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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



For the Amerlcnn Bee Journal. 



Ohio State Convention. 



The Ohio iH^e-keepers will hold 

 their annual convention in t'olumhiis. 

 O., Jan. 14. 1.5 iind Hi, 1,SK4. All in- 

 terested in hee-culture are invited. 

 The following subjects will be dis- 

 cussed; " IIow to winter liees suc- 

 cessfully." "Are the new races of 

 bees a success V" " What can we do 

 to prevent adulteration of honey ?" 

 " How to create a home marlcet for 

 honey." " How manv colonies can lie 

 kept in one locality V^' " Can we do 

 without separators V" " Which are 

 best, deep or shallow frames ?" "What 

 shall we do with second swarms V" 

 "How many brood frames are neces- 

 sary in a hive V " Which is the most 

 salable section, one-half, one t)r two 

 pounds V" "Is it advisable for all 

 bee-keepers to adopt a standard size 

 of frame V" " What is the most de- 

 sirable width of sections ?" 



The above questions will be dis- 

 cussed by eminent men, such as Rev. 

 L. L. Langstroth, Dr. Besse, S. D. 

 Riegel and others, and in addition to 

 the above. Prof. Lizenby, of the Ohio 

 University, will deliver a lecture on 

 " Honey-producing plants :" also Mrs. 

 Jennie Gulp will read an essay. 



C. M. Kingsbury, Sec. 



Hamilton, Ont, Convention. 



The bee-keepers of Hamilton dis- 

 trict met in Convention at tlie Domin- 

 ion Hotel, on Saturday, Nov. 10. 



Officers elected for the ensuing 

 year : W. J. Whitfield, Dundas, Presi- 

 dent ; R. L. Patterson, Lynden, Vice- 

 President; A. Robertson, Carlisle, 

 Secretary-Treasurer. 



The discussion on the best means of 

 wintering bees on summer stands, 

 was well sustained. The plan re- 

 ceived with most favor was to permit 

 free circulation of air beneath the 

 hives^ provided the tops of the hives 

 are air-tight. 



A question was raised as to the best 

 food for bees at the present time, 

 when the apiary held insufficient 

 stores. In reply, it was suggested to 

 feed comb filled with honev, and if 

 without that, to suspend frames in 

 the hives filled with sugar candy. 



W. J. Wliitefield offered a prize of 

 one colony of bees for the best means 

 of wintering bees. The conditions of 

 the competition are : Entrance of 50 

 cents, to lie applied to a second and 

 third prize ; colonies to be entered at 

 date ; prize to be given to the one hav- 

 ing the largest percentage of numbers 

 entered in best working order. May 

 27, 1884. The prize winners will be 

 expected to make a statement in 

 writing, for publication, to the judges 

 of the mode of packing, character of 

 hive, size of frame, wdnter and spring 

 management. The parties getting 

 the bees to furnish Mr. Whitefield 

 vrith hives not later than June 10, 

 1884, and to remove them when noti- 

 fied. Competition confined to Went- 

 worth county. Messrs. Whitefield, 

 Patterson and Knowles were appoint- 

 ed a committee to meet the directors 



of the Central Fair to arrange prize 

 list, etc., for next year. 



A committee was appointed to ar- 

 range for matters for discussion at 

 the next meeting. 



The Convention adjourned to meet 

 again, April 12, 1884. 



For tlio Araerlcan Bee Journal. 



Wintering Bees on Summer Stands. 



J. F. LATHAM. 



Wintering ! yes ; that is what we 

 all — veteran, novice, specialist and 

 amateur, are supposed to be thinking 

 about at present ; and admitting that 

 nothing new can be added to the 

 modus operandi pertaining thereto, I 

 will wave the plea of originality— that 

 not being the import of my caption — 

 and as vniat I write embodies my very 

 humble opinions concerning the re- 

 quisites of a successful wintering 

 preparation, I submit them for what 

 they are worth. 



CONDITION OF THE BEES. 



