314 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 16, 



What distance from the ground should hives be placed? 

 From 2 to 4 inches high was thought best. 



Artificial and other methods of rearing queens was the 

 interesting theme of an address delivered by W. H. White. 



In response to an invitation from Messrs. Boyd and 

 Creasy, the convention repaired to their factory to see the 

 machinery in operation in the manufacture of bee-hives and 

 other fi.'itures for bee-keepers. After enjoying the sights at 

 the factory, they went over to W. R. Graham's queen-rearing 

 apiary, to get a practical insight into queen-rearing. 



The kind of frames was discussed. Which is the most 

 convenient and practical, self-spacing or loose-hanging ? 

 Loose-hanging frames received the most favor. 



The handling of bees, smoking, the best methods of 

 transferring, etc., were discussed, which made it very inter- 

 esting to the ABC scholar. 



Can bees hear ? After some debating it was decided that 

 if they could not they had a sense closely allied to that of 

 hearing. 



Multiplying colonies was considered, which led to a ques- 

 tion of experiment to find a plan by which an average colony 

 can be successfully increased to ten in a single season. The 

 following agreed to try it : Dr. W. K. Marshal^ W. R. Gra- 

 ham, W. H. White, J. F. Teel, J. D. McMannamy, R. L. Car- 

 son, H. L. liolton, J. M. Jeffcoat, and Chas. Williams ; and 

 report at the next annual meeting. Also the same members, 

 together with J. G. Barnett and I. H. Hightower, agreed to 

 see how much honey they can produce with one colony during 

 this season, and report at a meeting to be held in the summer. 



The best plans to keep bees from swarming were taken 

 up and discussed at some length. Adjourned to meet at 9 

 a.m., April 4. 



THE SECOND DAY — APRIL 4tH. 



The convention was called to order by Pres. W. K. 

 Marshall. Secretary J. C. Hunter being absent, the books 

 were turned over to W. H. AVhite, as Secretary, to complete 

 the minutes. 



Shall we hold a fall meeting ? was asked. It was heartily 

 agreed to, and the time set for Aug. 21 and 22. Place of 

 meeting, Greenville. The time of our next annual meeting is 

 the first Wednesday and Thursday in April, 1896. 



The election of officers resulted as follows : 



Dr. Marshall, President; W. R. Graham, Vice-Presideut ; 

 W. H. White, Secretary, Deport, Tex., and F. F. Rockwell, of 

 Leonard, Treasurer. 



Has any member died since the last meeting ? G. A. Wil- 

 son was announced as having passed away March 6, 1895. 

 H. F. Bolton, W. R. Graham, Dr. W. K. Marshall, and P. G. 

 Carter were appointed a committee to draft suitable resolu- 

 tions, which were presented later and unanimously adopted. 



Is it profitable to hold county and neighborhood bee-meet- 

 ings '? It was agreed that it is very profitable. 



Pasturage for bees was discussed, and several plants were 

 recommended, among them alfalfa and sweet clover being 

 more highly spoken of. 



Transferring was talked about, many giving their plans 

 and tools used in the operations, thus making it interesting to 

 the beginner. 



Thesuccess and failure of colonies apparently of equal 

 strength, was discussed. The queen was thought to control 

 the whole affair. 



The distance bees will go for honey was considered, but 

 no definite distance could be fixed. It was thought any dis- 

 tance up to seven miles. 



It was proposed that we make an exhibit at our meeting 

 in August, of bees and supplies. An address by Mr. W. R. 

 Graham, on the exhibit at our next meeting, was listened to 

 with great interest. 



Thanks were tendered Mr. Graham and family for their 

 hospitality during the convention. The convention then ad- 

 journed to meet at Greenville, Aug. 21 and 22, 1895. 



Deport, Tex. W. H. White, Sec. 



lloiioy aw Fwual sin«l IVIeilioine. — A new and revised 

 edition of this 32-page pamphlet is now issued. It has 5 blank 

 pages on which to write or paste recipes taken from other sources. 

 It is just what its name indicates, and should be liberally dis- 

 tributed among the people everywhere to create a demand for 

 honey. It contains a number of recipes on the use of honey as 

 food and as medicine, besides much other interesting and valuable 

 information. Prices, postpaid, are: Single copy, 5 cts. ; 10 copies 

 35cts. ; 50for #1..")0; IIHI for .$3.50. Better give them a trial. Send 

 all orders to the Bee Journal office. 



