512 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



then I have done as he advised, and 

 have not lost a queen in a siugle in- 

 stance ; althougli this was evidence 

 plain to every postmaster that the 

 package contained merchandise in- 

 stead of samples. I have always, 

 however, stamped every package with 

 10 cents worth of stamps, althous^h 

 most of our Canadian friends forget 

 to add that to the price of the queen. 



As the queen trafliic is assuming 

 large proportions between the two 

 countries, I would suggest that a bet- 

 ter way than the above would be for 

 some of the bee-keepers of either 

 country having intluence with the 

 Postotlice departments to see if a law 

 cannot be obtained allowing queens 

 to pass in the mails between the two 

 countries, thereby avoiding the "very 

 appearance of evil. 



Borodino, N. Y. 



For tbe American Bee Journal. 



Kentucky Bee-Keepers' Convention. 



The Kentucky bee-keepers met in 

 convention Aug. 29, at Louisville, Ky. 

 The meeting was called to order by 

 President Demaree. Calling tlie roll 

 and reading tiie minutes of the last 

 meeting were dispensed with. 



President Demaree, Chairman of 

 Committee on "Fertilization and 

 queens in confinement,'' reported lliat 

 nothing had been accomplished, and, 

 on motion, report was received and 

 committee discharged. 



The following new members were 

 enrolled : J. L. Smith, Horse Cave, 

 Ky.;Wm. C. Pelham, Mavsville ; J. 

 L. Wilson, Mortinsville ; Dr. W. M. 

 Rogers, Shelbyville ; C. H. Dean, Jett; 

 C. W. Buck, Midway ; W. L. Stewart, 

 Eminence ; J. T. Conly, Kapoleon ; 

 L. P. Moberly, Hardin County; John 

 Craycraft, Smith's Grove ; W. P. Gib- 

 son, Sherman ; C. D. Mizze, Cleve- 

 land, Fayette County ; B. A. Barlow, 

 Richmond; W. S. Vandyke, Orr, An- 

 derson County ; G. W. Jenkins, New 

 Liberty ; G. W. Ashley ,Valley Station. 



On motion tlie following persons 

 present from other States were made 

 honorary members : W. S. Hart, New 

 Smyrna, Fla. ; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati; 

 W. E. Preston, Iowa City, Iowa ; R. 

 Grindel. Biulen, Mo. ; W. C. Henly, 

 Knoxville, Tenn. ; AV. C. Kemp, In- 

 diana ; H. C. White, Madison, Ind.; 

 Miss Emma Sharpe. Waverly, Ind ; 

 J. Sharpe, AV'averly, Ind. ; C. B. JMer- 

 kin, Eddyville, Ind. ; W. Cheney, Ed- 

 dyville, Ind. ; Mrs. Aug. Knoefel, 

 New Albany, Ind. ; E. Rockenback, 

 New Albany, Ind. ; ^NlasterFred Cray- 

 craft, Salem, Ind. ; JSIrs. E. Rocken- 

 back, New Albany, Ind. 



Reports from members and visitors 

 were called tor. 



Allen & Craycraft, .56 colonies in the 

 spring ; 40 were run for comb honey 

 and gave 3,000 lbs. in one and two- 

 pound sections; 10 were run for ex- 

 tracted, and stored 1,200 lbs.; about 

 1,000 comb yet to be taken; increase 

 26 colonies. 



W. Cook, 26 colonies, 1,200 lbs. comb 

 honey ; increHse 31 colonies. 



G. 'W. Ashley, 36 colonies ; 2,000 lbs. 

 comb honey ; 600 lbs. extracted ; 34 

 increase. 



J. L. Smith, 6 colonies ; 4.50 lbs. of 

 comb honey ; no increase. 



W. II. Howlett, 75 colonies ; comb 

 honey, .500 lbs. ; extracted, 7,000 lbs. ; 

 320 lbs. largest yield from one colony ; 

 increase, 55 colonies. 



Dr. A. W. Kaye ; 5 colonies ; 500 

 lbs. comb honey ; increase 11. 



Dr. L. E. Brown, 14 colonies; 1,000 

 lbs. comb honey ; increase 36 colonies. 



J. T. Wilson, 80 colonies devoted to 

 queen rearing ; had sold $1,007 worth ; 

 800 lbs. honey. 



W. C. Pelham, 65 colonies ; 12,000 

 lbs. extracted honey. 



C. II. Dean, 12 colonies; 1,400 lbs. 

 honey ; increase 32 colonies. 



S. W. Buck, 21 colonies; 2,406 lbs. 

 honey ; increase 14. 



J. F. Conly, 75 colonies; 500 lbs. 

 comb honey,aiid 5,500 extracted honey; 

 increase 55 ; sold S800 worth of honey. 



W. C. Cunningham, 31 colonies; 

 comb, 200 Iba. ; exlractod, 4,000 lbs. 



W. L. Stewart, 60 colonies; 4,000 

 lbs. comb honey ; 650 lbs. extracted; 

 increase 66 colonies. 



L. P. Moberly, 53 colonies ; 1,800 lbs. 

 comb ; 200 lbs. extracted honey ; in- 

 crease 29. 



Rev. L. Johnson, 42 colonies ; comb 

 800 lbs. ; extracted 500 lbs. ; increase 40. 



