Marcli, IU09. 



j[ American ^Bec Journal 



Report of the Xi-w Jersey Conven- 

 tion. 



The annual meeting of the New Jer- 

 sey Bee-Keepers' Association was held 

 in the State House, Trenton, Jan. 9, 

 1909. Promptly at 10 a. m., President 

 VVm. W. Case called the meeting to or- 

 der, and gave the opening address. He 

 expressed himself as pleased with the 

 increased attendance. His address was 

 mainly on the prevalence of foul brood 

 in New Jersey, of his method of treat- 

 ing it, and of the need of a foul brood 

 law for New Jersey. The disease is 

 known to be scattered more or less 

 throughout the State, and seems to be 

 rather on the increase in the southern 

 counties of the State. Mr. Case's meth- 

 od of treatment, in brief, is as follows : 



FOUL BROOD TREATMENT. 



Build up the colony as fast as possible 

 in the spring — feed if necessary. Do 

 not give surplus room. Allow them to 

 swarm naturally, or, better yet, shake 

 when strong enough at the beginning or 

 during the flow. Hive or put the forced 

 swarm on the old stand, and move the 

 parent colony to a distant part of the 

 yard. Use full sheets of comb founda- 

 tion, or starters, as is your custom. In 

 3 weeks treat the parent colony moved 

 to the distant stand, the same way. Ap- 

 ply treatment late in the day, to avoid 

 scattering the bees. There is one rule 

 that must be strictly observed, and that 

 is, that the newly hived sw'arm must be 

 left strictly alone at least 5 days, or 

 better still, a week. After 5 days or a 

 week, it may be treated in all respects 

 as a colony free from disease, surplus 

 room given, and so on. 



This method of one shaking is based 

 on the theory that all diseased honey in 

 the honey-stomachs of the bees is di- 

 gested and converted into wax in a 

 week's time; but that if the hive is 

 opened or molested in any way before 

 the expiration of a week, the bees will 

 even up the honey among themselves, 

 and will then store some of the diseased 

 honey. This method has proved suc- 

 cessful if faithfully and carefully car- 

 ried out. 



There was a sample comb of Ameri- 

 can foul brood on exhibition, and was 

 observed by all. Many questions were 

 asked by those not familiar witli the 

 disease, which were fully explained. 



PRODUCING EXTRACTED HONEY. 



The first paper was by Mr. E. G. 

 Carr : "How I Secured 3000 Pounds of 

 Honey from 27 Colonies, and Increased 

 to 39." 



He used the lO-frame Langstroth 

 Hive, Hoflfman frame, chiefly. He clips 



all queens during fruit-bloom. He sees 

 that all colonies have plenty of stores, 

 and supplies any that need stores, by 

 giving combs of honey saved over from 

 previous season. Later in the spring he 

 puts an empty super of drawn combs 

 over each colony, using the queen-ex- 

 cluder over the brood-chamber that the 

 queen may not be crowded if an early 

 flow comes, a- he sometimes has. At 

 th beginning of the clover flow all 

 colonies are given room, and plenty of 

 room is given through the flow as need- 

 ed. 



He has some swarms in his locality, 

 and these he treats as follows : He 

 hives on the old stand on full sheets of 

 foundation, giving a frame with least 

 brood in them, and puts the other 8 

 frames of brood in another body on a 

 top of the hive w'ith a bottom-board be- 

 tween. In 5 to 7 days he puts the top 

 brood and queen all together in its old 

 place at the bottom. This usually breaks 

 up all swarming and keeps brood, bees, 

 and queen all together, which keeps all 

 colonies strong. 



He allows all honey to be ripened 

 thoroughly and sealed over before ex- 

 tracting. 



The paper was followed by interest- 

 ing questions and discussions. There 

 w-as considerable discussion as to wheth- 

 er light honey stored in brood-combs 

 was darkened. Mr. Carr maintained 

 that it was, but the majority did not 

 agree with him. 



REQUEENING COLONIES. 



The subject of requeening received 

 considerable discussion. 



