THE a»«IERICar« BE® JO^JRlfffit. 



173 



^^^^^^^*^*^^^^^^^*^*^^^Lt-^*~*~"^-"^-''~^^^'^-^-n 



be made without coming in contact 

 ■with the bees. 



If all is well, the bees will soon com- 

 iiionce carryinn; the food from the cage 

 to the frames below, and thus become 

 acijuainted with the queen. If, on ex- 

 ;imination, the l)ees are found belliger- 

 rnt, drop the cover to the bottom of 

 the cage, and with a few i)ufl's of 

 smoke, remove all the bees but the 

 attendants, and close the cage. After 

 the usual time, the same can be re- 

 peated, and so continue until the bees 

 are friendly to the queen. 



When this has been accomplished, 

 open the bee-space on the other side 

 of the cage, and the queen can leave 

 at her pleasure, and commence her 

 labors without danger of attack. Thus 

 the colony is not disturbed at liberat- 

 ing the queen — a factor of no small 

 value, as disturbance sometimes causes 

 the bees to attack their queen after she 

 has been with them for months. 



It is diflicult to catch and cage a 

 queen, if she is not accejited when 

 liberated. With this cage the queen 

 is alwa_vs in hand. I have liberated 

 queens which were immediatelj' at^ 

 tacked and put to flight before going 

 among the bees. This could never 

 occur with the above-described cage. 

 I think that it is nearly, if not quite, 

 infallible. 



Shelby, Ohio. 



MOLDS. 



How to Itlake and Use Founda- 

 tion molds. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY .JOHN FARIS. 



Foundation molds are made as fol- 

 lows : Make two frames the size of 

 the mold wanted, something like a 

 slate-frame ; hinge the two frames to- 

 gether, fit a board in one frame, lay a 

 sheet of foundation on the board, and 

 close the frames. Have the plaster of 

 Paris already mixed, till the top frame, 

 working it well into every cell, and 

 when the plaster sets, turn over the 

 frames, and take out the board and fill 

 the other frame in the same manner. 

 Let them alone about ten minutes, and 

 then pry open and take ofl" the sheet of 

 foundation, when the molds are ready 

 for use. 



Make a tin box for Langstroth molds, 

 44 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 6 

 inches deep, with a wooden rim 

 around the top 3 inches wide. Now 

 make another tin box an inch larger, 

 and tack it to the rim ; fill the empty 

 space with water, and put it on "a 

 stove. Put the beeswax into the box, 

 and heat tlie wliole apparatus until the 

 wax is thoroughly melted ; then let the 

 wax cool down, put in two cross-sticks 



2 inches from the top of the box at one 

 end of the box. 



Before operating is begun,, put the 

 molds in luke-warni water, and let 

 tliem get thoroughly wet ; then put the 

 molds on the cross-sticks in the box, 

 and with a dipper or tin cup, pour the 

 wax on one plaster. Close the molds 

 immediately, and gently press them 

 with both hands four or five seconds, 

 and then plunge them into cold water 

 a few seconds. Take them out, and 

 pry them open, and peel ofl" a perfect 

 sheet of foundation, ready for the bees. 

 Or, if you have 10 or 15 pounds of 

 wax, you can dip one plate in the wax, 

 put the plates on the cross-sticks, and 

 close them as in the previous opera- 

 tion. This waj' makes foundation 

 which will will not sag or break down 

 like the rolled. 



Town House, Va. 



CANADA. 



Report of the Welland County 

 Convention. 



The Welland County Bee-Keepers' 

 Association was organized at the T<jwn 

 Hall in Ridgeway, Ont., on Mondav, 

 Feb. 20, 1888. Owing to the hea\V 

 rains during the day, and the condi- 

 tion of the roads, many persons who 

 had signified their intention of being 

 present, were prevented. Eleven per- 

 sons were enrolled as members. A 

 courteous letter from Prof. Snider, re- 

 gretting his inability to be present,and 

 promising to be at the next meeting, 

 was read. The following were elected 

 as officers : H. J. Herber, President ; 

 C. H. Mathews, Vice-President ; and 

 J. F. Dunn, Secretary-Treasurer. 



The different methods of wintering 

 bees was pretty thoroughly discussed. 



Mr. Herber winters his bees in a 

 clamp, packed with sawdust in a barn, 

 with the hive-entrances so arranged 

 that the bees can fly on warm days. 



Mr. Mathews winters his bees in a 

 clamp, out>doors, the hives being 

 packed in sawdust and forest leaves, 

 with a cushion over the brood-nest, and 

 the honej'-boards oil'. His bees are in 

 good condition. 



H. Johnston winters his bees in 

 double-walled sawdust hives, with a 

 sawdust cushion 3 inches thick over 

 the bees, and the super filled with 

 corn-cobs. His bees winter well also. 



A number asked, "Do bees seek a 

 home before swarming ?" The opin- 

 ions seemed to be pretty evenly divided 

 on this question. 



One member said that a Mr. Troup, 

 of Welland county, had observed a 

 few bees cleaning t>ut a cavity in a 

 decayed tree, and the next day a col- 

 ony from a neighboring yai'd occupied 

 the cavity. 



