474 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



The President and a number of the 

 members of the Northeastern Bee- 

 Keepers having entered the meeting, 

 they were introduced by the Presi- 

 dent, and asked to participate freely 

 in the discussions. The subject of 

 sections was then resumed, and took 

 a widel latitude, including the ques- 

 tion of separators, the comparative 

 advantage of half-pound and one- 

 pound sections, and the demands of 

 the market. Mr. Muth went strongly 

 against the half-pound sections, which 

 he thought were ridiculously small. 

 Speaking as a dealer, there was no 

 demand for any thing so small. Prof. 

 Cook rather mildly defended the half- 

 pound section, and referred to Mr. 

 Heddon's experience with it, and 

 especially to his doing without sep- 

 arators. Dr. Miller had been experi- 

 menting with the half-pound sections 

 without separators, but had been 

 troubled with irregularity of building 

 to an extent that interfered with 

 packing. Mr. Pringle thought it ad- 

 visable to have sections of different 

 sizes to meet the varied demands of 

 the marke«. Several others took part 

 in the discussion, and the weight of 

 opinion was evidently on the side of 

 one and two-pound sections. 



At this stage of the meeting, Mr. 

 A. I. Boot arrived, and a resolution 

 ■was adopted arranging for a visit to 

 the Exhibition early to-morrow morn- 

 ing, when the meeting adjourned 

 until 7:30 p. m., to give opportunity 

 for the enrollment of members and 

 payment of annual subscriptions. 



EVENING SESSION. 



The Association resumed business 

 about 8 p. m., witha greatly increased 

 attendance. Prof. Cook, at the re- 

 quest of President Jones, exhibited 

 and explained the use of a brush 

 devised by T. J. Cook, of New Point, 

 Ind., for brushing bees off combs. 

 Tlie Professor prefaced his remarks 

 by stating that the inventor of this 

 brush was no relation of his, and that 

 he had no interest in the matter, ex- 

 cept to call the attention of bee- 

 keepers to what was a much better 

 device than a goose feather, bunch of 

 grass, or asparagus, for brushing off 

 bees. Three samples had been sent 

 to the Convention, and were on the 

 table for inspection. Having used 

 the brush with much satisfaction, he 

 was pleased to recommend it to other 

 bee-keepers. Dr. Miller and Mr. 

 Corneil joined in the recommendation. 



The discussion of questions was then 

 resumed by considering the best 

 method of getting the bees out of sec- 

 tion boxes, at the close of the honey 

 season. Dr. Miller's plan was to raise 

 the section case a little, lay a cloth 

 between it and the hive, leaving one 

 corner open so that the bees can go 

 down into the body of tlie hive dur- 

 ing the night, which they will do if 

 the cover is left off the hive. Then 

 remove the section case in the early 

 morning. Mr. Bacon practiced taking 

 the sections into a room and leaving 

 the window open, so that the bees 

 could return to their hive. 



The subject of curing or evaporat- 

 ing extracted honey was next taken 

 up. Mr. Poppleton, on being called 



upon said, he lived in a dry climate 

 where no particular means were 

 needed, but farther South precautions 

 must be taken or honey would become 

 sour. He was of opinion that the sun 

 was the best evaporating agent, when 

 it was necessary to do any thing with 

 that object in view. Mr. Corneil was 

 of opinion that the first point to settle 

 was whether the honey needed evap- 

 oration. If it did, he, too, was of the 

 opinion that the sun was the best 

 agent for doing it. Mr. A. I. Koot 

 gave a very full account of his experi- 

 ence with different qualities and 

 varying thickness of honey. Mr. 

 McKnight confirmed Mr. Root's testi- 

 mony, and said that a lot of honey 

 stored in a tank had become so watery 

 on top that some of his family sus- 

 pected that honey had been stolen, 

 and water added. He knew better, 

 as some of the honey had been gath- 

 ered in a rainy time. A number of 

 testimonies were given, all going to 

 show the impolicy of putting unripe 

 honey on the market. This topic 

 branched out into a discussion of 

 candied honey, the best means of 

 re-liquefying it, and a variety of other 

 details. A question was now raised 

 which excited a lively expression of 

 opinion, and illustrated the maxim 

 that " doctors differ." It was, "If 1 

 have 100 colonies, spring count, and 

 wish to increase to 150, shall I do best 

 to make the increase before the honey 

 harvest, during the honey harvest, or 

 at the close of the honey harvest V 

 Prof. Cook replied, " Before, if pos- 

 sible ; if not, afterwards ; during, 

 never." Dr. Miller said, " During, 

 always," and there was a running fire 

 of opinions pro and con, which, at last, 

 settled down to a good discussion on 

 the point. Mr. Poppleton apparently 

 carrying the day by contending that 

 increase should be carried on from 

 early spring, right along, and be com- 

 pleted Dy the end of the honey harvest. 

