790 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Dec. 14, 1899. 



boil over, and the more you stir it the more it will boil. The 

 boiling- point depends upon the altitude. We are 2,000 feet 

 above the sea now, and the boiling- point is not as high as 

 in lower altitudes. 



Mr. Howe — I took about 200 samples, but the lowest 

 temperature was 225 deg-rees, the highest 235. Our altitude 

 is about 900 feet. 



Mr. Root — What was the temperature ? 



Mr. Howe — I think 228 degrees was the average. It is 

 a good deal of fun to experiment. 



Pres. Whitconib — I tried boiling on the kitchen range. 

 That is how I lost my hair. [Laughter.] Temperature has 

 a good deal to do with it, but if it is thoroly done I don't 

 think you will have any more trouble. When we left home 

 our hives were full of honey. 



Mr. Abbott — I would like to ask Mr. Whitcomb if he 

 doesn't think there is danger of the foul brood appearing 

 yet ? Has a long enough time past to show ? 



Pres. Whitcomb — We have examined them very care- 

 fully, and there are no indications of any disease. I un- 

 derstand that foul brood grows very rapidly — will appear in 

 a few hours after infection. But I find that in examining 

 them closely young bees are hatching, and no signs of foul 

 brood. 



Mr. Abbott — The reason I askt the question was, I had 

 never had much to do with foul brood, and I am glad of it. 

 I knew a man whose bees were troubled with it, and he came 

 to me for advice. I told him that the best thing he could 

 do was to build a fire around the infected hives. But that 

 lookt wasteful to him, and he came down several times and 

 thought he had everything all right, but it would crop out 

 again. It reminded me of a storj' of a Philadelphia doctor 

 that my father used to tell about. He wanted to see a noted 

 doctor, and said to a man, "Can you tell me where Dr. 

 Jones lives?" " Ye-es-s-s-sir. he 1-1-1-li-lives ri-right up 

 there." " Is that the noted doctor who cures stuttering?" 

 "Ye-ye-yes s-sir, he c-c-cu-cu-cured me!" [Laughter.] 

 Burning cures foul brood. 



Mr. Root — My experience is that a few bees will go 

 back. I was speaking about it to Mr. Howe. He is too 

 bashful to speak about it. Some will not be careful enough 

 in treating the disease. The IS minutes boiling is not too 

 long. If the boiling is carried on carefully for 15 minutes 

 perhaps that will be enough. 



Pres. Whitcomb — Do you think the spores exist in was? 



Mr. Root — I don't know. We have since been sending 

 out a circular recommending the McEvoy treatment. It re- 

 quires very careful handling. Kerosene treatment is good, 

 but the bees object to it. 



Mr. Hutchinson — Did you ever try to put the bees on 

 full sheets of foundation, Mr. Whitcomb ? 



Pres. Whitcomb — No. 



Mr. Hershiser — How many batches did you treat at a 

 time ? 



Pres. Whitcomb — Sometimes as manj' as 35. Some of 

 the neighbors' bees had it, and we put them into our hives 

 and brought them home and treated them there. 



Dr. Mason — I found that I could treat foul brood and 

 let the bees go into the fields at the same time. I have fed 

 foul-broody honey that had been treated with salicylic acid 

 and cured the disease. Mr. Howe says 15 minutes boiling 

 is enough. He is a practical man. He does not sit down 

 and let things run themselves. 



Mr. Hershiser — I thought my bees had foul brood the 

 past summer. It didn't prove to be foul brood, but I think 

 that with care in treating it, it can be eradicated. 

 [Continued next week.] 



Report of the Northern Illinois Bee-Keepers' 

 Convention. 



The annual meeting of the Northern Illinois Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association was held in Rockford. Oct. 17 and IS, 1899. 

 The convention was called to order with about 25 members 

 present, and the report showed 950 colonies of bees in the 

 spring, with 1,150 colonies at the present time, and about 

 22,578 pounds of honey produced, most of which has been 

 sold at 15 cents per pound for comb honey. 



The program for the day opened by a song from the 

 daughters of the president, Mr. S. H. Herrick, also one 

 from Mr. N. E. France, of Wisconsin. 



After the address by Pres. Herrick ([uestions were in 

 order, among those askt and answered being the following : 



C.WSE OF WINTER LOSS OF BEES. 



QuES. — What, in your opinion, was the cause of the 

 mortality among bees last winter? Ans. — Poor grade of 

 honey and the extreme cold. 



Mr. Highbarger, who was successful in wintering, said : 

 "Give plenty of ventilation, use loose-bottomed hives with 

 cleats on the underside, which are reverst in winter to give 

 more space at the entrance." 



Mr. France extracts all dark honey, and feeds only 

 white. 



PL.^IN SECTIONS AND FENCE SEPARATORS. 



Some liked the plain sections and fence separators, 

 while others were of the opinion that thej' were fads gotten 

 up by dealers. 



BEE-SMOKERS — GETTING RID OF ANTS. 



QuES. — Which is the best smoker? 



Mr. Highbarger said the Bingham. Mr. France thinks 

 the Crane the best, but as it is pretty expensive he recom- 

 mends the Cornell. He also cautioned against the use of 

 tobacco in the smoker, as it has been known to taint the 

 honey. 



QuES. — What is the best method of getting rid of ants 

 in the apiary ? Ans. — Kerosene or camphor rubbed around 

 the edge of the hives, or bi-sulphide of carbon put in their 

 nests. 



BEE-STING REMEDY — OWNERSHIP OF ABSCONDING SWARMS — 

 TAXING BEES. 



QuES. — What is the best remedy for bee-stings ? Ans. 

 — Whiskey, in severe cases. 



yuES. — If a swarm leaves j'our premises and alights in 

 an adjoining lot, can )'0U remove your bees ? Ans. — Agreed 

 that you could. 



QuES. — Are bees taxt in Illinois ? Ans. — Not generally, 

 but most thought it a question which the assessor in each 

 town decided for himself. 



EXHIBIT OF APIARIAN PHOTOGRAPHS. 



Mr. France showed several hundred photographs of 

 prominent bee-keepers of Wisconsin, among them several 

 ladies. Miss Candler and Mrs. Pickard were both success- 

 ful in the business, and Mrs. Pickard had about 50,000 

 pounds of extracted honey last year. He also showed a 

 sample of foul-brood comb. Mr. France has treated 4,000 

 colonies for this disease in the three years he has been State 

 inspector of apiaries. 



A resolution was unanimously adopted recommending 

 to bee-keepers Geo. R. McCartnej-'s combined foundation 

 fastener and section press. 



The following officers were elected, and the meeting- ad- 

 journed till next year : 



President, S. H. Herrick ; vice-president, J. Stewart ; 

 secretary, B. Kennedy ; and treasurer, O. J, Cummings. 



B. Kennedy, ^^r.- 



Pete — '" No, ma'am, I don't like bees. Nearly got killed by one once.' 



Miss Abbey — " What I a honej'-bee?" 



Pete— "No. Lynching bee." — Collier's Weekly. 



The Premiums offered on page 796 are well worth work- 

 ing for. Look at them. 



