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comb), and in that mj' time is most 

 busily occupied until the first of Octo- 

 ber. Then I aim to get my honej' 

 nearlj' all marketed by the first or 

 middle of November. 



The bees have now occupied my en- 

 tire time from 8 to 8j months of the 

 year, leaving from 3J to 4 months that 

 bee-keeping alone cannot fill. 



Having been in the music business 

 prior to my keeping bees, it gave me 

 considerable experience in this line, so 

 that at the close of the bee and honey 

 season, I lay in a stock of pianos and 

 organs, on consignment, for the holi- 

 day trade. I realize several hundred 

 dollars each season from those odd 

 months, and thereby fill in the year. 

 The supplj- business goes well with 

 bee-keeping at all times of the year. 



Small fruit and market gardening 

 are well suited to bee-keeping, but as 

 the care of each come about the same 

 time, help will be required. However, 

 the benefit bees do to the fruit-bloom, 

 in the way of fertilization, more than 

 pays for any extra help needed. 



Another pursuit that is generalh' 

 conceded to go hand in hand with bee- 

 keeping, is farming, but I am of the 

 opinion that this is not true. I do not 

 believe that any man can be a success- 

 ful bee-keeper and farmer at the same 

 time, as the requirements of each are 

 numerous, and require the most care 

 and attention at the same time. If 

 one is cared for, the other is sure to be 

 neglected. 



Dr. Mason — When I farmed I made 

 a success of both. 



A. I. Root — It is not best to put all 

 your eggs in one basket. I recollect 

 how a man once wrote to me for prices 

 of 40 colonies of bees. I advised him 

 to buj- onlj' 2 or 3 ; and, better still, 

 only a nucleus, and stick to his other 

 business. He accepted the advice, and 

 finally made a success of bee-keeping. 



C. E. Jones — I cannot quit farming 

 n(n' keeping bees ; they go well to- 

 gether. I get everything ready f(n- 

 the l^ees in the winter. There is more 

 profit in my bees than in mj' farm, but 

 I want both. 



A. S. Goodrich — I made a success of 

 farming, but failed with bees, except 

 to get honey eninigh for home use. 



N. Hutches — I made a success with 

 the bees on a 200-acre farm. I would 

 rather be a l)ee-keeper than a United 

 States Senator. 



A. I. Root — If a man is enthusiastic 

 enough, many can make a success of 

 both. 



A. Benedict — I have made a success 

 of bee-keeping and general farming 

 for 45 years. 



Dr. Mason — I have a neighbor that 

 has 100 colonies of bees and a good 

 farm, and makes a financial success of 

 both. 



S. R. MorrLs — I started in keeping 

 bees and farming, but made a failure 

 of it until I had help ; now I make a 

 success of both. 



S. Hains — I farm and keep from 50 

 to 100 colonies of bees. I want both. 

 The best my bees have ever done was 

 to give me 150 pounds of extracted 

 honey per colony. 



The next topic was entitled, "Bee- 

 keeping as an exclusive pursuit," and 

 an essay by Dr. C. C. Miller was read. 



H. R. Boardman — If a man puts his 

 whole soul into bee-keeping, he will 

 succeed, but he must not divide his 

 soul up into two pursuits. 



Dr. Mason — I difi"er with Mr. Board- 

 man. 



H. R. Boardman — By putting my 

 whole energy into my business the past 

 year, I succeeded in getting a fair 

 crop ; had I done anything else in con- 

 nection with bees, I would have failed. 



A. I. Root — I believe that if a man 

 has his bees in first-class condition, and 

 makes an eft'ort by sowing, he can get 

 a good crop in any season. 



Bee-Pa6tnrage« 



C. E. Jones— It will pay to keep 100 

 acres of land to farm, and 100 colonies 

 of bees, and sow for honey production. 

 I have sown two acres of sweet clover 

 on good land and made it pay. 



