476 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



usually got credit for. Even the ad- 

 vanced bee-keepers of to-day might 

 learn much from tliem. 



At adjournment, it was decided 

 that the convention should close with 

 to-oiorrow afternoon's session. 



THIRD DAY. 



The Association met at 9 A. M., 

 Vice-President Cook in the chair. 

 About 100 members were present at 

 the opening of the morning session. 

 Discussion of questions was resumed, 

 the tirst being, "What is the best way 

 of preserving surplus combs from the 

 ravages of the moth V" 



Judge Andrews thought there was 

 no time when there were not eggs of 

 the bee-moth in comb. Heat would 

 develop them. The combs should be 

 carefully kept in some cool place. 



Dr. Brown found it necessary in the 

 warm climate of Georgia, to have a 

 comb repository, which he kept fumi- 

 gated with sulphur. 



Mr. Jones places his frames about 

 an inch or an inch and a half apart, 

 and if allowed to hang all winter, ex- 

 posed to frost, there will be no trouble 

 from the moth. He recommended 

 that the joists of the honey-house 

 overhead, be set just the riglit width 

 to hang the frames on rabbits, tacked 

 to the lower edge of the joists. 



Prof. Cook summed up that the 

 moth would never trouble combs 

 while sufficiently covered with bees ; 

 not so protected, the moth will cer- 

 tainly be developed ; hence strong 

 colonies were the best antidote to this 

 insect. Comb should not be left lying 

 loose around tlie apiary, but should be 

 stored out of reacli of the moth miller, 

 and kept in a cool place. 



The right teuiperature at which to 

 winter bees was the next question 

 considered. 



Prof. Cook would say from 40 to 45 

 degrees. 



Dr. Miller called attention to the 

 varying markings of thermometers, 

 which rendered it undesirable to Hx 

 very exactly the degree of tempera- 

 ture to be maintained. He would ad- 

 vise watching the bees, and keeping 

 them in that temperature in which 

 they preserved perfect quietude. 



Mr. Jones used to think 40° was 

 about the right temperature, after- 

 wards he thought it should be 43° to 

 4.5°; but he had come to the conclusion 

 that it was better the temperature 

 should go higher than 45° than under 

 40°, especially during the latter part 

 of the winter. He had frequently had 

 his houses go above 50°; in one case, 

 accidentally, a hou.se went up as high 

 as 70° without any ill effects. More 

 harm comes of letting the tempera- 

 ture go too low, than too high. 



The general subject of wintering 

 bees was then taken up. 



A. I. Root was not going into the 

 subject at length, but wished to men- 

 tion a case in which the bees had been 

 given access to water by means of a 

 sponge, with good results. 



Prof. Cook had followed that exam- 

 ple of giving the bees a drink, but 

 every colony so treated had turned out 

 unsatisfactorily. 



Mr. Jones did not believe in keeping 

 hotel in a bee-house. He had never 



had any trouble with his bees being 

 too dry. Excess of moisture had often 

 troubled him. While speaking of win- 

 tering, he would strongly recommend 

 the use of a bee- house with hollow 

 walls, of a foot or more in thickness, 

 filled in with sawdust or some similar 

 material. If you have 100 colonies, 

 and were sure they would winter 

 safely out-doors, you may calculate 

 that it will cost $1.00 per colony, or 

 SlOO more to winter out-doors than in- 

 doors ; it therefore pays to have a 

 house. Instead of packing hives, he 

 would pack the house the hives are 

 stored in. 



A running fire of questions was here 

 opened on Mr. Jones in regard to 

 various particulars relative to his 

 method of wintering. The discussion 

 gradually drifted off into the subject 

 of ventilation, on which a great vari- 

 ety of opinions was expressed. 



Dr. Miller frankly confessed that 

 even yet he knew nothing definite 

 about wintering. Circumstances and 

 conditions differ so greatly, that what 

 succeeds one season, fails another. 



A member spoke of the unsatisfac- 

 tory use of enamelled cloth in winter. 



A. I. Root said it was a mistake to 

 suppose that the cloth was to be used 

 in all seasons. In winter he used bur- 

 lap, a coarse species of bagging, which 

 the bees could look through if they 

 wanted to. He also used woven slats. 

 He thought either of these with a 

 packing of forest leaves on top, such 

 as Mr. Dadant uses, make a good win- 

 ter covering. 



