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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Local Convention Directory. 



1882. Time and Place of Meeting. 



■July 25— Western Iowa, at Winterset. Iowa. 



Henry Wallace, Sec., Winterset, Iowa. 

 Aug. 10— Maine State, at Harmony, Maine. 



Wni. lloyt. Sec. 

 Sept. 5— N. W. 111. and S. W. Wis., at Kockton, 111. 

 Jonathan Stewart, Sec. 

 'Oct. 3-6— North American, at Cincinnati. O. 



Dr. Ehrlcli Parmly, Sec. New York City. 

 5— Kentucky Union, at Shelbyville, Ky. 



G. W. Demaree, Sec, Christiansburg, Ky. 



Tuscarawas Valley, at Newcomerslown, O, 



J. A. Bucklew, Sec, Clarks, O. 



tW In order to have this table complete. Secre- 

 taries are requested to forward full particulars of 

 -time and place of future meetinKs.— Ed. 



California Apiculturist. 



Ventura County, Cal., Association. 



The Ventura County Bee-keepers' 

 Association met at Santa Paula, on 

 .•Saturday, June lOtli. 



In the absence of the president, 

 Mr. Wilkin took the chair and stated 

 the object of the meeting. He said 

 the Association had been called to- 

 gether for the purpose of devising 

 means to ridthecountry of foul brood. 

 As the present was not a very busy 

 time for bee-keepers, owing to the 

 failure of the honey crop, he tliought 

 it a good time to make a united effort 

 to get rid of the disease, and prevent 

 ■if possible, its spreading to the moun- 

 tains. He thought if it once got into 

 the trees and rocks it would be im- 

 possible to check it, and bee-keeping 

 would become a very precarious busi- 

 ness. He suggested that a " foul 

 brood inspector" be appointed to ex- 

 amine all apiaries where the disease 

 existed, or was suspected to exist, 

 and assist the owner to obliterate the 

 disease. 



JSIr. Corey thought it too big an 

 uiidertakiug for one man ; he thought 

 there could be found eiglit or ten men 

 in the country with sutiicient experi- 

 ence to assist in tlie work ; and an 

 inspector, if appointed, should be 

 vested with power to appoint a suffi- 

 cient number of deputies to assist in 

 the work, that it may be more 

 thoroughly and speedily accom- 

 plished. 



Mr. Strathearn thought tliat all the 

 apiaries in the country stiould be ex- 

 amined and certificates of health 

 issued to those whose apiaries were 

 found free from disease, and if any- 

 one refused to have tlieir bees ex- 

 amined, it would be an evidence that 

 their bees were diseased, and that 

 they were concealing the fact in 

 order to sell out, but if no one would 

 buy bees except from those who could 

 ■show a certificate from an inspector 

 appointed by the Association, the 

 practice of selling diseased bees 

 would soon become obsolete, and all 

 would be anxious to liave tlieir bees 

 examined and the disease exter- 

 minated. 



The convention coincided with Mr. 



trathearn's views and voted to ap- 



point an inspector, vested with the 

 power to appoint deputies and issue 

 certiflcates to those whose bees are 

 found free from disease. R. Touch- 

 ton was nominated for the position 

 and elected by acclamation. 



Mr. Corey moved that a tax of 1 

 cent per hive be levied on the mem- 

 bers of the Association and request- 

 ing that all other bee-keepers in the 

 county contribute and forward to the 

 Secretary a similar amount, for the 

 purpose of creating a " foul brood 

 fund," to defray the expenses of the 

 inspector and his deputies. Motion 

 carried. 



It was also thought advisable where 

 but few diseased colonies were found 

 to destroy tliem entire, and the loss 

 thus sustained to be made up by the 

 Association in bees, the owner bear- 

 ing his proportion of tlie loss. As to 

 the extent of the disease Mr. Edmond- 

 son reported that the disease had 

 been in his apiary, but thought he 

 had it reduced to less than a dozen 

 cases, but was not certain ; he said he 

 would be very glad to liave them ex- 

 amined by an expert, and the diseased 

 colonies destroyed. 



