THE AMERICAIM BEE JOURNAL. 



711 



and tliat a committee be appointed as 



susaffsted. 



yir. liai'on moved the appointment 

 of a committee of tlirec to consult 

 with tlie railroad authorities regard- 

 ing rates. The motion prevailed, and 

 then it was suggested by Mr. Root 

 that the matter be left to the Vice- 

 Presidents of the Society. 



A motion was next made to recon- 

 sider the motion previously adopted, 

 which was carried, and the convention 

 voted to adjourn until 1 :■"■(• p. m. 

 At tlie adjournment of the morning 

 session, the members assembled on 

 the front steps of the City Hall, and 

 ttie group was photographed. 



FOUKTIl SESSION. 



The Convention was called to order 

 at 2 p. m., with the President in the 

 chair. At the suggestion of the pro- 

 gramme committee, reports from 

 Vice-Presidents were read as follows : 

 O. O. Poppleton, Iowa; Dr. J. P. H. 

 Brown, Georgia, and W. S. Hart, 

 Florida. 



VVm. F. Clarke, of Ontario, was 

 then called upon to read his paper on 



WINTERING BEES. 



The subject of wintering bees is in 

 a chaotic state. Our best bee-keepers 

 frankly admit that we have no ab- 

 solutely safe methods of wintering 

 bees. 'There is no method before the 

 public that has not proved a failure 

 in some seasons and under certain 

 circumstances. All must own that as 

 yet we are only learners on the subject. 



While almost every other branch of 

 bee-keepinghas made wonderful prog- 

 ress during the last 20 years, winter- 

 ing has been at a standstill. It seems 

 clear to my mind that all trouble is 

 traceable to the fact that we have 

 overlooked a principle of bee life not 

 wholly unknown to ns, but whose 

 vital importance is not sufficiently 

 appreciated. I refer to hibernation. 

 Hibernation is a term often employed 

 in general literature to express simply 

 the idea of passing the winter ; but in 

 the world of science it stands tor that 

 state of complete or partial torpor 

 into which bees sink at the advent of 

 cold weather. Let me lay down the 

 proposition that bees in a cold climate 

 invariably sink into this torpor ; also 

 the proposition that when provided 

 with proper shelter and sufficient food 

 they winter well if they can hibernate. 



The hibernation of bees is no new 

 discovery. What I claim, and all that 

 I claim in regard to the hibernation of 

 bees is the discovery that furnishes 

 the key with which to solve the win- 

 ter problem. Mr. Clarke cited proofs 

 of the two propositions, and con- 

 tinued : At the meeting of the North- 

 western Bee-Keepers' Society, held in 

 Chicago two weeks ago, Mr. Heddon 

 said this question of wintering was 

 not one of cellars, ventilation, pieces 

 of wood and laths, quilts and cush- 

 ions over the combs. \Miat killed our 

 bees was diarrhfpaV I take up the 

 question and unhesitatingly say, in- 

 ability to hibernate. If bees can get 

 into this condition and maintain it 

 while cold weather lasts, they will not 

 have diarrhoea. If they cannot, they 

 will infallibly contract the disease. 



I venture to assert that if you will 

 give bees a domicile impervious at 

 tlie top. having side walls, so that 

 frost will not strike througli and con- 

 dense vapor inside, give them food, 

 andsu|)ply a perpendicular air-column 

 beneath, 'you will solve the winter 

 problem. Tlie great desideratum is 

 pure air and plenty of it in a recepta- 

 cle not too large for them to regulate 

 the temperature. To warm a recep- 

 tacle by holes at the top, is as hope- 

 less as it is to attempt to till a per- 

 forated tub with water. Why do the 

 bees propolize holes as big as a i)in- 

 hole at the top of their hives? Be- 

 cause instinct teaches them to retain 

 all the heat they make. Tlie bees 

 generate their own lieat, and if it be 

 wasted, they must consume too much 

 food, and then they become distended 

 with freces and cannot sink into per- 

 fect quiet, which is the normal condi- 

 tion in winter. 



Mr. Clarke discussed cellars, clamps 

 and bee-houses, and pointed out the 

 objections to these modes of winter- 

 ing bees. In speaking of chaff-hives, 

 he said : If tiiese hives were placed 

 two feet from the groiuid, and an air 

 shaft was put in below, they would 

 meet all conditions for hibernation. 

 Want of air and excess of food cause 

 diarrliwa. If the hives are too warm 

 or too cold the bees eat too much, and 

 the bodies are distended and must 

 have relief. They eat more than they 

 can get rid of in dry powdery excreta, 

 they become diseased and die. When 

 in too cold hives the bees eat large 

 quantities of lioney to generate heat, 

 and the same fatal result happens. 

 Bees want in addition to w-hat we 

 give them, pure air; only that and 

 nothing more. 



