THE AMERICA]^ EEE JOURNAL. 



513 



Can benefit be derived from the new 

 races of bees V Dr. Allen said, he did 

 not think we werebeneiitted so far by 

 the new rnces. 



G. W. DpniMree said, he donbted if 

 there was a pure race of bees in the 

 world, and could not see at present 

 that we were beiietitted by the new 

 races introduced, but thought the 

 time might come wlien a more valua- 

 ble race would be developed. 



On motion, the President appointed 

 the following committee to prepare 

 questions for discussion at the next 

 annual meeting: C. II. Dean, Wm. 

 Cook and W. T. Stewart. 



Adjourned to meet at 9 a. m. 



Aug. 30.— Convention mat at 9 a. m. 



The following commitlee was ap- 

 pointed to collect information as to 

 the conditions of bee-culture in Ken- 

 tucky, and to the adaptability of the 

 State to lioney-production, giving the 

 sources from which honey is gatliered 

 in the State in different localities : 

 N. P. Allen, W. C. Peiham, and J. L. 

 Con ley. 



The committee to draw upon the 

 treasury of the society for stationery 

 and printing circulars. 



On resolutions : Dr. Kaye, J. T. 

 Conley, and J. T. Wilson. 



On exhibits: C. F. iluth, W. S. 

 Hart, and A. C. Cunningham. 



On motion, it was decided when 

 this convention adjourns it should 

 adjourn to meet at Eminence, Ky., 

 the time to be li.xed by the executive 

 committee. ^^^^ 



Resolutions vierej^^^^ by the 

 comm^^HUMjdMH^^^PMfuiking the 

 Tagers ofth^[^T"sition for cour- 

 tesies and the liberal preuiiums ; the 

 press, for notices ; and requesting the 

 papers of the State to publisli the pro- 

 ceedings. 



The committee on exhibits of honey 

 and bee-keepers' nteusils reported 

 about 20 exhibits, which made a very 

 attractive show. 



N. P. Allen, Sec. 



For the American Eeo Journiil. 



Pasturage for Bees. 



A. K. IvOHNKE. 



Having experitnented quite exten- 

 sively with honey-producing plants 

 this summer, I will contribute my 

 mite toward improving bee pasturage. 



I must join with Mr. .J. F. Plummer 

 in pronouncing borage Tliic plant 2Xir 

 excellence. Bees will leave everything 

 else if they have that. The iioney is 

 as light as white clover honey, but of 

 better taste and liavor. Next year I 

 intend to sow several acres with this 

 plant. If sown three weeks before 

 white clover comes into bloom, it will 

 be at its best when that plant begins 

 to fail. I sowed some as late as .July 

 1, after which a drought set in, in 

 consequence of which it was very 

 slow in coming up. But it is bloom- 

 ing now, and the heavy frosts we 

 liave had this month have not injured 

 it in the least ; the bees improving 

 every shining lionr on it, especially 

 the Italians. The latter will be out 

 working even when quite cool ; the 

 blacks would not. 



Oil mignonette they worked, very 

 little ; last year, not at all. Last year, 

 and the year before, I sowed some 

 sweet clover, but it never came up ; 

 but I have seen the roadsides in Vir- 

 ginia covered with it, but no bees 

 working on it, though there was no 

 other plant in bloom, except, perhaps, 

 red clover, which is very extensively 

 cultivated ; but no bees did I see on 

 that either. 



Then I received also some 20 differ- 

 ent kinds of seeds from Switzerland, 

 among which were a few kernels of 

 the giant balsam (not giant lady slip- 

 per, as some one wants to have it, as 

 it is not related to the lady slipper 

 family or species). I am sorry to say, 

 the seed did not come up, as also 

 many other kinds did not make their 

 appearance. Some proved to be bi- 

 ennials, not tliiwering the lirst year ; 

 among those which bloomed, i)liaselia 

 was visited the most. All the others 

 the bees treated with indifference. 



But one other thing, I have noticed 

 that bee-pasturage improves where 

 bees are kept ; perhaps on account of 

 a more extensive fertilization of the 

 plants by bees, causing a more abund- 

 ant seeding. 



Yonuerslown, Ohio. 



Tor the American Bee Journal. 



Doubling up for Winter. 



MRS. E. H. MASON. 



