THE 
ustralian icclutpcrs 
JOURNAL. 
Yol. I— No. 4] MARCH, 1886. [Price 6d. 
PROCEEDINGS of BEEKEEPERS’ 
SOCIETIES. 
Victorian Beekeepers' Club. 
An ordinary meeting of the Club was held at 
the Exchange, Collins-street West, on 16th 
February, at 8 p.m„ about twenty members 
present, and Mr. Ellery in the chair. The 
minutes of the last meeting having been read 
and confirmed, Mr. F. B. Miller inquired why it 
was that in two hives that had produced three 
swarms each, the bees finally deserted, leaving 
combs, and in the centre of one a patch of 
sealed brood dead, and dark coloured ; no 
sealed brood in any other comb. A conversa- 
tion ensued, and members considered these 
cases of queenlessness through failure to raise 
queen after last swarm had left. Mr. Miller 
also inquired how to prevent bees sealing tops 
of frames to bottoms of section boxes. The 
Chairman asked what space there was. Reply : 
Three-quarters of an inch. He said if more 
than a quarter of an inch or five-sixteenths at 
most was left, bees were sure to build comb in 
it, and that space should be reduced to quarter 
of an inch. 
Conversation on bee plants then ensued, and 
Mr. Reeves read an extract from a foreign 
journal, speaking of “ Sedum Sieboldii” as an 
excellent plant. One member found his bees 
visiting the Portulacs largely, and another 
had seen them working on Gazanias. Other 
members stated they did not see their bees on 
these flowers. 
A question as to best method of starting 
bees storing in glass shade, or cover, was 
asked. The Chairman explained, and advised 
starters of foundation arranged radially round 
the central ventilating tube. The Chairman 
then related his experience of an attack of 
foul brood in his apiary, and his mode of 
treatment. In one case Jones’ method was 
tried successfully, and in two cases Cheshire’s 
method was being carried out, apparently with 
equal success. 
Mr. Barton related an instance that had 
just come under the notice of an absent 
member, of field mice getting into a hive. 
The bees swarmed out four times consecutively 
and finally absconded. On examination, two 
field mice were found domiciled in the hive. 
Mr. Grant exhibited a piece of drone comb 
in which eggs had been deposited ; in every 
cell there were two or three, and in many five 
or six deposited. He could not find any queen 
in the stock, and presumed this was a case of 
fertile worker. He proposed to unite the 
bees to a thriving stock with young queen. 
The meeting adjourned at 10 p.m. 
South Australian Beekeepers' 
A ssociation. 
The usual monthly meeting was held at the 
Chamber of Manufactures, on Thursday, 4th 
February, Mr. S. Randall in the chair. One 
new member was elected. Judges for honey, 
wax, beekeepers’ appliances, to be exhibited 
at the Royal Agricultural Society’s Show in 
March were appointed as follow: — For bees, 
Messrs. Dollman and Ferrell and Dr. Poulton ; 
for appliances, Messrs. James, Solomon, and 
Clough; for bee products, Hon. R. D. Ross 
and Messrs. Conigrave and Page. 
