THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



161 



impossible to get statistics even from 

 prominent men, in any year, when 

 they liappened to be unsuccessful. For 

 that reason the Northwestern Asso- 

 ciation had discontinued the publica- 

 tion of its reports. 



The question of the proper width 

 of sections was then resumed, and 

 talked over at some length, but noth- 

 ing particularly new was elicited. 



At this juncture. Rev. L. L. Lang- 

 stroth entered the convention, was 

 received with a rising expression of 

 welcome l)y the members, and con- 

 ducted l)y the President to the Mayor's 

 chair, as a token of respect, amid loud 

 and prolonged cheers. 



The President's address was then 

 delivered. It consisted mainly of 

 welcoming words in regard to the 

 meeting of the Association, together 

 with a brief resume of the honey 

 season just past. Prof Cook, Messrs. 

 Bacon, A. I. Eoot, Pierce, and Dr. 

 Miller made responses, gratefully 

 appreciating the welcome which had 

 been accorded to the Americans, and 

 the pleasure it h;id given them to 

 visit Toronto, and attend this con- 

 vention. By special request of Presi- 

 dent Jones, Mr. Langstroth addressed 

 the meeting. He gave an interesting 

 account of the way he was led into 

 beekeeping, and of his early mistakes 

 and difficulties; related the manner 

 in which he had been led to invent the 

 movable frame, and the circumstances 

 connected with its general adoption; 

 and stated a number of interesting 

 facts bearing on the history and prog- 

 ress of beekeeping. At the close of 

 Mr. Langstroth's address, the Asso- 

 ciation proceeded to elect officers. 



On motion of Prof. Cook, Hev. L. 

 L. Langstroth was chosen President. 

 The motion was carried by a standing 

 vote. L. C. Root, of New York, was 

 appointed first Vice President; Dr. 

 C. C. Miller, of Illinois, Secretary, and 

 v.. F. Muth, of Ohio, wns re-appointed 

 Treasurer. A list of Vice Presidents 

 for the several States and Provinces 

 was also made up. 



The question of the next place of 

 meeting was then taken up. Presi- 

 dent Clarke, of the Northeastern Bee- 

 keepers' Association, on behalf of 

 New York, invited the members to 

 iiochester next j'ear. Dr. Miller con- 

 veyed the request of the Northwes- 

 tern Beekeepers' Association to 

 appoint tlie next annual meeting at 

 Chicago. On motion of Prof. Cook, 

 Rochester was chosen as the next 

 place of mectiug. The date was left 



to be fixed by the executive com- 

 mittee. 



EVENING SESSION. 



Business resumed. Vice President 

 Cook in the Chair. The discussion of 

 miscellaneous questions was made the 

 first order of the evening. Two en- 

 quiries concerning foul brood were 

 laid on the table. 



" Is it advisable to clip the wings of 

 queen bees?" was next asked. A 

 lively discussion arose, proving the 

 house to be considerably divided on 

 the point. One member announced 

 himself " a clipper. " Another said 

 he might be a clip, but he was not a 

 clipper. The reasons for and against 

 were pretty fully stated. 



" At what age should a queen be 

 superseded?" was the next question. 

 Mr. Hall thought no age could be 

 fixed. Bees were like human beings, 

 some were young when they were 

 old, and others were old when they 

 were young. Queens should be 

 watched, and superseded when not 

 working satisfactorily. Mr. Lang- 

 strotli would not fix any unvarying 

 time, but he had found two seasons, 

 on an average, the term of a queen's 

 greatest prolificacy. After that, they 

 would show signs of failure. It was 

 a remarkable feature in the Italians, 

 that they were quick to notice signs 

 of failure in a queen, and took early 

 measures to supersede her. That 

 alone was sufficient to recommend 

 them. 



The best method for feeding in the 

 fall was next considered. Mr. Jones, 

 on being called up advised the use of 

 the best granulated sugar, in the pro- 

 portion of two pounds of sugar to one of 

 water. The discussion soon branched 

 off so as to take in the topic of feed- 

 ers. Mr. Langstroth and others 

 discouraged the use of fancy feeders. 

 Mr. Jones tilts the front of the hive a 

 little, and pours the syrup on the 

 bottom board, from which the bees 

 take it up very quickly. Mr. Locke 

 suggested that all beekeepers could 

 not tilt their hives, and hence, some 

 kind of feeder became necessary. 

 He recommended the use of a Mason 

 fruit jar furnished with a tin cover 

 perforated with a number of holes. 

 Filled with syrup and inverted, this 

 made a good feeder. 



The treatment of wax then occupied 

 the attention of the meeting. Boiled 

 down, the discussion amounted to 

 this : that great pains ought to be 



