582 



AMERICAN BEE 10URNAL 



Sept. 11 1902. 



and was given instructions to cooperate with similar commit- 

 tees from other sections of the Farmers' Congress. 



As a standing committe to supervise and attend to any 

 future needs of the experimental apiary, J. B. Salyer and 

 F. L. Aten were appointed. 



Prof. F. W. Mally, M. M. Baldridge, Dr. R. C. Buckner 

 and Hon. W. O. Murray, were unanimously elected honor- 

 ary members of the Association. 



THE PRODUCTION OF COMB HONEY. 



H. H. Hyde talked on this subject. Success in this is 

 more dependent upon right conditions than in the produc- 

 tion of extracted honey. With a good locality and fast 

 honey-flows it is more profitable than the production of ex- 

 tracted honey. Here the importance of having good queens 

 aod strong, rousing colonies of bees, again comes in. With- 

 out these you will not succeed. The proper manipulation 

 of the brood-nest in the spring is of great importance. It 

 should be so handled as to induce the production of a great 

 many young bees, so that at the beginning of the honey-flow 

 the brood-combs will be filled with brood. 



Shallow supers have their advantages over others, in 

 that they produce more capped honey, and sooner than 

 when deeper combs are used. Besides, in manipulating 

 hives containing shallow supers, the handling of the frames 

 individually is unnecessary, as all the handling is done by 

 cases, or full shallow supers. Then, too, brushing off 

 the bees is dispensed with, the shallow supers being easier 

 to removd The bees are smoked down, supers taken off, 

 and jostled roughly, when only a few bees will be left upon 

 the combs, and these will soon leave for home, freeing the 

 combs of bees. 



Mr. Hyde advocates using shallow supers with combs 

 in shallow frames, on all hives at the beginning of the sea- 

 son. He allows the queen to lay in these, thus giving her 

 more breeding space. Then, when section-supers are to be 

 put on, he removes the shallow-frame super, and thus the 

 bees go right ahead storing honey in the newly-put-on sec- 

 tions. 



He also spoke in regard to having supers ready before- 

 hand, to be immediately available when the flow comes on. 

 Care should also be taken to have such supers, containing 

 comb foundation, put away so they will be free from dust 

 or dirt, as the bees are slow about entering dirty ones. 

 Supers should not be put on until the flow is coming on, as 

 the bees have a tendency to gnaw down much of the founda- 

 tion given them if sufficient honey is not coming in. Mr. 

 Hyde advises removing all comb honey from the hives as 

 soon as well sealed over, and before it becomes soiled. The 

 demand is more for comb honey in bulk, or, as formerly 

 known, "Chunk Honey." He explained how it was pro- 

 duced, in shallow extracting-supers, then cut out and fitted 

 into cans, after which extracted honey is poured over it to 

 fill up the crevices. This packing is of much importance. 

 If the honey is put up honestly and neatly so that a gilt- 

 edged article is produced, a good demand can be maintained 

 at remunerative prices. 



L. H. Scholl told the bee-men how he used the shallow 

 extracting-super on all his hives the year around. In early 

 spring the queen is allowed to go upstairs and use it for ah 

 increased amount of room. Then, as more or less honey 

 comes in during the spring, before the main honey-flows, it 

 is stored upstairs and crowds the queen down into the lower 

 compartment ; and by the time the main honey-flow comes 

 on, the shallow super is about full. These are then raised 

 up and the comb-honey supers inserted between them and 

 the brood-chamber, when the bees go right ahead and fill 

 them with a vim not shown by any treated in other ways. 

 Thus a whole super of extracted honey is gained, besides 

 being very essential in the spring in providing a place for 

 the storage of all surplus, or honey not used in brood-rear- 

 ing. It also prevents clogging of the brood-nest, which is 

 likely to occur where no such room is given, and saves the 

 honey which the bees otherwise would have had no use for, 

 and no place to put. 



He, like Mr. Stachelhausen, prefers the divisible brood- 

 chamber hive, consisting of shallow-frame cases or supers, 

 and these have brought the best results in every trial for 

 several years by the side of several other kinds of hives. 



The question was asked as to whether an entrance at 

 the top of the super would be of advantage. The reply was 

 that it would not be, as it would give too much ventilation, 

 would interfere with the nice finishing of the combs, and 

 that very few of the bees would make any use of such an 

 entrance; hence it would be usaJess. 



