(ST (5 OLDEST BEE PAPCRXiT 

 IN AMERICA 



.^t* 



DEVOTED TO SCIENTIFIC BEE-CULTURE AND THE PRODUCTION AND SALE OF PURE HONEY. 



VOL. XVII. 



CHICAGO. ILL., MAY 25, 1881. 



No. 21. 



Published every Wednesday, by 



THOMAS G. NEWMAN, 



Editor and Proprietor, 

 974 WEST MADISON ST., CHICAGO, ILL. 



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N. W. Wisconsin and E. Minnesota. 



Pursuant to call, the bee-keepers of 

 Northwestern Wisconsin and Eastern 

 Minnesota met in convention at La- 

 Crosse, Wis., on Tuesday, May 10, 1881, 

 with Vice President E. Markle in the 

 chair. 



The number of colonies lost last win- 

 ter was 403, and from the different 

 opinions expressed, it was the general 

 impression that bees will winter best in 

 a cellar. 



L. II. Pammel read a paper on the 

 " Progress of Bee-Keeping." 



W. Lossing followed with an essay on 

 " Wintering Bees." 



Mr. Salzer did not know what was the 

 cause of losing so many bees last win- 

 ter, but thought it was impossible to 

 lose so many unless they froze. 



Mr. Markle said those who had win- 

 tered in cellars had lost but few com- 

 pared with the loss on summer stands. 

 Most of those lost on the summer stands 

 were smothered. 



Mr. L. S. Soules said that as bees 

 dwindled so much in winter, bee-keep- 

 ers would have to sell their bees by trie 

 pound. 



The following is the address of M. 

 A. Gill, Viola, Richland Co., Wis. : 



In giving my ideas on the many vital 

 questions you have so wisely chosen for 

 discussion at this convention, I do not 

 expect or claim to offer any rule which 

 is infallible. I do not wish to array my- 

 self against the mighty march of pro- 

 gress, that is daily evolving new and 

 valuable lessons in this, our chosen sci- 

 ence ; all that I can hope for is to be 

 privileged to drop, perchance, some 

 single tnought, whereby some member 

 of the fraternity may be benefitted. I 

 will therefore comment briefly upon 

 and review the several questions be- 

 fore this convention. 



1. Bees that are each and every one 

 armed sentinels against every discour- 

 teous intrusion, that are vigorous in 



protecting their hive against the moth, 

 that bear their loads of honey right up 

 to the very entrance instead of gyrat- 

 ing in front of the hive, that have many 

 ragged winged veterans among the 

 working force, which denotes hardiness 

 and longevity (the latter-characteristic I 

 regard of paramount importance) — 

 such bees I consider as possessed of 

 superiority as between colonies of the 

 same race and bees of whatever race, 

 possessing the foregoing requisites, I 

 look upon as superior. 



2. I claim that in any locality north 

 of parallel 40, cellar wintering is prefer- 

 able from the fact that if any protec- 

 tion is necessary that method which 

 seems the most perfect and entire pro- 

 tection is the best, and we should en- 

 deavor to preserve, as nearly as possi- 

 ble, that temperature which will keep 

 the colony in its normal condition ; a 

 condition which in my mind cannot be 

 secured on the summer stand (no mat- 

 ter how thorough and complete in its 

 details is the method of packing 

 adopted) with the mercury ranging as 

 it has for the last 60 days in our State; I 

 would have it understood, in all that 

 the terms imply, that a cellar should be 

 perfectly quiet, pure and dry, and all 

 light excluded. 



3. With the above conditions ful- 

 filled, upward ventilation more than a 

 quilt would give, I think needless, but 

 if on the summer stands, direct up- 

 ward ventilation or plenty of absorbent 

 material I think very necessary. 



