THE AMERICAiS BEE JOURNAL. 



675 



Sorlhwestern Bee-Keepers' Society. 



The Northwestern Bee-keepers' So- 

 ciety met at Owsley's Hall, Chicago, 

 111., on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 10 a. m., 

 Tres. C. C. Miller in the chair. 



The Secretary being absent, T. G. 

 Newman was elected Secretary, pro 

 tern. 



The minutes of the last meeting 

 were read and approved. 



Tlie Treasurer reported a balance in 

 the treasury of S16.50; there being no 

 expense incurred last year for a place 

 to meet in, nor badges. 



The President remarlied that it was 

 desirable to make a tabulated state- 

 ment, showing the number of colonies 

 kept by each member of the con- 

 vention, the results of wintering and 

 the crop of honey obtained, and ap- 

 pointed Mr. I. R. Good to obtain the 

 information and get up the statistical 

 table. 



It was agreed that the election of 

 officers be the first business of the 

 afternoon session. 



The following members paid their 

 annual dues, seven states being repre- 

 sented: 



James Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich. 



Dr. S. M. Slade, Elgin, 111. 



I. R. Good, Nappanee, Ind. 



T. S. Bull, Valparaiso, Ind. 



S. Goodrich, Urbana, 111. 



John A. Williamson, Lodge, 111. 



O.O.Poppleton,Williamstovvn,Iowa. 



J. E. Hunter, Wyoming Iowa. 



M. L. Trester, Lincoln, Neb. 



Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 



Thos. G. Newman, Chicago, 111. 



John Hoover, New Boston, 111. 



Nat. Resser, Geneseo, 111. 



Adam B. Miller, Wakarusa, Ind. 



Kev. D. Whitmer, South Bend, Ind. 



E. Lucas, Kirklaud, 111. 



Alfred II. Newman, Chicago, 111. 



W. W. Kinnie, Beloit, Wis. 



S. T. Goldy, Harrison, 111. 



H. W. Funk, Bloomington, 111. 



J, M.Valentine, Carliuviller, 111. 



r. D. Nagle, South Haven, Mich. 



D. S. McKinstry, Grant Park, 111. 



W, H. Bussey, Chicago, 111. 



Dr. J. II. Shultz, Logansport, Ind. 



Geo. McCormick, Russell, Iowa. 



S. E. Gernon, Waukesha, Wis. 



D. Rawhouser, Columbus City, Iowa. 

 -James Forncrook, Watertown,Wis. 

 V. M. Keeney, Shirland, 111. 



L. Iligbbarger, Adaliiie,IlI. 

 J. C. Newman, Peoria, N. Y. 



E. F. Schafer, Chester, Ind. 

 G. L. Gast, LeClaire, Iowa. 



Dr. S. Stevenson, Morenci, Mich. 

 Joseph Messimore, Millwood, Ind. 

 J. K. Snyder, Tiffin, Iowa. 

 Robert Cissna, Hageman, Ind. 

 L. H. Scudder, New Boston, 111. 

 J. M. Ilyne, Stewartsville, Ind. 

 Peter Dahl, Granville, 111. 

 J. P. Dahl, Granville, 111. 

 Chas. A. Campbell, Valparaiso, Ind. 



Ira Bidl, Valparaiso, Ind. 



L. C. Wemple, Rogers' Park, HI. 



E. J. Oatman, Dundee, 111. 



Geo. Thompson, Geneva, 111. 



J. II. Reese, Austin, 111. 



II. Newhaus, Burlington, Wis. 



A. D. Beckley, Rankin, 111. 



R. R. Murphy, Garden Plain. 111. 



W. S. Bennett, Beloit, Wis. 



C. O. Se?.mans, Chesterton, Ind. 



E. Whittlesey, Pecatonica, 111. 



C. W. B. Rust, Dover, 111. 

 William 15lakf. Buchanan, Midi. 



D. G. Webster, Blaine, 111. 

 P. P. Nelson, Mankato, 111. 

 James Marvin, St. Charles, 111. 

 M. M. Baldridge, St. Charles, 111. 

 Mark Davis, Lisle, 111. 



A. A. Rice, Davis Junction, 111. 

 G. II. Shibley, Richmond, III. 

 John Hodgson, Pewankee. Wis. 

 J. M. Burtcli, Morrison, III. 

 II. D. Burrell, Bangor, Midi. 

 J. L. Gray, Lee Center, 111. 



LADY MEMBERS. 



Mrs. L. Harrison, Peoria, 111. 

 Mrs. C. C. .Miller, Marengo, 111. 

 Mrs. E. Lucas. Kirtland, 111. 



The following resolution was passed 

 unanimously: 



Resolved, That the editors of the diff- 

 erent bee periodicals be requested to 

 keep a standing notice in their papers 

 requesting correspondents to add to 

 their names, when writing for publi- 

 cation, the number of colonies they 

 had at the couimenceuient of the 

 swarming season, and tlie number 

 they had at the time of writing. 



