July 13, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



441 



able during the last two weeks of June. We have had quite 

 hot weather followed by too man)' cool days and nig-hts, 

 and there is not liable to be a nectar secretion in cool 

 weather; altho this morning- (June 30) when the tempera- 

 ture was as low as 55 deg-rees by a tested thermometer, the 

 bees were working lively on the basswoods in front of my 

 house. At this writing, bees are gathering honey from 

 both clover and basswood, and if they onl)- hang on we 

 shall have nothing to complain of. 



Curious Result from Scraping Hives.— We take the 

 following paragraphs from the British Bee Journal : 



A neighbor of mine came to me about 12 months ago 

 •with his face swollen so that he could hardly see, and askt 

 me what I thought was the matter with hi'm. " I should 

 say you have been stung," I replied. He assured me he 

 had not, but that he had been scraping out and cleaning 

 two bar- framed hives he had had given him, and thought 

 the dust from the hives had caused the swelling and rash. 

 However, he got better of that, but now, a week or two ago, 

 ■when he was cleaning out his shed (where he had a year 

 ago scraped the hives), he says he must have got some more 

 ■of the dust into his face and arms again. But he has been 

 much worse than before, for he has been treated by a doc- 

 tor for a week. He never toucht the hives on the second 

 occasion. Is this not very curious ?— F. W. MoREY. 



[It is so "curious" that we cannot possibly imagine 

 your friend being right in attributing the trouble to the 

 bee-hives. — Editors. ] 



Probably most bee-keepers will have the same opinion 

 as the editors. It is just possible, however, that the dust 

 ■of the propolis may have occasioned the trouble. Two or 

 more cases have been reported on this side the water, in 

 ■which a similar swelling followed the act of scraping sec- 

 tions, and there may be cases in which the skin is abuor- 

 malh- sensitive to the irritation of propolis. 



Transferring Bees— Three Methods.— Mr. F. G. Her- 

 man, of New Jersey, gives the following three ways for 

 transferring bees, in a recent issue of the American Agri- 

 culturist ; 



There are at least three ways of transferring bees from 

 bos-hives into movable-frame hives. The old method is to 

 pry open the old hive with cold-chisel and hammer and cut 

 ■out the combs and fit them into the frames of the movable- 

 frame hive, and fasten them in with sticks and strings. 

 After trying this method on several colonies I must pro- 

 -nounce it mussy, sticky and unsatisfactory. A much. better 

 way is to drive them out by the following'plan : 



Take the hive of the colony which is to be transferred 

 lunder a tree in the shade, or alongside of a building, and 

 turn it bottom up, place on top of it an empty box of the 

 same size, blow in a little smoke at the bottomoccasionally, 

 and drum on the old hive with a couple of sticks for 10 or io 

 minutes. Nearly all the bees and the queen will go up into 

 the empty box above. In the meantime place the hive in 

 which you wish to put the bees on the stand where the old 

 hive stood, so as the field-bees which will be coming in all 

 the time have a place to go. Of course they will be rushing 

 in and out, not knowing what to make of it. Take the box 

 of bees and dump them in front of the new hive, and they 

 will soon run in and make themselves at home. Stand the 

 old hive in a new location, and drum out again in 21 days. 

 Put these bees into a new hive, or add them to the old col- 

 ony, as you prefer. If one desires two colonies from the 

 one, it is best to let the old box-hive colonj' cast a swarm 

 first, then drum in 21 days, and the one drumming will be 

 all that is necessary. 



Still another way, which is better and less work than 

 either of the above methods if one wishes to keep the whole 

 force together and get the most honey, is to take a movable- 

 frame hive full of combs or foundation a week or two be- 

 fore swarming-time, and place under the box-hive, closing 

 the entrance of the upper hive, and compelling the bees to 

 go thru the new one. When honey begins to come in rap- 

 idlj- the bees will crowd the queen into the lower story, 

 ■always putting the honey above the brood. When the queen 

 is laying nicely in the lower story, put a queen-excluder be- 

 tween the two hives, and soon all the brood will be hatcht 

 out above, and the combs will be filled with honey. It can 

 then be taken off, the combs cut out, the honey extracted, 

 the old combs melted into beeswax, and the old hive cut up 



into kindling-wood. I am trying some this way now, and 

 find it the most satisfactory method of all, getting more 

 honey and wax, and keeping down the increase. 



