808 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Cook of the State Agricultural College, 

 Michigan, has about settled. 



First, the best way to winter bees 

 without loss. There is one thing cer- 

 tain, and tliat is, they must have 

 some kind of protection in this cold 

 latitude, but the amount and kind we 

 must all decide for ourselves by ex- 

 perimenting. But one thing we"shall 

 all have to acknowledge, that is, be- 

 tween the torrid and the frigid zone, 

 there would be quite a difference in 

 protection. While, in Texas, tliey 

 need none; in Greenland, bees cou d 

 not be kept at all ; but, between the 

 two extremes, we must use the kind 

 and amount, which, by experimenting, 

 we tind is best adapted to our latitude 

 and our climate. I know that some 

 " old fogies " still winter their bees in 

 box hives, without any protection ex- 

 cept on the lea side of some building 

 or high board fence, without losing 

 any bees ; often having killed all their 

 small and weak colonies. But we 

 think tliere is a better way, that is, to 

 feed and protect them. What should 

 we think of a man who tried to winter 

 his cattle, sheep and swine, in the way 

 many do their bees? The different 

 kinds of protection now in use, are the 

 cellar, a clamp, chaff all around and 

 on top of hives, hives with dead-air 

 spaces, in some building, and some 

 leave them out, at the cold mercies of 

 the winter blast. But I like a proper- 

 ly-constructed chaff hive, or a good 

 dry cellar properly ventilated, or a 

 chaff box, built around the hives, with 

 at least one foot of chaff all around 

 them. Instead of from two to live 

 inches of chaff, 1 would have from 

 eiglit to twelve inches. In conclusion 

 I will say that we shall yet find a way 

 to winter bees as safely as any other 

 stock. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bee and Honey Show at Toledo, Ohio. 



Owing to sickness, which was fol- 

 lowed by paralysis of my hands and 

 wrists, it has lieen impossible for me 

 to make a report of the bee and honey 

 show, as a department of the Tri-State 

 Fair, held at Toledo, O., last Sep- 

 tember. 



Every person I have heard speak of 

 it says it was a grand success, but 

 when I read what the editor of the 

 Bee Journal said of it in the num- 

 ber for Sept. 20, I thought he rather 

 "stretched the truth "a little, when 

 he said it was "utterly impossible for 

 one quarter of those who desired to 

 examine the exhibits, to even get with- 

 in a stone's throw of them," but since 

 the fair was over many have told me 

 they could not get anywhere near the 

 exhibits owing to the crowd, and 

 viewed our fine display only at a dis- 

 tance, and the officers of the Fair As- 

 sociation who, at first, thought any 

 little corner or okl shed would do for 

 the "bee fixins," were delighted with 

 the display, and have promised us all 

 the room we may want next year, 

 toward making a grand display. 



Messrs. Thomas G. Newman, James 

 Ileddon, C. F. Muth, and Prof. A. J. 

 Cook, kindly consented to act as 

 awarding committee, but Mr. Ileddon 



was kept at home by sickness ; Mr. 

 Muth had to return home when on his 

 way to. the fair, and Prof. Cook's col- 

 lege duties kept him at home, so Mr. 

 Newman was the only one of the com- 

 mittee in attendance, and he did his 

 " level best" during his two days' stay 

 to make up for our disappointment in 

 not having the others with us. He 

 seemed as much interested in the ex- 

 hibits as the exhibitors themselves, 

 answering questions by bee-keepers 

 and others, and doing all he could to 

 make the undertaking a success, and 

 I think that all who had the pleasure 

 of his acquaintance during his stay, 

 will say that he succeeded pretty 

 well. 



On the afternoon of Wednesday the 

 bee-keepers present met in the otlice of 

 the secretary ot the f rtir,on the grounds. 

 Mr. T. G. Newman was chosen tem- 

 porary chairman and Dr. A. B. Mason 

 of Wagon Works, O., temporary sec- 

 retai-y. On taking the chair, Mr. 

 Newman gave a brief, but instructive 

 talk on matters connected with our 

 specialty, and at once made the im- 

 pression that he was at home on bee 

 matters and well qualified to edit a 

 bee journal. 



Mr. F. L. Ripley, of Boston, Mass., 

 was present at some inconvenience, 

 and being obliged to leave in a short 

 time, was called upon and introduced 

 by Mr. Newman. Being a member of 

 the firm of Crocker & Blake, Boston, 

 Mass., dealers in honey, foreign fruit, 

 produce, etc., he spoke intelligently 

 on the marketing of honey and the 

 best methods of fitting it up, highly 

 recommending the pound or half- 

 pound sections for comb honey, with 

 12 or 24 sections in a crate; and one- 

 pound honey jars, " by all means," for 

 extracted honey. He said that " but- 

 ter is more of a luxury than honey, 

 and we are selling more of it than 

 ever before." Mr. Ripley's remarks 

 were frequently interrupted by ap- 

 plause, and a vote of thanks was given 

 him, " for the sacrifice he had made 

 to meet with us, and for his able ad- 

 dress." 



