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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Oct. 26, 



Dr. Allen said the honey of prickly 

 ash was strong-flavored, and the honey 

 gathered from it was not salable. It 

 is not recommended by apiarists. 



Mr. Schneider said the necessity 

 was for plants to come into the space 

 between fruit bloom and after the 

 white clover. 



A gentleman stated that he had the 

 spider plant and the Simpson honey 

 plant. The bees refused spider plant 

 as long as the white clover was in 

 bloom, but took to it when clover was 

 gone. 



Mr. Schneider, in answer to a ques- 

 tion, stated that buckwheat could not 

 be depended upon, giving out honey 

 only on occasional years. 



Dr. Allen said coral berry was a 

 valuable honey plant for fall. 



Dr. Kaye asked about corn, and the 

 opinion was expressed that the bees 

 gathered pollen, but not much honey. 



Mr. Cook thought the cow pea was 

 a valuable blooming plant. 



Dr. Kaye exhibited some beautiful 

 honey. 



Adjourned till Thursday at 9 a.m. 

 [Concluded next week.] 



New York Bee-Keepers' Union. 



The Eastern N. Y. Bee - Keepers' 

 Association held their 8th semi-annual 

 Convention at Knowersville, Sept. 27. 

 Called to order at 10 a. rn., by Presi- 

 dent W. D. Wright. 



Minutes of the last Convention were 

 read and approved. The Treasurer's 

 report was read and approved. 



Question : What is the best method 

 of marketing honey V 



W. Tennant. I think we are in too 

 much hurry to crowd our honey on the 

 market. Is it best to report our crop 

 and let the world know how much we 

 have? It is bad on one account; it 

 makes the buyers think the crop is 

 large, and thereby we may lose ; on 

 the other hand, 1 think it is best to 

 report to the commission merchants, 

 that they may have a better chance to 

 tix the price and sell our honey. One 

 commission merchant told me he was 

 deceived last year, by the bee-keepers 

 saying the crop was small, and thereby 

 he held his price too high and had to 

 carry some over. 



\V. L. Tennant. I cut my surplus 

 boxes down from 12 lbs. to 5 lbs., and 

 from that down to the 2 lb. prize box, 

 and can get more honey now than with 

 the larger ones ; but some are calling 

 for still smaller boxes. It is an impo- 

 sition. Why should all use 1 lb. boxes? 

 A few may sell better. You should 

 use the 2 lb. boxes,and nail them strong 

 so they will go to market without leak- 

 ing or smashing. Make your box 5x6, 

 so as to use regular size glass, because 

 it is always in the market, and we can 

 obtain it "on short notice, and cheaper, 

 besides odd sizes cost more ; for every 

 fraction of an inch you have to pay for 

 an inch, the world over. 



A. E. Manum. I like the 1 lb. box 

 best ; I can get just as much honey as 

 in the 2 lb. boxes, and get 2 cents more 

 per lb. for my honey. I can get the 

 bees to work in them sooner by their 

 being low, and when half full raise 

 them up and put an empty set under 

 them, and so on as needed. 



W. L. Tennant. I do without the 1 

 lb. box entirely, and the price of honey 

 in the 2 11). box will lie just as much as 

 for the 1 Hi. box. I must differ with 

 Mr. Manum ; they will make 25 per 

 cent, more honey m the 2 1b. box. It 

 is best to establish a medium box, nei- 

 ther too large nor too small, which all 

 can adopt, and then we can sell our 

 honey to the poor, and all can afford to 

 eat it. Now, is it best to sell our honey 

 out-and-out, or send it to the commis- 

 sion merchant to sell for us V They 

 skin us alive. 1 think it best to sell 

 out-and-out, and then we know what 

 we are doing. 



A. E. Manum. My bees will cap 1 

 lb. boxes better than 2 lb. boxes, and 

 suit the market better. 



W. L. Tennant uses but one kind of 

 box, placing it on top and not at the 

 side, as they will not till them out as 

 well. 



A. E. Manum. I think sections or 

 boxes % of an inch thick is plenty ; 



bee keepers are using sections and 

 crates too heavy ; it takes more lum- 

 ber, costs more in shipping, and people 

 will buy the light box quickest. 



G. II. Adams. I like the 2 lb. box 

 best; I tier them up, and they work 

 well. 



F. Boomhover. I have had colonies 

 tiered up higher than my head with 1 

 lb. boxes this summer, and took 190 

 lbs. of honey from one colony. 



G. Van. I can get more without 

 tiering up. 



On a vote being taken, Hi were in 

 favor of 2 lb boxes ; for 1 lb. boxes, no 

 hands up. Adjourned till 1 p. m. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



Question : Which are the best bees 

 for all purposes — blacks or Italians ? 



W. L. Tennant. Italians or hybrids 

 for valleys where there is white honey; 

 the backs on hill-tops, where the main 

 crop i3 buckwheat. 



A. E. Manum. Cyprian bees are 

 stingers. I like the Syrian bees; they 

 are very prolitic, more so than the 

 Italians; but as far as my experience 

 goes, I like the Italians best. I think 

 a cross between the Syrians and the 

 Italians will be good ; I have some, 

 but not much experience with them 

 yet; will test them next summer. 