4. Attendant upon and owing to the 

 foregoing method of winter protection, 

 I consider from 12 to 14 lbs. of good 

 honey sufficient to carry any colony 

 from the 20th of Nov. until the 1st of 

 April, but if on the summer stands, 

 would consider 25 lbs. as no more than 

 an ample store for the same length of 

 time ; after that time, each would con- 

 sume comparatively the same amount. 



5. The smallest quantity I ever knew 

 to be consumed was 5 lbs. This was in 

 the winter of 1879-80, from Nov. 20 to 

 March 20. This was by a colony of Ital- 

 ians of my strain of small eaters, which 

 I consider a very desirable trait, and one 

 as distinct as that of beauty, docility, 

 or honey gathering, and which I firmly 

 believe can be induced by selection anil 

 breeding as much as any other quality. 

 For who has not noticed in families of 

 bees (as well as of mankind) that some 

 will live and thrive— by their habits of 

 economy and frugality — upon what oth- 

 ers would waste by their gormandizing 

 and profligate habits. 



6. The great mistake of beginners is 

 getting too many bees before acquiring 

 a thorough knowledge of the business ; 

 another mistake is often made by al- 

 lowing a too rapid increase which will 

 (to the novice) invariably result in dis- 

 aster. 



7. Having some experimental know- 

 ledge I would say to the beginner, be 

 cautious; first study well some standard 

 work, and by no means think of doing 

 without a bee-keeper's periodical of 

 recognized merit. Next buy 2 or 3 col- 

 onies of bees (not more), and buy none 

 but the best, adopt some good standard 

 hive and get all the honey you can and 

 but little increase until you find out 

 whether or not you are a bee-keeper. 



8. In commenting upon this ques- 

 tion I have only to say that I never had 

 occasion to winter on any substitute 



for pure honey; have ever made it a 

 practice to allow my bees ample stores 

 for even an emergency while I take 

 what remains. I endeavor to place the 

 honey in such shape in the hive (for 

 this the Gallup frame answers the pur- 

 pose best) that the late honey, such as 

 buckwheat, golden rod, aster, etc., may 

 be consumed first and while the bees are 

 in their most healthy condition, while 

 the basswood and clover will come in 

 toward spring and serve as a change of 

 diet or alterative, which is of considera- 

 ble importance after their long confine- 

 ment. 



9. On the best method of swarming 

 for Wisconsin there are many different 

 opinions and many phases of the ques- 

 tion, and the matter must necessarily 

 be governed by circumstances. For 

 the specialist with but one apiary I 

 would advise well controlled natural 

 swarming, while if he should own 

 an apiary away from home nucleus- 

 swarming might be practiced to great 

 advantage by building up nuclei and 

 interchanging between the locations, 

 thus avoiding the difficulty so often met 

 with of a return to the parent colony. 

 But in the case of many (myself in- 

 cluded) who are engaged in a joint bus- 

 iness, farming and bee-keeping, it is 

 impossible to give the latter one's whole 

 attention, and for such, well conducted 

 artificial swarming is the most desirable. 



10. I would not advise dividing, only 

 in exceptional instances, before the 

 clover season, as it is liable to thwart 

 the best chances for the basswood yield 

 in those sections where it is the chief 

 source of surplus. In many parts of 

 our State white clover is sadly wanting 

 as compared with the older States, but 

 we look forward with hope to the time 

 when our hill-slopes, valleys, pasture 

 lands and waste lands shall bear this 

 beautiful and useful plant in bounteous 

 profusion. 



11. In regard to melting up old combs 

 for foundation, I think it should not be 

 practiced with straight worker comb. I 

 have sometimes thought that for the 

 different uses of brood combs those old 

 stiff ones were the best, however their 

 utility is certainly of longer duration 

 than many suppose. 



12. The use of division boards as a 

 means of enhancing our surplus is to 

 me of great importance, and not only 

 its early use in the hive proper, but its 

 use in the super in getting the bees 

 started where frames are used that hold 



2 tiers of sections or for starting on 2 or 



3 combs for the extractor throwing back 

 the mat or quilt and putting in the fol- 

 lower, and spreading the comb as fast 

 as wanted until the entire super is 

 occupied, when everything around the 

 hive will soon be on a boom. 



