324 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Oct. 12, 



About 65 per cent, of the number of ! fully fertilize queens in confinement. 

 colonies of last fall were dead by May 10, i p. a. Jones suggested that bees 

 and more of them <Ued between Mar. 20 and : C0lu( j De successfully and quickly 

 May 10 than had previously. Many 'that unit ed by using a small Bingham 

 had pulled through till May 1, became , , J in : „ f ,- 1(1 S1 ? 0nep 



queeiiless and died out or swarmed out, or 1 suiokei mm a piece M nut sponge 

 had drone-laying or virgin queens before ! next the fire grate then another piece 



June 1. 



Bi>th soft and hard maples were full 3 

 wetks later than known before in these 

 parts, but most of the bees were in con- 

 dition to obtain but little honey from 

 either. Fruit bloom was nothing to speak 

 of. May 85, white clover began to show 

 considerably in favorable localities, but 

 \ ielded very little honey. Very little, if 

 any, surplus was stored in boxes till bass- 

 wood, which commenced blooming July 

 18, the bloom being plenty and yielding 

 bountifully till the 38th; before basswood 

 was gone, sumac began to bloom abun- 

 dantly, and yielding honey steadily and 

 bountifully till Aug. 5, when the harvest 

 shut off so abrnptilyas to make it danger- 

 oun to open weak colonies or nuclei until 

 buckwheat began to bloom, which was 

 Aug. 33, in some places yielding a fair 

 supply, in others scarcely enough to keep 

 off starvation, and in many places not any. 

 When any amount of honey was gathered 

 it was from the silverhull, the common 

 kind was worthless for honey. The early 

 golden-rods and other early fall flowers 

 amounted to nothing for honey ; on the 

 30th of Sept. bees began to gather a little 

 honey, and the yield showed a steady in- 

 crease daily. On the 34th it was so heavy 

 that should it continue for 3 weeks as 

 plentiful, the colonies completely desti- 

 tute could gather enough for a winter sup- 

 ply. The queens had almost come to a 

 stand-still regarding laying, but the past 

 3 or 4 days, good How of honey has given 

 them a start, which it is to be hoped will 

 furnish brood enough to send them into 

 winter quarters moderately strong in bees. 



In the north-western and western parts 

 of the State, there is a slight showing of a 

 disease in the brood. Just before ready 

 to cap, a large percentage of it turns a 

 yellowish brown, and then dries up. 

 Whether it is caused by a poisonous 

 honey, or the weather, or the drouth, or 

 all three, I cannot tell. The trouble is 

 mostly on low ground or near large 

 swamps. It is contagious by the inter- 

 change of diseased combs. 



The honey season has not been more 

 than a medium for surplus, though in some 

 places it was uncommon for swarms. 



Woodbury, Conn., Sept. 36, 1881. 



On motion, adjourned till 7:30 p. m. 



EVENING SESSION. 



Reports on the crop results for the 

 season, with amount of increase, be- 

 ing in order, were given as follows: 

 No. of colonies in the spring, 1,499, 

 increased to ".7ii0; extracted honey 

 received, 67,632 pounds; comb honey 

 received. 5,005 pounds. 



M:uiy of those reporting as above 

 stated their bees were in bad condition 

 in the spring, and others had run for 

 queens or increase. When the roll 

 was called several were absent, not 

 having returned from supper. 



Prof. Cook made an explanation re- 

 garding fertilization in confinement; 

 he has never been successful in his at- 

 tempts to accomplish it, although lie 

 has diligently tried almost everything 

 which suggested itself to his mind. 



Mr. Deniaree has tried several ex- 

 periments, and almost lost confidence 

 in its accomplishment, lie lias tried 

 tying a silken thread around the 

 queen and down her in the air, but 

 u iih no satisfactory results. 



Prof. Cook has also tried that 

 method, and suggested several other 

 experiments which met with no better 

 success. 



Several gentlemen expressed the 

 opinion that the queen and drone 

 dropped to the ground during inter- 

 course, and gave instances which had 

 come Within their knowledge. 



Dr. J. P. II. Brown differed with 

 the gentlemen ; he thought a few ex- 

 ceptional cases did not constitute the 

 rule. 



Mr. Jones lias had a Syrian queen 

 mated after she was 80 days old, and 



she commenced laying three i lays alter 



being put in the hive. She has proven 

 herself a good queen, being prolific 

 and throwing worker brood. 



On motion of Wm. Williamson, 

 Lexington, Ky., Dr. J. P. II. Brown. 

 Prof. Cook. ii. W. Demaree, D. A. 