H. R. Boardman — I have been in 

 the habit of furnishing my neighbors 

 Alsike clover seed at cost. They make 

 a success with it, as a grass crop. In 

 this way I have succeeded in getting 

 over 200 acres in my neighborhood. 



S. R. Morris — I furnish Alsike in the 

 same way. 



A. S. Goodrich — I have the hay to 

 sell to my neighbors when they get 

 out, and thej- sow the seed. 



Dr. Mason — I think the Chapman 

 honey-plant is superior to anj' other, 

 and will pay much better than sweet 

 clover. The honey tastes and looks 

 veiy much like linden. 



A. I. Root — The Chapman honey- 

 plant yields da}- and night, and is a 

 pure .sweet ; Init I doubt if it paj's to 

 sow 2 or 3 acres of good land with any 

 plant that is good for honey only. I 

 think, however, it would be a good 

 plan to have the commissioner of 

 agriculture distribute the seed among 

 bee-keepers. 



C. E. Jones — Buckwheat pays, but 

 must be sown at the right time and in 

 the right wa)\ 



On being questioned bj' Dr. Mason, 

 he said, sow in Apiil on good, well- 

 prepared soil, and roll well. It blos- 

 soms with white clover, and does not 

 injure clover honey. It gets ripe, and 

 should be sown again about June 20. 

 I get two crops of honej' and seed on 

 the same ground in one season. 



Dr. Mason — Two years ago there 

 was buckwheat near' my apiary. The 



bees mixed the buckwheat with my 

 white honey, and spoiled the whole 

 crop. 



C. Gulp — My father had his neigh- 

 bors sow considerable buckwheat one 

 season, and got a good yield ; but the 

 honey was dark and strong, and did 

 not sell well. 



Tbe Election of Officers, 



for the ensuing year, resulted as fol- 

 lows ; President, Ernest R. Root ; 

 Vice-President, H. R. Boardman ; See- 

 retarj' and Treasurer, Frank A. Eaton. 



On motion a cordial invitation was 

 extended to the North American Bee- 

 Keepers' Society to change the location 

 of its next meeting to Columbus, Ohio, 

 during the Ohio State Centennial Expo- 

 sition between Sep. 4 and Oct. 19, 1888. 



It was voted that when this Convention 

 adjourns it shall lie, to meet at the same 

 time and place, and also with the next 

 meeting of the N. A. B. K. Society. 



EX'ENING SESSION. 



Dr. H. Besse opened the next topic 

 on " Wood rw. Tin Separators ; is it 

 profitable to dispense with either ?" 



A. I. Root — By fastening foundation 

 at both top and bottom, you can dis- 

 pense with separators. 



H. R. Boardman — I tried some of 

 the Heddon cases without separators 

 and failed ; then I tried broad frames, 

 with separators, and succeeded. The 

 loss of time in looking after the sec- 

 tions, without separators, amounts to 

 more than the loss of honey with 

 them. I prefer wooden ones. I leave 

 my honey on until the flow is over. I 

 very much favor saving and using the 

 partly-filled sections of the previous 

 year. 



Dr. Tinker — I find that the bees will 

 fill and finish partly-filled sections 

 from the previous year. Separators 

 ai-e a hinderance to sections without 

 side openings, but I want separators 

 with side-opening sections. 



Mr. Loomis, an editor, was present,' 

 and being called upon, gave a brief 

 talk, and asked as a novice, " Must I 

 try all these things and find out ?" 

 Several in reply said. No ; consult 

 good bee-keepers, and read bee- 

 periodicals. 



Question -Box. 



1. Which of the following methods 

 of working bees are the most profit- 

 able ; selling queens, bees, or produc- 

 ing comb or extracted honey ? A. I. 

 Root — Whichever the market demands, 

 or all four, if you have a demand. It 

 would be impossible to decide defi- 

 niteh'. 



2. How can swarming be best con- 

 trolled, when working for comb honey 

 alone ? H. R. Boardman — By shak- 

 ing bees into empty brood-frames with 

 sections. 