13. I do not think basswood injured; 

 it being a forest tree and indigenous, 

 why should it kill any more than the 

 bloom of the maple or any of the differ- 

 ent varieties of salix. 



The following questions were taken 

 from the question box : 



What is the origin of the Italian bee ? 



Are bees taxable property ; and if so, 

 how much per colony ? 



In answering the first question, Mr. 

 Soules said that the Rev. Mr. Lang- 

 stroth, Mr. Jones and others had come 

 to the conclusion that the Italian bee 

 was a hybrid of the Cyprian and black 

 bee. 



Mr. Pammel said the Italian bee was 

 an offspring of the Cyprian, since its 

 shape and general structure indicate it. 



Mr. Lossing said they were a distinct 

 race, as the saddle found on the Cyprian 

 was not to be found on the Italian. 



Mr. Pammel said that asa proof of his 

 statement, every close observer had no- 

 ticed the great difference in our home- 

 bred Italians and those imported. A 

 few years more and we will have a dis- 

 tinct race, if the rule of selection of the 

 best and "survival of the fittest" be 

 practiced. 



Mr. Markle thought Mr. Pammel was 

 laboring under a great mistake. In re- 

 gard to the second question, he thought 

 it an insult to tax bees, since he could 

 not tell how long he could own them, or 

 whether they would ever give him a 

 profit. 



L. S. Soules said he did not know how 

 they could be taxed, since they are not 

 personal property. 



Mr. Lossing thought it unjust that 

 some bee-keepers were taxed while oth- 

 ers were not ; if they are taxable prop- 

 erty he would be willing to pay. 



Mr. Salzer said they should be taxed, 

 since they are personal property, just as 

 are the horse and cow, and the profits 

 reaped therefrom are just as large. 



Mr. Markle. If they are taxable, why 

 not tax the trout in a man's pond ; it 

 would be equally absurd. 



Mr. Pammel. As bees are in every 

 sense of the word personal property, 

 they should be taxed, one and all. 



Mr. Jaques said as his bees had been 

 taxed while others had not, he looked 

 the point up and found that bees, ac- 

 cording to a general law, are not taxa- 

 ble property. 



R. A. Morgan, Arcadia, Wis., in re- 

 ply to the question " does it pay to melt 

 up old comDs and use foundation," said: 

 I say it does. But what I may say, or 

 what the best of bee-keepers may say, 

 is not now believed unless proved by 

 actual demonstration ; hence I will give 

 the following formula, which I think is 

 not overdrawn : 



1. I find about 15 per cent, of all old 

 combs moldy and about 5 per cent, 

 cracked or twisted out of shape. 



2. We will suppose that the cost of 

 tilling a hive with new foundation is 50 

 cents, and that honey is worth 10 cents 

 a pound, we lose what is equal to one 

 good day's work for the colony or (2J>£ 

 lbs. of honey) 25 cents to say the least, 

 which is 50 per cent, of the foundation 

 by using old combs instead of founda- 

 tion ; the cleaning of the combs is 

 worth at least 5 per cent, of the founda- 

 tion. 



3. The old combs to melt up are 

 worth 25 per cent, of the cost of foun- 

 dation, making in all 100 per cent, or 

 the whole cost of foundation. This 

 does not take into account the waste 

 and expense of keeping combs over, the 

 number of bees killed or disgusted by 

 having old combs put into the hive or 

 the increase in wax that the bees make 

 by building out the foundation, nor the 

 time lost by the queen not accepting old 

 as readily as new, and sometimes not 

 at all. 



But while we bear this in mind we 

 must not think that there is no profit in 

 using old combs ; on the contrary, old 

 combs may be used with great profit, 

 but comb foundation with still greater 

 profit. 



