THE AMERICAJM BEE JOURNAL. 



133 



honey-producing plants were catnip, 

 motherwort, boiieset, ligwort, spider 

 plant, mif^nonette, Chinese mnstard, 

 clover, golden honey plant, etc. He 

 tliought if more attention was paid to 

 this branch of bee-keeping it would 

 be made to pay better, and he would 

 advise all to plant largely of honey- 

 producing plants, as he believed it 

 would pay in the end. 



In discussing this subject, the con- 

 clusions were thatof the honey plants, 

 sweet clover (melilot) was as good as 

 recommended, and one of the best to 

 sow for bees. Dutcli clover or white 

 honeysuckle was our best natural 

 plant. Borage, by those who had 

 tried it, was liked for its honey-pro- 

 ducing properties. Jiasswood, in lo- 

 calities where it grew extensively, 

 yielded much and a good quality of 

 honey. 



The question whether bees would 

 work upon red clover to any great ex- 

 tent was discussed, the conclusion 

 being that if other flowers were 

 blooming in abundance red clover 

 would be slighted, but where honey 

 was short and red clover blossoms 

 abundant, honey bees would visit it. 

 Mr. Reynolds, oil' Clinton, had often 

 observed black bees on red clover, 

 but no Italians. Mr. Iloyt had seen 

 the last named busily engaged upon it. 



Mr. Addition said we should use 

 great care in introducing new honey 

 plants, not to spread noxious weeds 

 upon the farm 



The question was asked if it would 

 be judicious to discard the German 

 black bees in favor of the Italians ? 



None were so fully conlirmed in 

 their convictions regarding the newer 

 races as to risk their success entirely 

 upon them. Many favorable opin- 

 ions were expressed of the Italian, 

 Cyprian and others— pure and hybrid. 



In stopping absconding swarms Mr. 

 Hodgkins related a metliod which he 

 found successful. He affixed an oblong 

 piece of cloth to a pole and struck 

 this amongst the bees as they circled 

 away towards the woods. Always 

 strike in the centre of the circle of 

 bees, for the queen would be there, 

 and if she was demoralized in her 

 flight the bees would alight. 



The committees appointed to ex- 

 amine the various hives and imple- 

 ments on exhibit, made their reports 

 at the opening of the afternoon ses- 

 sion. Three patterns of hives were 

 shown ; the Quinby closed end frame, 

 Simplicity with Langstroth frame and 

 the Eureka, carrying the Gallup 

 frame. The committee gave the pref- 

 erence to the Eureka made by Mr. 

 Addition. On feeders, of which there 

 were a number shown, tlie first pref- 

 erence was given to those exhibited 

 byMr. Hoytaud Lucian l<'rench, the 

 two being very nearly alike. Queen 

 cage, to S. M.Crockerand Wm. Hoyt, 

 extractor; 1st "Novice," shown by 

 Mr. Hoyt; foundation machine, 1st to 

 Lucian French ; foundation, il. B. 

 Chapman, lst;L. French, L!nd ; wax, 

 Wm. Hoyt; transferring tools, L. 

 French ; and same on wired trame ; 

 foundation fastener, Win. Hoyt; 

 tongue registerer, Wm. Hoyt; en- 

 trance contractor, E. P. Churchill, 

 North Auburn. 



Secretary Hoyt had experience in 

 rearing three or four different races 

 of bees, called attention to the com- 

 ing bee. In the first place, to deter- 

 mine the kind we will keep, we should 

 consider the object to be attained. 

 Some keep bees for pleasure, but most 

 of us for the profit they bring. Now, 

 the bees tliat will gather the most 

 honey, are the ones that will give the 

 most profit. How shall we attain the 

 desired result V By a judicious cross- 

 ing of different strains and races, and 

 selecting those which give the best 

 results. Colonies vary greatly in the 

 honey-gathering capacity. Those that 

 are the best should be noted, and from 

 these rear the bees we keep. From 

 what statistics he had gathered, 

 thought the average of honey through- 

 out the State, was not over 2.5 pounds 

 to the colony. Was this satisfactory '{ 

 After four years experience with yel- 

 low bees, was satisfied they were 

 superior to the blacks. As to the dif- 

 ferent races of bees, he thought the 

 Italians very industrious, amiable and 

 beautiful, and better honey-gatherers 

 than the blacks. From his experience 

 thought the Cyprians the best honey- 

 gatherers known. They were very 

 prolific, and the most beautiful bee 

 with which he was acquainted. As 

 to their disposition it was not always 

 to be depended upon for amiability. 