Ten weeks for ten cent§. See page 316. 



CONDUCTED BY 



Rei% Ein&rson T, JVlybott, St. .jToseph, Afo. 



Freight Rates on Bee-Hives.— If I remember 

 rightly, there was a committee appointed by the North Amer- 

 ican to look up the matter of rates and see what could be done 

 by way of securing better classifications, and reductions of 

 rates. I trust they have been investigating the matter and 

 are able by this time to " report progress," if nothing more. 

 I can see no reason or sense in charging double first-class 

 rates on a bee-hive made up, when other things much more 

 bulky, and of more value, go at a less rate. I know that bee- 

 hives " nested " are only first-class, but I would like to see 

 any classification man " nest " some bee-hives, if that word 

 nested continues to mean what it did when I was a boy and 

 nested the pails in order to draw them home when the sap 

 season was over in the spring. As the only way I know to 

 nest a hive made up is to pack something in it, when I do this 

 1 bill it out " nested." The truth of the matter is that justice, 

 reason and common-sense would suggest that a bee-hive made 

 up be classed as first-class freight, and this unfair and sense- 

 less " nesting " business be done away with. 



Then, I think we people here in the West are entitled to 

 better rates by the carload. I say here in the West because I 

 know more about rates here. The rate from from Chicago to 

 the Missouri river has been 17J^ cents for a long time, but 

 now, when times are close and all goods are sold at a reduc- 

 tion, a railroad pool has put it at ISjo cents, and not satisfied 

 with this, they have made the minimum 24,000 pounds in- 

 stead of 20,000, as it has been. The rate on cut box-lumber 

 is 16 cents, and I can see no reason why a car of bee-hives in 

 the flat should not go at the same. 



I am inclined to think that one reason why the bee-keepers 

 have not gotten better rates on their goods is that they have 

 not worked unitedly, and brought enough influence to bear on 

 the Classification Committee. I had this impressed on my 

 mind the other day when I asked the local rate on flour from 

 this city to Topeka, and was informed that it was 15 cents 

 per hundred for flour in sacks. The rate on bee-hives made 

 up, without " nesting," would be double first-class. A hun- 

 dred pounds of bee-hives would cost 58 cents, while two 48- 

 pound sacks of flour would cost 15 cents. The rate on hives, 

 knocked down, is 19 cents, and it would cost more to ship a 

 hundred pounds of hives this way than it would two sacks of 

 flour. Why ? The only way I can account -for it is to lay it 

 to the united action of the people engaged in the production 

 and sale of flour. 



I hope the committee appointed at St. Joseph will not fail 

 to try their hands at the " influence " business. 



[For reply to the foregoing, I refer the reader to the 

 editorial on this subject on page 316. — Editor.] 



Candy for Bees. — "Candy is capital stuff to eke out 

 stores, but I quite agree with Mr. Webster that bees won't 

 live on candy alone." — A. Sharp, in British Bee Journal. 



Perhaps bees would not live on candy alone the year 

 around, but I do know they will live on it, if properly made, 

 for six or eight weeks, or longer, if the weather continues 

 cold, and thrive, and come out in the spring in as fine condi- 

 tion as they would on sealed honey. 



I see that Mr. Cowan insists that candy should be soft. 

 He does not say when the soft candy is to be used ; but if for 

 winter stores, I would be glad if he or someone else would ex- 

 plain the advantage of soft candy. I am not after argument, 

 but a better understanding of the real merits of candy for bees. 



Only One Cent a Copy for copies of the American 

 Bee Journal before Jan. 1, 1895. We have them running 

 back for about 10 years. But you must let us select them, as 

 we cannot furnish them in regular order, and probably not 

 any particular copies. Just send us as many one-cent stamps 

 as you may want old copies, and we will mail them to you. 



A Cool Siioa'ess. — A correspondent in one of our apiarian 

 exchanges said: " I am wintering on summer stands with great 

 success.' Poor man! how cold he must have been the past win- 

 ter! He might " winter'" with as " great success " in the house 

 with other folks. Of course, he meant that he was wintering his 

 bees on the summer stands, though be didn't say it. 