The Philadelphia Convention of the United States 

 Bee-Keepers' Association, as has been announced before, 

 will be held Sept. 5, 6 and 7, 1899. Dr. A. B. Mason, the 

 Secretary, sends the following information as to railroad 

 rates, lodging, etc., which we are pleased to give a place in 

 these columns : 



Sta. B, Toledo, Ohio, June 26, 1899. 

 Mr. Editor :— I have been faithfully trying to get the 

 railroad rates to the G. A. R. encampment at Philadelphia 

 for the information of those bee-keepers who may wish to 

 attend the convention of the United States Bee-Keepers' 

 Association on the 5th, 6th and 7th of next September, and 

 find that in the territory covered by the Central Passenger 

 Association the rate will be one cent per mile each way, 

 " with a minimum of $11 (except that the fare will not ap- 

 ply via Pittsburg, Pennsylvania road and Washington), but 

 via Harrisburg direct," but the Sll rate will be waived 

 where the current first-class one-way fare is less. In such 

 cases the fare will be one cent per mile each way in the 

 Central Passenger Association territory added to the au- 

 thorized one-way fare for the round-trip from the nearest 

 Trunk Line gateway (or station). Tickets for sale Sept. 1 

 to 4, inclusive. 



The rate in the territory covered by the Trunk Line 

 Association will be " one fare for the round trip with a 

 minimum of $1.00, except that the fare from New York and 

 Baltimore will be $3.00; from Washington $4.00; from 

 Newark, N. J., $2.85 ; from Elizabeth, N. J., $2.75 ; and pro- 

 portionately from intermediate points. One fare to New 

 York plus $3.00 from points west of Binghamton and Syra- 

 cuse via New York, going and returning same route." 

 Tickets to be sold, and good going, Sept. 2 to 5, inclusive. 



The Central Passenger Association territory includes 

 that part of Canada lying south of a line running from 

 Toronto nearly west to Lake Huron ; the southern peninsula 

 of Michigan, that part of Illinois lying east of a line run- 

 ning from East St. Louis to Chicago, including both of 

 these cities ; all of Indiana and Ohio ; that portion of Penn- 

 sylvania lying %yest of the Allegheny River, and that part 

 of New York lying west of a line from Salamanca to 

 Bufi^alo. 



The remainder of the United States lying east of the 

 Mississippi River, and south of the Ohio River, and those 

 portions of Pennsylvania and New York not in the Central 

 Passenger territory above described, and all of New Eng- 

 land, are in the Trunk Line Association territory. 



In both the territories named above, " tickets will be 

 good returning to Sept. 12, inclusive ; except that by de- 

 posit of ticket with joint agent at Philadelphia, between 

 Sept. 5 and 9, both dates inclusive, and on payment of a fee 

 of 50 cents, return limit may be extended to Sept. 30, in- 

 clusive." 



Rates have not j'et been fixt by the Southwestern Pas- 

 senger Bureau, and the Western Passenger Association, 

 but bot:h have promist to inform me as soon as announce- 

 ment is made." 



By inquiring of the station agent any one can readily 

 learn the rate of fare. 



Side trips to Washington, Richmond, Norfolk, Gettys- 

 burg, Antietam and other points of interest will be provided 

 for at about one fare for the round trip, or a cent and a half 

 per mile for circuitous routes. 



In a letter just received from Mr. F. Hahman, secretary 

 of the Philadelphia Bee-Keepers' Association, he writes in 

 substance : 



" If those expecting to attend the convention will write 

 me we will find quarters for them ; those not notifying us 

 will have to take their chances, as we cannot engage rooms 

 for anybody except those we are sure will come." 



Let me suggest that all such as desire entertainment 

 write Mr. Hahman af once, or as soon as they have decided 

 to attend the convention, so as to be sure and reach him by 

 Aug. 15 or 20, and tell him what you wish provided. Mr. 

 Hahman 's address is Harrowgate Lane, Sta. F., Philadel- 

 phia, Pa. 



The Philadelphia Association proposes to find good 

 lodging-places for all who notify Mr. Hahman, and break- 

 fast at the lodging-places if possible ; and dinner and sup- 

 per can be had at some of the numerous restaurants near 

 the place of holding the convention, which will be in Frank- 

 lin Institute, at 15 South 7th Street, between Market and 

 Chestnut Streets. A. B. Mason, Secretary. 



