602 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



vince a very small per cent, of bee- 

 keepers that it is otherwise than an 

 absolute curse to our business, and 

 its advocates are compelled to ac- 

 knowledge that it " may " give cause 

 for unjust accusation. I think the 

 term " improvement " is scarcely ap- 

 plicable. 



Thanks, Mr. H.,for your correction, 

 and if you will act in accordance with 

 the suggestion, by staling " the pro 

 rata loss of bees wintered on sugar 

 stores compared with that of those 

 wintered on natural stores," although 

 it may not assist your argument a 

 very great deal, you will confer a 

 favor upon many readers of the Bee 



JOUBNAL. 



With regard to " Shall we stop 

 using foundation '?'' Foundation is 

 made from pure beeswax, which is 

 solely the production of the apiary, 

 and certainly its use should not be 

 abandoned on the grounds that 

 " sugar feeding " is objected to. 



Titusville,(^ Pa. 



For tlie American Bee JoumaJU 



Emeriineiits in Bee-Keenins. 



F. M. JOHNSON. 



In three Langstroth and two Ameri- 

 can hives placed in a dry, dark cellar, 

 with no extra ventilation, I observed 

 that with the temperature at 3(5" (dur- 

 ing a cold spell last January), the 

 colonies (all strong) were buzzing 

 quite lively. At the same tempera- 

 ture in February, they were all quiet, 

 the 6 colonies, however, seemed a little 

 uneasy, having closed top frames ex- 

 cept a row of small holes across the 

 centre of the frames. Moisture would 

 condense and drip from the hives. 

 When taken out on March 18, the 

 combs were damp and moldy, which 

 was not the case with the other 3 ; 

 Laving porous material over them, 

 not half a tea-cupful of dead bees was 

 taken from all of them, and no sign 

 of any disease. 



At the commencement of apple 

 bloom I transferred those in Ameri- 

 can hives into Langstroth hives, 

 which were first to swarm. All did 

 well until the drouth was fairly on, 

 when they loafed about as too many 

 others do that do not produce honey, 

 ■or anything else, in fact. 



To experiment, I used plain foun- 

 dation starters in sections on four 

 different hives, placing from two to 

 ten in different parts of the case; in 

 every instance the bees would nearly 

 or quite (ill tlie sections where pressed 

 foundation was used, and would not 

 work on the plain, only as they were 

 compelled to, which is in harmony 

 with the answers given to Query, No. 

 283. 



I also tried one tier of sections with 

 open sides as well as top and bottom, 

 in the centre of case with division- 

 boards out, so that they might have 

 fair sailing over and around them. 

 They went into the end tiers first. I 

 tliinl< they will unswer in hot weather 

 with a good fiow of nectar. I do not 

 want them, or plain foundation either. 

 I also tried Br. Tinker's suggestion, 



of dividing the sections into groups 

 of two to rive, by wood and tin sep- 

 arators ; but I could perceive no dif- 

 ference as to straightness of combs or 

 ortherwise. 



I use sections 5>4:x5MxlM inches, 

 three tiers with i^-inch division- 

 boards, which fills the case ; or two 

 tiers crosswise of the frames, with 

 M-inch division-board, which I prefer, 

 with the ends of cases rabbeted for 

 shallow frames. I can change from 

 producing comb honey to extracted in 

 the whole or in a part at any time 

 with the same case. The division- 

 board is flush with the top of the 

 sections. A strip of thin iron ?4 of 

 an inch wide, put on with two small 

 screws, renders the case invertible ; 

 which I have tried with good results. 

 I prefer a bottom-board just the size 

 of the hive, % or more thick, with a 

 cleat %xl3^ inches nailed on its back 

 end, and one 5 inches wide at the 

 front end, which is 3}^ inches for 

 alighting-board, with the end of the 

 bottom-board beveled also. The 

 inner edge of the end board of the 

 hive prevents storms from beating 

 into the hive. It is clamped or hooked 

 to the hive. 



Augusta, o^ Iowa. 



Nortli American Bee-Keepers' Society. 



rBAiSTK L. DOTJGHERTY. 



The North American Bee-Keepers' So- 

 ciety will hold its 17th auuual convention 

 Oct. 12, 13 and 14, 1886, at Indianapolis, 

 Ind. The meeting will be held in 

 Ptofaiii's Music Hall, 83 and 84 North 

 Pennsylvania Street, one of the most 

 pleasantly situated halls in the city, 

 having t;ood ventilation and plenty ot 

 light. The Society head-quarters will be 

 at the Occidental Hotel, corner of Wash- 

 ington and Illinois Streets. The regular 

 rates of this hotel are S3 per day ; special 

 rates for those in attendance at the con- 

 vention, SI. .50 per day. 



The Northwestern Bee-Keepers' Society, 

 the Indiana State Society, the Eastern 

 Indiana, with various county and joint 

 societies will meet in union with the 

 North American, making it one of the 

 most important meetings of bee-keepers 

 ever held in the country. 



Ever thine possible will be done to 

 make the meetina pleasant and entertain- 

 ing. An earnest, cordial invitation is ex- 

 tended to all. 



The following is the programme for the 

 three days : 



FinST DAT— TUESDAY. 



