THE- MMiERieMPf WMW JQVmMmi^. 



91 



some seasons as others. He ^vas asked 

 if he did not think that the tubes of 

 the clover bhissoni was shorter in some 

 seasons and loealities tlian in otheis. 

 He said the soil, atmospliere and other 

 causes made a ditterence. 



V. N. Forbes had known German 

 bees workinji; on red clover one season, 

 but not in others, on the same field. 



Spreading Brood In the Spring, etc. 



Is it advisable to insert empty comlis 

 in the centre of a brood-nest for the 

 purjjose of spreading brood in the 

 spring ? This topic was opened by F. 

 M. Wright. His experience had proved 

 that if done at all, it must be done 

 with great care. It might be advisalde 

 when the weather becomes warm, but 

 he would " go slow." He inserted at 

 one time two combs into a strong col- 

 ony of bees, and it gave them a set- 

 back that they did not get over that 

 summer. 



Mr. Manum stated that he lets the 

 brood-nest alone ; keeps the brood- 

 chamber contracted, and the bees 

 warm. Sometimes he put a comb of 

 honey next to the brood-nest on the 

 outside. He was asked if he practiced 

 feeding meal or salt to bees in the api- 

 ary, and rejjlied he had done so in 

 former years, but did not now, and 

 rould not say that it did any good. 



Preventing Increase. 



The following question was led by 

 A. E. Manum, " What is the best 

 method to prevent an increase of colo- 

 nies ?" He had not found it possible 

 to prevent swarming bj' cuttii^- out 

 queen-cells ; he could get more comb 

 honey by allowing the bees to swarm ; 

 he then puts two or three swarms to- 

 gether, allowing all the queens but one 

 to return to the old hive with a portion 

 of the swarm. He has prevented in- 

 rrease by hiving swarms on a few 

 combs, using a queen-excluding honey- 

 board, giving plenty of box-room, and 

 then destroying the old bees in the 

 fall, as they would be likely to die be- 

 fore spring anyway. Another way is 

 to take the queen from the colony, and 

 return her after 15 days, cutting the 

 queen-cells out in the meantime. 



H. L. Leonard did not think it pos- 

 sible to prevent .swarming, but it could 

 be checked ; he would give plenty of 

 box-room, and practice the "tiering 

 up " j)lan ; he would compel bees to 

 care for themselves as much as po.s- 

 sible, and would plan to save time as 

 much as any other item. 



EVENI.VG SESSION. 



The following committees were ap- 

 pointed by the chair : On Nomination 

 — H. L. Leonard, O. J. Lowery, and 

 V. N. Forbes. On Awards— J. W. 

 Smith, P. D. Percival, and M. F. Cram. I 



On Resolutions— F. H. Wheatley, and 

 Miss Marcia A. Douglas. 



Bee-Keeping as a Bntttness. 



"Bee-Keeping in Vermont — does it 

 pay ?" This topic was opened by R. 

 H. Holmes, who discussed the question 

 nnder the following heads, as given by 

 N. G. Webster, who was to lead the 

 discussion, but was not present. Its 

 hindrances are a poor location ; our 

 long, cold winters ; and lack of a 

 thorough knowledge of the business. 

 A ])erson must have good judgment, 

 and plenty of common sense. 



Its expenses and profits were set 

 f(irth in an essay by J. H. Larrabee. 

 He thought the expense of an apiary 

 of 100 colonies of bees, with all the 

 neces.sary fixtures and utensils for 

 carrying it on successfully, with the 

 addition of a $200 honey-house, would 

 be worth $1,000. The average yearly 

 expense he placed at $620, which in- 

 cluded labor, interest, running ex- 

 penses, etc. The average yearly in 

 come was placed at $800, leaving a net 

 income of $180 to represent the risks 

 of wintering, disease, the shipping of 

 honey, etc. . 



The question was clo.sed by H. L. 

