128 



EIGHTH ANNUAL. REPORT OP THE 



there was no chance of doing any- 

 thing with them. 



Mr. Whitney: I move the previous 

 question. 



The motion was seconded. 



President York: It is a question of 

 whether the debate shall cease. All in 

 favor of the previous question will 

 say aye. 



The motion was carried. 



President York: The motion is 

 whether or not we shall strike out the 

 word "unanimously." All in favor of 

 striking out the word "unanimously" 

 rise, and the Secretary will count. 



Secretary Moore: Seventeen. 



President York: All in favor of 

 leaving the word "unanimously" in, 

 rise. 



Secretary Moore: Seven. 



President York: The words will go 

 out. 



Mr. Baxter: I move that on the 

 original motion, the vote be taken by 

 rising. 



President York: The motion before 

 you is on the approval of the resolu- 

 tion presented by the Resolution Com- 

 mittee, as amended. All in favor of 

 the resolution will rise. 



Secretary Moore: Twenty-five. 



President York: Those opposed will 

 rise. 



Secretary Moore: Five. 



President York: The motion is car- 

 ried. 



An adjournment was then taken to 

 1:30 p. m. 



SECOND DAY — Afternoon Session. 



The convention met pursuant to ad- 

 journment with Pres. George W. York, 

 in the chair. 



Wintering Bees. 



"What is. the best method of winter- 

 ing bees?" 



Mr. Taylor: That probably has been 

 asked by some one who lacks expe- 

 rience, and one of the answers would 

 be to find out how bees were wintered 

 in his neighborhood by those who were 

 wintering them successfully. I doubt 

 very much whether there is any man 

 here who can say what is the one best 

 method of wintering bees, because 

 what may be best in one place may 

 not be best in another. 



Black Brood and Foul Brood. 



"Is the same treatment necessary for 

 black brood as foul brood?" 



Mr. Taylor: I think the same treat- 

 ment is effective. 



President York: They use the same 

 in Canada and New York State. I re- 

 member the subject was up at the Na- 

 tional Convention at Detroit, and I 

 think that was what they stated there. 



Drones and Queenlessness. 



"Is the presence of nice big drones 

 in a' hive at this time of the year an 

 indication of queenlessness?" 



Mr. Taylor: I should say, if there 

 are nice big drones, the hive is very 

 likely queenless. If they are small, it 

 is a little more likely that they are 

 queenless, although there are excep- 

 tions sometimes. A queenless colony 

 will have drones at this time of the 

 year; so, in general, if drones were 

 found in a colony now, it would be 

 strongly suspicious of queenlessness. 



Wintering Bees in Northern Illinois. 



"What is the best method for a be- 

 ginner to winter his bees in this part 

 of the country?" 



President York: How do j^ou winter 

 yours, Mr. Wheeler? 



Wr. Wheeler: I winter them in the 

 cellar and keep the temperature as 

 near forty-five degrees as possible, and 

 dark — keep the temperature even. I 

 put them in as late as I can and take 

 them out as early as I can in the 

 spring, when they begin flying regu- 

 larly, and when there is no danger of 

 their being injured by the cold winds 

 and changes of temperature. There 

 seems to be a time when you can tell 

 by intuition when to get them out — the 

 action of the bees, the temperature of 

 the air and the birds singing give me 

 an idea. 



Mr. Horstmann: The question seems 

 to be what is the best way for a be- 

 ginner of winter bees. A beginner 

 would not have very many colonies of 

 bees. I would suggest that a beginner 

 use an ordinary dry-goods box, take 

 the bottom out of it, put it over the 

 hive and fill It in with hay, and cover 

 it so as to keep the water out; leave 

 an entrance so that the bees can go In 

 and out when they like. He should 

 do that until he has experience; then 

 a repository is better. But a beginner 

 has not had experience, and would not 