Forenoon Session, 10 a.m.— Convention 

 called to order. Address of welcome, by 

 Gov. I. P. Gray; "Response "by the 

 President, H. D. Cutting; "Welcome to 

 the Citv," bv Mayor Caleb S. Denny; 

 "Thanks," Dr. C. C. Miller, President of 

 the Northwestern Society. Calling the 

 roll of nu'mbers of last year. Payment of 

 amuial dues. Reception of new members 

 and distribution nf badges; reports of Sec- 

 retary and Treasurer. Announcements. 



Afternoon Session, 2 p.m.. Special Busi- 

 ness.— Annual address of the President; 

 "Bee-Studies," Prot. A. J.Cook, Agricul- 

 tural College, 3Iii-h.; "Aplcultnral Jour- 

 nalism," .John Aspinwall, Barrytown, N. 

 Y. ; " Bee-Literature," Thomas G. New- 

 man, Chicago, Ills.; "TheConnng Bee — 

 Whut encouragement have we to work for 

 its advent ?" R. L. Taylor, Lapeer, Mich. 

 Subject for discussion, has " Apis Ameri- 

 cana" been reached"? 



Evening Session, 7:30 p.m.— Announce- 

 ments. Miscellaneous business. Discus- 

 sion of questions that may have accumu- 

 lated during the day. 



SECOND DAY— WEDNESDAY. 



Morning Session, 9 a.m.— Announce- 

 ments. Communication. Call of the 

 Northwestern Society to elect officers. 

 Election of oflBeers of the Indiana State 

 Society. Call to order. " Rendering Comb 

 into Beeswax," C. P. Dadant, Hamilton, 

 Ills.; "Foul Brood," A. J. King, New 

 York. "North American Bee-Keepers' 

 Society- Past, Present and Future," Rev. 

 W. V. Clarke, Guelph, Ont. Selection of 

 place for liolding meeting in 1887. Elec- 

 tion of officers. 



Afternoon Session, 2 p.m. — Announce- 

 ments. Miscellaneous business. "Bee- 

 Keeping and Apiculture," Prof. N.W. Mc- 

 Lain, U. S. Apicultural Station, Aurora, 

 Ills.; "Feeding Bees for Winter," Jas. 

 McNeill, Hudson, N. Y. ; "Wintering 

 Bees," Dr, J. B. Mason, Wagon Works, 

 Ohio; "Solid Truths relative to tlie Ap- 

 icultural Interests of the east coast of Vo- 

 lusia county, Florida," by .Tolin Detwiler, 

 NewSn)yrna,Fla. Subjects for discussion, 

 "Istheuseof Foundation Necessary in 

 Modern Bee Culture ?" "Are Perforated 

 Honey-Boards a Success ?" Uuassigned 

 essays. 



Evening Session, 7:30 p.m. — Announce- 

 ments. Miscellaneous business. Discus- 

 sion of questions in question-box. Social 

 communications. 



TIIIKD DAY— TinJK!3DAY. 



Morning Session, 9 a.m.— Announce- 

 ments. Miscellaneous business. Com- 

 munications. " The National Bee-Keepers' 

 Union," by Thomas G. Newman, Chicago, 

 Illinois. "A Talk on Hives," by James 

 Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; "Reversible 

 Hives and Frames," J. E. Pond, Jr., Fox- 

 boro, Mass.; "Drones and Drone Comb," 

 W. Z. Hutchinson, Rogersville, Mich.; 

 Reports of Vice-Presidents; " Progress of 

 Bee-Keeping in Indiana," .Jonas SchoU, 

 Lyons Station, Ind. " The Future of Bee- 

 Ciilture," 6. W. Demaree, Christiansbm-g, 

 Kentucky. 



Afternoon Session, 2 p.m.^^iAnnounce- 

 ments. Miscellaneous business. Expla- 

 nation of various articles on exhibition. 



Indianapolis, Ind. 



Convention Notices. 



tS~ The aDDual meeting of the Kentucky State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association wiU be held at Franlc- 

 fort, Ky.. on Oct. Band" issfi. All interested in 

 bee-culture are earnestly requested to attend and 

 help to make this meetins a pieas^ant and profita- 

 ble one. The State Centennial will be celebrated 

 at Franlifort, on Oct. 7, and cxcursiin rates can be 

 obtained on all railroads. A Iarne attendance of 

 bee-lteepera is solicited. JNO. T. Coxnlky, Sec. 



13^ The St. Joseph.Mo. Inter-State Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will hold its annual meeting on 

 Wednesday eyenine of the Exposition week, Sep- 

 tt^mber 30. iSHfi. Arrancements are being made to 

 haye an interesting meetine. The place of hold- 

 ine the meeting will be published in our local pa- 

 pers un Tuesday and Wednesday a.m. 



E. T. AiinoTT, See. 



%^~ The Sheboygan County Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation will meet at Chandler's Hall, at Sheboygan 

 Falls, Wis., on Saturday, Oct. Ifi, 1sh«, at lo a.m. 

 Mas. H. Hills, Sec. 



J^~ The annual meeting of the Western Bee- 

 Keepers' Association will beheld in Pythian Hall 

 (nth & Main Sts.l. at Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 

 27—29, 18S6. P. Baldwin. Sec. 



B3^ The next annual meeting of the Michigan 

 State Bee-Keepers' Association will be held in 

 Ypsilanti, Mich., on Dec. 1 and 2. ISSfi. 



H. D. Cutting, Sec. 



J3P~ The southern Illinois Bee-Keepers' Associ- 

 ation will hold its next meeting at Benton, Ills., 

 on Thursday, Oct. 21, 1886. F. H. Kennedy, Sec. 



