ILLINOIS STATE EEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



61 



question asked is: Will bee-keepers 

 be benefited by paying an amount to 

 make such demonstration? It is a 

 question that has been referred to me, 

 and I would like to hear any definite 

 opinion on the subject. 



Dr. Bohrer: If the demonstrations 

 are made by a man of ability I have 

 no doubt that they will be profitable. 

 Some demonstrations and scientific lec- 

 tures are very helpful. He should ex- 

 plain why he does things, and not claim 

 to be a wizard, etc. If they will give 

 scientific talks it will be profitable. 



Increasing Convention Attendance. 



"How can the attendance of our 

 meetings be increased?" 



Dr. Bohrer: Every one should con- 

 sider himself a committee of one to get 

 one member, at least. 



Mr. Whitney: Increase the degree of 

 prosperity. 



Mr. Wilcox: Increase the invitations 

 by circular letters. 



Dr. Bohrer: Increase the spread of 

 bee-literature. I will not under any cir- 

 cumstances in the future insist on buy- 

 ing a colony of bees when a man knows 

 nothing of bees. Make sure that he 

 knows something about bees before en- 

 gaging in bee work. Don't encourage 

 the man who knows nothing about 

 bees. Get people to read bee-literature. 

 Train the man and then let him keep 

 bees. 



Mr. Moore: I must go directly 

 against Dr. Bohrer. By all means get 

 one colony of bees. Bee-keepers as a 

 class are the best class of people in 

 this country. They are nice, clean 

 people, and good citizens. I feel that 

 bee-keeping lifts men up from mere 

 money-making. Nature study is a 

 great thing. As to circulars, etc., we 

 spent $35 for letters to people all over 

 several states. About a j^ear and a 

 half afterward we got $30 back. 



Mr. Whitney: I have sold bees to 

 people who don't know a thing about 

 them. But I find whenever I meet 

 them that they have a bundle of bee- 

 papers under their arms. They are 

 studying up. 



Mr. Lyman: My experience in sell- 

 ing bees is that I first get the money, 

 and after a while I get the bees back 

 again. 



Mr. Wilcox: Can honey vinegar be 

 profitably made from honey? 



Mr. Taylor: I think not. 



Mr. Arnd: It is not profitable, as 

 you can not get enough money for it. 



Mr. Moore: There is no demand for 

 honey vinegar. It is hard to work up 

 a demand. Cross & Blackwell's vine- 

 gar brings $1.00 a gallon, or 25 cents 

 a quart. Cider vinegar brings 60 cents. 



Dr. Bohrer: I can not find a sale 

 for my vinegar. 



Mr. Moore: The market is bare of 

 pure cider vinegar. There is too much 

 cheap stuff on the market. 



Dr. Bohrer: You can not make good 

 cider vinegar out of poor apples. There 

 is too little sale to advise making good 

 vinegar. . 



Mr. Arnd: I suppose the best meth- 

 od for a bee-keeper is just to take the 

 honey that he has and mix it with rain 

 water — about a pound to a gallon. You 

 can start it with yeast or with "mother" 

 and let it ferment in the old way. It 

 takes about a year. But a quick 

 process may be used. To get good, 

 sharp vinegar you should take 2 pounds 

 of honey to a gallon of water. This 

 vinegar will keep, I think. 



Chaff Hives vs. Single-Wall Hives. 



"Are chaff hives better than the reg- 

 ular single wall hives, the year around?" 



Mr. Taylor: I wouldn't have a chaff 

 hive at all. There is no advantage 

 that I know of, and there are great 

 disadvantages in the bulkiness in 

 handling the hives. 



Mr. Whitney: For out -door winter- 

 ing there is nothing better. Made of 

 thin stuff they are as easily handled as 

 the dovetailed hive. There are many 

 advantages, I think. I have used both, 

 and like the chaff the better. 



Making Honey Vinegar. 



"What is the best method of making 

 honey vinegar?" 



Exhibits to Help Honey Demand. 



"Is there not some way for this As- 

 sociation to exhibit at the Pood Shows 

 fi:iven in Chicago, and thus help the 

 demand for pure honey?" 



Mr. Boyden: I do thoroughly be- 

 lieve that there is a place for us to ad- 

 vertise honey at these shows. I un- 

 derstand that Mr. Prance and Mr. 

 Hutchinson were a little bit discour- 

 aged at the recent World's Food Show. 

 I think with more experience they will 

 get better results. I believe it can be 

 done. They had no bees there this 

 year. I know bees will always attract 

 considerable attention. I think there 

 should be bees shown. 