Mr. Harold Horner, who has exten- 

 sive apiaries in the State, practises re- 

 queening every year at the close of the 

 clover flow. He was very certain that 

 it paid, though entailing considerable 

 work. Other meiubers practised re- 

 queening every 2 years. 



THE GOVERXME.NT AND BEE-KEEPTNG. 



The first paper in the afternoon wa-; 

 by Franklin Fox, of Pennsylvania, on 

 "What the United States Government Is 

 Doing for the Bee-Keeper." Mr. Fox 

 was assistant in the United States 

 Apiary during the season of 1907, so his 

 knowledge comes first-hand. He briefly 

 reviewed the establishment of the Di- 

 vision of Apiculture, and of the ap- 

 pointment and work of Frank Benton. 

 He referred to Mr. Benton's interest in 

 the giant bees of India (Apis dorsata 

 and zonata), and of Mr. Benton's trip 

 around the world to endeavor to secure 

 these bees; and upon his return of the 

 appointment of Dr. E. F. Phillips as 

 head of the Division. He told how the 

 Division is testing new races of bees 



and their crosses.. But the most im- 

 portant work of all is the investigation 

 of bee-diseases from various parts of 

 the United States. The Division has se- 

 cured a competent bacteriologist. Dr. 

 G. F. White. Dr. White has discovered 

 the particular bacillus of both European 

 and American foul brood. He has 

 found that bacillus alvei is the specific 

 germ causing European foul brood, and 

 a germ to which he gives the name of 

 "Bacillus Larvae," as the specific cause 

 of American foul brood. As most of 

 those who have followed these investi- 

 gations know, this is different from the 

 conclusions of certain European investi- 

 gators. The Division is also investiga- 

 ting the cause of pickle brood, bee-par- 

 alysis, and other bee-diseases, but has 

 not completed the investigation, so has 

 no definite facts as yet. 



Mr. Fox was asked a number of ques- 

 tions about the different races of bees, 

 especially the Caucasians. He said the 

 Caucasians in the Government Apiary 

 were extremely gentle, fully the equal 

 of Italians as honey-gatherers, and 

 much more prolific, and better breed- 

 ers during a dearth of honey. He said 

 the Cyprians had been abandoned on 

 account of their ill temper and ferocious 

 stinging propensity. 



Next the business session was held. 

 The minutes of the last meeting were 

 read and approved. Pres. Wm. W. 

 Case was imaniniously re-elected presi- 

 dent. J. H. M. Cook,' A. G. Hann. and 

 E. G. Carr were elected vice-presidents. 

 .Albert G. Hann was elected secretary 

 and treasurer. 



"UP-TO-DATE BEE-KEEPING." 



The next paper was "Up-to-Date Bee- 

 Keeping," by J. H. M. Cook. Mr. Cook 

 said that the up-to-date bee-keeper stud- 

 ies the best books on bee-keeping, reads 

 all the bee-periodicals, attends the con- 

 ventions of bee-keepers, visits his brother 

 bee-keepers, is thoroughly enthused with 

 his calling, thinks about it all day, and 

 even dreains about bees at night. He 

 studies his locality, his flora, and times 

 of honey-yields, and manages his bees 

 accordingly. He uses latest imprcjved 

 hives and fixtures, and adopts short cuts 

 in manipulations. Lastly and most im- 

 portant of all, he puts his crop up in the 

 most attractive shape for market, and 

 studies the market situation carefully 

 before disposing of his crop. 



MISCELLANEOUS M.\TTEES. 



Before adjournment was taken, the 

 matter of holding a field meeting was 

 discussed. It was moved and carried 

 that a field meeting be held in June 

 next, the time and place to be arranged 

 by the Executive Committee. It will 

 probably be held in connection with the 

 Philadelphia Association in Burlington 

 County. 



It was also suggested that a 2 days' 

 annual meeting be held next year, which 

 suggestion will probably be carried out. 



There was an exhibition of samples 

 of comb and extracted honey from dif- 

 ferent parts of the State, also samples 

 of beeswax, and a few bee-appliances. 



There were over 50 bee-keepers pres- 

 ent, and several pew members joined. 

 It was one of the most interesting, most 

 profitable and best attended meetings 