 The Syrian bees he had had limited 

 experience with. It was claimed that 

 they were very prolific and good- 

 natured as the Italians. The coming 

 bee must possess the energy and hard- 

 ihood of the Cyprians, the docility of 

 the Italians, with the prolific qualities 

 of the Syrian bee. He was not pre- 

 pared to point out any particular 

 course for bee-keepers to pursue, but 

 we should not be content witli 2-5 

 pounds of honey from a colony, when 

 some of the best give 100 pounds or 

 more. One advantage of old-time 

 keeping over the present was the " sur- 

 vival of the fittest," as bees that did 

 not gather sufficient store to winter, 

 died off or were consigned to a brim- 

 stone place. Now, colonies short of 

 stores are fed, and every queen kept 

 alive if possible, whether they possess 

 any good qualities or not. A queen 

 should not be tolerated unless her 

 progeny are possessed of the following 

 qualities : Good honey-gathering ; 

 hardy to winter ; easy to handle ; yel- 

 low bands. Do not be satisfied with 

 anytliing short of these, and thus 

 hasten the arrival of the coming bee. 



The subject of re-enforcing colonies, 

 by a queen reserve system, was pre- 

 sented by L. F. Abbott, agricultural 

 editor of the Lewiston Journal, en- 

 titled, " Pointingto a Practical Point." 

 He began by saying that the first re- 

 quisite to success in any business was 

 to become acquainted vvith the funda- 

 mental principles upon which the 

 business was based. To rightly un- 

 derstand bee-keeping was to become 

 familiar with the nature and irstincts 

 of the bee. Much study by compara- 

 tively a few individuals during the 

 past few years had brought to light 

 many mysteries of the bee hive. The 

 point of practical importance he de- 

 sired to offer for consideration was 

 that of providing reserve laying 



queens to beusedat swiirmingtime to 

 provide re -enforcements for both the 

 old colonies and swarms under certain 

 contingencies. When bees are allowed 

 to swarm naturally, much time is lost 

 between the exit of the old queen and 

 the time when the hive will feel the 

 benefit of the progeny of the young 

 queen ; often amounting to tv\'o or 

 three weeks. As the old queen goes 

 out with the first swarm, matters at 

 the old home are left in a sort of tran- 

 sition state ; the women folks all 

 stirred up and the boys fast leaviiig 

 hom^. Some little fellows are con- 

 tinually emerging from the cells, the 

 progeny of the old queen, but they^ 

 by the 21st day after the old queen 

 turns her back on them, are all about 

 house. In the meantime another 

 swarm has gone out with a yoi\ng, 

 giddy and inexperienced queen, who 

 remains with her family, but imable 

 to perform proper duties for a number 

 of days. Tnis occurs at the season 

 when honey is most abundant. Time 

 is honey, and honey is money. What 

 means sliall we adopt to re-enforce 

 these hives and bridge over this delay 

 while these young housekeepers are 

 getting ready to settle down to the 

 real business of life i* The remedy 

 seems to be to partially adopt the sys- 

 tem of artificial swarming in so far at 

 least as to provide reserve queens, 

 which, becoming fertile, will be in 

 readiness to step into the old hive on 

 the exit of the old queen, and also 

 when her daughter leaves, and go 

 immediately about the business of 

 laying eggs. By their exchange the 

 supply ot reserve queens would be 

 kept good, and non-laying queens be 

 replaced immediately by fertile ones. 



Mr. Hoyt, in reply to a question, re- 

 marked that the extractor could be 

 profitably used in Maine. He believed 

 it one of the most useful inventions of 

 the age. He believed we could ob- 

 tain much more honey by its use 

 than in swarming for box honey. 

 Should practice artificial swarming, if 

 the extractor was used, as we could 

 keep colonies more equalized in that 

 way. Would extract as fast as the 

 honey came in, and if colonies were 

 short in the fall, feed for winter. 



After some discussion, relative to 

 the matter of place for holding the 

 next meeting, it was left discretionary 

 with the president and secretary. 



Central Illinois Convention. 



A convention was held in Bloom- 

 ington. 111., on Feb. 13, to organize » 

 Society. Mr. J. L. Wolcott stated the 

 object, and a committee was appointed, 

 to present a constitution and by-laws. 

 32 persons signed the roll. 



The committee on constitution pre- 

 sented its report, which was adopted. 

 The Association is known as " The 

 Bee-Keepers' Association of Central 

 Illinois." 



The officers constitute a committee 

 to select subjects for discussion, and 

 to apooint members to deliver ad- 

 dresses and read essays. Meetings- 

 are held once in three months. 



J. L. Wolcott was chosen perma- 

 nent president,and .James Poindexter, 



