64 First Annual Report 



W. Z. Hutchinson — For three years I have sold my tested queens in the 

 spring, replacing them with young queens from the south. When the young 

 queens were introduced before the swarming fever set in no swarming fol- 

 lowed. In only one instance did a swarm issue, and then the queen was im- 

 perfect in some respect. She laid only a few eggs and the bees seemed dis- 

 satisfied . 



C. P. Dadant — The presence of drones has a great influence on swarm- 

 ing. One reason why bees with a young queen are less likely to swarm is 

 that a young queen does not lay so many drone eggs. 



J. A. Creen — I think something might be done with traps in the way 

 of getting drones out of the hive. 



C . P . Dadant — It is better not to rear them . 



B. Taylor — I am inclined to agree with Brother Dadant that drones 

 have a great influence on swarming. 1 also got some hmts from his idea on 

 keeping a swarm a while before returning it to its hive. 



DO BEES INJURE CROPS BY TAKING AWAY HONEY. 



A.I. Root — I believe Professor Cook has answered this question in the 

 papers by saying that they do not. 



B. Taylor — Bees are needed to fertilize blossoms, and nature commits 

 no fraud . 



President Miller — We are inclined to decide as we wish it to be. If we 

 say that honey is evaporated if the hees do not gather it, it is nonsense. 

 I saw honey last winter in blossoms that had faded in my room . 



} . H . Larrabee — If the nectar is found dried down, it is proof that the 

 plant does not appropriate it . 



President Miller — Perhaps the honey left in the blossom is a benefit to 

 the stock that eats the hay. There is no doubt that the gathering of the 

 nectar is a benefit, on the whole, but let us not say that the carrying away of 

 the nectar is no injury to the plant. 



C. P. Dadant — The blossoms yield honey and an essential oil. The 

 latter gives the perfume. The oil and water may be evaporated, but the 

 saccharine portion of honey cannot be evaporated, as we all know. 



BEES INJURING GRAPES. 



A.I. Root — In California bees destroy grapes while they are being dried 

 into raisins. This has become so serious a matter that in many places the 

 bees are moved to some other locality. 



A. B. Mason — One grape-grower near Cleveland told me that the 

 absence of bees caused him a loss of I500 in one seoson. Whenever a grape 

 cracks it soon spoils. The bees suck the juices from the cracked fruit and 

 save the labor of removing the injured fruit. 