Mr. ('larke described a hive-stand, a 

 model of which he exhibited. It was 

 so constructed as to give the bees a 

 vertical air-shaft under the hive. He 

 requested each bee-keeper present to 

 give his method a trial with at least 

 one colony of bees the coming winter. 

 Concluding, the speaker said of his 

 method: "It involves no moving of 

 hives from summer stands. It saves 

 expense and the trouble connected 

 with cellars, clamps and bee-houses, 

 and it is confidently believed it will 

 prove a remedy for bee-diarrha?a and 

 for spring dwindling. The only ob- 

 jection to the method is that it will 

 so simplify bee-keeping that it will be 

 common and greatly lessen the profits 

 of bee-keepers." 



A spirited discussion arose on Mr. 

 Clarke's essay. Mr. Barber gave an 

 account of his wintering bees in a 

 warm cellar, from 48° to .58° above 

 zero. 



Mr. Hall corroborated Mr. Barber's 

 statement. He found that his bees 

 were quiet anywhere from 48'J to 56'^ 

 above zero if the temperature were 

 raised gradually ; if raised suddenly, 

 they became uneasy. He had but a 

 small per cent, of losses when winter- 

 ing them in a warm place. 



Mr. Clarke stated that no doubt 

 bees coidd be wintered in a warm 

 place ; they were so wintered in the 

 South, but the question was, " What 

 was the normal condition of bees 

 during winter in a cold climate ? 



Also, as to the consumption of 

 honey V" While liibernating, they 

 consumed very little honey ; if kept 

 warm, the consumption would be 

 greater. It was a great thing to save 

 even live pounds of honey ]wv colony, 

 and mulfiplying that by 'all tlie colo- 

 nies kept on this continent, see the 

 immense saving. We were so de- 

 moralized about wintering liees tliat 

 we were glad to get our colonies 

 through alive, though with depleted 

 numbers, exhausted stores, and in 

 poor condition. They might survive, 

 and yet not be well wintered. He had 

 shown that if lixed so as to hibernate, 

 they would winter well in all respects. 



Mr. I'ettit deprecated the idea going 

 abroad that bees might be wintered 

 on from 2 to G pounds of honey. 



Mr. Clarke replied that the idea 

 would do no harm if connected with 

 the condition that they hibernated. 



Several members expressed interest 

 in the hibernation theory, and a pur- 

 pose to try the plan during the com- 

 ing winter. 



The President spoke favorably of 

 the essay, and hoped that its posi- 

 tions would be fully and fairly tested. 



Mr. Clarke said that if bee-keepers 

 would fry the hibernation method 

 during tlie coming winter, they would 

 be in a position to discuss the matter 

 more intelligently a year lience. 



The next place of meeting was then 

 considered, the result being that De- 

 troit, Mich., was chosen by a large 

 majority, and then made the unani- 

 mous choice of the Convention. 



The election of officers was the next 

 order of business, with the following 

 result : 



President.— L. C. Hoot, Mohawk. N. Y. 

 First V.-Pi-.— H. D. Cutting-, L'lintou, Mich. 

 Sec— W. Z. Hutchinson, Hogersville, Mich. 

 Treasurer.— C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, Ohio. 



yiCE-PHESIDENTS. 



V^erniont- A. E. Manum, 

 Massachusetts— J. E. Pond, Jr., 

 New Yoi-li- W. E. Claris, 

 Delaware— W. J. Gibbous, 

 Virginia— .T. W. Porter, 

 fieoi-^'ia— nr. J. P. H. Brown, 

 Florida— W. S. Hart, 

 Mississippi— Dr. O. M. Blautou, 

 Louisiana — Paul L. Viallon, 

 Texas — \V. H. Andrews, 

 Kentucky— W. C. Pelha'ui, 

 Tennessee— W. P. Henderson, 

 Ohio— A. T. Hoot, 

 Illinois— Dr. C. C. Miller, 

 Iowa— O. O. Poppleton, 

 Missouri- C. M. Crandall, ' 

 WisconKin- Georg-e Grimm, 

 Kans:is— Jerome Twichell, 

 Nelii-aska-.M. L. Trester, 

 (mtario— S. T. Pettit, 

 Manitoba— Chief Justice Wallbridg-e, 

 Quebec— H. F. Hunt. 



It was voted that a committee be 

 appointed by the President to fill 

 vacancies in the list of Vice-Presi- 

 dents. The following were so nomi- 

 nated : Messrs. Peet, Vandervort, 

 and C. C. Van Deusen. 



It was moved by Wm. F. Clarke, 

 seconded by J. B. Hall, and unani- 

 mously I I 



Revoked. That the President, First 

 Vice-I'resident, Secretary, Treasurer, 

 Miss Lucy A, Wilkins '(Cyula Lins- 

 wik), of Farwell, Mich., and A. B. 

 Weeil, of Detroit, be the executive 

 committee of the Society for the en- 

 suing year. 



The subject of reversible frames 

 was mentioned by the President, and 