President Miller stated that such 

 figures would aid all to understand the 

 force and value of their remarks or 

 reports, and serve to give a knowledge 

 of their status as bee-keepers. 



M. L. Trester desired to have a form 

 of letter heading gotten up, stating the 

 general occupation, if any, also bee 

 and honey interest, and having blanks 

 to be tilled in witli the number of the 

 colonies, etc.. which would be conve- 

 nient for all honey producers. 



Tlie Syrian Bees. 



George Thompson, Geneva, 111., 

 then addressed the Convention, as 

 follows, on the Syrian bees : 



This summer 1 have worked with 

 some of my Syrians that are as vigor- 

 ous, as gentle'aiid as beautiful as the 

 best of my Italians, and far more pro- 

 lific; they had brood early and late, 

 when the Italians had none. 



It is well known by all those who 

 have given any attention to scientilic 

 breeding that we can tone down any 

 undesirable quality and raise all valu- 

 able points. Now, when we have 

 found a bee that will breed late and 

 early, thus in a great measure pre- 

 venting death in winter, spring 

 dwindling, and enabling us to have 

 our bees in a condition in tlie spring 

 to take advantage of the first honey 

 harvest, then I consider we have made 

 a long stride towards that bee of the 

 future, — Apis Americana. 



Has tlie Syrian bee proved a benefit? 

 When the Italian bee was introduced, 

 it was found, on trial, to be in many 

 points, far superior to the black bee. 

 It was, therefore, retained, and for 

 years has been the favorite bee for the 



bee-keeper. But as time passed and 

 knowledge increased it was found 

 wanting, in some locarlities, in one 

 important point, viz. : late and early 

 breeding; for, as soon as tlie honey 

 harvest begins to fail, the queen leaves 

 off breeding, and unless the bee- 

 keeper feeds back with a liberal hand 

 to keep the queen up to her work, too 

 many old bees go into winter quar- 

 ters and one of the results that follows 

 IS, spring dwindling. What was 

 wanted was, a bee that would breed 

 late and early, and this has been found 

 in the Syrian. Tlianks to Mr. Jones 

 and Frank Benton, tlie Syrian, not 

 desirable m itself, owing to its irri- 

 table nature, by the cross with the 

 Italian, I consider a valuable acquisi- 

 tion. In it we have obtained what we 

 have long desired. 



President Miller had a queen of the 

 Jones importation of Syrians, and 

 could see no remarkable results from 

 her progeny. 



A. D. Beckley said the Syrian bees 

 bred early and late, and one colony 

 gave him 400 lbs. of extracted honey 

 they were cross, butgood workers. He 

 preteried Syrian bees; his one colony 

 had given iiim 9 swarms. His hive 

 was a 9- frame Langstroth. 



O. O. Poppleton asked if late breed- 

 ing was any help in wintering beesV 



Geo. Tliomp.son : That is a very im- 

 portant point. My Syrians had brood 

 when iny Italians had none. I prefer 

 the Syrians, crossed with Italian 

 drones. 



, }^: ^i- l^i'ssey : I bad 2 colonies 

 late in September 1881, and bred them 

 up by feeding, but both died out dur- 

 ing the winter. 



Rev. D. Whitmer: I opened hives 

 last iliursday and found in some 3 

 frames half tilled with brood, wliile 

 other colonies had none. 



O. O. Poppleton : In the winter of 

 1872, while attending the Iowa State 

 Fair at Cedar Rapids, Mr. Gallup and 

 I went to the apiary of W. H. Fur- 

 man in that city, and, upon examina- 

 tion, coukl not lind six frames with- 

 out brood, and yet I lost bees quite 

 heavily that winter. 



James Ileddon : There are two 

 classes of bee-keepers— one has an 

 apiary in his head, the other has a 

 real bee yard. Experience is what we 

 want— we not only need statements, 

 but logic as well. We have no fall 

 crop of honey here. Spring dwind- 

 ling results from dysentery, and young 

 bees are more liable to be attacked 

 with It. I think the quicker my bees 

 stop breeding in the fall the better. I 

 do not want young bees to winter suc- 

 cessfully. Old bees are hardier. I 

 want bees that know when to breed 

 and when not to breed. I do not be- 

 lieve that pure bees are any better 

 than those crossed for business— good 

 qualities are what we should be care- 

 tul to obtain and not so many bands • 

 breed for business and not for white 

 down, or hairs, or color. I would like 

 to see the man who can determine the 

 race of Cyprian, Syrian and Italian 

 bees; I do not think there is one in 

 this room that can tell them apart 



T. G. Newman said that he knew of 

 an instance where some Italian bees 

 had been pronounced pure Cypriana 