Mr. McKnight had tried various 

 packing materials, but found nothing 

 so good as the ground cork, in which 

 grapes are packed when shipped from 

 France. He found no difficulty in 

 getting all he wanted from the grocers 

 in his town. 



A number of members gave their 

 views of packing for winter, and vari- 

 ous materials were suggested for the 

 purpose. 



At this juncture, A. R. Boswell 

 Esq., Mayor of Toronto, entered the 

 meeting, and was received with warm 

 cheering. A vote of thanks was then 

 enthusiastically passed, expressing the 

 gratitude of the Association to the 

 Mayor and City Council for the use of 

 the City Hall free of cost for these 

 meetings. 



The Mayor replied, cordially wel- 

 coming the Association to Toronto, 

 especially those members who have 

 come across the border. He referred 

 to the grand honey display, and the 

 rapid progress bee - keeping was 

 making, and wished the Association 

 the greatest prosperity. 



On motion of D. A. Jones, seconded 

 by Dr. C. C. Miller, it was Resolved 

 unanimously, That in the opinion of 

 this meeting, the time has fully come 

 for a recognition of the claims of bee- 

 culture by its being taught in all the 

 agricultural colleges throughout the 

 continent of North America. 



In connection with this \esolution, 

 a paper was, at the call of thn 

 meeting, read by Wm. F. Clarke. It 

 was the only paper specially prepared 

 for the Convention, yet presented. 



An interesting episode then took 

 place in the form of an address, from 



the Ontario Bee-Keepers' Association, 

 to Rev. L. L. Langstroth, accompa- 

 nied with a purse containing $56 as a 

 trifling token of esteem. 



Mr. Langstroth replied in a feeling 

 manner, and referred at some length 

 to the manner in which his motives 

 had been misunderstood many times, 

 and to his earnest wish to promote by 

 all honest means, the interests of api- 

 culture. 



Vice-President Cook expressed the 

 great pleasure it had given him to at- 

 tend this Convention, and to witness 

 the harmony and good feeling which 

 had prevailed. lie was especially 

 gratified at the presence of Mr. Langs- 

 troth, and the manifestations of grate- 

 ful respect to him on all hands. In 

 view of the many auspicious circum- 

 stances which had characterized this 

 meeting, he proposed that all should 

 join in singing the Doxology. This 

 was done very heartily, after which 

 Rev. L. L. Langstroth pronounced 

 the Benediction. 



As a number of the members were 

 about leaving, there was much cordial 

 hand-shaking at the close of this ses- 

 sion. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The Association resumed at 2 P. M., 

 Dr. Miller in the chair. There was 

 still a large attendance , though a num- 

 ber had left for home. 



The first subject taken up was that 

 of frames. 



Mr. Hart complained that many of 

 the frames he had obtained from the 

 North were too slender, sagged too 

 much, and sometimes liroke. 



Dr. Miller expressed surprise at this, 

 and said he had experienced no such 

 trouble. 



Mr. Langstroth described a frame 

 with triangular corner supports for 

 the top- bar. He thought this could 

 be made stronger than any other. 



Mr. Muth said he preferred the frame 

 he now used, which had a heavy top- 

 bar, the whole underside of which was 

 beveled. 



Someother members expressed their 

 views on the frame question, but all 

 agreed that it was desirable to have 

 sufficient strength in the top-bar to 

 stiffen the whole. 



The question, what were the best 

 barrels for shipping honey 'i* was dis- 

 cussed. 



Mr. Muth said a great deal of honey 

 was lost by being put into improper 

 barrels. They were often too weak 

 and slender. Second-hand barrels were 

 often used, and there was constant 

 loss when this was done. Honey was 

 lieavy, and needed a strong package ; 

 he preferred cypress. Oak made good 

 barrels when well coopered, but badly 

 made, they were the worst of all for 

 leaking. 



Mr. Jones agreed with Mr. Muth, 

 but thought white-ash preferable to 

 oak. He had been greatly troubled to 

 get thoroughly-tight barrels. 



Mr. Poppleton liad found some sec- 

 ond-hand barrels answer very well. 



A resolution was introduced by Mr. 

 Pettit, seconded by Mr. Muth, pledg- 

 ing the Association to do all in its 

 power to remove the public prejudice 

 against granulated honey. Consider- 



