342 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Jum 2, 



conclusion can be reached. This work we now have before us. 

 The educating of the masses in regard to the use of honey, 

 thereby increasing our home marljet, is a matter deserving 

 the attention of this Association quite as much as teaching 

 those who wish to keep bees how to care for them. The pro- 

 gram which is placed before you will provide an opportunity 

 for each one present to contribute something to our store of 

 bee-knowledge. I hope that the friends who lookt forward 

 after last year's meeting with the expectation that pur meet- 

 ings in the future would be less turbulent and more harmo- 

 nious and useful, will not be disappointed. 



I thank you for the confidence placed In me a year ago in 

 elevating me to the position I nowoccupy, and I trust you will 

 assist me in making these meetings both pleasant and useful 

 during the few hours I shall remain in my present position. 

 J. K. Darling. 



Referring to the minutes and the President's address, Mr. 

 Holtermann stated that there was too much unripe honey 

 placed upon the market, and that we should take steps to 

 have a limit fixt as to the percentage of water honey should 

 contain when placed before the public. In the discussion fol- 

 lowing attention was drawn to the difficulty of fixing a proper 

 standard, and to the fact that the breed of bees, locality and 

 season had much to do with the thickness of honey. Prof. 

 Shutt, analyst from the Dominion Experimental Farm, re- 

 ferred to the English standard of 18 to 20 per cent., and 

 that there are cases where the percentage far exceeds 25 per 

 cent., but he considered the Association safe in putting it at 

 25 per cent. 



Upon motion it was decided that this Association appoint 

 one or more of its members, and that the Department at 

 Ottawa, the Dominion Experimental Farm, and the Ontario 

 Agricultural College at Guelph be requested each to appoint a 

 man, and that this committee secure samples of honey capt in 

 the hive, and find the percentage of water contained therein, 

 and report at our next annual meeting. 



Management op Bees in the Spring. — Mr. J. W. Spar- 

 ling gave a paper on this subject. He emphasized the impor- 

 tance of commencing spring naanagement In reality the fall 

 previous. The first care is abundance of stores, and too much 

 Importance cannot be attacht to young, vigorous queens. He 

 advocated early putting out, no spring packing, and if stimu- 

 lative feeding be practiced, that it only be done during the 

 honey-dearth between fruit-bloom and clover. Mr. Alpaugh 

 spoke of the desirability of early fall packing, and also stated 

 that comparatively small colonies of young bees were prefer- 

 able to large colonies of old ones. 



Prof. Shutt gave the results of three years' experiments 

 with foundation of various weights. The results pointed 

 toward the use of heavy foundation, the bees seeming to add 

 less wax when drawing out the foundation, thus making more 

 use of what was given them. 



A considerable discussion took place as to the desirability 

 of opening up the British market for Canadian honey. It was 

 stated that the clover honey from Canada was of a better 

 quality than that from Australia and other foreign countries. 

 The British market does not demand minty honey, hence it is 

 a mistake to send basswood honey there. Nothing but the 

 best clover should be sent to Britain, and many thought that 

 we could not expect to realize over 7 to S cents net for it. 



Outline of Work During the Extracting Sea.son. — 

 Mr. Newton, in dealing with this subject, stated that he pro- 

 duces both comb and extracted honey. He selects his best 

 colonies to work for comb honey, and the remainder for ex- 

 tracted. He uses queen-excluders and full-depth supers. 

 When the first super he puts on Is about two-thirds filled, he 

 raises it up and puts an empty one beneath it and on top of 

 the hooey-board. Be sure the honey is well ripened before 

 extracting, and have combs capt over before removing from 

 the hive. He recommended being scrupulously clean and tidy 

 while extracting. He renders cappings each day with a solar 

 wax-extractor. At the close of the season he has the extract- 

 Ing-combs piled on the hives and cleaned by the bees before 

 being put away. In the discussion following, the fact was 

 brought out that the honey obtained from cappings when be- 

 ing rendered Into wax by a solar wax-extractor would not be 

 colored by the heat if the pan into which it runs were shaded ; 

 it was also necessary to keep the extractor clean if the honey 

 was not to be colored by sediment or other matter in it. It 

 was contended that it was a loss of time to the bees to give 

 them extracting-combs during the day ; they should be given 

 In the evening, and they then will have the night to clean 

 them up. 



