682 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



best results with a temperature of 

 about 45'3, during the first part of tlie 

 winter, and until brood- rearing be- 

 gins, which is usually in January, 

 although frequently it begins in De- 

 cember ; it is seldom as late as Feb- 

 ruary. From this time on I prefer a 

 higher temperature, gradually in- 

 •creasing to about 5o^. I have never 

 been able to reach tlie high tempera- 

 ture from 60° to 90- that some claim 

 to employ, for at from 55^ to 60"^ my 

 bees always become uueasy. If the 

 repository is damp, I prefer a higher 

 temperature than if it is dry. 



A special repository, or a house- 

 cellar may be used to secure this 

 desirable result — desirable on account 

 of the assured safety of the colonies, 

 a large saving in honey, and their 

 strong condition at the commence- 

 ment of the honey season. 



My method of wintering is as fol- 

 lows : As soon as settled cold weather 

 arrives, in this locality about jSTov. 1-5, 

 I place my bees in the cellar with the 

 honey-quilt glued fast, and the en- 

 trance open full size. I will simply 

 add that a fair knowledge of bees, 

 faithful attention to the apiary, and 

 a thorough and timely preparation 

 for the honey-flow, swarming and 

 ■wintering will make any man or 

 woman a successful bee-keeper. 



^ome discussion followed on the 

 subject of what were the qualities of 

 the best honey-gatherers, but nothing 

 of general importance was brought 

 forw'ard. 



A question being asked concerning 

 perforated honey-boards, Mr. R. L. 

 Taylor gave a description of those 

 used by him, and thought they were 

 of much advantage. 



The remainder of the evening was 

 spent in listening to music, songs, and 

 recitations, feasting upon ice-cream 

 and cake, and in delightful social 

 intercourse. 



Mr. P. J. Kelleher, who had been 

 requested by the Indiana Slate So- 

 ciety to be present, recited Riley's 

 poem, entitled " Fessler's Bees," 

 which was very amusing, and caused 

 much laughter. 



Mr. C. F. Hansen, ablind musician, 

 gave several instrumental pieces on 

 the piano, as well as two or three 

 Bongs which were received with ap- 

 plause. 



After recitations by Dr. C. C. Miller 

 and Thomas G. Newman, a vote of 

 thanks was passed to the ladies and 

 gentlemen who had provided the en- 

 tertainment, and the convention ad- 

 journed to meet on Thursday at 9 

 a.m. 



Mr. Newman then gave notice that 

 the members and frienis of the Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Union would 

 meet in the hall at 8:30 a.m., and re- 

 quested a prompt attendance. 



THIRD DAY.— Thursday. 



NATIONAL bee-keepers' UNION. 



At 8:30 a.m. Dr. C. C. Miller, one of 

 the vice presidents of the National 

 Bee-Keepers' Union, called the mem- 

 bers and friends of the Union to 

 order, and the manager. Mr. Thos. (i. 

 Newman, was requested to read the 



Constitution, and it was discussed 

 article by article, but, after consider- 

 able debate, it was not thought de- 

 sirable to advise any changes, and 

 the meeting adjourned. 



The North American Bee-Keepers' 

 Society was then called to order by 

 President Miller, and the next sub- 

 ject on the programme was the " Bee- 

 Keepers Union." 



Mr. Newman gave a short history 

 of the work of the Union, and of what 

 it had accomplished. At the close of 

 his address the following was passed : 



Besolved, That in the judgment of 

 this society ttie National Bee-Keepers' 

 Union is entitled to and should receive 

 the support of all bee-keepers. 



The following were elected hon- 

 orary members of the society : 



E. Bertrand, Nyon, Switzerland. 

 Kriink K. Chef^hire, London, Knsland. 

 Rev. Wm. F Clarkfi. Guelph, Ont. 

 Prof. (J. v. Riley. Wusliington. I). C. 



Hon. Ru&a, Ontario, ("anada. 



Hon. Edwin WillitB, Lansing, Micb. 



By request. Dr. Mason took the 

 chair, and President Miller moved 

 that a committee of three be ap- 

 pointed by the chair to inquire into 

 the desirability and feasibility of 

 securing such legislation as will give 

 a bee-keeper an exclusive right to 

 keep bees in a certain territory ; the 

 committee to report at the next an- 

 nual meeting. It was carried ; and 

 the following persons were appointed: 

 C. C. Miller, I. N. Cotton, and Frank 

 L. Dougherty. 



The Secretary reported that he had 

 received from Thomas G. Newman & 

 Son 200 copies of the proceedings of 

 last year, and had mailed to members 

 of the society, 104 ; sold 7 ; donated to 

 public libraries 5 ; leaving on hand 84. 