"Should an excluder be used on the brood-nest when the 



comb-honey supers are put on ? " Answer: "No, it is not 

 found necessary." 



F. J. R. Davenport related his experience in producing 

 comb honey. He is not in favor of producing what he calls 

 a " cap and ball " honey, /. e., in shallow frames, or bulk 

 comb honej'. He wants his in sections, of which he can 

 sell more than he can produce. He rehearsed the importance 

 of saving every section containing foundation starters, 

 drawn comb, and even the very small bits started in some 

 sections, as they are the most valuable in getting the bees 

 started when the honey-flow begins. He keeps these nicely 

 stored away, safe from the ravages of mice, rats, moth- 

 larva? and dust, so that they are nice and clean when they 

 go to the hives. 



MARKETING HONEV. 



M. M. Baldridge was called upon for a discussion of 

 this subject. He uses frames seven inches deep for comb- 

 honey production as well as for extracted. Then, instead of 

 using pails or cans, he has manufactured for him shallow 

 pans or trays which will hold just one comb when cut out 

 of the frame. He also sells his extracted honey for the same 

 price as comb honey — makes no difference in price — sells 

 them in the same style of can regardless of kind. He said 

 it was the bee-keepers' fault that a difference of price existed 

 between extracted and comb honey, and the bee-keepers 

 were foolish for ever having made any difference in price 

 between the two. If this had not been done, extracted honey 

 would today be selling at the uniformly higher price re- 

 ceived for comb honey. His, of course, is a retail market, 

 and under such conditions a uniform price for both extracted 

 and comb honey would be satisfactory ; but for a wholesale 

 business it wovild not answer. 



Mr. Davenport said that he wanted his honey in sections, 

 which he packed in twelve-pound cases and sells in his home 

 market. In regard to comb honey packed in pails and 

 buckets, he told of the quantity shipped in from the North 

 — adulterated goods with but a strip of comb put in each 

 package to deceive the public. The people soon come to 

 dislike this glucose mixture, and prefer to buy what they 

 know to be pure honey, namely, that in the comb or in sec- 

 tions, which sells right beside the vile, adulterated stuff for 

 very much higher prices. He calls all his yellow honey 

 " Gold-Bug Honey," and all his white honey goes as " Free 

 Silver Honey," and if he had ISO cases of it in his own town 

 he could dispose of it in a few hours. "It knocks the 'cap and 

 ball ' honey out, every time." He related instances where 

 comb honey, put up in cans, when opened would boil out as 

 though it were all frying on the inside. He objects to the 

 way in which bulk comb honey is put up by many bee-keep- 

 ers, the cans being smeared with honey, dirt and dust, 

 which certainly is anything but a good advertisement for 

 the industry. 



He believes in advertising, and advertising right ; then 

 in putting the best of goods on the market, and with a little 

 talking they can soon be disposed of at good prices. 



Prof. Newell arose to say that if there was anything by 

 which to successfully advertise one's business, it was by 

 one's mouth. 



A motion was approved for the Association to purchase 

 144 copies of the Farmers' Congress Proceedings at 8'i 

 cents per copy, this being the number allotted to each sec- 

 tion of the Congress. Owing to the fact that the bee-keep- 

 ing section was not as strong as some of the other sections, 

 and owing to the fact that this number was not needed, the 

 motion was amended so that the Association should take 50 

 copies at a price not exceeding IS cents each. A sum was 

 raised for payment of this number, and the Secretary in- 

 structed to mail copies to the members. [This matter has 

 been referred to the executive committee. — Secretary.] 



(Concluded ae.Kt week.) 



Our Wood Binder (or Holder) is made to take all the 

 copies of the American Bee Journal for a year. It is sent 

 by mail for 20 cents. Full directions aqcompany. The Bee 

 Journals can be inserted as soon as they are received, and 

 thus preserved for future reference. Upon receipt of fl.OO 

 for your Bee Journal subscription a full year in advance, 

 we will mail you a Wood Binder free — if you will mention it 



Queenie Jeanette is the title of a pretty song in sheet 

 music size, written by J. C. Wallenmeyer, a musical bee- 

 keeper. The regular price is 40 cents, but tp close out the 

 copies we have left, we will mail them at 20 cents each, as 

 long as they last. 



