AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



413 



Elmer O'Dell — Some queens, reared 

 under unfavorable circumstances, turned 

 out to be good ones, while others, reared 

 under favorable circumstances, turned 

 out to be poor ones ; could not tell why. 



S. S. Sleeper — If we could be sure of 

 rearing good queens, bee-keeping would 

 be more successful than it now is. I 

 would destroy all small queen-cells. 

 - "When and why should hives be con- 

 tracted ?" 



The Secretary practices contraction at 

 swarming-time, to force the bees into the 

 super. 



Mr. Pitcher would take out two frames 

 and fill the space with a block, for the 

 purpose of forcing the bees into the 

 super. 



President O'Dell would contract light 

 colonies in the Spring for" the purpose 

 of retaining heat, and at swarming-time, 

 to force the bees into the super. 



" In what respect are the black bees 

 superior to the Italians ; also, in what 

 respects are the Italians superior to the 

 blacks?" 



Addison O'Dell — As comb-builders the 

 blacks are superior to the Italians, and 

 fill the sections out nicer. The Ital- 

 ians gather more honey, are gentler to 

 handle, better protectors of their hive, 

 the queen can be more readily found on 

 the comb, and are much more beautiful. 



"Will each person present give his 

 method of management of old colonies, 

 after they have cast a swarm, to prevent 

 after-swarms, etc.?" 



Mr. Graves — The next day after cast- 

 ing a swarm, I break out all but one 

 queen-cell. 



S. S. Sleeper — After they cast the sec- 

 ond swarm, I get them into the hiving- 

 box, then go through the hive, break out 

 all the queen-cells, and return the swarm. 



Mr. Pitcher — I take the old queen 

 away, return the bees, and on the seventh 

 day destroy all bu^ one queen-cell. 



Addison O'Dell — We have good results 

 from hiving the prime swarm on the old 

 stand, and giving the old colony a young 

 queen. 



S. S. Sleeper then read an essa^ on the 

 wintering of bees out-of-doors and in the 

 cellar, which very ably covered all im- 

 portant points of both. 



"What is the best method of hiving 

 swarms when working for comb-honey?" 



Mr. Pitcher — I return them to the old 

 hive, and if the sections are partly filled 

 with honey, I raise the super and put an 

 empty super under it. 



Elmer O'Dell — Our method is to put 

 one frame of empty comb, and 3 frames 

 containing starters, into one side of the 

 hive with division-board, and cover the 



space behind the division-board with 

 strips of thin boards, then place a super 

 of sections containing foundation, on the 

 hive. The empty comb in the brood- 

 chamber keeps the queen from the super, 

 and the small space crowds the bees into 

 the sections, where they store the honey. 

 In 10 days put two more frames in the 

 brood-chamber, and in five days more 

 put in two additional frames. 



S. S. Sleeper agreed with the last 

 speaker. 



"From which cell are we apt to get the 

 best queen ; a corrugated or a smooth 

 one ?" 



S. S. Sleeper thought the smooth one 

 produced the best queen. 



Elmer O'Dell thought there was no 

 difference. 



"In what order should bees wintered 

 in the cellar be taken out ; also, at what 

 time of day ?" 



Mr. Graves would carry them out in 

 the evening, and place them on the same 

 stands they occupied the previous season. 



The President thought that in a large 

 apiary, it would be best to take them out 

 in the evening, so they would not come 

 out with such a rush, and get confused 

 and come back to the wrong hive. After 

 being out all night, they would mark 

 their location and be more apt to return 

 to the same hive. 



On motion of Addison O'Dell, the meet- 

 ing adjourned to meet at Sardinia, June 

 2, at 10 a.m. 



Protection, N. Y. 



Mollier Bee; A Simile, 



EUGENE SECOR. 



Every experienced bee-keeper has, no 

 doubt, observed the solicitude of the 

 worker bees for the queen. How careful 

 they are to protect her, and to preserve 

 her life. What extravagant provision 

 they make for a successor when she is to 

 leave to become the mother of a separate 

 colony, or if, by any mishap, she is lost 

 or killed. 



They use every means in their power 

 to protect her from the effects of changes 

 in the weather, and offer her the last 

 drop of honey in the hive in case of prob- 

 able or actual starvation. They seem to 

 realize the fact that she is the most im- 

 portant factor in the future prosperity 

 of the colony. If, from any cause, she is 

 suddenly removed, note the distraction, 

 the worry, the almost human grief shown 

 in vain endeavors to find her. 



As is the queen bee to the completeness 



