70 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 



draft and you would see in a very short time that the bees 

 will die with the cold; they will be simply frozen up in a 

 wet mass as if they were drowned. Within a week or so 

 you will see drops or dampness collected. 



Mr. Becker — I believe in cellar-wintering. Last winter I 

 left my bees outdoors. The cellar was not in shape to put 

 them in, and it was late before I could do anything, and I 

 left them outdoors. I preserved with woolen carpets; I put 

 a carpet over every one of the colonies. I really did not 

 lose any during the winter. During the spring I bought 

 10 colonies of bees at a sale that had from 30 to 50 pounds 

 of honey, but when I hauled them home (it was in the early 

 part of March when I opened them) seven out of ten had 

 died; the rest were alive. Now I will tell you what I 

 believe, that they froze to death, for they had plenty of 

 honey that they could reach. I put cloth on top of them. 

 My own bees came through the winter in good shape, but 

 these bees dwindled away till only a few were left. For 

 good wintering have a sufficient number of young bees to 

 go through the winter and be on hand the next spring. If 

 we have no honey-flow in the fall they can't produce young 

 bees to last till the next April or May, and their natural 

 age has come and consequently you lose the colonies; but if 

 they are in good condition and you have plenty of young 

 bees they generally come through as a good colony next 

 spring. I winter my bees in the cellar, and if the cellar is 

 dark I have no trouble of any kind whatever. 



Mr. Becker — I think it would be well to appoint a com- 

 mittee of three from the Chicago-Northwestern Association 

 as the Legislative Committee, to act with the committee 

 from this Association. I think it would be all right. We 

 want some help. I move that the Executive Committee of 

 that Association be appointed by the President of this Asso- 

 ciation, 



Mr. Smith — I think it would be right to ask them to ap- 

 point a committee to act in conjunction with this committee, 

 that they might appoint two or more. 



Mr. Black — I would move the executive committee of 

 this Association be authorized and instructed to use the 

 proper means to get the Legislature to suppress foul brood, 

 and that they ask any other committee from any other 

 society to cooperate with them. 



Mr. Bowen — A resolution has been adopted for that be- 

 fore. 



Mr. Black — I move the Executive Committee be appoint- 

 ed by the society as a legislative committee for the ensuing 

 year. 



Mr. Smith — It is moved and seconded that the Execu- 

 tive Committee of this Society be the Legislative Commit- 

 tee the coming year, with power to add to it as they see 

 proper. All in favor say "Aye;" contrary "No." Carried. 



