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THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 



hive bee-tight, with proper ventilation ; cause the bees to fill 

 themselves by smoking and jarring the hive. This last I do 

 by putting a thin strip under the bottom-board, so as to bal- 

 ance the hive, and vibrate it back and forth. This is done for 

 15 minutes or more ; if there is no unsealed honey it requires 

 longer. 



Now see that the queen and attendants have had a good 

 square meal, and make an opening at the entrance, side or 

 top of hive, and cause the queen and escort to run in, 

 smoking slightly. Close up the hive and continue the jarring 

 for half an hour longer. This is for the purpose of having 

 queen and bees become thoroughly assimilated in actions and 

 scent. 



The hive is now left till dark before opening. They are 

 generally left at least two hours, q,nd sometimes all night be- 

 fore opening. The object of leaving till dark is that the bees 

 may have a time undisturbed to resume a normal condition, 

 and robber-bees take no part whatever in the operation. 



Secretary Stone — I have never tried introducing queens 

 In the fall of the year, or when there were robber-bees abroad, 

 but once.' I bought two very fine golden Italian queens at the 

 State Fair the first of October, in one-frame observatory 

 hives. I attempted, the first week in October, to introduce 

 them. I selected the two colonies I wished to requeen, opened 

 the hive of one, and began search for the queen. By the time 

 I had removed about three frames, the robber-bees came so 

 thick I was compelled to hustle them back. Having no bee- 

 tent, I carried the hive into the honey-house, and just inside 

 the screen-door. I removed all the frames into a box used for 

 the purpose, and did not find the queen till emptying out the 

 remaining bees. I then caged the golden Italian, and brushed 

 the bees from her frame on the tops of frames in the box. 

 Some of her bees flew to the screen door that was covered 

 with bees from the hive, and the others settled with the bees 

 In the box. I then removed the frames from the box to their 

 hive, brushed back all loose bees from the box, screen doors 

 and windows, and placed the caged queen between the tops of 

 the frames, with the cage entrance closed by honey from the 

 hive ; moved the hive to the old stand, and left it closed with 

 wire-screen till after dark. 



I went through the same process with the second golden 

 Italian queen, and the only afterthought given them was 

 anxiety to know as to my success. The little slates that lie 

 on top of these two hives are marked thus : 



" March 13th [the spring following], an occasional Gold, 

 [t. can be seen. May 1st not a black bee left." 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS. 



The chairman of the Committee on Resolutions reported 

 the following resolutions : 



Whereas, The Illinois State Bee-Keepers' Association 

 was instrumental in securing a foul brood law for the benefit 

 of the bee-keepers of the State at the last session of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly ; and, 



Whereas, Our sister associations, and especially the 



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