As this is the season fordoubling-up 

 colonies, I will give my method, for 

 the beneht of the bees, as it prevents 

 lighting : 



Take a canvas or honey cloth a lit- 

 tle larger than will cover the frames ; 

 cut out a piece in the center 4 or 5 

 inches square, take a piece of wire 

 net, place it over the opening and wax 

 it down good and strong around the 

 edges, then cut anolheropeningin the 

 side of the honey cloth an inch sq\iare ; 

 lay over that a strip of canvas, leaving 

 the end long enougli to hang on the 

 outside of and between the hive and 

 top box ; wax that slightly over the 

 inch opening, yet so tiiat it can be 

 readily drawn off ; take your new 

 cloth and go to the hive that you wish 

 to give the swarm to, lift out a frame 

 of brood with eggs and larva, brush 

 the adhering bees back into the hive, 

 spread on your prepared cloth, lay on 

 the cushion and cover tip till needeii, 

 then take an open box or hive, that 

 will lit snugly to your prepared hive ; 

 hang in your frame of brood, carry it 

 to the hive you wish to break up, lift 

 that to one side, or a few feet away, 

 set your box on the same honey board, 

 and cover with a thick cloth ;'lift out 

 a frame of bees and roll the cloth 

 back, and iu-ush them into the box 

 and cover up quickly, to keep out rob- 

 bers. The rest of the frames may be 

 brushed off in front on the alighting 

 lioard, leading to the entrance, which 

 must be contracted to keep strangers 

 from running in. Always have your 

 honey box close by you so as to hang 

 the honey frames hi, and cover the 

 canvas down closely as fast as you 

 hang tlie honey in, that the odor may 

 not escape and attract robbers. Pick 



up the old hive and jar or brush the 

 adhering bees in front of the box, and 

 carry the old hive quickly away — put 

 away the honey box, sprinkle a few 

 tansy leaves in front of the box, and 

 set lip a shingle in front and leave 

 theui until in the cool of the evening, 

 then take the top and cushion off of 

 the bee hive, lift your box of bees as 

 gently as possible from the honey 

 board, and carry them steadily to the 

 hive and set them close down to the 

 honey cloth. If the hives do not fit 

 closely, wind a strip of cloth two or 

 three times around the crevice, or 

 cork it up. Let them stand that way 

 for two or three days, so that they 

 will forget the old stand, then slide 

 out the strip of cloth from the inch 

 opening, in the dusk of the evening, 

 and leave the bees to mix themselves. 

 At any time after a day or so, lift off 

 the box, take out the frame of ad- 

 hering Isees and set it back into the 

 hive where it belongs; spread on a 

 tight honey cloth and cushion, and 

 cover up for winter. Shake the rest 

 of the bees that adhere to the box in 

 front of the hive. Those who will try 

 this method will lind their colonie.s 

 doubled up "just too lovely for any- 

 thing." I have not told you how I 

 catch and cage the queen, for I never 

 double up a swarm that lias a queen. 



My bees have done splendidly. I 

 have 83 colonies, all strong and health- 

 ful, line workers, gentle and good 

 natured. I have attended and man- 

 aged all these bees entirely alone, and 

 by myself. 



"Viucennes, Ind. 



For the American Bee Journal, 



Bees & Honey atWestern, Out , Fair. 



W. H. V^ESTON. 



The exhibition of honey in connec- 

 tion with our Western Fair, which 

 has just been held here, was remark- 

 ably good this year, being the largest 

 ever shown in this city, amounting to 

 about 10,000 pounds, in all shapes and 

 sizes, from the half-pound section of 

 comb and the 5 cent can of extracted, 

 to the large crate of one-pound sec- 

 tions ready for shipment, and the 

 largest size can of extracted, for the 

 same purpose. 



I will just give a short account of 

 the exhibits as they appeared in tlie 

 hall appointed for the display of this 

 healthful and toothsome article of 

 food. 



Mr. .Jos. Aches makes a very good 

 show of honev, both comb and ex- 

 tracted ; also a cage of Holy Lands, 

 which were admired by the many 

 visitors who were anxious to know 

 more about bees. 



Dr. Nugent shows the largest 

 amount of honey in the building, and 

 makes quite a <lis|)lav. He says that 

 he has taken 10,000 iiounds from ISO 

 colonies, mostof whicti was extracted. 



AVe now come to the most tasty 

 display of both comb and extracted 

 honev'iu the Fair, and if there liad 

 been. a prize, I have lu) doubt Mr. 

 David ('halmers.of .Miissplburg, Out., 

 woiilil have taken it. He had bee 

 books, knives, smokers, etc., all of 