Question : If a black queen mates 

 an Italian drone, or vice versa, how will 

 the bees be marked ? 



W. L. Tennant. I can see no differ- 

 ence in which way they mate. 



W. D. Wright. One-fourth marked; 

 one-half if mated the other way. 



Adjourned to meet at Central Bridge, 

 on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 1882. 



N. D. West, Sec. 



Northern Texas Convention. 



The bee-keepers of Northern Texas 

 met at the Court House in the city of 

 Sherman, Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 11 a. 

 m., for the purpose of organizing a 

 Bee-Keepers' Association. The meet- 

 ing was called to order by Col. Cock- 

 rell, of Sherman, and Mr. W. A. Rob- 

 inson was appointed Secretary. An 

 opening address by the Hon. Joseph 

 Bledsoe, who made an appropriate 

 speech. The meeting then proceeded 

 to organization. A committee on per- 

 manent organization was appointed, 

 consisting of Dr. A. F. Wright, W. F. 

 Woodward and M. S. Klum. A com- 

 mittee was also appointed to draft by- 

 laws and a constitution, consisting of 

 Messrs. J. L- Mulkey, Dr. Brockette, 

 E. P. Keywood, Hon. J. Bledsoe, J. 

 H. Choice and M. II. Davis to report 

 at a meeting called for Saturday, Oct. 

 29, 1881, in the city of Sherman. 



After the appointment of this com- 

 mittee, the meeting adjourned till 2 p. 

 m., when the members reassembled, 

 not as an association, but to discuss 

 among themselves the different points 

 in their profession. They had a very 

 pleasant social meeting, and every one 

 went away knowing something more 

 of bee-culture than they did before. 

 W. A. Robinson, Sec. 



i@T The Southwestern Wisconsin 

 Bee-Keepers' Association will hold its 

 next meeting in Platteville, Grant Co., 

 Wis., Nov. 30, 1881. 



N. E. Fhance. Sec, Platteville, Wis. 



l^- The Michigan State Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association, will convene at Bat- 

 tle Creek, on Thursday, Dec. 8, 1881. 

 We have reason to expect one of the 

 largest and most interesting meetings 

 we have ever held. Let all arrange 

 to be present. All District Associa- 

 tions should send delegates. Each per- 

 son should come with their best ex- 

 perience in their hands, ready to hand 

 it over to the others of the fraternity. 

 It is hoped that all will bring the full- 

 est report possible from their region. 

 Commutation rates are expected on 

 railroads. A. J. Cook, Pres. 



T. F. Bingham, Sec. 



(ioldenrods as Honey Plants.— I send 

 a specimen of a weed that I wish to 

 know the name of, and which is the 

 main source of late honey here. It is 

 almost frost and drouth-proof, blooms 

 from the latter part of September un- 

 til some time in November. My bees, 

 which had scarcely a drop of honey 10 

 days ago, have filled their hives and 

 are beginning to cap the honey, which 

 is almost all from this bloom. The 

 plant grows on bottom lands, and at- 

 tains a height of from 18 to 24 inches, 

 and in some places forms a beautiful 

 sea of golden yellow. 



Noah Deaton, 



Carthage, N. C, Oct. 10, 1881. 



[The specimen sent is a Solidago 

 (goldenrod). There are several varie- 

 ties, and all are excellent honey plants. 

 —Ed.] 



Feeding Bees.— I had 8 colonies in 

 the spring, have now 23 ; have taken 

 303 lbs. of comb honey in prize boxes. 

 The season was pretty good for a short 

 time, but we have had such a severe 

 drouth that bees have been doing no 

 good for over 2 months. I fear many 

 of them will starve to death unless fed 

 pretty liberally. I brought home 100 

 pounds of granulated sugar yesterday, 

 made some syrup and fed on tables 2 

 or 3 rods from the hives. In a short 

 time there were thousands of bees at 

 work at it, and some of them stayed 

 with it all night, and they are at work 

 at it yet, although it is sprinkling rain, 

 and it is now 4 o'clock. Will this way 

 of feeding do ? Joel Bremer. 



Lincolnville, Ind., Sept. 23, 1881. 



[It is not a good way to feed— 1. Be- 

 cause it incites to robbing ; 2. If there 

 are other bees in the neighborhood, 

 you feed those as well as your own ; 

 3. You lose many bees by the fighting 

 and besmearing which will more or 

 less prevail. Feed inside, or at the 

 entrance at night, being careful to 

 avoid daubing the hive.— Ed.] 



Moving Bees.— I have 13 colonies of 

 bees about half a mile from home ; will 

 it do to move them V I am afraid they 

 will return to the old place. Answer in 

 the Bee Journal. W. P. Bond. 



Quiet Dell, W. Va., Oct. 14, 1881. 



[You can move them any time, and 

 any distance. After the removal is 

 made, let the hives remain closed till 

 about noon, then slant a board in front 

 to partially obstruct the entrance, and 

 release the bees. Let the boards re- 

 main a few days. The above will also 

 answer the query of J. C. Burns, Terre 

 Haute, Ind. Of course, such weather 

 must be selected as will allow the bees 

 a good flight soon after moving — Ed.] 



