116 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Nebraska State Convention. 



The third annual session of the Ne- 

 braska State Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion, was called to order by the Presi- 

 dent, Mr. T. L. Vondorn, at Ashland, 

 on Jan. 12, 1882. The minutes of the 

 previous meeting were read and 

 approved. 



The Treasurer presented his report, 

 showing the total receipts to be $20.25 

 and expenditures $11.26, leaving a bal- 

 ance of $9.00 in the treasury. It was 

 accepted and placed on file : 



The committee on constitution and 

 by-laws failed to report, owing to the 

 illness of one of the members. A new 

 committee was appointed, consisting 

 of Messrs. Myers, Culbertson and 

 Hildebrant. Vice Presidents and 

 others from the different counties in 

 the State, reported as follows : 



Prof. Culbertson, for Lancaster 

 County, reported but a small flow of 

 honey in the middle and southern 

 parts, owing to severe drouths, while 

 in the northern, the yield was much 

 larger, and a greater increase of bees. 

 By request, he gave his last year's ex- 

 periments in wintering, both out-door 

 and cellar. Those out-doors were 

 placed close together, protected by a 

 shed on the north, and covered with 

 several feet of hay. A cloth was put 

 over tlie frames, ;uid the story filled 

 ■with dry cobs. He lost .5 of the 6 

 treated in this way. He put 21 in the 

 cellar, putting several thicknesses of 

 cotton cloth over the frames, ;ind a 

 paper on top of these, on which he put 

 unslacked lime to absorb all moisture. 

 The back end of the hive was raised 

 higher than the front^ that all water 

 might run out. He lost 5 of these. 



Mr. Decker, of Wahoo, reported 

 large yields of honey and great in- 

 crease of bees. 



P. P. Hayes started with 1 colony, 

 increased to 5, and obtained 400 lbs. of 

 honey. 



Mr. Dodder, of same place,increased 

 from 1.5 to GO. 



Mr. Vondorn, of Omaha, gave re- 

 port for Douglas, who started with 14 

 colonies, increased to 41, and got 1,900 

 lbs. of honey. 



Mr. Yager increased from 1 to 8. 



J. r. Sawyer from 22 to 60. 



Mr. Edwards from 92 to 204, and re- 

 ceived 2,000 lbs. of honey ; the location 

 was overstocked. 



The Secretary gave reports received 

 from Gage, -Tefferson, Butler, Hall, 

 and others, which indicated a large 

 yield of honey, and almost nnprece- 

 dented increase of colonies. 



It was moved that a question box 

 be opened, in which any one could put 

 questions they wished discussed. 

 Messrs. Culbertson, Rouse and Tres- 

 ter were appointed a committee to 

 answer the questions. 



On motion, Messrs. B. E. Kennedy, 

 of Omaha, and D. H. Wheeler, of 

 Plattsmouth, were made honorary 

 members. 



The Secretary was instructed to 

 notify members to pay delinquent 

 dues, or their names would be 

 dropped. Adjourned to meet at 7 

 p. m. 



The evening session was opened by 

 the reading of the President's address. 

 Messrs. Culbertson, Caldwell and 

 Trester were appointed a committee 

 to report upon this. 



The first question selected from the 

 question box was: "How to Winter 

 Bees Successfully." 



Prof. Culbertson opened the dis- 

 cussion. He would remove some of 

 the combs, and spread the others, so 

 the bees would have a chance to clus- 

 ter in large bodies ; would make holes 

 through the combs, so they could pass 

 from one to the other without being 

 chilled. These, with thorough venti- 

 lation, dryness, and an even tempera- 

 ture of from 40 to 45 degrees, he con- 

 sulered the requisites. These condi- 

 tions he thought more easily attained, 

 taken one yearwith another, by means 

 of a cellar especially prepared for that 

 purpose. In regard to what he con- 

 sidered the requisites, nearly all 

 agreed with him,yetthe methods used 

 to obtain them, were nearly as many 

 as there were persons present. 



Mr. Rouse wished his bees to be in 

 a healthy condition, and to keep breed- 

 ing until Oct. 10. if possible. Yet the 

 young bee should have a tiight to bear 

 long confinement. He puts the bees 

 on as few combs as they will cover, by 

 putting in a chaff division board ; 

 puts a box with a cloth bottom filled 

 with chaff on top ; this gives thorough 

 ventilation. He then packed hay 

 around his hives, covering them up 

 entirely, leaving no place for the bee's 

 to get out. lie had colonies come 

 through all right, with top ventilation, 

 when the entrance was filled with ice. 

