148 



NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



good, next to the metihod I have spoken 

 of. I might just explain: You see a 

 jam-jar, almost any one can get, and 

 the only added expense is this round 

 piece of finely perforated tin or zinc — 

 you put that on top in place of the 

 glass top; when you invert that, it Is 

 within one-fourth of an inch of right 

 where the cluster is. If you have not 

 got the honey-boards I speak of, you 

 can use (and I have used them) a 

 couple of quarter- inch sticks, and set 

 the jar on top of that, so the bees can 

 go under, and then you can pack 

 leaves around, and the ibees get right 

 to that syrup, and I don't believe there 

 is a cheaper or better method of feed- 

 ing bees than this. I am very mudh 

 pleased with it. 



Mr. Wilcox — "When I extracted last 

 time — I generally know when the last 

 extracting comes — I save out sufficient 

 quantities of well filled and sealed 

 combs', set themi aside, and I go over 

 the apiary and hang in the combs, 

 and take out the empty combs, and 

 reserve the balance for spring. I go 

 over them again and remove the emp- 

 ties and put in the filled combs; it is 

 better, because it is less work. 



Mr. Thompson — I would' like to ask 

 Mr. Holtermann if tJhere is not a 

 cheaper feeder than his, on the same 

 plan? Take a ten-pound pail and 

 punch the top full of holes, and you 

 have the cheapest feeder I ever saw. 



Mr. Holtermann — A good deal of 

 trouble in punching the holes and get- 

 ting them uniform. 



Mr. Huffman — I have tried all tihe 

 feeders imaginable, and I must con- 

 fess I find nothing, to my notion, equal 

 to the Miller feeder. I have tried the 

 ten-pound tin pail — have, probably, a 

 hundred of them — but have abandoned 

 them, and, with all of them considered, 

 I will take the Miller feeder in prefer- 

 ence to any of the others. In the 

 spring of the year, the feeder may not 

 be so good, but, for stimulating in the 

 fall, and feeding bees for winter, the 

 Miller feeder beats anything else I 

 have found. As to Mr. Cavanagh's 

 way of feeding, do not those leaves 

 dissolve some of the syrup, and the 

 ibees don't gt all of the syrup out of 

 the leaves? 



Mr. Cavanagh — There is no waste, 

 because the cattle will come around 

 and eat those! 



Mr. Huffman — ^With the Miller feed- 

 er, you have no waste. I think, next 



to the Miller feeder, is the ten-pound: 

 pail, and they are easily made, easily 

 filled, easily sealed; you don't have to- 

 make your hive perfectly level. 



Refining or Bleaching Dark Honey, 



"Can dark honey be refined so as to 

 make it white, without injuring th« 

 honey ?" 



Mr. ffHufeman — I don't think it can be 

 done; that means either extracted or 

 comb honey, I suppose. 



Mr. Wilcox — I don't know anything 

 about that subject myself. Some years 

 ago. Judge Grotty, a very prominent 

 bee-keeper, suggested it could be done; 

 he was a very intelligent man; had a 

 good deal of experience in the business. 

 I have waited all my life-time to see 

 it brought up, and see if somebody 

 could tell us how dark ihoney could be 

 changed to white. Can they not 

 change -molasses and make it a lighter 

 color? 



Feeding Bees in March. 



"When bees are in need of feed in. 

 this locality, during March, what feed 

 and feeders are the best to use? It i& 

 herebey taken for granted that the 

 month of March is a very mild one." 



Mr. Thompson — The best "feeder" 

 would be the honey-knife at that time 

 of the year. 



Mr. Huffman — I think locality has a 

 good deal to do with that. 



Mr. Holtermann — I don't think we 

 would be satisfied that the honey-' 

 knife was the best "feeder." That 

 would imply that they, didn't need feed. 

 I would say, at that time of the year 

 (and I fancy your climate is much 

 the same as our 'Own), the best thing 

 would be to feed them something in 

 the shape of sugar — solid sugar. You: 

 can't, at that time of the year, feed 

 liquid; it would tend to make the bees 

 fly out of the hives and to be lost; 

 therefore, I recom'mend a cake of sugar. 



Wintering Bees Outdoors. 



"What is considered the best way to 

 winter bees in this locality, without 

 chaff hives — outdoor wintering?" 



Mr. Wilcox — I think Miss Candler'sr 

 method is the best. 



President York — May we hear from' 

 Miss Candler? 



Miss Candler — The way I like best, 

 is to wrap them in tar paper — around 

 t!he hive; wrap the paper snugly, and 

 as tight as you can. 