@° A meeting will be held at Win- 

 terset, Iowa, on Thursday, Nov. 3, 

 1881 , to organize a District Con ven tion. 

 All the apiarists of the vicinity, as 

 well as from other States, are cordially 

 iinvited. A. J. Adkison. 



Two Oueens in one Hive. — One eve- 

 ning in August, I was viewing one of 

 my colonies through the observation 

 glass at the end of the hive ; I saw a 

 fine young queen crawl around the 

 end of a frame. In a day or two I 

 opened the hive to examine my young 

 queen. On the third frame was the 

 cell from which she had emerged per- 

 haps a week ago. On the fifth frame 

 was the old queen all right and lively. 

 I closed the hive and concluded she 

 had dispatched her daughter. About 

 a week later, a friend paid me a visit, 

 and, as he had never seen a queen, I 

 opened the same hive. On the second 

 frame was my young queen. I re- 

 moved 7 frames (leaving 2) looking 

 for the old queen, and, not finding 

 her, I closed the hive, thinking now 

 that she was dead. A few days later 

 a neighbor called, and I opened the 

 hive again to show him the young 

 queen, when I was astonished to find 

 both old and young on different 

 frames. To-day I made another ex- 



amination, and found both on the 

 same frame not more than 2% inches 

 apart, both lively, and I discovered 

 that my young queen has mismated, 

 there being quite a number of hybrids 

 about. I have a notion to pinch her 

 head right away. Will it be right or 

 wrong V The old queen I purchased in 

 1879. of D. A. Pike. She is nice and 

 prolific, and her workers are good 

 honey gatherers. W. R. Young. 

 Myersville, Md., Sept. 25, 1881. 



[If you do not want hybrids, you 

 had better not keep the mismated 

 queen, unless her mother is too old for 

 wintering, or you can give the colony 

 another in its place. — Ed.] 



Deep Frames for Winter. — I have 

 kept and handled bees for upwards of 

 50 years ; during this time I have had 

 almost all kinds of hives that were 

 invented. For many years the only 

 hives we used were the upright, square 

 box, about 18 inches high, and the 

 straw basket, and fire and brimstone 

 were the only mediums through which 

 to obtain the honey. While using 

 these hives we knew nothing of win- 

 ter killing or spring dwindling. I 

 now use none hut the Langstroth 

 hives. I prefer it on account of its 

 convenience in manipulating bees and 

 small honey boxes. Last tall I had 

 still one of the old boxes, with an old 

 colony, and old black combs. Think- 

 ing it almost worthless I put it in the 

 cellar without any attention, while 

 those in Langstroth hives, all in good 

 condition, had the best of care. The 

 result was in the spring that all the 

 bees in Langstroth hives were dead 

 but one, and it very poor. Those in 

 the old box-hive were as good as in 

 the fall. This experience led me to 

 the conclusion that a higher box than 

 the Langstroth would be preferable 

 for our climate to winter bees, I ac- 

 cordingly made a hive, a model of 

 which I send you by mail to-day. The 

 proportions of the model are not cor- 

 rect, it is too high. The small board 

 in front is the middle of the box. The 

 box inside is 10x13 inches and high 

 enough to use the Langstroth frame 

 placed in on the end as you see in the 

 model. Here we have the Langstroth 

 frame, the 2-lb. honey boxes, 12 in 

 number, the same freedom of manipu- 

 lating, and the old upright box all 

 combined. I have also an additional 

 entrance over the small board in front 

 with a slide over for closing. What 

 is your opinion about the box V Bees 

 did pretty well with us this summer. 

 D. Lantz. 



Forreston, 111., Sept. 29, 1881. 



[We do not think you will long be 

 satisfied with your new hive. The ex- 

 tra depth of frame will make it very 

 inconvenient to manipulate, and we 

 doubt its immunity from loss in win- 

 tering. Certainly, last winter's expe- 

 rience was no guaranty of success for 

 the " old box hive."— Ed.] 



My Coming Bees.— Considerable is 

 written about the coming bee ; I have 

 a whole hive full of them. I was at 

 work with them a short time ago, when 

 one of my neighbors came into the 

 yard and took a position about 10 feet 

 m front of the hive. I told him he 

 would feel better to stand back of the 

 hive with me ; " Oh," said he, " bees 

 never sting me;" just then one took 

 him on the end of his nose, and the 

 last I saw of him he turned around 

 the corner of the house, with tears 

 running from both eyes,arms stretched 

 full length, as he exclaimed, "Halle- 

 lujah ! blast your gol darned bees I" 

 These bees are little black fellows, and 

 I took 48 1-pound sections from them. 

 James Ronian. 



Villisca, Iowa, Oct. 11, 1881. 



tig" The Western Michigan Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will meet in 

 Berlin, Ottawa, Co., Mich., Thursday, 

 Oct. 27, 1881 , in Huntley's Hall, at 10:30 

 a. m. All interested are cordially in- 

 vited. Wm. M. S. Dodge, Sec. 



Coopersville, Mich., Aug. 29, 1881. 