 The subject of tiering up sections was 

 next discussed, whether it should be 

 done under or on top. Strange to say, 

 both methods had its advocates. Mr. 

 Hall, the largest producer of comb 

 honey in Ontario, puts the empty 

 sections on top. Dr. Millei had come 

 to the same view. At this juncture, 

 Mr. Heddon was greatly needed, but 

 was not forthcoming. 



The comparative advantage of one 

 and two story hives for extracting 

 honey was then brought up by a ques- 

 tion. In the course of the discussion, 

 speakers branched out into a general 

 statement of experience with hives, 

 and a mixing up of extracted and 

 comb productions in a somewhat con- 

 fusing manner. The question which 

 is the best material for spreading in 

 front of bee hives led to a variety of 

 opinions. Some one said, " Mr. 

 Root recommends sawdust." Mr. R. 

 replied, " I once did, but I do not now. 

 I hnd the best material to be a foun- 

 dation of cinder, and a thin coating 

 of the whitest sand on top." Presi- 

 dent Jones recommended leached 

 ashes. A member said it created too 

 rank a growth of grass and weeds. 

 Another member suggested salt. 



At this stage. Dr. Miller offered a 

 resolution that the editors of bee 



periodicals be requested to encourage 

 correspondents to append to their 

 signatures a statement of the number 

 or colonies owned by them in the 

 spring, and the number owned at the 

 time of wintering. The resolution 

 v/as hurriedly put and declared car- 

 ried without opportunity of discus- 

 sion. 



The President then informed the 

 meeting that Rev. L. L. Langstroth 

 had arrived, was at the Queen's 

 Hotel, and would join the party to- 

 morrow morning for the Exiiibition 

 grounds. The meeting then ad- 

 journed. 



SECOND DAY. 



Pursuant to resolution adopted yes- 

 terday, the members of the Associa- 

 tion took steamer for the Exhibition 

 grounds, about three miles from the 

 city, to see, first of all, the Honey 

 Show, and then anv other objects of 

 interest which had special attractions 

 forthem. It may be observed that a 

 great Industrial Exhibition lasting 

 two weeks is now in progress, and the 

 Honey Show is one of its Departments. 



It is held in a building about 40x120, 

 which is entirely devoted to this pur- 

 pose, and is filled from end to end with 

 the finest display of honey ever col- 

 lected on this Continent. A little 

 detail will give some idea of the scene. 

 D. A. Jones, of Beeton, has, of course, 

 the largest exhibit. At one end of 

 the building, he has a pyramid of 

 cans, ranging from two ounces to five 

 pounds in capacity, the whole forming 

 a little mountain of honey, 41 feet 6 

 inches in length by 14 feet in breadth, 

 and towering far above the heads of 

 visitors. In the centre of the build- 

 ing a cone of smaller circumference, 

 but rising to a greater height, is simi- 

 larly" constructed. Above this pyra- 

 mid floats a variety of flags, and above 

 all the porcelain globe of a powerful 

 electric light spreads at night the 

 brightness of noonday over the whole 

 interior of the building. Great boxes 

 of honey are piled against the wall, 

 and over them, and on the floor are 80 

 barrels in all of the luscious liquid. 



In all, Mr. Jones has about 50,000 



Sounds of honey in the building. Mr. 

 [all of Woodstock, Out., is the next 

 largest exhibitor, and shows an im- 

 posing array of white combs rising 

 far upwards, and varied every 2 feet 

 by buttresses of extracted honey in 

 gaily labelled cans, extending far 

 along one side of the building. Mr. 

 Hall has on display about 9,000 pounds 

 of honey in the comb, and about 

 13,000 extracted. Martin Emizh, of 

 Holbiook, Oxford county, takes the 

 palm for the nicest exhibit of comb 

 honey. It is remarkably uniform and 

 well filled out in the comb. Much 

 admiration was expressed of this ex- 

 hibit, which comprised about 4,000 

 pounds. Mr. Ramer, of Cedar Grove, 

 Mr. Goodyear, of Woodstock. G. B. 

 Jones, of Brantford, W. C. VVells, of 

 Philipstown, Ont., Messrs. Granger & 

 Duke, of Deer Park, and others con- 

 tribute to make up the fine display, 

 which here presents itself to the eyes 

 of the visitors. 



To many, a far more interesting 

 and attractive object than the honey 



