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94 



NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



idea out of my head about digging a 

 hole and putting it away from the 

 possibility of the bees ever reaching 

 any of it. If I give it away, some 

 , neighbor may use it on his table next 

 spring, and the bees may get hold of 

 some of it and scatter it. 



I ibelieve in using the utmost care 

 and caution in everything around your 

 apiary that has been infected with foul 

 brood. I use carbolic acid, but it is 

 * more of a superstition than benefit, as 

 I understand that carbolic acid does 

 not kill the germs. 



I believe in thoroughly washing the 

 hands and scraping the nails. I 

 change my clothing, and put my cloth- 

 ing in boiling water. By being vigilant, 

 we may ;be able to master the situa- 

 tion, and having the proper laws to 

 help lis in the work. If you will make 

 it unlawful for a man to allow a bee- 

 tree to stand on his farm, that would 

 be well; he must take the bees out of 

 it; not allow them to build in the 

 trees. Wherever bees are out from 

 under the care of the bee-keeper, we 

 want a law to make the people destroy 

 them; otherwise they will make mis- 

 chief. 



Mr. Moore — ^I wish to make a motion 

 that the President appoint a commit- 

 tee on Resolutions, of five, to express 

 the sense of this convention on this 

 question. 



The motion was seconded, and car- 

 ried. 



President York — What about the 

 recommendation of Mr. Dadant in his 

 paper? He recommended that a com- 

 imittee of twelve be appointed to co- 

 operate with the committee of the 

 State Association. 



(Mr. Moore — I move that, a commit- 

 tee of twelve be appointed to co-oper- 

 ate with the committee of the same 

 number appointed by the State Associ- 

 ation. 



Dr. Miller — It is not a question 

 whether so large a committee is ad- 

 visable in this case. In the case of 

 the State convention, there are quite 

 a numiber that are right close at hand 

 there. I don't know whether it would 

 really be objectionable; it seems to me 

 twelve is a pretty large number. 



President York — The committee ap- 

 pointed at Springfield, I think, covered 

 the State fairly well; they were pretty 

 well scattered over the State; then an 

 Executive Committee of three out of 

 that twelve was selected. 



Filling Combs With Sugar Syrup to 

 Feed Bees. 



"What is the hest way to fill empty, 

 combs with sugar syrup to feed bees?" 



Dr. Miller — I am not sure that I 

 know the best way. I will tell you a 

 way that I used quite satisfactorily 

 some years ago. I had a 'box made^ 

 in which I could lay a comb flat in 

 the bottom of it, and then, somewhat 

 elevated, I had a dish; I think it was 

 a baking powder can, with a lot of 

 holes made in the bottom of it with a 

 nail; that can was hung at a height 

 so that anything falling out of it upon 

 the comb would fall, perhaps, three or 

 four feet; then, taking another vessel 

 with a spout, I poured into this can, 

 and moved it about, so that the syrup 

 would fall in a spray all over it. 



You will find, if you take a comb 

 and pour the syrup over it, it will just 

 run off; it won't run in; but letting it 

 . fall at a distance in fine drops, it goes 

 into the comb. It has to have force 

 enough to force that syrup into the 

 cells into the bottom. I have also 

 filled combs by pouring, hut the sp'-ay- 

 ing I find more speedy, and it gives 

 the necessary force, the same as grav- 

 ity does in using a can with holes in 

 the bottom. The only object I had in 

 having this elevation was to have it 

 go with force. 



Mr. Cavanagh — 'Would a large box, 

 sufficiently large so that the comb can 

 be suspended from the bottom, and a 

 spray pump, do the work pretty well? 



Dr. Miller — The main thing in hav- 

 ing the elevation was to get the force, 

 'but I should suspect, with that force 

 pump at three inches distance, you 

 might 'make it work all right. Did you 

 actually try it? 



Mr. Cavanag^h — Yes; three inches 

 would be rather close. 



Dr. Miller — it would not have time 

 to spread into drops — that is right. 

 . Mr. Cavanagh — A couple feet away; 

 or a foot away, anyhow. 



Mr. Thompson — After they have the 

 syrup in the combs, I would like to 

 know if the the bees take it out. 



Dr. Miller — They will in my locality, 

 I have had a large experience in feed- 

 ing syrup in combs. I fed — I was going 

 to say — tons, more than a ton, any- 

 how, in that way. When the comb 

 was filled, then it was set where there 

 was a chance for a little drain — not 

 very much — when it was put in the 



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