162 



SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



son that the bees have not found it 

 necessary to develop in these lines. It 

 didn't make any "difference to them 

 whether the comb was white or dark, 

 or what was the matter with it, only 

 that they had honey where they could 

 get it. Now I say, if I had any influence 

 among bee-keepers I would have them 

 turn their attention to doing something 

 that there was some prospect of their 

 being able to acomplish. 



Dr. Miller — I want to apologize to 

 Mr. Taylor for agreeing with him. 

 [Laughter.] I am very sorry I said 

 a friendly word toward him. Mr. Ab- 

 bott, I think, switched off entirely from 

 the question, and when^ Mr. Taylor 

 followed and drove the wild cattle, he 

 went still farther. The question was 

 raised whether it is better to allow the 

 bees to supersede, or for the bee-keep- 

 er to take the matter in his own hands. 

 Then Mr. Abbott raises a very import- 

 ant question and he did not say too 

 much about that, and I am with Mr. 

 Abbott and dead set against Mr. Taylor, 

 that he can not improve the bees. But 

 they are both away from the question. 

 The question is not whether we are go- 

 ing to improve our bees, but whether, 

 with the bees we have, it is better for 

 us to take the matter of superseding 

 into our hands or leave it in the hands 

 of the bees. I regret to say I am with Mr. 

 Taylor in thinking it is best to leave it 

 to the bees! [Laughter.] 



Mr. Wheeler — I stand for Mr. Taylor. 



Dr. Miller — Keep to the question now. 



Mr. Wheeler — No, I think for the 

 benefit of the convention, if you will 

 allow us a word about this very im- 

 portant question — 



Dr. Miller — Yes; but let us finish this 

 other question first, and then go to that. 



Mr. Wheeler — Mr. Taylor and Mr. 

 Abbott have been talking on a ques- 

 tion that I think is very vital to bee- 

 keepers. 



Mr. Todd — Take it up after lunch. It 

 is a big question they are discussing. 



Mr. Wheeler — Just as you people say. 

 I would like to say a word about the 

 requeening of bees. 



Mr. Taylor — I would suggest to wait 

 until it comes up. We will have it up 

 after this, I presume. 



Mr. Whitney — I simply wish to re- 

 ply to Mr. Wilcox in regard to super- 

 seding. Perhaps I made a little strong 

 statement, but when I close up my hives 

 with a clipped queen and in the spring 



I find a young queen with two good 

 wings, Ik conclude that the queen has 

 superseded. 



Mr. Wilcox — I asked that question 

 for the interest of the published report, 

 not particularly for the bee-keepers 

 present, but it will be read by the 

 people all over the world, and I did not 

 want it to appear, unless it was true, 

 that the queen was superseded in Oc- 

 tober. I did not know it was. 



The report of the Committee on 

 Resolutions was read by Mr. Hutchin- 

 son, which, on motion, was adopted. 



A photograph was taken of those 

 present, and then an adjournment until 

 1 .30 p. m. 



Second Day — Afternoon Session. 



After calling to order, Mr. Lyman de- 

 scribed his management of the hive dur- 

 ing the swarming and honey season. 



Dr. Bohrer — What is the principal ad- 

 vantage you claim for that arrange- 

 ment ? 



Mr. Lyman — It keeps the bees all at 

 work in the front brood-chamber un- 

 disturbed, and at the same time pre- 

 vents swarming. In my experience, 

 after you make this change, there is 

 no danger whatever of the bees swarm- 

 ing for at least 21 days. 



Queen Fertilization Affecting Drone- 

 Progeny. 



"Does the fertilization of the queen 

 affect her drone-progeny?" 



Dr. Bohrer — I wrote that question, 

 and the reason I did so was not to 

 make an attack upon any queen-breeder 

 at all, nor upon any author, but to call 

 attention to what I regard as an error. 

 I will name the gentleman, and I re- 

 gard him as a high-toned gentleman, 

 and a very honorable man — stands so, 

 I think, before the bee-keeping fraterni- 

 ty throughout the United States and ev- 

 erywhere he is known. I have refer- 

 ence to Mr. Doolittle. When I first 

 commenced to read bee-keeping and 

 study it carefully, I was attacked 

 through the press several times. I went 

 all the way through the State of Michi- 

 gan and discussed it before the Michi- 

 gan Bee-Keepers' Association, at the re- 

 quest of Prof. Cook. Two or 3 years 

 ago I wrote him asking whether he 

 had experimented any concerning that 

 matter, that is, the effect the fertiliza- 

 tion had upon the queen's drone-prog- 

 eny. He said he had not only experi- 