Mr. Newman Jniade a brief address 

 in regard to bee and lioney shows, and 

 honey as food and medicine, and the 

 best way to put up honey for the 

 market. 



Dr. E. B. Soutliwick, of Mendon, 

 Mich., SDoke of his home trade and 

 said that he could sell more honey in 

 m pound sections than in one-pound 

 sections. Others spoke of their method 

 of putting up and selling their honey, 

 and all were in favor of the smaller 

 sections. 



The secretary read an extract from 

 a letter from Mr. C. F. Muth, in which 

 he said, " I liave, I think, the best 

 trade in jar honey in America. Desir- 

 able packages and purity of honey 

 made my trade. I have failed in get- 

 ting comb lioney this season and am 

 not so very particular about it as I 

 liave lost money on almost every large 

 lot purchased so far. Comb honey will 

 remain a fancy article, while extracted 

 honey is used already by almost every 

 manufacturer using sweets. The in- 

 crease in the demand from all quarters 

 is very encouraging indeed. Mv re- 

 ceipts last week were S4 bbls.; this j 



week (three days) 26 bbls.; I am satis- 

 fied that I shall have it all sold in 

 about two months. It was different 

 a few years ago. One was afraid of 

 getting an overstock then." 



On motion of the secretary, it was 

 voted ■' that we proceed to organize a 

 Tri-State Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 and Mr. P. M. Pulil, of South Toledo, 

 0.,was chosen President; Dr. A. B. 

 Mason, of Wagon Works. O., Secre- 

 tary; G. W. Zimmerman, of Napoleon, 

 Treasurer. 



An evening session of the associa- 

 tion was held, Mr. Newman acting as 

 chairman. Mr. Puhl having declined 

 to act as president, Dr. E. B. South- 

 wick was chosen to fill the vacancy, 

 and James Ileddon of Mich.. H. R. 

 Boardiiian, Enst Townsend, O., and 

 Mrs. Dr. E. Rolshausen of Logansport, 

 Ind., were chosen vice presidents. 



A committee was appointed to pre- 

 pare a premium list and make all 

 arrangements for the bee and honey 

 department at the next Tri-State Fair, 

 to be held next fall, and to confer with 

 the officers of the fair association in 

 regard to the same. 



There being no programme for the 

 evening Mr. Newman was invited to 

 address the convention. His subject 

 was " The Progress ot Bee Culture," 

 and, as usual, being himself interested 

 in what he said, every one who heard 

 liim was also interested. He exhibited 

 a queen-cage, that was supplied with 

 the " Good bee food," and which con- 

 tained a queenand accompanying bees 

 that had already been twice sent to 

 Louisiana and returned, and were ia 

 excellent condition. A hearty vote of 

 thanks was given him for his attend- 

 ance at the fair, his aid in organiz- 

 ing the association, and for his able 

 and instructive addresses, after which 

 the association adjourned to meet at 

 the call of the secretary. 



The next day there was a perfect 

 jam of people in our department and 

 a great many went away with only a 

 distant glimpse at the fine display of 

 bees and honey. 



Mr. Muth exhibited his honey ex- 

 tractors and honey knife, and made a 

 fine display of choice palmetto lioney 

 in one-pound bottles, none of which, 

 on account of his being a member of 

 the awjirding committee, was entered 

 for competition. 



King, Keith & Co., of New York, .| 

 exhibited two feejlers and a smoker. 

 One of the feeders and the smoker 

 was awarded 1st premium. 



Dr. Southwick made a fine display 

 of comb honey, on which he was 

 awarded 1st premium, and also thu 

 special, a tested Italian queen, offered 

 by Thonias & Sons, of Somerset, Ky. 

 He was also awarded 1st for comb 

 honey in the most marketable shape, 

 and 2d on his bee-hive. 



A. M. Gander, Adrian, Mich., took 

 1st premium on crate of comt) honey, 

 2d on comb honey in most marketable 

 shape, and on dovetailed sections. 



L A. Lowmaster, Belle Vernon, 

 Ohio, 1st premium on extracted honey 

 in most marketable shape and 1 piece 

 sections ; 2d, on display of extracted 

 honey and foundation for surplus ; 2d, 

 on display of foundation, " Excelsior" 