 Jones and Prof. Hasbrouck, of New 

 Jersey, were appointed a special com- 

 mittee, and requested to continue fur- 

 experiments with a view to success- 



saturated with the bestQerman chloro- 

 form, and a dry sponge on this. Care 

 must be used, not to use too much 

 chloroform. 



Adjourned till 9 a. m. 



MORNING SESSION— OCT. t). 



Session opened with prayer by Rev. 

 L. Johnson, Walton, Ky. 



Report of Committee on Nomina- 

 tions being called for Hon. W. II. 

 Andrews, Chairman, reported the 

 following : 



President— Prof. A. J. Cook. Lansing. Mich. 

 Recording See.- Dr. Ehrick Pnrnily.New York. 

 CorreHpoudlner Sec— C K. Mulh, Cincinnati. O. 

 Treasurer-Mrs. Frances Dunham, Depere, Wis. 



STATE VICE PRESIDENTS. 

 Alabama— J. A. Austin, Huntsville. 

 Arkansas-Dr. W. W. llipolite. Devall's Bluff. 

 California— W. Muth-Rasinussen, Independence. 

 Colorado— D. Wolpert, Denver. 

 Conneetieut-11. 1.. Jeffrey, Woodbury. 

 Dakota Calvin &. Shaw. Vermillion. 

 Florida— W. S. Hart. New Smyrna. 

 Georgia— Dr. J. P. H. Brown. Augusta. 

 Illinois— Mrs. L. Harrison, Peoria. 

 Indiana— Joseph M. Brooks, Columbus, 

 iowa— O. O. Poppleton, Williamstown. 

 Kansas -D. P. Norton, Counoll Orove. 

 Kentucky— W. Williamson. Lexington. 

 Louisiana-G. A. Vincent, New Orleans. 

 Maine— Dr. J. A. Morton. Bethel. 

 Maryland— S. Valentine. Double Pipe Creek. 

 Massachusetts— E. A. Thomas, Coleraine. 

 Michigan— T. F. Bingharu. Abronia. 

 Mississippi -O. M. Blunton, Greenville. 

 Missouri— R. S. Musser. St. Joseph. 

 Nebraska— George M. Hawley, Lincoln. 

 New Hampshire— J. L. Hubbard. Walpole. 

 New Jersey— Prof. J. Hasbrouck, Bound Brook. 

 New York— A. J. King. New York City. 

 North Carolina— E. E. Ewing. Highlands. 

 Ohio— Melville Hayes, Wilmington. 

 Ontario— D. A. Jones, Beeton. 

 Pennsylvania— W. J. Davis. Vmingsville. 

 Quebec— Thomas Valiquet. St. Hilaire. 

 Tennessee— W. P. Henderson. Murfreesboro. 

 Texas— Dr. W. R. Howard. Kingston. 

 Vermont— A. E. Manual. Bristol. 

 Virginia— E. C. Jordan, Stephenson's Depot. 

 West Virginia— Dr. E. E. Woithen, Wheeling. 

 Wisconsin— John Corscot, Madison. 



The report of the committee was 

 accepted, and on motion of O. O. Pop- 

 pleton, the Recording Secretary was 

 instructed to cast the vote of the Con- 

 vention as a unit for the above nomi- 

 nees, after which they were declared 

 unanimously elected. 



Prof. A. J. Cook. President elect, 

 was escorted to the cliair, and delivered 

 the following : 



President's Address. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the American 



Bee-Keepers' 1 Socii ty : 



Allow me to thank you most cor- 

 dially for this unsought and unexpec- 

 ted honor. To receive this kind and 

 unanimous expression, is indeed most 

 pleasant. Two years ago I urged Cin- 

 cinnati as the place for the succeeding 

 meeting. I wished to enlist the inter- 

 est and quick intelligence, and secure 

 the rich fruit of the experience of our 

 honored bee-keepers of the Sunny 

 South. One year later the selection of 

 Lexington wisely furthered the same 

 object. To-day we are proving the 

 wisdom of this idea. We have heard 

 before of the kind-heartedness and ex- 

 ceptional hospitality of the people of 

 this grand old State. To-day we are 

 realizing that it is more than true. 



I have long felt a sincere pride in 

 doing what I could to advance api- 

 culture. The apiarist procures his re- 

 ward, not by sharp practices, not 

 through the misfortunes and adver- 

 sity of his fellow, but by the honest 

 production of that which is of value 

 to others. His daily work adds to the 

 capital of the world ; the fruits of his 

 daily thought and labor add to the 

 comfort, the health, and the happiness 

 of the world. More, when we lead 

 any friend or neighbor to apicultural 

 pursuits, we are working indirectly to 

 cultivate in them thought, study ami 

 close observation, for without each 

 and all of these, the best success is 

 impossible. But intelligence and ob- 

 servation are more than elements of 

 success; they make life a joy, and 

 their possessor a delight and a bless- 

 ing to others. 