 Others have tlie same experience. 



Mr. Caldwell thought what would 

 do one year would not another. He 

 considered a good cellar the best place 

 to winter in, but a poor one the worst 

 idace. He put husk mats on top of 

 ins frames, and chaff over that, and 

 tried to obtain as nearly an even tem- 

 perature as possible. 



Mr. Vondorn crowds his bees on as 

 few combs as they will cover, spread- 

 ing these that they may cluster. 

 Packs with chaff, and puts woolen 

 cloths over the top ; thinks it not nec- 

 essary to have all young bees late in 

 the fall to winter successfully. He 

 thought the Langstroth frame as good 

 as any for wintering. 



Mr. Hawley had wintered his suc- 

 cessfully in a cellar, and preferred 

 that way. 



The committee on revision of the 

 constitution and by-laws made their 

 report, which was adopted as read. 



In the morning session, the election 

 of officers resulted in the re-election of 

 the old officers. 



A paper, by Mr. Vondorn, on prac- 

 tical bee-culture, was read. 



From the question box, the subject 

 of "the best lioney plants," was dis- 

 cussed. 



Mr. Myer preferred rape to all 

 others he had tried. He had 4 acres, 

 and while in bloom, the bees worked 

 on it both late and early, and during 



all kinds of weather. They would not 

 wtirk on buckwheat that was in bloom 

 at the same time. Buckwheat was 

 not recommended as worthy of culti- 

 vation. Sweet clover and matrimony 

 vine were recommended to sow in all 

 waste places. The President had ap- 

 plied to the departmentof agriculture 

 for melilot and white clover seed, also 

 motherwort seed to distribute among 

 the Nebraska bee-keepers. 



Mrs. Thomas rec<immended mother- 

 wort as one of the best. It was con- 

 ceded that the most of our honey was 

 gathered from heartsease and golden- 

 rod ; some thought sunflower secreted 

 honey, but most thought not. Wild 

 cucumber was spoken of highly. 



The subject of " feeding bees " was 

 discussed. The question was asked, 

 why bees fed late in the fall do not 

 breed as fast as when fed in the 

 spring ? 



Mr. Vondorn said that cold nights 

 were the cause, and also that bees 

 seem to understand that it is the last 

 of the season. He feeds a syrup, made 

 by boiling 2% lbs. of best sugar in 2 

 lbs. of water. The use of glucose for 

 feeding was discouraged. 



The next question was, "of what 

 importance to the apiarist is selection 

 in queen rearing':"' 



Mr. Ashland tliought as much de- 

 pended upon the selection of queens 

 from which to rear our colonies, as 

 with any other stock. 



Mr. Vondorn ihought more atten- 

 tion should be given to the rearing of 

 choice drones, and to accomplish the 

 desired purpose, we would have to 

 establish our queen-rearing apiary 

 several miles from any other colonies. 

 He tliought choice queens could not 

 be reared for less than $3 each. 



Queen cells should not be allowed to 

 become chilled, as it is apt to make 

 the wings defective. 



In hatching 20 in a queen nursery, 

 he found their wings and bodies de- 

 fective. Upon exainination with a 

 strong microscope, he found them in- 

 fested with small worms. The Cyp- 

 rians were not so gentle and easy to 

 manage as the Italians, but equally as 

 good honey gatherers and for in- 

 crease. 



Read before the N. E. Convention. 



Prevention of Swarming. 



L. C. ROOT. 



I am asked by the Executive Com- 

 mittee of this Association to give my 

 experience as to the most successful 

 method of preventing swarming. 

 Much has been written and said upon 

 this subject by many bee-keepers of 

 the day, yet a successful method of 

 controlling the desire to swarm in all 

 cases has not yet been given us. It is 

 therefore one of the hidden mysteries 

 of bee-keeping ujioii which more light 

 must be shed. As this can only be 

 accomplished by continueii study and 

 the adding of our mites to the general 

 fund, I will offer a few facts as they 

 have been developed by a somewhat 

 extended experience. In considering 

 this question we must keep it closely 

 by the side of the thought of our de- 