G.W. Demaree, 49 colonies; 4,000 

 lbs. comb and extracted honey ; in- 

 crease 30; 6 colonies gave 600 lbs. of 

 extracted honey. 



Report of Visiting Bee-Keepers. — 

 W. S. Hart, New Smyrna, Fla., 76 

 colonies ; 10,000 lbs. extracted honey ; 

 increase 88; said iiis neighbor had 176 

 colonies; increase 200 colonies; took 

 18,000 lbs. extracted and 500 lbs. comb 

 honey ; said tlie black mangrove was 

 the best honey-producing flower they 

 had ; said palmetto gave large yields 

 of honey in May ; swarming com- 

 menced in February, and the best 

 honey flow was in May : they shipped 

 honey to Boston, New York and Cin- 

 cinnati ; the native bees were large, 

 brown bees, very gentle and easy to 

 handle ; the average profit was $15 to 

 $20 to the colony. 



AV. C. Ilenly, Knoxville, Tenn., re- 

 ported large crops of honey in that 

 State. Mr. Kemp, Orleans, Ind., 17 

 colonies ; 1,200 lbs. of comb honev, 300 

 lbs. extracted ; increase 6 ; W. C. 

 Preston, Iowa City, Iowa, 37 colonies ; 

 2,000 pounds of extracted honey. 



On motion the following committee 

 were appointed to report questions for 

 discussion at afternoon session : Dr. 

 Wm. M. Rogers, W. T. Stewart and 

 J. Craycraft. 



President Demaree then delivered 

 his annual address, which was well 

 received. 



On motion of Dr. Brown, the con- 

 vention adjourned till 2 p. m. 



EVKNIXG SKS;:!ION. 



The convention was called to order 

 at 2 p. m. Committee on questions 

 for discussion reported the following : 



1. Spring management of bees. 



2. Methods of preventing natural 

 swarming. 



3. The character and practical uses 

 of comb foundation. 



4. What are the best and cheapest 

 packages for marketing honey in bulk? 



5. Can benefit be derived from the 

 new races of bees V 



On motion, report of committee re- 

 ceived and committee discharged. 



On motion the election of officers 

 for the ensuing year was held with 

 result as follows : G. W. Demaree, 

 President ; J. Craycraft, Vice-Presi- 

 dent ; N. P. Allen, Secretary ; I. B. 

 Nail, Treasurer. 



Vice-Presidents. — E. Drane, Shelby 

 county; J. L. Smith, Hart county; 

 Wm. Cook, Warren county ; G. W. 

 Ashley, Jefferson county. 



Theconvention then discussed the 

 following questions : 



1. Spring management of bees, dis- 

 cussed by C. II. Dean, C. F. Muth, G. 

 W. Demaree, AV. C. Preston, and C. 

 W. Buck. 



2. Methods of preventing natural 

 swarm ing,discnssed by G.AA^. Demaree, 

 C. F. Muth, and N. P. Allen. 



Conclusion.— That swarming could 

 be prevented by giving the queen 

 plenty of room to deposit eggs, and 

 the workers plenty of room to deposit 

 honey. Mr. Dean gave his method 

 of preventing swarming. 



Mr. Cook said he pinched off the 

 head of the queen, and returned the 

 swarms, and gave them a good smok- 

 ing. 



3. The character and practical use 

 of comb foundation. AV. C. Pelham 

 said 5 feet to the pound was most de- 

 sirable for brood comb. 



President Demaree said bees did 

 not build on the wall of the cell, but 

 drew it out, and that the cells ought 

 not to be so deep that the bees could 

 not reach the bottom, as the base of 

 the cell would be too thick. 



Mr. Muth illustrated how to arrange 

 wire in foundation, and said it should 

 not touch ends or bottoms of frames 

 by l{ inch. 



"Dr. Kaye said, when foundation 

 sagged and was crooked, he put a 

 board on the comb, pressing it down 

 level with frame, first cutting founda- 

 tion loose from frame, and always got 

 straight comb. 



G. W. Demaree and M. Buck had 

 tried it, but did not like it. 



Dr. Allen said foundation should be 

 absolutely pure beeswax with no mix- 

 ture of parafline or other wax. 



^Ir. Pelliam cautioned bee keepers 

 against using paraffine in tlie smallest 

 quantity in beeswax for foundation. 



Adjourned to meet at 7 p. m. 



EVEXIMG SESSION. 



AV'hat are the cheapest and best 

 packages for marketing extracted 

 honey in bulk V 



Mr. Muth said, he preferred cypress, 

 or any soft wood for barrels ; pre- 

 ferred barrels and half-barrels, or 

 smaller ; said 90 out of 100 oak barrels 

 would leak; can afford to pay more 

 for soft wood barrels ; can buy cypress 

 barrels in flat for $1.65 at the factory ; 

 said he desired four wire nails in the 

 bungs to secure them from being re- 

 moved ; in smiill packages, sellS one 

 pound better than two pounds ; is not 

 in favor of fancy or gaudy labels for 

 cans or buckets.' Mr. Hart prefers 40 

 gallon barrels, soft wood. 



Dr. Allen said, oak barrels, no mat- 

 ter how well seasoned, would shrink 

 after being filled with honey, and the 

 hoops should be driven up from time 

 to time. 



