in 

 an instant the condition of the brood-chamber and the age 

 of the queen-cells, if any. 



Mr. Chrysler — I keep only a few bees myself, but I am 

 anxions to learn. For two or three years I have managed 

 the Heddon hive without getting queen-cells started. I use 

 two or three brood-chambers and then shut down the queen, 

 and as the brood hatches the cells are filled with honey. I 

 use starters in the new supers, and add supers as required. 



Mr. Frith -Are those out-apiaries a paying concern ? 



Mr. Hall — I would not do without out-apiaries ; in 

 one locality you may have honey and in another none. 



Mr. Byer — I believe in hiring some one to put in the 

 out-apiary during the honey-flow and swarming season. 



ADDRESS BY MR. PATULLA. 



Mr. Andrew Patulla, M. P., for Ontario, being present, 

 was asked to give an address. Mr. Patulla said he was de- 

 lighted to be present at such an influencial meeting. He 

 did not know why he was asked to give an address unless 

 bee-keepers and journalists were students. He had heard 

 Mr. Sibbald's paper and the discussion with pleasure ; he 

 noticed bee-keepers had their troubles, but journalists had 

 neither basswood nor clover, and in politics they never 

 make honey, but much too freely vitriol. He knew they re- 

 presented a large and growing interest, and has felt this for 

 some time. He was proud of their record at the Pan-Ameri- 

 can, and he felt that that work was of profit not only to bee- 

 keepers but to the country and Nation at large. He remem- 

 bered when cheese was first brought out. Mr. Ballantyne 

 and others, had. in a quiet way, established a reputation for 

 cheese, which had resulted in millions of dollars worth of 

 business. In one year, the last, the export butter industry 

 had doubled from three million to six million dollars. Al- 

 most every branch of agricultural industry had been devel- 

 oped from sources such as this. Poultry was going to do 

 much in the British market. He dwelt on these because 

 these were related to honej', and this development would re- 

 sult in greater consumption of honey at home and abroad. 

 The United States has spent millions of dollars to induce 

 Germany and other countries to use corn. With honey he 

 felt sure much could be done. 



In closing. Mr. Patulla stated that he had thought a 

 good deal of bee-keeping, many in Oxford holding a promi- 

 nent place among bee-keepers. If by their united action 

 their honey could be classified, and unitedly handled, he be- 

 lieved much advantage would result to the members. There 

 were government agencies which could be used ; he would 



