THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



159 



down into the body of the hive dur- 

 ing the night which tliey will do if 

 the cover is left off the hive. Then 

 remove the section case in the early 

 nioruiug. Mr. Bacon practised talking 

 the sections into a room and leaving 

 tlie window open, so tliat the bees 

 could return to their liive. 



Tlie subject of curing or evaporat- 

 ing extracted honey was next taken 

 up. Mr. Poppleton, being called 

 upon, said he lived in a dry climate 

 where no particular means were 

 needed, but farther South precautions 

 must be taken or honey would become 

 sour. He was of opinion tiiat the sun 

 was the best evaporating agent, when 

 it was necessary to do anytliing with 

 that object in view. Mr. Co)'neil was 

 of opinion that the first point to settle 

 Avas wliether the honey needed evap- 

 oration. If it did, he, too, was of tlie 

 opinion that the sun was the best 

 agent for doing it. Mr. A. 1. Hoot 

 gave a very full account of his experi- 

 t-ncewith different qualities and vary- 

 ing thickness of honey. Mr. McKnight 

 confirmed Mr. Root's testimony, and 

 said that a lot of honey stored in a 

 tank had become so watery on top 

 that some of his family suspected that 

 the honey had been stolen, and water 

 added. He knew better, as some of the 

 honey had been gathered in a rainy 

 time. A number of testimonies were 

 given, all going to show the impolicy 

 of putting unripe honey on tlie market. 

 This topic branched out into a discus- 

 sion of candied honey, and the best 

 means of re-liquefying it, and a variety 

 of other details. A question was now 

 raised which excited a lively expres- 

 sion of opinion and illustrated the 

 maxim that "doctors differ." It was 

 "If I have 100 colonies, spring count, 

 and wish to increase to 150, shall I 

 do best to make the increase before 

 the honey harvest, during the honey 

 harvest, or at the close of the honey 

 harvest?" 



Prof. Cook replied, "Before if pos- 

 sible; if not, afterwards; during, 

 never." Dr. Miller said, "During, 

 always," and there was a running fire 

 of opinions pro and con, which, at last, 

 settled down to a good discussion on 

 the point; Mr. Poppleton apparently 

 carrying the day hy contending that 

 increase should be carried on from 

 early spring, right along, and be com- 

 ))leted by the end of the honey harvest. 

 The subject of tiering up sections was 

 next discussed, whether it should be 

 (lone under or on top. Strange to say, 

 both methods had its advocates. Mr. 



Hall, the largest producer of comb 

 honey in Ontario, puts the empty 

 sections on top. Dr. Miller had come 

 to the same view. At this juncture, 

 Mr. Heddon was greatly needed, but 

 was not forthcoming. 



The comparative advantage of one 

 and two story hives for extracting 

 honey was then brought up by a ques- 

 tion. In the course of the discussion, 

 speakers branched out into a general 

 statement of experience with hives, 

 and a mixing up of extracted and comt> 

 productions in a somewhat confusing 

 manner. The question which is the 

 best material for spreading in front of 

 beehives led to a variety of opinions. 

 Some one said, "Mr. Root recommends 

 sawdust." Mr. R. replied, "I once 

 did but I do not now. I find the best 

 material to be a foundation of cinder, 

 and a thin coating of the whitest 

 sand on top." President Jones rec- 

 ommended leached ashes. A mem- 

 ber said it created too rank a growth 

 of grass and weeds. Another member 

 suggested salt. 



At this stage. Dr. Miller offered a 

 a resolution that the editors of bee 

 periodicals be requested to encourage 

 correspondents to append to their 

 signatures a statement of the number 

 of colonies owned by them in the 

 spring, and the number owned at the 

 time of wintering. The resolution 

 was hurriedly put and declared carried 

 without opportunity of discussion. 



The President then informed the 

 meeting that Rev. L. L. Langstroth 

 had arrived, was at the Queen's 

 Hotel, and would join the party to- 

 morrow morning for the p]xhibition 

 grounds. The meeting then ad- 

 journed. 



SECOND DAY. 



Pursuant to resolution adopted yes- 

 terday, the members of the Associa- 

 tion took steamer for the Exhibition 

 grounds, about three miles from the 

 city to see, first of all, the honey 

 show, and then any other objects of 

 interest which had special attractions 

 for them. It may be observed that a 

 great Industrial Exhibition lasting two 

 weeks is now in progress, and the 

 honey show is one of its departments. 



It is held in a building about 40x120, 

 which is entirely devoted to this pur- 

 pose, and is filled from end to end 

 with the finest display of honey ever 

 collected on this Continent. A little 

 detail will give some idea of the scene. 