"The Production of Comb Honey" was introduced in 

 a short, comprehensive paper by Mr. J. B. Hall. He stated 



as a first requisite a right strain of bees, those that will fill 

 the brood-chamber with brood, and not refuse to work In the 

 sections when the lime comes. He did not believe the hive 

 had much to do with the securing of a large and nice crop of 

 comb honey. He emphasized the necessity of seeing In Sep- 

 tember that bees had abundance of stores to last them until 

 honey came again. He strongly urged the filling of sections 

 with foundation, and not to use that which is tough. The 

 apiarist must know about the time his honey-flow begins and 

 ends, and give supers as soon as needed, and keep a little 

 ahead of the bees, and remove the honey just as soon as It is 

 capt. 



Mr. W. M. Orr being present at one of the sessions, he 

 was askt to address the Association. He stated that during 

 the past year not a single sample of adulterated honey was 

 traceable to a bee-keeper. Concerning spraying, he asserted 

 that it was not only useless to do so while fruit-trees were in 

 bloom, but absolutely injurious. He showed samples of the 

 San Jose scale on both fruit and wood, and much interest was 

 shown in the examination of these specimens. In speaking of 

 it he stated that bee-keepers were interested in It as well as 

 fruit-growers, inasmuch as the scale would attack any variety 

 of tree except pine and cedar. 



"What is your experience with Carniolao bees?" was 

 askt. Mr. C. W. Post exprest himself as well pleased with 

 them, but the majority of those present did not agree concern- 

 ing their various qualities. In answer to other questions askt, 

 it was thought advisable to have an opening through the cen- 

 ter of the brood-combs in order to allow the cluster of bees to 

 contract and expand during cold weather. In producing comb 

 honey it was thought best to fill the sections with foundation, 

 as it not only gave a better quality of honey, but far more of 

 it. About 70 to 85 per cent, as much comb honey, it was 

 thought, could be produced as extracted. A majority of those 

 present advised the clipping of queens in order to control 

 swarms. 



Again referring to the subject of a British market for 

 Canadian honey, it was moved by W. Couse, seconded by F. A. 

 Gemmill, and carried, that we heartily endorse the action of 

 the Government in placing a commissioner In London to look 

 after the interests of Canadian products, and that we request 

 honey to be placed on the list, and that we would recommend 

 to the Government Mr. C. W. Post as an inspector to guaran- 

 tee any honey which we may export. 



Upon motion, Mr. J. Newton was recommended to the 

 Government as a fit and proper person for Dominion apiarist. 



Officers Elected: — President, M. B.Holmes; 1st Vice- 

 President, W. S. Brown ; 2nd Vice-President, J. D. Evans; 

 Secretary, W. Couse, Streetsvllle ; Treasurer, M. Bmigh. 

 Directors, J. K. Darling, C. W. Post, J. W. Sparling, A. Pick- 

 ett, Jas. Armstrong, J. Newton, F. A. Gemmill, W. A. Chrys- 

 ler, and A. Wood ; Representative to the Ontario Agricul- 

 tural College, R. F. Holtermann ; Inspector of Apiaries, Wm. 

 McEvoy ; Sub-Inspector of Apiaries, F. A. Gemmill ; Repre- 

 sentatives to the Boards of Management of the Industrial Ex- 

 hibition, Toronto, A. Pickett; London Fair, R. H. Smith; 

 Central Fair, Ottawa, J. K. Darling; Auditors, A. E. Hoshal 

 and Jacob Alpaugh ; Revising Committee, J. D. Evans and D. 

 W. Heise. 



Guelph was selected as the next place for holding the 

 annual convention. — Farmer's Advocate. 



CONDUCTBD BY 



DR. O. O. SlTLLBIt, MAXEJSIGO. ILL. 



[QuBBtions may be mailed to the Bee Journal, or to Dr. Miller dlreot.l 



What Was tiic matter? 



1. I had a swarm of bees last summer settle in a tree over 

 a large creek. I had the tree cut and drowned a great many 

 bees, but succeeded In saving the queen. They workt nicely 

 all summer, but in the fall got weaker. I examined them and 

 found they had not an egg or young bee. They had a nice lot 

 of honey and a beautiful, large Italian queen, but she died 

 with the bees, leaving what honey they had. 



2. Also, another colony, very rich, swarmed out in Janu- 

 ary, leaving a full hive of honey. What was the cause? 



3. Also, another had plenty, with a large brood-chamber, 

 kept coming out and going off, leaving the queen crawling on 