Apiculture calls its patrons to 

 handle the things of nature, and so re- 

 fines, elevates, and broadens. How 

 patent the fact, as we associate with 

 bee-keepers in these conventions, that 

 this pursuit developes charity, rever- 



ence — yea, the truest and best ele- 

 ments of a gentleman. 



In apiculture, our sisters find the 

 means to procure a comfortable liveli- 

 hood. That apiculture is peculiarly 

 adapted to the deft manipulation and 

 the neat and beautiful taste of our la- 

 dies, is more than demonstrated by 

 the many successful lady apiarists of 

 America, who are second to none in 

 the land. 



To be called to succeed such 

 men as Allen, Newman, Quinby, 

 and the honored LangstTOth, is indeed 

 something to awaken pride ; to be 

 called to represent the American api- 

 culturists, as the chief officer of their 

 national association, is indeed an 

 honor of no small magnitude. 



Asking your aid, unflagging support, 

 and your kind forbearance, I promise 

 to do what I can to make the coming 

 year of this association even more 

 fruitful of good to American bee- 

 keepers, if that be possible, than has 

 been any time of the past. With 

 " Excelsior ! " as our motto, let us pro- 

 ceed to our regular work. 



The following resolution was offered 

 by C. C. Coffinberry, of Illinois, and 

 adopted unanimously, by a rising vote: 



Resolved, That we hereby tender the 

 thanks of the North American Bee- 

 Keepers' Society, to our late Presi- 

 dent, Dr. N. P. Allen, Kentucky, for 

 the excellent and efficient discharge 

 of his official duties during the past 

 most trying year to bee-keepers. 



The following address from P. P. 

 Collier, of Missouri, was read : 



About in-and-in-Breeding. 



In discussing this very important branch 



of apiculture, I deem it prudent to confine 

 mvselt to facts long established and 

 proven, that too long and too close " in- 

 and-in-breeding" is determental in all do- 

 mestic animals, as well as the honey bee. 

 It is one of God's established laws in all 

 animate beings to avoid the relative or 

 kindred bloods, and the penalty in the vio- 

 lation of this law, the careful breeder is 

 ever watchful to prevent in the species 

 propagated. While it is a fact that some 

 of the ancients advocated "in-breeding" 

 to retain the original purity of the "bovine 

 animals," yet the proof of this policy is 

 developed in all cases wherever practiced, 

 not only in maintaining the original, but 

 running out of mixed bloods, and, while 

 we believe that this law is applicable to 

 all domestic animals, it is none the less 

 true in the honey bee, as probably with 

 all insects. 



My father once purchased 4 colonies in 

 log gums from two different men. For 2 

 years his increase was very rapid, his bees 

 doing well, hut the third year they became 

 indolent— no honey— moths attacked them, 

 and in 2 years more he had nothing left 

 save the " gums." There were no other 

 bees near for them to cross with, but they 

 bred in-and-in until they bred "out." I 

 was called, a few years ago, to transfer IS 

 black colonies from the old box to the 

 movable frame hives. I did so, and found 

 the bees very indolent ; queens and drones 

 dwarfish, bees idle with little resentment, 

 and although put there in good order with 

 a good harvest, yet they went to nothing. 

 Another case about the same time, and un- 

 der similar circumstances, was giving 

 queens from a distant apiary (all blacks) 

 with very different results ; the close of 

 the season found them strong and vigor- 

 ous, not a moth about them. 



Some 30 years ago, a French writer ad- 

 vocated the exchange of brood from a dis- 

 tant apiary, to prevent "in-breeding." 

 Mr. Dadant, on page 270 in the American I whose 

 Bee Journal, refers to a case of marked ] honey 

 laziness in bees propagated and sold in 

 one locality, all from one colony. He 

 further said, " According to my expe- 

 rience, too close and too prolonged in-and- 

 in breeding will produce laziness, and 

 oive birth to queens whose progenitors are 

 not so sound as should be desired," and 

 bad he added that " such a course was a 

 sure road to destruction," he would have 

 come nearer the facts in the case. 



I purchased, in 1S77, a very tine impor- 

 ted queen from Dr. Brown, of Georgia. 

