THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



55 



THE ONEIDA COUNTY BEE- 

 KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



Pursuant to a call by Mr. W. E. 

 Clark, a number of the most enter- 

 prising beekeepers of Oneida County 

 N. Y., met at Rome, November 21, 

 1885, and organized under the title 

 of "Oneida County Beekeepers' 

 Association." A constitution and by- 

 laws were adopted, and the follow- 

 ing officers elected for the ensuing 

 year : President, R. Bacon, Verona ; 

 Vice-President, W. E. Clark, Oris- 

 kany ; Secretary, O. J. Evans, Cam- 

 roden ; Treasurer, J. M. Reseguie, 

 Verona. 



Seventeen beekeepers became 

 members of the association. Had 

 the weather been favorable, many 

 more, no doubt, would have been 

 present. 



After a considerable amount of 

 routine work, which is indispensable 

 in setting a new society on a solid 

 footing, the subject of wintering bees 

 was taken up. 



President Bacon said, "Much de- 

 pends on locality. Again, hives and 

 the winters have something to do 

 with it. You may treat bees in the 

 same way two winters ; one winter 

 they may do well, the next very 

 poorly. We should strike the mid- 

 dle line after getting all available in- 

 formation. Bees sliould be put up 

 for the winter, dry and carefully. 

 They must not be shaken up. Some 

 cellars will do for wintering bees, 

 while in other cellars they will not 

 do well. I cannot keep mine in my 

 cellar. I have a frost- proof bee- 

 house. It is made double, the studs 

 being about eight inches, boarded 

 outside and inside, and this space of 

 eight inches is filled with dry earth. 

 On the outside of this again, are 

 nailed studs two inches thick, to 

 which is nailed matched siding, 

 thus leaving a dead air space of two 

 inches between the siding and the 

 inner wall. The top of the house 

 is covered with dry sawdust. I pre- 

 fer to keep my house about 45°. 



My colonies do not consume more 

 than from five to ten pounds of honey 

 per winter.' My bee-house more 

 that pays for itself every season. On 

 soft winter days, I give my bees a 

 flight, and I find that they come out 

 better than when they are not let out." 



Mr. Clark said, "I copied my 

 house after Mr. Bacon's, but got it 

 so as to be a little too warm in the 

 spring. I do not wish to let my bees 

 out till the soft maple blossoms in 

 the spring. I therefore sunk my 

 house about four feet into the ground, 

 and I found that the bees would re- 

 main more quiet in the spring. I 

 had no ventilation at the bottom of 

 my bee-house last winter, and my 

 bees never did better. If the house 

 has a damp air, it should be venti- 

 lated. I elevate the lower tier of 

 hives about an inch from the bottom 

 board. This arrangement, by admit- 

 ting a free circulation of air through 

 the hive, prevents the accumulation 

 of mold in the hive, such as is often 

 found, especially on, and in proxim- 

 ity to, the bottom board. The next 

 tier is elevated about half an inch, 

 while the upper ones need no more 

 ventilation than the ordinary en- 

 trance. In regard to absorbent on 

 top of the hive, I use old quilts, 

 which I cut to the right size and lay 

 on top of the hive. Last winter I 

 put ten colonies in, with just the 

 honey board on top, and those did 

 as well as any. I have also packed 

 some with dry sawdust on the top, 

 after the manner of Mr. Bacon ; but 

 as far as packing on the top of the 

 hive is concerned, I find but very 

 little, or no difference. I have never 

 tested chaff hives, but they cannot 

 winter bees as well as a bee-house. 

 I would keep the thermometer in 

 my bee-house from 45° to 48°. 

 The great object is to keep the tem- 

 perature even." 



The next meeting of the Associa- 

 tion will be held at the Stanwix Hall, 

 in Rome, N. Y., February 24, 1886, 

 at 10 o'clock A. M. 



O. J. Evans, Sec'y. 



