316 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



After roll call, President Collins de- 

 livered his annual address, from which 

 we make the following extracts : 



"Knowledge of the details of bee-keep- 

 ing we all agree to be the first requisite 

 of success. Many defects many be dis- 

 covered by the individual in his own 

 yard, but the advantage of the experi- 

 ments and success of others is immense. 

 Many small bee-keepers continue plod- 

 ding along with the crude knowledge 

 and awkward blunders of the empiricist, 

 and complain that there is neither pleas- 

 ure nor profit in bee-culture. Such par- 

 ties should avail themselves of the 

 knowledge of others, and success would 

 attend their efforts. 



"The past three or four seasons have 

 been discouraging ; much of our fruit 

 and crops have been unsuccessful, the 

 • soil of the forest is less mellow than 50 

 years ago. These changes have seriously 

 affected the flora. 



"The drouth of 1888 and 1889 has 

 so reduced the white clover that though 

 it made a fine growth last Summer, it 

 did not yield honey in proportion to the 

 flattering prospects. The Fall rains 

 came too late, and many bees are now 

 starving. Yet those who fed last year 

 came into June with strong colonies, and 

 got paying returns. 



" Statistics show that the number of 

 colonies put into Winter quarters in the 

 Fall of 1889 was 108,225 : number on 

 hand, 1890, 187,443; pounds of comb- 

 honey, past 12 months, 936,676 ; 

 pounds extracted, past 12 months, 

 107,714. 



"The exhibit at the State Fair was the 

 largest ever had, and I believe that, with 

 one exception, all exhibitors were from 

 Indiana. 



"The single judge system is very 

 popular, yet we desire a man who is well 

 versed iu bee-culture and all the modern 

 appliances." 



Mr. George C. Thompson, of South- 

 port, next gave an object lesson with the 

 hive, showing how to manipulate the 

 brood-chamber, the use of the honey- 

 board and section-case in securing comb- 

 honey. This talk was very instructive, 

 and was listened to attentively. 



"Economy in Bee-Culture" was the 

 next essay presented by Jonas Scholl, of 

 Lyon's Station. 



If your occupation is conducted prop- 

 erly, with good judgment and strict 

 economy, it will give returns which will 

 compare favorably with other industries. 

 We must study the best methods for 

 saving time, labor and outlay of money. 

 We have too many patterns of hives ; we 



experiment too much, and waste money 

 as well as time. We are putting too 

 much money in the supply dealer's 

 pocket. We must know what we want, 

 and when we study economy, then we 

 will find more profit in our industries. 



Mr. Robert Scott, of Moorfield, read 

 " Some Observations and Experiences of 

 a Switzerland County Bee-Keeper." 



The following essay by Walter S. 

 Ponder, of Indianapolis, on "Manage- 

 ment for Comb-Honey," was next on the 

 programme : 



Many people demand comb-honey be- 

 cause of its appearance on the table, and 

 again, because, in their opinion, it is the 

 only pure honey. In managing bees for 

 comb-honey, there is certainly vast room 

 for improvement, and while there is still 

 room for improvement in managing for 

 extracted-honey, it has been reduced to 

 a more complete science. A good queen 

 and proper Spring management are the 

 main factors, to be followed by a good 

 honey flow, and a pity 'tis that we can- 

 not control the latter. 



If we could accurately predict the 

 honey seasons, we could build up accord- 

 ingly; but how can we foretell ? No one 

 knows but the man in the moon, and he 

 refuses to be interviewed. Dr. Miller 

 can answer the question, but his answer 

 will be, " I don't know." Last season 

 opened very promising, but the promise 

 was one with a string tied to it. Then, 

 let us build up strong, and predict a 

 good honey season, for there is some- 

 thing about these predictions that kin- 

 dle one's imagination into pleasant 

 dreams. 



For years I was an enthusiast on the 

 subject of spreading the brood, but that 

 enthusiasm has died away, and now it is 

 my positive opinion that the bees will 

 enlarge their brood-nest as rapidly as 

 their abilities will permit ; but it is our 

 important duty to see that the brood-nest 

 is surrounded l3y an abundance of stores. 



When the brood-chamber begins to be 

 crowded, which will come about when 

 there are from seven to nine combs of 

 brood, we should simply add an upi)er 

 story of ten brood-combs. These condi- 

 tions will come about before the honey 

 season has fairly begun, and the brood- 

 nest will be extended into the upper 

 box. We shall want just as much brood 

 as we can possibly get, up to about May 

 25. When we lift off the upper box, 

 see that the queen is safe in the lower 

 chamber ; confined there by a wood-zinc 

 honey-board, with an accurate bee-space 

 on one side — the only honey-board that 

 I should use in my own yard — and then 

 return the extra box ; after a lapse of a 