 Her offspring was pure. 1 suppressed all 

 drones except from her. From her 1 

 reared some very fine queens and drones, 

 but to my surprise, these queens ditl not 

 produce well-marked workers. The next 

 year (1878), I reared some queens from 

 these; the result was very bad hybrids, 

 —very cross. The third year (1870), to my 

 great satisfaction, as well as my neigh- 

 bor's, they played entirely out— the worst 

 mongrels imaginable. Now I had no 

 Dlack drones; all drones were from this 

 imported queen and her offspring. I ask, 



" was this not a marked case of degener- 

 acy from in-breeding V " I then procured 

 queens from different breeders — reared 

 drones from one, and queens from others, 

 with very different results. 



How did man obtain the perfection de- 

 veloped in the various animals under his 

 control ? 1 answer, by taking advantage 

 of this law. with the variation and pre- 

 serving them, or developing the more per- 

 fect, and rejecting the imperfect. Now 

 with no variation, there can be no selec- 

 tion, but happily our great Creator has 

 provided ample provisions by the which 

 kindred blood, and the penalty thereof 

 may be avoided, and a better and purer 

 race adorn the many apiaries that exist in 

 our broad and glorious land to the pleas- 

 ure and profit of all concerned. But per- 

 mit me here to say, that so long as this 

 dollar-queen business is tolerated, so long 

 may we expect perfection deferred, and a 

 mongrel race flood our country. Why, 

 what may we expect from a stock-raiser 

 to advertise his fine cattle without war- 

 rant or guarantee of their purity ? Would 

 you purchase of such ? iet thousands of 

 novices are led to believe that they have 

 the "ne-plus-ultra," to their great injury. 



Dr. E. Parmly, New York, main- 

 tained that there was not the danger 

 to be apprehended from in-and-in- 

 breeding, that was generally anticipa- 

 ted. The doctor exhibited a photo- 

 graph of the most celebrated milch 

 cow now in this country, stating that 

 her extraordinary yielding powers had 

 been developed by in-breeding, and 

 that it was a rule among the best 

 stock-breeders to breed in twice and 

 out once ; sometimes they breed in- 

 and-out time about. He claimed that 

 climatic influences had more to do 

 with deleterious results than the sys- 

 tem of in-breeding with bees. Take, 

 for instance, the human family, and it 

 would be found that some nationali- 

 ties were not so liable to degeneracy 

 as others. A nervous, excitable peo- 

 ple like the Americans would be more 

 likely to degenerate than a stolid 

 phlegmatic people like the Hollanders. 

 According to the theory of partheno- 

 genesis, a queen could not mate with 

 a full brother— the nearest relation- 

 ship the drone could bear would be 

 that of a half brother, and hence their 

 peculiar natural organization was by 

 nature adapted for breeding in. 



from C. P. Dadant, of 

 was next in order. 



An address 

 Hamilton, 111. 

 entitled 



The Prevention of Natural Swarming. 



Among the most desirable improve- 

 ments to be made in the wide unexplored 

 field of bee-knowledge, is the manage- 

 ment of bees in such a way as to produce 

 at will, either bees or honey. One-half of 

 this question has already been solved 

 satisfactory, it is that which concerns the 

 production of increase in colonies at the 

 expense of honey. Indeed this matter 

 has been so thoroughly ventilated, that it 

 has become a necessity for the older heads 

 to wain the novices against an excess in 

 this line, and notwithstanding these 

 warnings, we daily hear of failures of be- 

 ginners due to the over-production of arti- 

 ficial swarms in their too great eagerness 

 to quickly become large honey producers. 



The other side of the question, and not 

 the least important to the large producer, 

 is far from being so thoroughly solved as 

 the former, and although we see many in- 

 stances where bees do produce honey 

 without swarming, there are numberless 

 instances where the bees have swarmed 

 again and again, producing a large increase 

 in spite of the efforts of their keeper, 

 aim was only the production of 

 All our large producers are anx- 

 ious to prevent natural swarming and to 

 control all their increase in order to select 

 their breeding stock, and also to prevent 

 any further addition to the number of 

 their colonies, except in a quantity suf- 

 ficient to cover their winter hisses. 



Ill order to find the best means for the 

 prevention of swarming it is necessary to 

 consider the habits of the bee and to act 

 in accordance with their nature. The 

 oldest authorities that write on the sub- 

 ject all agree that bees swarm or prepare 

 to swarm when "a hive well filled with 

 comb can no longer accommodate its 

 teeming population," and they also nearly 

 all agree on the fact that when a colony 

 has made preparations tor swarming it is 

 very difficult to prevent their swarming 

 impulse. One thing however, that we do 

 not find stated, though we may have over- 

 looked it, is the fact that bees often pre- 

 pare to swarm before the hive Is full of 

 comb, but only in exceptional cases when 

 the comb in the hive is not yet all occu- 

 pied. But there are, we think, several 