Mr. Grimes said he thought his 

 apiary was entirely free from the 

 disease, but nevertheless would, be 

 glad to have them examined, and if 

 any cases were found he would de- 

 stroy them ; he expressed his willing- 

 ness to assist in the work of eradicat- 

 ing foul brood, as did also Mr. 

 Corey and others, who had had ex- 

 perience with the disease. 



The convention adjourned to meet 

 at Santa I'aula, the first Saturday in 

 August. * 



R. TouCHTON, Sec. 





Drone Traps.— On the 4th inst. I 

 bought a colony of Italian bees, that 

 had no queen, but 11 queen cells. On 

 the 11th inst. I opened the hive and 

 cut out 10 queen cells, and within 15 

 minutes 4 of them emerged. I caged 

 them and made nuclei hives for them 

 and the queen cells. All the rest of 

 my bees are blacks. 1. How can I 

 catch the black drones ? 2. Is there 

 any kind of drone trap ; if so, how 

 can I make it V S. J. Hopkins. 



Evansville, Wis., July 14, 18S2. 



[1. D. A. Jones, Beeton, Ont., has 

 advertised and sold quite extensively 

 a perforated zinc for the purpose of 

 placing at the entrances, which, 

 while too small in its perforations to 

 admit of the passage out of well de- 

 veloped drones, will allow an entrance 

 for worker bees. 



2. There have been several con- 

 trivances gotten up for that purpose, 

 but we are unacquainted with their 

 details, and almost doubt the perfect 

 utility of them.— Ed.] 



More Cheerful from »w York.— I 



have had some bees for the past 3 

 years. I commenced with the chaff 

 hive, and do not use any other, and 

 have not lost a colony since I have 

 been in the business. In the spring of 

 1881 I had 5 colonies. I let each 

 colony throw off one swarm, and then 

 cut out the queen cells, so my swarm- 

 ing season lasted only two weeks. I 

 had 10 colonies in the fall, and sold 

 about $60 worth of honey in Syracuse 

 at from 13 to 1.5 cents a pound. In 

 May last, when I took them out of 

 the chaff, I found every colony 

 strong and healthy. I put 64 one- 

 pound sections on each colony. I now 

 have 19 colonies. I never saw bees 

 do better than they are doing now ; 

 they work early and late, and in all 

 kinds of weather. Although we have 

 had a very cold, late, rainy season, I 

 believe my bees will make up for lost 

 time. Everything is growing rapidly 

 here, and we expect a good crop. I 

 would like to know— 1. How to unite 

 2 weak colonies in the spring V 2. 

 How to unite 2 swarms in swarming 

 time ¥ 3. How to unite 2 weak colo- 

 nies in the fall V 4. In manipulating 

 the bees, what kind and how much 

 smoke to use. I am in the habit of 

 using a smoker, and blowing a good 

 quantity of tobacco smoke into the 

 liive before I commence work. 



Edward Newcomb. 

 Centerville, N. Y. 



[1. As good a plan as any is to use a 

 fresh hive, put it on a new stand, 

 place the old hives one on eacli side, 

 slant a board in front from the ground 

 to the alighting board, remove one 

 queen, cage the other in the center 

 hive, then shake the bees in front, 

 alternating frames from the two hives 

 in shaking off. 



2. Shake the bees on a sheet in front 

 of the hive, in one pile, and remove 

 one queen as they crawl up to the 

 entrance. 



3. There are several methods. Usu- 

 ally, quite late in the fall, if onequeen 

 be removed, then the frames of the 

 two colonies be alternated in one 

 hive, there will be no trouble. 



4. Use any good bellows smoker, 

 putting a live coal in the bottom, and 

 dry, partly rotted wood on top, or cot- 

 ton rags, yon can make a sullicieut 

 smudge. We do not recommend the 

 use of tobacco in smoking bees ; nor 

 an excessive use of any kind of smoke. 

 — Ed.1 



That New Clover.— I have gotten 

 myself into a fine box by sending you 

 that sample of new white clover, as I 

 have not the time to answer the nu- 

 merous coi-respniidents in regard to it, 

 antl those who are ordering seed, etc., 

 from all parts of the United States 

 and Canada. Now, will the Journal 

 be so kind as to say I have no seed to 

 send this year, but will have enough 

 next year to spare in small quantities 

 to the numerous apiarists of this 