A vote of thanks was passed for the 

 presentation of .50 extra copies of the 

 History of the North American Bee- 

 Keepers' Society, by Messrs. Thos. G. 

 Newman & Son, mentioned in the 

 President's address, as having been 

 received and sent to the public insti- 

 tutions and libraries of the United 

 States and Canada. 



The chairman of the finance com- 

 mittee reported that they had ex- 

 amined the books, also the bills, and 

 liad found all correct, with all the 

 expenses paid, and a balance on hand 

 of $].0(). 



As it had been voted to publish the 

 proceedings of thismeeting in pamph- 

 let form, same as last year, a collec- 

 tion was taken up to supplement the 

 small balance in the treasury, and 

 raise the sum of $30 wherewith to 

 purchase 200 copies,in order to furnish 

 each member with a copy of the 

 Report. The amount collected was 

 $17.35, making .118.40 in all, and Mr. 

 Newman generously contributed the 

 balance necessary to makeup the $30, 

 so that the promises made to mem- 

 bers might be fultilled, by each one 

 having a copy of the Report in 

 pamphlet form, by mail. 



Mr. N. W. McLain, chairman of the 

 committee that was appointed by tlie 

 society last year to investigate the 

 merits of the so-called Chapman 



honey-plant {Echinops spherocephalous) 

 read his report, but the subject being 

 so well covered by the remarks made 

 by Mr. A.I. Root in his remarks un- 

 der the heading of "Honey-Plants," 

 to produce it here would be somewhat 

 of a repetition. 



A letter was read from Mr. A. E. 

 Manum, one of the members of the 

 committee, stating that if he were 

 present at the meeting, he would 

 move a vote of thanks to Mr. Chap- 

 man for the services he had rendered 

 to bee-keeping, in the propagation 

 and diffusion of this plant. 



The report of the committee was 

 received and placed on tile, and a 

 vote of thanks passed to Mr. li. Chap- 

 man, as suggested in Mr. Manum's 

 letter. 



An essay by J. E. Pond, Jr., was 

 read, entitled " Reversible Hives and 

 Frames." 



After the reading of Mr. Pond's 

 essay, the meeting adjourned until 

 2 p.m. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The meeting was called to order by 

 Dr. A. B. Mason, who took the chair 

 by request. President Miller having 

 gone home. 



The next essay read was that of W. 

 Z. Hutchinson, on 



DRONES AND DRONE COMB. 



That drones perform any important 

 function aside from fecundating 

 queens, I very much doubt. That 

 they assist in keeping up the heat of 

 the hive is not disputed, but this can 

 be done equally as well by workers, 

 and when of sufficient age they gather 

 honey. It costs honey and the time 

 of nurse bees to rear drones, and they 

 consume, but do not gather honey all 

 of their lives. That the bees rear 

 drones only when they will be needed, 

 or the bees expect they will be needed 

 for the fertilization of queens, and 

 that they destroy them or drive them 

 from the hives when there is no 

 farther prospect of their being needed 

 for mating with queens, is an indica- 

 tion that they serve no other purpose. 



Just before swarming time I one 

 year gave each of 25 colonies an empty 

 frame. Every frame was tilled full 

 of drone comb, and every comb tilled 

 with drone brood. When these colo- 

 nies swarmed, many of the swarms 

 were hived upon empty frames, and 

 these same bees that one week pre- 

 vious were so anxious for drones, now 

 bent their energies to the production 

 of worker comb. 15efore swarming, 

 the bees knew that drones would be 

 needed for the fertilization of the 

 young queens ; the newly hived 

 swarm possessed a laying queen, and 

 no desire to swarm, hence no dones 

 were needed, and no drone comb was 

 built. By the time tliat the drone 

 brood had hatched in the old colonies, 

 each possessed a young fertile queen, 

 and there was no immediate use for 

 drones, hence, although the drone 

 comb occupied the centre of the 

 brood-nest, not a drone was reared 

 in it. 



It may be asked, why do bees rear so 

 many drones if their only use is the 