 Leonard under the head of " Bee-keep- 

 ing as a business." He thought noth- 

 ing was worthy the name of business 

 that would not pay expenses and leave 

 a margin for | profit. Bee-keeping 

 would do this. Jt has its " off years," 

 when it will not pay, like all other 

 kinds of production ; bnt no more so 

 than others. There are but few loca- 

 tions in Vermont where bee-keeping 

 cannot be made to pay to a greater or 

 less extent. There are less enemies to 

 bees than in almost any other section 

 of our country, and the average yield 

 per colony is larger. Bee-keeping in 

 Vermont has paid and will pay, but it 

 is essential that one understands the 

 business and management of the 

 apiary. 



Mr. J. Van Deusen, of Sprout Brook, 

 N. Y., said that the formation of the 

 hills aiid valleys of our State was favor- 

 able for honey production, as we would 

 be favcned with early and late bloom 

 of the honey-producing plants. 



This discussion was followed by an 

 essay by Mrs. F. A. Wolcott, entitled. 



The Pleasures and Itlfflcnltles of Bee- 

 Keeplug. 



She thought there was pleasure in 

 seeing the clean, white sections of 

 honey taken from the bees, by some 

 one else, also in preparing it for mar- 

 ket, but there were some things not 

 so pleasant ; and she related an in- 

 stance of attempting to hive a refrac- 

 tory swarm, and risceiving 33 stings as 

 a reward for her labor. She also 

 spoke of the expenses of the business 

 keeping in advance of the profits for 



the fir-st few years, which have to be 

 met first. 



Miss Marcia A. Douglas read an 

 essay on the question : 



Should Women Keep Be«-R and Join 

 the Bee-Keepers' .Association? 



She could speak from experience, 

 that while there was much hard labor 

 in connection with the business, she 

 she saw no reason why a woman could 

 not keep bees, to a greater oi- less ex- 

 tent, as successfully as the sterner sex, 

 provided that slie was adapted to the 

 calling, and in love with it. If men 

 were benefited by associations and in- 

 terchanging of ideas and methods »{ 

 work, why not women ? 



THURSDAY MORNING SESSION. 



The Secretary's report .showed the 

 present membership to be 139 ; an in- 

 crease of 30 since the last report. The 

 Treasurer's report showed that the ex- 

 penses of the past year has been 

 $33.12, and the receipts, including the 

 amount in the treasury, $24.02, leaving 

 a deficiency of .$9.10, which was made 

 up by contributions fi-om those present. 

 It was voted by the members of the 

 association that Art. 5 of the Constitu- 

 tion be amended to read as follows : 

 "Any person may become a member 

 of this association by giving his or her 

 name to the Secretary, and paying an- 

 nually to the Treasurer a sum not ex- 

 ceeding one dollar, except ladies who 

 shall be admitted free." It was voted 

 that the members be required to pay 

 50 cents each, to defray expenses for 

 the coming year. 



The following were appointed a 

 committee to revise the present Con- 

 stitution, and bring it before the con- 

 sideration of the next annual session, 

 P. C. Abbey, H. L. Leonard, R. H. 

 Holmes, and Miss Marcia A. Douglas. 



The committee on nominations re- 

 ported as follows : For President, R. 

 H. Holmes ; Vice-Presidents, F. M. 

 Wright, D. S. Hall, and J. E. Crane ; 

 Secretary and Treasurer, Miss Marcia 

 A. Douglas Thej' were then elected 

 as otKcers for the ensuing year. 



The committee on awai-ds repoited 

 the exhibits made, and the committee 

 on resolutions presented several reso- 

 lutions, which were passed. Then the 

 newly elected oflScers assumed their 

 re.spective positions, and the next topic 

 was opened Ijy F. H. McFarland, of St. 

 Albans, on 



Is it Profitable to Use Fnll Kheets of 

 Foundation In the Brood-Chamber? 



He said it is a waste of wax to use 

 full sheets, although more honey may 

 be secured by their use. In full sheets, 

 the foundation is sure to sag and cause 

 elongated colls near the toji, which the 

 queen is slow to occupy. Mr. Lowery 

 advocated the use of starters. Mr. 

 Leonard would use full sheets, even if 