Bees should be healthy and embody 

 all the other requisites of good colo- 

 nies. We do not want bees that are 

 constitutionally predisposed to ail- 

 ments, that are liable to develop a 

 deranged secretion when subjected to 

 the aggravating changes atmospheric, 

 dietetic, etc., that they must neces- 

 sarily submit to, from the time they 

 cease outside activity in tlie fall until 

 they resume it again in the following 

 spring. As to quantity, I am not radi- 

 cal. If I do not have bees enough to 

 occupy six frames of comb, I can put 

 up with four. I have wintered colo- 

 nies from small late swarms, that 

 were not crowded on three frames as 

 successfully, and received as good re- 

 turns from" them the season following 

 as from others that were a hive-full, 

 all doing well, comparatively. The 

 latter extreme I would not advocate 

 as a status of strength ; accepting it 

 as a condition, allowable only, wnen 

 obliged to submit to a stress of cir- 

 cumstances. Large colonies lose 

 more bees in wintering, in proportion 

 to numbers, than quite small ones, if 

 the small ones are properly cared for. 



Could I be allowed to decide the 

 strength (if my colonies for wintering, 

 those of medium size, covering about 

 six combs would be my standard for 

 selection. Such consume less stores, 

 proportionately than large ones, ex- 

 hale less moisture, are less liable to 

 create an abnormal condition during 

 confinement, and, conditions alike, 

 they will swarm as early and cast as 

 strong swarms ! Giant colonies, with 

 30 pounds of stores, " are not to be 

 frowned at," but when the same re- 

 sults can be accomplished by a min- 

 ium, with two-thirds of the stores, 

 and an extra five minute's care while 

 preparing it for winter, the advantage 

 to the bee-keepers seems to favor the 

 latter. I would not divide the maxi- 

 mum, nor " double down '" the mini- 

 mum. 



THE HIVE. 



The kind of hive suitable to winter 

 a colony of bees successfully, appears 



to be of less decided importance than 

 is generally purported, but as the 

 movable-comb hive only is admissible 

 in bee talk. I will admit all kinds in 

 general, with their accompanying 

 sized frames, and venture the asser- 

 tion that no style of hive will alone 

 winter a colony of bees. One of my 

 colonies has passed the three preced- 

 ing winters in a box-hive in as good 

 condition, excepting the loss of more 

 bees, as those in the movable-comb 

 hives, I caring for both alike. 



POSITION OF THE CLUSTEE. 



As soon as possilile, after the bees 

 have done storing surplus, I com- 

 mence to prepare them for winter; 

 my first steps being to locate the clus- 

 ter at one end of the brood-chamber 

 on combs, }4 or % of the lower portion 

 of which is composed largely of empty 

 cells. I then prepare a passage for 

 the bees over or through the combs, 

 close up what space I deem necessary 

 with well-filled combs of capped 

 stores, ending, if required, with a 

 division-board. If the space left, after 

 removing empty combs, or those not 

 needed, is quite large, I fill it with 

 chaff. By the foregoing described ar- 

 rangement, the cluster is not liable 

 to get divided, and the bees can move 

 en masse in the direction of their 

 stores, as they are all above, or on one 

 side of them. 



For food I supply new' capped honey, 

 or sugar syrup, fed during the month 

 of September, and as early in that 

 month as possible. After feeding, I 

 inform myself of the status of each 

 colony, by a thorough examination. I 

 then arrange everytliing inside of the 

 hive satisfactory, tuck the quilts 

 down snugly, or screw down the honey 

 boards, and let the bees propolize to 

 their satisfaction. During the re- 

 maining days in which the bees can 

 fly, I feed sugar candy over the brood- 

 chamber, or outside. This final feed- 

 ing I have found to operate admirably ; 

 it attracts no attention of robbers, 

 and supplies the bees with an excel- 

 lent food which they will consume in 

 lieu of their winter' stores, while they 

 are making their natural preparations, 

 after having their domicils disturbed 

 by over-haiuing in the fall, when there 

 is no nectar in the fields. 



PACKING. 



As soon as the severe frosty nights 

 give warning of winter's approaen, I 

 fill the caps of the hives with chaff 

 and straw, about % chaff and the re- 

 mainder straw, putting the chaff in 

 first. I then put a few handfulls of 

 straw on the quilts or honey-boards ; 

 put on the well-filled cap, aiid crowd 

 all down as closely as possible. 



This done, I surround the hive with 

 a box having an opening in front. 

 With a passage for the bees, and al- 

 lowing them to become familiarized 

 with their surroundings, I next pack 

 chaff or straw around the backs and 

 ends of the hives, leaving the fronts 

 until steady cold weather demands 

 further care— when all is completed 

 by crowding the packing around the 

 w'hole hive, about a foot in thickness. 