Tlie Secretary thought that was no 

 proof, and that bees do seek a home 

 before swarming. A small swarm 

 may have occui)ied the cavity first, and 

 the one issuing the next day united 

 with them. ; 1 



Then followed a talk on hiving 

 swarms and contracting the brood- 

 nest. Mr. Herber favored contraction, 

 but thought that the bees would be 

 found in better condition for winter if 

 contraction wore not practiced. The 

 bees would have to be fed, etc., and 

 the novice had better let contraction 

 alone. 



Discussions on minor topics occupied 

 the balance of the time, after which 

 the convention adjourned to meet 

 again in Welland, Ont., on Monday, 

 May 7. 1888. J. F. Dunn, Sec. 



Honey and Beeswax Market. 



DENVER. 

 HONEY.— Best white 1-Ib. sections, 17@19c.: 2-Ib^ 

 sections, 15@il7c. Extracted, 7® IOC. 

 BEESWAJ[.-20@23c. 

 Miir. 1. J. M. CLARK & CO.. 1409 Fifteenth St. 



KANSAS CITY. 



HONEY.— We quote : Choice white 2-lb. sections, 

 17@l8c.; dark 2-lb8, I4@15c.; choice white I-lbs.. 18 to 

 20cts. , darli I-lbs., 15®16c. White extracted, 7®«o.; 

 dark. fi®6c. Demand is slow. White extracted la 

 Arm when in 60-lb. tin cans. 



BEESWAX.— 21 to 22C. 

 Feb. 29. HAMBLIN & BBAR8S. 514 Walnut St. 



NEW YORK. 

 HONEY.- We quote : Fancy white in 1-lb. sec- 

 tions, 15@18c.; the same in 2-lbs., 13@15c.; buck- 

 wheat 1-lbs., 11®12C.; 2-lb8., 10®llc. Off grades 

 l®2c. per lb. less. White extracted, 8®9c.; dark, 

 5H@i6c. Market dull. 

 BEESWAX.— 22(«23C. 



MCCAUL & HttDRBTH BROS., 

 Feb. 21. 28 & 30 W. Broadway, near Duane 8t 



CINCINNATI 



HONEY.— We quote extracted at 4®9c. per lb. 

 Choice comb, 16(S!2iic., in the JobbinK way. De- 

 mand fair and supply good. 



BEESWAX.— Demand is good— 20<Sj22c. per lb. for 

 good to choice yellow, on arrival. 



Feb. 20. C. F. MDTH & SON, Freeman & Central Av. 



BOSTON. 



HONEY.— We quote: 1-lb. sections, 16®17c.; 2- 

 Ib. sections, l4®l«c. Extracted. 8®9c. The market 

 is not very brisk and sales are slow. . 



BEESWAX.- 25 cts. per lb. 



Feb. 24. Blaks & KiPLBT. 57 Chatham Street. 



SAN FRANCISCO. 



HONEY.— We quote: White to extra, 15® 18c.; 

 amber. 13®iec. Extracted, white liquid, 7@T}4c.; 

 amber and candied, .')J^®6Hc. Market quiet. 



BEESWAX. -J IM24C. 



Feb. 18. SCilACHT & liEMCKB, 122-124 Davis St. 



DETROIT. 



HONEY.— Best white in 1-pound sections, 17®19o. 

 Extracted, 9@i0c, for light colored. Market weaker 

 and supply only fair. 



REB8WAX.— 22@23c. 



Feb. 17. M. H. H0NT, BeH Branch, Mich. 



CHICAGO. 

 HONEY.— Prices range from ie@18c. for best one. 

 lb. sections; 2-lbs. or about, 14®l5c. Dark is slow of 

 sale, with no steady price. Extracted moving slowly. 

 Offerings of all kinds are large. Demand better. 

 BEESWAX,- 22®230. R. A. BURNETT, 



Feb. 16. 161 South Water St. 



KANSAS CITY. 



HONE Y.-We quote: White 1-lbs., glassed, 16®17c; 

 unglassed, 17@lSc. : anddark 1-lbs., glassed, loc; un- 

 glassed, HJc; white 2.1bs., glassed, l6c,,: unglassed2- 

 Ibs., 17c. California white 2-lb8.. i7c. California ex- 

 tracted in 6u-lb. cans, 8c. Market quiet and receipts 

 are larger. 



BEEBWAX.-NO. 1, 20c..; No. 2, I8c. 

 Feb. 9. CLEMONS, CLOON 4 CO., cor 4th AWalnut. 



MILWAUKEE. 



HONEY.— Choice white one-lb. sections. lSf51l9c.; 

 2-!l)s.. Ij®l(ic., 3-lbs., I4®15c. Dark ;uul l>roken not 

 quotable. Extracted, white in kegs and tin. y®y^c-; 

 iii-barrels and barrels, m^@9c.: dark and mixed in 

 same, ti&7c. Market slow ; better demand expected. 



BEESWAX.— 22®25C. 



Feb. 2. A. V. BISHOP. 142 W. Water St. 



